Divine Justice?

[Justice]

So, then why does the Bible say God hardened Pharaoh's heart?

[Snow]

So, then why does the Bible say God hardened Pharaoh's heart?

The Bible doesn't say it. The Bible is an inanimate object - simply a collection of writings.

It was said/written by the anonymous author(s) of Exodus writing hundreds of years after the events that are described based on the oral tradition (a notoriously unreliable vehicle) handed down over the centuries. I believe Brigham Young was spot on when he refereed to such tales as "baby stories."

If an ancient anonymous story describes an act of God that is not congruent with the Gospel (ascribing evil to God), I'd say that it more likely that the author was mistaken or inaccurate rather than attributing it to God.

Of course you could always do what other bad apologists do... say God is smart and we are dumb and that it is dangerous to think for yourself, and anyway, it's just a big old mystery.

[bmy-]

Why is this a sticking point for the majority of people? We don't claim the Bible as inerrant.

[Snow]

Why is this a sticking point for the majority of people? We don't claim the Bible as inerrant.

There are those that believe that the bible is inerrant in it's original autograph manuscripts and imagine that all errors contained in it today are there by virtue of translation, transmission and evil scribes with theological mal intent... rather than errors in authorship and canonization/selection.

[Dravin]

There are those that believe that the bible is inerrant in it's original autograph manuscripts and imagine that all errors contained in it today are there by virtue of translation, transmission and evil scribes with theological mal intent... rather than errors in authorship and canonization/selection.

That seems to me an interesting claim to make in light of Joseph Smith's opinion on the Song of Solomon, namely that it is not an inspired work. So even the Prophet of the Restoration believed that non-inspired material made it into the canon.

Edited December 15, 2009 by Dravin

[Seminarysnoozer]

In this case God is shown violating several principles of the gospel:

1. Free Agency: God removes Pharaoh's agency when He hardens Pharaoh's heart.

2. Justice: God visits evil on both the Egyptians and the Israelites because of both God’s and Pharaoh's heart hardening.

Why do some Bible authors have a view of God that is so fundamentally opposed to our understanding of a just and benevolent God?

It seems most of the thread is focusing on point #1 above. #2 caught my eye more than #1. I think it is difficult to make any determinations about justice as I don't think justice has been served yet. I thought that God's justice, and benevolence for that matter, happens mostly after this life. Am I wrong?