Posted on: 14 Jun 2021
[Śrī Anil asked: In an online discussion, a person asked how Christians can believe in the tolerant, peaceful, and non-violent teachings of Jesus Christ and also believe in the wrathful and intolerant God of the Old Testament, who is full of condemnation and vengeful killing? Are the two views of God not incompatible? Before the arrival of Jesus, people in that region were obeying the laws of Moses, which are based on the principle of an-eye-for-an-eye or tit-for-tat. But Jesus preached to them to turn the other cheek, if someone strikes on one cheek. In the Old Testament, there are numerous ‘crimes’ for which God requires the death penalty, as per the Law given by Moses. Such crimes requiring the death penalty include sacrificing to any god other than Yahweh (Exodus 22:20), persistent rebelliousness on the part of a child (Deuteronomy 21:18–21), a child who hits or curses his or her parents (Exodus 21:15 and 17), working on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:2), premarital sexual intercourse (Deuteronomy 22:13–21). There is also the requirement for a priest to burn his daughter alive, if she became a prostitute (Leviticus 21:9). His question is, how did the ‘vengeful’ God of the Old Testament suddenly transform into the ‘all loving’ God of the New Testament?]
Swami replied: You do not exactly know the social conditions that existed in the times of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Ethical rules are made as per the psychology of the people for whom the rules are meant. People have different psychologies and for certain types, very harsh rules alone work. Christianity today is based on the Bible (New Testament). We only have to take the New Testament as the standard scripture for Christianity. What is the use of going into the very distant past about which we are not even clear? We are concerned with the present situation in the world. What is the practical use of your criticism? You are just trying to criticize others so that they will get enraged and criticize you for your past. They may criticize you pointing at the forcible satī tradition in which the wife was forced into the fire, after the death of her husband. Our efforts must be to maintain mutual respect, love and peace in the world. This is achieved by realizing the unity of all divine scriptures and the oneness of the one original God. This world is the creation of God and He wants peace and love in the whole humanity. If you put in efforts for world peace, you will be blessed by God. All divine people so far have made efforts in this direction alone and they were blessed by God.