I don’t think you quite understand the division of the New and Old Testament. The Old Testament is punishment for sin. So, according to it, we all deserve to be put under the sword or hard labor. Likewise, if we hide our talent in the soil, the LORD will give our talent as plunder to those who invested.

I mean, the point being, the cultures Israel was at war with, were all like Ted Bundy and Lyndsey Clancy. So, generally, it’s just merciful to kill them, they can do no good. I just think if Jesus were to command those things, there’d be a reason for it. And the reason is, these cultures were just psychopaths. I mean… their DNA was corrupted by so much sin, it couldn’t be redeemed. But, more in line, the Old Testament puts everyone under the sword. So, that’s what Grace is, is redemption from that Sword, and redemption from the infants being dashed to pieces.

Not to mention, there’s just an effect of embracing our violence. It’s in Psychoanalytic schools, the human mind has a lot of psychological problems, and when you purge it with those kinds of things—like the Psalm you quoted—it just makes you healthier. I mean, to fight the battle on the page, is safer than fighting it in real life. You know? It’s why we tell stories. Is there’s dark substance in the soul, that get released when you read that stuff. It’s just better for you. It makes you healthier and more relaxed. I mean, you’re channeling that against good, in essence, where the Bible channels that against evil. Either way, it’s in us. That’s inevitable. Someone’s going to kill babies at the end. That’s just human nature, so we make poetry to help us not kill babies. Because if you didn’t express those forms of anger, you’d commit violence. I mean, just look at what HAMAS did, and how entire swaths of Europeans and Americans are supporting them. And they’d continue to do it. Shamelessly, and they’d still get support no matter how evil they are. Good has to fight back sometimes, and give it right back.

I don’t think morality is just God says. I think there’s logic to God’s morals, and a good chunk of the Old Testament is the ethics of war. I mean, it’s just a fact war sucks. And it’s evil. I think God has to make it evil. He can’t lie to us, and tell us, “Well you know, it’s toy soldiers in a row, being knocked down.” No, war is plunder, murder, killing babies, women, children, old people… it’s that regardless of what war you’re speaking of. If anything, it puts a certain gravity to war, that we should only fight them, when the babies can be risked being killed. If not, there shouldn’t be a war. You know? That’s the gravity of war. It’s not just men killing each other. That’s why the Bible is truthful. I don’t see that in many other documents, beside the Iliad. But, that’s the truth. It’s a perfect logical construction. Either babies may die, or there should not be war.

Well, we don’t know what omniscience is. I don’t pretend to understand that. Why does Jesus say “Do you want to be healed” to the man laying down with his mat? A thousand theologians will make a theology out of it, but God, from my dealing with Him, has a personality. He’s very good, has a sick sense of humor sometimes, but I mean He just is Who He is. I don’t have His mind. I really don’t. I mean, God has humor, when Saul asks David for Philistine Foreskins, David gives him more than what he asked. You know? I think there’s a certain levity about this life, it’s not really that important to God, so He’s not really too concerned about what happens here. He’s more concerned about your eternal state. And there’s evil in this world, and if you’re a king, your job is to kill it. I don’t want to be a king for that reason. The King’s job is to put in prison, and kill and mass murder. That’s what kings do. It’s not something that you want, but that’s also why the Prince by Machiavelli is not for a CEO, but an actual prince.

Like a good example, is when John Hooper is killed by Bloody Mary, I mean, the sequence of events makes me laugh. Really, her whole reign of tyranny is just one sick joke after another, worthy of Monty Python. But, that’s just getting to the sick nature of the human mind. We need that dark substance to be happy.

I don’t think He’s telling you to abandon them. He’s telling you to choose God over them, as some of them aren’t going to make it.

Now I understand. Yes, the culture is about prosperity, and working, and there’s a certain animus in the culture toward Christianity. And your parents told you no, don’t witness. I get that, now. That’s probably the root of your deconversion. Christians worship work, and money, and you know, I’m told every day how I’m a sinner for doing exactly what you got scolded for, but the difference is I don’t care. And my parents, I just don’t listen to them when it comes to that. I understand that, perfectly, and that actually should be against the law, what you’re saying. You should be free to talk about your faith, and HR shouldn’t be allowed to fire you based on that.

I mean, I ask a lot of questions, but ultimately, what keeps me Christian is Jesus. I just feel it’s a good answer. And better than anyone else’s, and far more sufficient than anything I could imagine. That’s why I believe in Him. If you don’t, that’s your decision. And who knows? Maybe you’re a prodigal, and will return to the faith. But, I see this in a lot of people, the confrontation is between God and the things of this world. And you know, the Tares and Rocks are part of a parable for a reason. And a lot of people lose faith because of tares and rocks. You know? You got to be willing to sacrifice everything, hate your family so to speak, to get returns on your investment. And your worldly wealth isn ‘t the mark of your obedience, but rather the shame or lack of shame toward the truth.

I don’t think it’s disrespectful at all. I think they’re good questions, and honest Christians need to wrestle with them, because there may be important lessons in them, that might make sense if we tease it out of them.

I mean, the very first Dogma of the Catholic Church is you can attain knowledge of God through reason. I think there’s a certain strain of Protestantism that just makes the gut reaction God, and that’s what causes witch hunts, and martyrs, and wars. And I think it’s good to understand the WHOLE PICTURE, and really wrestle with it. Because there’s a lot of good insights in those verses you’re picking at, that when turned to their proper sense, start to make it more reasonable. Like I’m trying to do right now.

Well, man, that’s a long discussion. Um, to put it in three bullet points.

1. Good isn’t a ticket to a happy life.
   a. So we still need to be good, even if it won’t make us happy.
   i. That is why heaven and hell, and also grace make sense, that we have a reason to be good even if we’ve failed, and a means to be empowered to do good, through God’s Son.
   b. We also need a definition for good, and that’s Jesus’ life and ministry, and also the Law handed down to Moses.
   c. The reason God gives law, is so mankind can live peacefully, and be happy.
2. When evil is abounding, good sometimes has to fight. Or all mankind will suffer.
3. When evil exists in a civilization—i.e. Egypt, Israel, Babylon, Rome—it weakens it, and makes it susceptible to cultural changes, and susceptible to invaders, because man has a natural conscience, that will not allow such things to go unchecked.

It does logically follow. Without heaven and hell, the logical choice is to do evil, to get pleasure. That’s Atheism 101, and all the philosophers have been saying it for nearly three hundred years. That’s also why Christians remain Christian, despite people like you, is it’s against the natural conscience, and we know there must be eternal reward or punishment, for nothing else can satisfy the evil things done on this earth.

But, because people are evil, war is necessary to prevent suffering during peace. Which, Moses’ law did create a happy society. So did Jesus’, I remember it well, and without those memories you could have probably fooled me. But, I know the future, at least what I’ve seen in my dreams, and I got to say I’d pick Christianity over it, and hope to God that He does have a hell, for what people do and have done.

But generally, I’ve studied a lot of philosophy and history, and fully understand why you’re wrong. It’s hard to explain it to you, but until you see the kinds of mess humans have made over the centuries, and the gross amount of suffering caused by mankind, it doesn’t make sense. Or the profound peace the Gospel did give even Western Civilization.

There is a God, and He is Jesus Christ. And we need Him to be empowered to be good. Facts about history can change, and if I gave you a list of reasons why I believe, I’m not so sure they’d be there tomorrow. I’ve seen this hidden a thousand times.

But, the truth is, I do believe God is good. And I think you are not. And the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Jesus, and so was everything else. I don’t particularly know what you’re going on about, but I do know history has been very damaged by whatever is happening right now. And I just think, we need faith. And without faith, the world isn’t getting any better. It’s getting very unkind, very weird, very dangerous. And we need faith to establish, first off, any first principle, even as far as ontology. So, the fact is, you can whine about God, and how awful He is, but if the Bible weren’t so sound as an ethical document, even giving the power of the sword to the government, to wage war against sin, then I’d expect you could dupe me.
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But, there’s an entire poetry to the religion, and you don’t know the first part of it, and I could spend a lifetime trying to teach it to you, and it’s just you dont want it. So, I know why you’re wrong about everything, and I’ve worked hard to answer those very questions for myself. And I’ve found your position lacking more substance, or really any substance. So, that’s why I’m a Christian.

But to conclude, Jesus is the only one I’d trust. Just based on the Gospel. I’ve thoroughly read everything you said, and can provide a counter argument in my head as to why it’s wrong. But, you know… that’s a lot to do over a comment section on YouTube.

Just know, every word you spoke was read, and I know why it’s fallacious.

But, the first few things I will debate. The first thing.

For one thing, we do need a definition for the good. That philosophically follows. And Christ’s life is perfection, so when He gave the dogs crumbs, He came by the way of Zebulon and Naphtali, and opened salvation to the Gentiles. 😉

Taking the Church Calendar, but not making it mandatory, I would take my sermons as such:

Platitudes:

These would be sermons on Charity, Kindness, Love, Gentleness, Meekness, Patience, Good Works, Loving your Neighbor, and goodwill toward men. Such sermons would be less referential to scripture, and would be more in line with teaching the basics of love and truth.

Logos: 

These would be sermons on Apologetics, on Evidence, on building a body of knowledge for evidence in support of scripture. As Reason is part of our faith, it would teach reason as a means of connecting with God, through Evidence, and Philosophical Arguments, and Historical Criticism. Also aid from the Apocrypha would be used in these sermons.

Beatitudes:

This would be sermons of Exposition from the New Testament. There would be one chapter read from a book of the New Testament. And the book would be read, and exposited verse by verse. Using the conservative exegesis of the Bible's True Sense.

Dogma:

This would be sermons of Exposition from the Old Testament. There would be one chapter read from a book of the Old Testament. And the book would be read, and exposited verse by verse. Using the conservative exegesis of the Bible's True Sense.

The Church Calendar would start, using the 52 weeks. And on the 53rd week, there'd be a sermon of Beatitude for that special week. The first week would start with Platitude, and so forth, the weeks would cycle from the four modes of preaching. So the entire sense of scripture is preached, from Good Works, to Reason, to Exegesis.

Foreword: The Apocrypha is not scripture. It is, rather, a step below scripture, more sacred than a Sermon or Hymn, but less sacred than Scripture. There are teachings in the Apocrypha that are not divine commands, but rather, it's the authentic expression of Christians and Jews throughout the centuries, giving wisdom and knowledge.

One must read this for discernment, not as a canon of sacred scripture, but as a reminder that men of faith come from different walks of life, and denominations. Though contradictory at times, it is no doubt that all of these works were created by authentic and sincere students of the faith, and did what their consciences allowed them to do, innovating the religion where necessary, and expositing it.

I guarantee, those who study Theology will be little interested in this. As there is no Theology to be gleaned from it. It is rather, pure thoughts from Christian men and women. As the modern scholar tries to innovate the religion, all of this is less of an innovation, but a reminder of the Solid Food we are expected to eat when we've reached maturity.

To discern, where there is error, but also to accept the knowledge of brothers and sisters from the centuries on forward. As many attempts are being made to add new books to the 66 Canon, when there really ought not be anything added or taken away from it. 66 is Man, and the Bible were given to Man, by the divine witness of those prophets, holymen and apostles, to be transcribed and handed down through the ages.

Likewise, witnesses have seen authentic martyrdoms, and kept accounts of the saints throughout history. This is pure doctrine, given by those saints who have carried the torch throughout the centuries. It can be abused by Christians, or used to edify them, the same as the scriptures themselves.

Just like any man who does not know an idol is in their right hand, if read incorrectly, the faith can be stolen from them, which is also true with the 66 Books of the Canon, that without proper instruction, it can sever the chords of silver. But, if bound to the traditions, and imparted the gifts of the Spirit, it will be a resounding Harp, which will keep one attuned to God's Peace and Will.

In a sense, this document is my 95 Theses, where Christians throughout the ages have held differing views, there is still one Holy and Apostolic Faith. This is only a selection of the most authentic articles of the Christian faith, yet there's so much more, in Hymnals, Sermons, Hagiographies, Martyrologies, Apologetics, Midrash, Prayers, Ecclesiastical Histories, and all the rest of Christ's body, what they have lived, and produced. As John said about Christ when He resurrected, all the books in the world couldn't contain His deeds, and how many more worlds would be contained in our One and Holy Body?

Old Apocrypha

Old Testament Apocrypha, King James Authorized Edition (No Jubilee or Enoch or Jasher)

New Apocrypha 

The Letters of Publius and Pilate Translated by Sebastian P. Brock
Lives of the Apostles, Written by B. K. Neifert
J. B. Lightfoot's Translation of the Didache
J. B. Lightfoot's Translation of The Epistle of Barnabas
J. B. Lightfoot's Translation of Clement 1 and 2
J. B. Lightfoot's Translation of the Seven Epistles of Ignatius
James Donaldson's Translation of The Martyrdom of Ignatius
J. B. Lightfoot's Translation of Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians and the Martyrdom of Polycarp
J. B. Lightfoot's Translation of The Shepherd of Hermas
The Fragments of Papias, Translated by J. B. Lightfoot
The Accounts of the Ten Roman Persecutions in Martyr's Mirror, by Thieleman Van Braght translated by Daniel Rupps
The Apostles' Creed, Book of Common Prayer 1662
The Nicene Creed, Book of Common Prayer 1662
The Athanasian, Creed Book of Common Prayer 1662
255 Dogmas of the Catholic Church St. Stephen's Narrative Synthesis (https://stbenedictchurch.org/files/2020/12/255-Dogmas-of-the-Catholic-Church.pdf)
95 Theses of Martin Luther translated by Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds.
The Complete Augsburg Confession Produced by Allen Mulvey and David Widger
The Original 39 Articles of Religion, Book of Common Prayer 1662
The First, Second, and Third Confessions in Martyr's Mirror, by Thieleman van Braght, Translated by Daniel Rupp
Westminster Confession of Faith, 1647 by Cornelius Burges
95 Theses, Written by B. K. Neifert