I've read the books. God is not a moderate. There's no place in the books where God says, 'You know, when you get to the New World and you develop your three branches of government and you have a civil society, you can just jettison all the barbarism I recommended in the first books.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author claims religious texts do not moderate their original harsh commands over time.
- In plain terms
- God does not update biblical laws to match modern civilized society.
- What can you take from it?
- Ancient texts may retain outdated moral instructions.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Should ancient texts guide modern laws?
- How do religions handle changing morals?
Another view
The reading assumes a literal interpretation of divine authorship.
More from Sam Harris
Lecture at the New York Society for Ethical Culture (2005)[10]
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