Christianity..... why non believers don't "get it".....

[PratchettFan]

You only have a couple of doors to chose from.

Door number one and be an atheist and this is it. This will all you will be....and that's it, the end

Or

Door number two and believe in a higher power and believe this is not it. This is not the end, we all know the Universe don't waste nothing and I believe it goes down to even not wasting the soul.

So I pick door number 2

There are an infinite number of doors. No worries.

Could be, but I am not taking any chances and end up like a stupid ghost, stuck in between haunting an out house or something ... Lol

You pays your dollar you takes your chance What if it turns out the Muslims got it right?

 

[Wyatt earp]

You only have a couple of doors to chose from.

Door number one and be an atheist and this is it. This will all you will be....and that's it, the end

Or

Door number two and believe in a higher power and believe this is not it. This is not the end, we all know the Universe don't waste nothing and I believe it goes down to even not wasting the soul.

So I pick door number 2

There are an infinite number of doors. No worries.

Could be, but I am not taking any chances and end up like a stupid ghost, stuck in between haunting an out house or something ... Lol

You pays your dollar you takes your chance What if it turns out the Muslims got it right?

you have a reading comprehension problem?

I said a higher power.....

 

[ChrisL]

You only have a couple of doors to chose from.

Door number one and be an atheist and this is it. This will all you will be....and that's it, the end

Or

Door number two and believe in a higher power and believe this is not it. This is not the end, we all know the Universe don't waste nothing and I believe it goes down to even not wasting the soul.

So I pick door number 2

There are an infinite number of doors. No worries.

Could be, but I am not taking any chances and end up like a stupid ghost, stuck in between haunting an out house or something ... Lol

Being a ghost would be awesome. Just imagine some of the tricks you could pull on people!

 

[Carla_Danger]

Reading the Bible this morning, I opened it up to 2 Corinthians 4.

It addresses why people that are non-Christian's are unable to process or understand the Truth of the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 4: 3-5

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

This is a section of the Bible explaining why, as Christians, we need to be the Light to the world.
Because Satan is a deceiver, trying to blind you to the Truth.

As an ex Christian, now atheist, I get it, I just don't believe it. What you're reading is superstitious nonsense, IMO.

"And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sinremaineth. (John 9:39-41)

I don't know why you keep throwing scripture at me, when I've already stated that I think it's superstitious nonsense.

You have had no more experience with Gawd, than anyone else. You have zero experience. Gawd does not talk to you. Gawd does not talk to anyone.

 

[evince]

there is no proof a sentient higher power exists.

 

[guno]

39 "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not, might see; and that they which see, might be made blind.

40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. (John 9:39-41)

For those that may not understand the scripture above:

The Pharisees, through their spiritual pride, were full of conceit and arrogance. They were blind to their own sin, but would claim to see it in others.

Once again the Hebrew bible and its stories have nothing to do with the goyim or their man god story

 

[PratchettFan]

You only have a couple of doors to chose from.

Door number one and be an atheist and this is it. This will all you will be....and that's it, the end

Or

Door number two and believe in a higher power and believe this is not it. This is not the end, we all know the Universe don't waste nothing and I believe it goes down to even not wasting the soul.

So I pick door number 2

There are an infinite number of doors. No worries.

Could be, but I am not taking any chances and end up like a stupid ghost, stuck in between haunting an out house or something ... Lol

You pays your dollar you takes your chance What if it turns out the Muslims got it right?

you have a reading comprehension problem?

I said a higher power.....

No. No problem at all. You get that if the Muslims are right just believing in a higher power doesn't cut it? For that matter, that's true if the Christians are right as well.

 

[Wyatt earp]

there is no proof a sentient higher power exists.

just look in the mirror at your own two eyes, explain science to me on that example and Darwinism?

I have all the time in the world to wait.

 

[evince]

there is no proof


you can pretend you don't understand science so you can pretend it must be a sentient higher power but you are still just pretending

 

[Wyatt earp]

How did an ape shed its fur to become a weak pink creature?

Does that make sense?

It was all about mating back then

 

[Wyatt earp]

I am confusing you, that's what science is all about.

 

[evince]

you confuse your self


science has evidence

there is no evidence of any gods

 

[TrinityPower]

39 "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not, might see; and that they which see, might be made blind.

40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. (John 9:39-41)

For those that may not understand the scripture above:

The Pharisees, through their spiritual pride, were full of conceit and arrogance. They were blind to their own sin, but would claim to see it in others.

They saw their job was to preach the curse of Deuteronomy 28 and they disregarded the blessing. Jesus preached the blessing and it was his CUSTOM meaning he did it every time...he opened the scrolls to Isaiah 61 1-2 and read it declaring it. No one should have been blind to it especially a Pharisee. Deut 30:12-14 explain that had they been focusing in their heart on the statutes they would have not been deceived and blinded to who Jesus was but essentially they paid lip service to the part (Duet 30:10) that spoke about turning to God with all their mind and heart. If you are inquiring of the Lord you won't be blinded (decieved) by gods (small g) of this realm. Notice in the quoted passage above he says "I am" come, It isn't a misprint. He is declaring himself I AM. He is saying I AM come.
The Amplified makes the meaning of the passage more clear
John 9:39-41Amplified Bible (AMP)
39 Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment [as a Separator, in order that there may be separation between those who believe on Me and those who reject Me], to make the sightless see and to make those who see become blind.

40 Some Pharisees who were near, hearing this remark, said to Him, Are we also blind?

41 Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but because you now claim to have sight, your sin remains. [If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but because you insist, We do see clearly, you are unable to escape your guilt.]

 

[TrinityPower]

Just a note to those actually wanting to discuss the topic thread let's no longer feed the trolls who are too lazy to start their own threads about non belief so they post trash on these to be a distraction. They have no intention of understanding. Remember Jesus had hecklers too (Pharisees) but he didn't spend a great deal of time arguing with them nor seek them out. They sought HIM out to distract him from teaching and did their best to trip Him up. That dog didn't hunt with Jesus. Let Him be our example i that

 

[PratchettFan]

Just a note to those actually wanting to discuss the topic thread let's no longer feed the trolls who are too lazy to start their own threads about non belief so they post trash on these to be a distraction. They have no intention of understanding. Remember Jesus had hecklers too (Pharisees) but he didn't spend a great deal of time arguing with them nor seek them out. They sought HIM out to distract him from teaching and did their best to trip Him up. That dog didn't hunt with Jesus. Let Him be our example i that

The thread is about why people don't believe. But you aren't interested in the thoughts of the people who don't?

 

[TrinityPower]

Heckling and disruption example: Look what Jesus did...he gave his answer (which was a trick question by them anyway because stoning had not been in practice for years). Jesus dealt with it calmly and inquired of God before answering. Jesus said I only do what I see my father do and I only say what I hear my father say. And let's remember also in this example that the Pharisees didn't follow the law either...both parties were guilty and the man was to receive the same punishment as the woman.Lev 20:10 "If a man commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death. The Pharisees knew they were guilty because they knew the law and didn't bring both parties for punishment even though they claimed to have "caught her in the act". If they caught her they caught the man too and Jesus let them know by his answer that he wasn't oblivious to the law and would not be deceived. A good judge knows the law to the letter and Jesus being a perfect judge is worthy to judge the law and the heart
John 8:1-11Amplified Bible (AMP)
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 Early in the morning (at dawn), He came back into the temple [court], and the people came to Him in crowds. He sat down and was teaching them,

3 When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him.

4 Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery.

5 Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such [women—offenders] shall be stoned to death. But what do You say [to do with her—what is Your sentence]?A)" data-cr="#cen-AMP-26385A" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px;">

6 This they said to try (test) Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.

7 However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.

8 Then He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger.

9 They listened to Him, and then they began going out, conscience-stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to the last one of them, till Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing there before Him in the center of the court.

10 When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?

11 She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more.

 

[The Professor]

In addition their was never a concept of original sin in Judaism , paul came up with that , if their is no original sin covering everyone , no need for a cure .. ie ..the christian jesus to take away the sins of the world , which is a ridiculous pagan concept

Saint Augustine (354-430) was the first theologian to teach that man is born into this world in a state of sin. The basis of his belief is from the Bible (Genesis 3:17-19) where Adam is described as having disobeyed G-d by eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. This, the first sin of man, became known as original sin.

Many Christians today, particularly members of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches, subscribe to this belief. They maintain that the sin of Adam was transferred to all future generations, tainting even the unborn. Substantiation for this view is found in the New Testament (Romans 5:12) where Paul says, "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. By one man's disobediance many were made sinners."

Christianity believes that only through the acceptance of Jesus that the "grace" of G-d can return to man. A Christian need only believe in Jesus to be saved; nothing else is required of them.

Judaism s Rejection of Original Sin Jewish Virtual Library

The Jews had animal sacrifices to cover their sins and yes their was original sin in Judaism.

I have studied the Bible for over 60 years and I can't recall any specific and unambiguous reference to “original sin” in the Old Testament. The following verses suggest that a man's fate is based solely upon his individual conduct with total disregard for anything his ancestors did or didn't do:

Ezekiel 18:20-30 (KJV):

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

“Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”

Genesis 3:22King James Version (KJV)

22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Romans 5:12King James Version (KJV)

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Once they learned evil they also became sinful.

I stand by what I said. The Old Testament clearly states that the fate of a man's soul was determined solely by his own conduct; that is, a man would not be condemned to death because of the sins of the father (and presumably his grandfather and the rest of his ancestral chain as well). You did not refute the verses I cited but instead offered some verses of your own. But you present a problem. If the scripture I cited is in conflict with the verses you quoted, then the Bible is obviously self-contradictory and cannot be the inspired Word of God. An omniscient, omnipotent Being is incapable of self-contradiction.

One of the fundamental principles of document interpretation is that whenever there is an apparent conflict one must first attempt to resolve the conflict before declaring the document to be invalid. Out of respect for you, I will attempt to resolve what appears to be a contradiction between the verses I submitted and those you provided. According to Genesis 3:22, “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” The operative phrase is “this man” which is obviously singular and refers only to Adam. On the other hand, the verses I cited refer to everyone.

Now I am also aware that there are verses in the Bible which suggest the sins of the father are passed on to future generations. For example, “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7, KJV). However, this verse has nothing to do with salvation but deals instead with earthly experiences. It simply says what we all know to be true; that a man's conduct can affect the lives of his children and grandchildren.

Now, here is the Big One: Is there a conflict between the Old Testament plan for salvation and that promised by the New Testament; between salvation based upon conduct/works and salvation based upon acceptance of Christ? I'll let you handle this one. But before you start to deliberate, I ask you to consider two things: First, that every corporation's marketing strategy, every general's battle plans and everyone's plans for the future must change to adapt to changing circumstances; the alternative is almost certain failure and disappointment. Second, read the following scripture with the intent of resolving what others might view as Biblical self-contradiction.

“Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:5-13, KJV, highlights my own).

Now I am done with this thread. It is not my intent to conduct Bible study classes. There are others on this site who are more competent than I am so I'll pass the baton to them. Just don't be surprised if the experts don't agree on everything. Even the early Church founders disagreed on many points.

 

[peach174]

In addition their was never a concept of original sin in Judaism , paul came up with that , if their is no original sin covering everyone , no need for a cure .. ie ..the christian jesus to take away the sins of the world , which is a ridiculous pagan concept

Saint Augustine (354-430) was the first theologian to teach that man is born into this world in a state of sin. The basis of his belief is from the Bible (Genesis 3:17-19) where Adam is described as having disobeyed G-d by eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. This, the first sin of man, became known as original sin.

Many Christians today, particularly members of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches, subscribe to this belief. They maintain that the sin of Adam was transferred to all future generations, tainting even the unborn. Substantiation for this view is found in the New Testament (Romans 5:12) where Paul says, "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. By one man's disobediance many were made sinners."

Christianity believes that only through the acceptance of Jesus that the "grace" of G-d can return to man. A Christian need only believe in Jesus to be saved; nothing else is required of them.

Judaism s Rejection of Original Sin Jewish Virtual Library

The Jews had animal sacrifices to cover their sins and yes their was original sin in Judaism.

I have studied the Bible for over 60 years and I can't recall any specific and unambiguous reference to “original sin” in the Old Testament. The following verses suggest that a man's fate is based solely upon his individual conduct with total disregard for anything his ancestors did or didn't do:

Ezekiel 18:20-30 (KJV):

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

“Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”

Genesis 3:22King James Version (KJV)

22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Romans 5:12King James Version (KJV)

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Once they learned evil they also became sinful.

I stand by what I said. The Old Testament clearly states that the fate of a man's soul was determined solely by his own conduct; that is, a man would not be condemned to death because of the sins of the father (and presumably his grandfather and the rest of his ancestral chain as well). You did not refute the verses I cited but instead offered some verses of your own. But you present a problem. If the scripture I cited is in conflict with the verses you quoted, then the Bible is obviously self-contradictory and cannot be the inspired Word of God. An omniscient, omnipotent Being is incapable of self-contradiction.

One of the fundamental principles of document interpretation is that whenever there is an apparent conflict one must first attempt to resolve the conflict before declaring the document to be invalid. Out of respect for you, I will attempt to resolve what appears to be a contradiction between the verses I submitted and those you provided. According to Genesis 3:22, “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” The operative phrase is “this man” which is obviously singular and refers only to Adam. On the other hand, the verses I cited refer to everyone.

Now I am also aware that there are verses in the Bible which suggest the sins of the father are passed on to future generations. For example, “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7, KJV). However, this verse has nothing to do with salvation but deals instead with earthly experiences. It simply says what we all know to be true; that a man's conduct can affect the lives of his children and grandchildren.

Now, here is the Big One: Is there a conflict between the Old Testament plan for salvation and that promised by the New Testament; between salvation based upon conduct/works and salvation based upon acceptance of Christ? I'll let you handle this one. But before you start to deliberate, I ask you to consider two things: First, that every corporation's marketing strategy, every general's battle plans and everyone's plans for the future must change to adapt to changing circumstances; the alternative is almost certain failure and disappointment. Second, read the following scripture with the intent of resolving what others might view as Biblical self-contradiction.

“Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:5-13, KJV, highlights my own).

Now I am done with this thread. It is not my intent to conduct Bible study classes. There are others on this site who are more competent than I am so I'll pass the baton to them. Just don't be surprised if the experts don't agree on everything. Even the early Church founders disagreed on many points.

We all die because of the original sin of Adam and Eve and we all live under the curse.

 

[Derideo_Te]

If we are heading back to the OP topic then it has become all too apparent that it was assabackwards.

All of the non-believers get it that religion is just superstition.

Whereas the theists are arguing amongst themselves as to which part of their superstition is supposed to be what others "don't get".

Yes, I find that ironically amusing.

 

[Agit8r]

I got it. I just didn't want it.

View attachment 44960

Awe ain't that cute. A little ass.

Now can you tell everyone who Duke Amalek is? And what the battle @ Rephidim is?

And that excuses the murder of children how?

Oh right, it does not at all. God was just an excuse that evil people made up to try and excuse the evil that they do (the same way that all the worthless bigots do today).

It must be you cannot answer the question I asked so I'll try to help you out there a little. Duke meaning a ruler of a Duchee. A duchee is an area with courts and laws of its own.
Your precepts seemed to be a little off here. God gives a command to those who believe saying Thou shall not kill (murder). You probably think God is being a hypocrite. When actually it is more of a lack of understanding on your part. When God tells his children to kill these spiritual hosts God is saying you personally need to slay them within yourself.
Now back to the who is Duke Amalek; this spiritual host was birthed (brought forth) from his father Eliaphaz 'my el is strength - or my god is a covering of gold (an appearance of lookin' good)'. Eliaphaz was brought forth from Esau and Adah 'ornament- such as in giving oneself a covering or mantle' when the Esau (again the spiritual host in Adam 'red earth- speaking about the individual rebellious human') prefers to sell his/her birthright rather than keep it. Eliphaz, Esau and Adah all being spiritual host that within a human.
Rephidim 'rest, spreading as support' is a dry encampment (no water) where Israelites pitch in the desert before they cross over the Jordan 'descending'.

So here is a recap in short form; God is telling those who are 'contenders to be children of Jehovah' slay this wicked spirit within themselves and all associations (spiritual relatives) in oneself with it.

And yet, throughout history, Christianity has acted as if God does approvegenocide, so the lack of understanding is certainly not mine.

Religious excuses do not excuse their behavior with God and individually as humans the best we can do is try to avoid these human tragedies.

The discussion seemed to be about the institution known as Christianity--that is those who claim to be Christ's body on Earth. They are known to the world by their actions, not by unfamiliar metaphysical arguments.