Well-meaning progressive Christians will say things like God/Jesus taught love, not hate, when responding to or talking about overtly hateful Christians.
But how can the Christian God be loving when he apparently advocated mass murder, such as in the book of Joshua? (Progressives will say the story probably never actually occurred, anyway, but the fact is that progressives still call this *sacred* scripture as do the conservatives and loonies.)
How can Jesus be preaching love when he pretty much states that he's the only way to heaven? (In other words, to hell with all the good Buddhists, agnostics, etc.)
I'd love to hear from you on this, and my apologies if it's been posted before.
Does Jesus preach he is the only way to heaven? Some have made that argument, but I doubt Jesus ever said such. In fact, I have actually seen arguments that the NT states all will go to heaven. I those probably don't interest non-Christians who have a long hatred or disgust with Christianity as they feel that it wronged them. And I understand that. I was in the same boat.
Also, Jesus doesn't teach about hell. Not really in this posts of yours, but you do mention it later. Just thought I would throw that in.
But how can Jesus be preaching love? He just can. I mean, just because he may preach other things that contradict that central teaching, doesn't mean he isn't teaching love. In fact, he stated that one of the greatest commandments was to love your neighbor. This is a commandment that has been shared by many Jews throughout history, and Jesus was hardly the first one to say such. We can even see this in the OT. Look at the book of Jonah. A great example of a writing depicting God's love for the world.
As for Joshua, it is dealing with the rise of a nation. Of course they are going to justify their actions. They believed God had a special purpose for them. So they justify their actions through God as they believe that God wanted it that way. Does it mean God really justified such ideals? No. But really, if that is what you take out of the entire Bible, then it is only because that is what you are looking for.
More so, Christians don't depict what or who God is. There are Christians who are serial killers. They don't do that because that is what God is. They do that because that is who they are. People just need to put the blame where it rests, on the individual person, and not some supreme being that may or may not exist.
Finally, if you read the NT, yes it talks about sin and the like. However, if you pay attention, it talks much more about salvation. It is not a message of hate it is a message of love. Too many non-Christians miss that because they have a bone to pick with Christianity, God, and the Bible all because they feel like they have been wronged. Really, that is not the way to go into such a study.
