The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll Volume V Part 37

_Answer_. Yes; he offered to sacrifice his son, to show his confidence in Jehovah.

_Question_. What became of Abraham and his people?

_Answer_. G.o.d took such care of them, that in about two hundred and fifteen years they were all slaves in the land of Egypt.

_Question_. How long did they remain in slavery?

_Answer_. Two hundred and fifteen years.

_Question_. Were they the same people that G.o.d had promised to take care of?

_Answer_. They were.

_Question_. Was G.o.d at that time, in favor of slavery?

_Answer_. Not at that time. He was angry at the Egyptians for enslaving the Jews, but he afterwards authorized the Jews to enslave other people.

_Question_. What means did he take to liberate the Jews?

_Answer_. He sent his agents to Pharaoh, and de- manded their freedom; and upon Pharaoh s refusing, he afflicted the people, who had nothing to do with

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it, with various plagues,--killed children, and tor- mented and tortured beasts.

_Question_. Was such conduct G.o.dlike?

_Answer_. Certainly. If you have anything against your neighbor, it is perfectly proper to torture his horse, or torment his dog. Nothing can be n.o.bler than this. You see it is much better to injure his animals than to injure him. To punish animals for the sins of their owners must be just, or G.o.d would not have done it. Pharaoh insisted on keeping the people in slavery, and therefore G.o.d covered the bodies of oxen and cows with boils. He also bruised them to death with hailstones. From this we infer, that "the loving kindness of G.o.d is over all his works."

_Question_. Do you consider such treatment of ani- mals consistent with divine mercy?

_Answer_. Certainly. You know that under the Mosaic dispensation, when a man did a wrong, he could settle with G.o.d by killing an ox, or a sheep, or some doves. If the man failed to kill them, of course G.o.d would kill them. It was upon this prin- ciple that he destroyed the animals of the Egyptians.

They had sinned, and he merely took his pay.

_Question_. How was it possible, under the old dis- pensation, to please a being of infinite kindness?

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_Answer_. All you had to do was to take an innocent animal, bring it to the altar, cut its throat, and sprinkle the altar with its blood. Certain parts of it were to be given to the butcher as his share, and the rest was to be burnt on the altar. When G.o.d saw an animal thus butchered, and smelt the warm blood mingled with the odor of burning flesh, he was pacified, and the smile of forgiveness shed its light upon his face.

Of course, infidels laugh at these things; but what can you expect of men who have not been "born "again"? "The carnal mind is enmity with G.o.d."

_Question_. What else did G.o.d do in order to in- duce Pharaoh to liberate the Jews?

_Answer_. He had his agents throw down a cane in the presence of Pharaoh and thereupon Jehovah changed this cane into a serpent.

_Question_. Did this convince Pharaoh?

_Answer_. No; he sent for his own magicians.

_Question_. What did they do?

_Answer_. They threw down some canes and they also were changed into serpents.

_Question_. Did Jehovah change the canes of the Egyptian magicians into snakes?

_Answer_. I suppose he did, as he is the only one capable of performing such a miracle.

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_Question_. If the rod of Aaron was changed into a serpent in order to convince Pharaoh that G.o.d had sent Aaron and Moses, why did G.o.d change the sticks of the Egyptian magicians into serpents--why did he discredit his own agents, and render worth- less their only credentials?

_Answer_. Well, we cannot explain the conduct of Jehovah; we are perfectly satisfied that it was for the best. Even in this age of the world G.o.d allows infidels to overwhelm his chosen people with argu- ments; he allows them to discover facts that his ministers can not answer, and yet we are satisfied that in the end G.o.d will give the victory to us. All these things are tests of faith. It is upon this prin- ciple that G.o.d allows geology to laugh at Genesis, that he permits astronomy apparently to contradict his holy word.

_Question_. What did G.o.d do with these people after Pharaoh allowed them to go?

_Answer_. Finding that they were not fit to settle a new country, owing to the fact that when hungry they longed for food, and sometimes when their lips were cracked with thirst insisted on having water, G.o.d in his infinite mercy had them marched round and round, back and forth, through a barren wilder-

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ness, until all, with the exception of two persons, died.

_Question_. Why did he do this?

_Answer_. Because he had promised these people that he would take them "to a land flowing with "milk and honey."

_Question_. Was G.o.d always patient and kind and merciful toward his children while they were in the wilderness?

_Answer_. Yes, he always was merciful and kind and patient. Infidels have taken the ground that he visited them with plagues and disease and famine; that he had them bitten by serpents, and now and then allowed the ground to swallow a few thousands of them, and in other ways saw to it that they were kept as comfortable and happy as was consistent with good government; but all these things were for their good; and the fact is, infidels have no real sense of justice.

_Question_. How did G.o.d happen to treat the Is- raelites in this way, when he had promised Abraham that he would take care of his progeny, and when he had promised the same to the poor wretches while they were slaves in Egypt?

_Answer_. Because G.o.d is unchangeable in his na-

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ture, and wished to convince them that every being should be perfectly faithful to his promise.

_Question_. Was G.o.d driven to madness by the conduct of his chosen people?

_Answer_. Almost.

_Question_. Did he know exactly what they would do when he chose them?

_Answer_. Exactly.

_Question_. Were the Jews guilty of idolatry?

_Answer_. They were. They worshiped other G.o.ds --G.o.ds made of wood and stone.

_Question_. Is it not wonderful that they were not convinced of the power of G.o.d, by the many mira- cles wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness?