Moral Absolutes
The antagonist perceives, “Morality is subjective.”

  • Humanity has a universal sense of fairness and justice. The Bible affirmed such innate morality (Rm 2:14–15).
    • If God does not exist, then objective morality does not exist. However, objective morality does exist. Therefore, God exists.
    • If God does not exist, then love is not objectively moral. However, love is objectively moral. Therefore, God exists.
    • If there is no Creator, then there are no unalienable rights. There are unalienable rights. Therefore, there is a Creator.
  • Virtue requires a personality to possess them. Moral virtues are objective, constant, and eternal. Therefore, an eternal person must consist of virtue.
  • Secularists accept subjective morality that allows the morally corrupt to invent their own morality or follow society.

The Allowance of Slavery
The antagonist asserts, “The God of the Bible condones slavery.”

  • Moses’s Law condemned enslaving the innocent, & God commanded the execution of those who enslaved others (Ex 21:16; De 24:7).
    • Biblical “slavery” was for war criminals & thieves who were civilly judged (Ex 22:2–3; De 20:10–15).
    • Likewise, U.S. 13th Amd: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.”
    • These bond-servants were regarded as an investment and property (Ex 21:21; Le 25:45).
  • Some sold themselves as indentured servants to overcome poverty and debt (Le 25:39–40; cf. Mt 18:21–35).
    1. God commanded the execution of those who murdered bond-servants (Ex 21:20–27; De 24:7).
    2. The Law commanded people not to return “slaves” who ran away from their master (De 23:15–16).
    3. If a bond-servant was struck & injured, then the servant received freedom (Ex 21:26–27).
    4. Sexual relationships with bond-servants were forbidden unless by free-will marriage & the spouse treated the other as a spouse and not as a servant (Le 19:20).
  • God commanded masters to compensate substantially all servants (Ex 21:2; De 15:12–14).
    • In Moses’s Law, Israelite bond-servants were released on the 7th year (Le 25:10).
    • Furthermore, no one was to oppress anyone for race or nationality (Le 19:34; De 24:14).
  • The NT condemns enslaving others (1 Ti 1:9–10), warned masters to give fairly to servants (Ep 6:9; Cl 4:1), & instructed equality (Ga 3:26–27; Pm).
  • The apostles encouraged bond-servants to seek freedom, but otherwise to obey their masters (1 Co 7:21–24; Cl 3:22; 1 Ti 6:1–2; 1 Pe 2:18).
    • Whether in bondage or free, all Christians are slaves in Jesus Christ (1 Co 7:20–24; 12:13; Ga 3:26–28).

War against Nations
The antagonist perceives, “The God of the Bible condoned and commanded genocide.”

  • God commanded Israel not to slay the innocent & the righteous (Ex 23:7; cf. Ge 18:25).
    • No one has an objective moral standard to judge God.
  • God’s instruction to destroy from the Heb herem means to ban and drive out completely (De 9:4–5; 20:16–17).
    • God was patient for four centuries waiting for these nations to repent before declaring punishment for their atrocities and perversions (Ge 15:16).
  • God drove Adam & Eve out of the garden for which they died after long lives, & likewise God commanded Israel to put to death corrupt nations by driving them out.
    • Adam & Eve’s death by removal from Eden consisted of the same words for slaying man, woman, & child of corrupt nations by driving them out of the land (Ge 2:17; 3:22–24; 1 Sa 15:2–3).
  • God instructed Israel to offer peace to opposing nations requiring tribute & service (De 20:10–15).
    • Regarding the Flood, the wickedness of humanity brought suffering & destruction upon their own including their children (Ge 6:5–9).
  • At Baal Peor, Israel protected women & children, but Moses commanded the execution of the guilty women & males hiding among the children (Nu 31:10–11).
    • Philo & Josephus reported the same historical account of Israel at Baal Peor without children being killed.