Note: The image I used as the header in this post comes from an Athiest Article that is titled, "How to argue with believers and not get frustrated."
I want to start by saying that I saw a debate this morning between Richard Dawkins and a few Christians and I wanted to address the exact argument.
The arguments that atheists usually use involves finding one or two verses that they cling to, while they say of believers that we "cling to the Bible."
The majority of times those who argue by using a choice group of verses haven't actually read the passages in context, and since a hardened heart already clings to set in ideas, they will never look at the Bible in context, or seek out the meaning of a specific biblical statement. In fact, no person who considers him or herself intelligent would look at any other book on earth, in such an ignorant way as many look on the Bible.
In fact, the majority of times that I have spoken with atheists they actually don't know what the Bible says at all but usually cling to atheistic ideas that they've heard from other atheists, thus showing that they really don't care about what they argue themselves. (They don't really know. They just repeat what they've heard other atheists say.) They choose verses that seem very harsh and fling them around like they have some sort of weapon that will knock the Christians that they despise so much, down.
As Christians know, there are certain principles within the scriptures that must be viewed with other similar accounts. Everything said and everything done, must be examined. (Yes, believers actually do consider the entire context of a verse, and are not "blind followers," as atheists like to claim.
The argument that I heard this morning involved the book of Genesis ch. 19, and is about Lot, his daughters, and his wife.
These are the verses that were addressed.
And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. Genesis 19:5
Genesis 19:6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
Genesis 19:7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
Genesis 19:8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
Now, this is where they stopped addressing the actual passage. They didn't even bother to consider the actual outcome. They do not even bother to ask themselve in the most simple of ways the nature of a matter, by asking "who, what, when, where, why, and how."
So here is what they left out..
Genesis 19:9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
Genesis 19:10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
Genesis 19:11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
They also address Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt, without actually reading it or even caring why that would be result.
If the story of Lot is read in context, the daughters were not put outside. In fact, the angels pulled Lot back into the house, shut the door and struck the mad group with blindness. Lot's daughter fled with Lot, out of the city. In context, the mention or "righteousness," with Lot had to do with His faithfulness to God. Lot recognized the violence and immoral activity within the city and how it had grown like leaven into a completely reprobate place as he stood in his own house with angels that were sent from God. He made a poor judgment call, but the angels of GOD did not allow it.
Also, why did they not looking at the actions of the people in that city? God's word shows us what is righteous and what is NOT, and if anyone is honest with themselves, we can make both good choices and bad choices...
The turning back of Lot's wife represents where her heart was. She turned back, just as the Hebrew people wanted to turn back and return to slavery. The people in the wilderness during the time of Moses would never see the promised land because of their continuous rebellion. Only two of the original people entered into Isreal. Joshua and Caleb.
If a man or woman's heart is not set on God, they won't even enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Remember that God's ways are not our ways, His ways are far higher than ours. He knows details that we can't possibly know. So when God says anything at all, it's true and altogether right!
Also, people tend to look at the actions of people and then claim that this makes God unrighteous, which is a horrible error.
People like you and me can make terrible choices and judgment calls. God's ways are always righteous.
Looking to HIM for the truth, rather than looking at people, who are NOT HIM, is foolishness, and remember if someone wants to see a full picture he or she will look at the context and consider everything involved. Atheists fail to do this again and again.
Richard Dawkins doesn't even take an educated stance on how he even speak about the scriptures.
Now watch, if any atheists respond to this, they will immediately go into single verses about slavery, or claim that other immoral things are acceptable within the scriptures. Like Dawkins, they have no interest in even considering that God word shows both, what is right and acceptable, and what is not, they never have an interest in looking at the full matter.
I've only met one who did, and I had a lot of respect for him, he actually knew what the bible says on the surface.