Why did God order Moses to kill people?

Tim Staples answers a caller who asks if God's command to Moses to kill people contradicts the New Testament teachings of Jesus Christ.

Tim Staples is Director of Apologetics and Evangelization here at Catholic Answers, but he was not always Catholic. Tim was raised a Southern Baptist. Although he fell away from the faith of his childhood, Tim came back to faith in Christ during his late teen years through the witness of Christian televangelists. Soon after, Tim joined the Marine Corps.

During his four-year tour, he became involved in ministry with various Assemblies of God communities. Immediately after his tour of duty, Tim enrolled in Jimmy Swaggart Bible College and became a youth minister in an Assembly of God community. During his final year in the Marines, however, Tim met a Marine who really knew his faith and challenged Tim to study Catholicism from Catholic and historical sources. That encounter sparked a two-year search for the truth. Tim was determined to prove Catholicism wrong, but he ended up studying his way to the last place he thought he would ever end up: the Catholic Church!

He converted to Catholicism in 1988 and spent the following six years in formation for the priesthood, earning a degree in philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Pennsylvania. He then studied theology on a graduate level at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, for two years. Realizing that his calling was not to the priesthood, Tim left the seminary in 1994 and has been working in Catholic apologetics and evangelization ever since.

If you are interested in booking Tim Staples for an upcoming event, please contact Catholic Answers at [phone].

[SaltyPito]

i am in the process of becoming catholic.my first communion is in a few weeks. this channel has helped me to understand so much of the churchs teachings. thank you for providing this content and helping to bring me closer to god.

[Patrick]

Why did they need to be killed?
I assume they were killed against their free will, so how is that worse than just showing people the light and make them good in a non genocidal way? (And he could have given the bad people a heartattack instead of letting everyone get slaugthered.)

Also, he knows the future right?
Couldn't he give people a little push in tje right direction before it gets way out of hand??

It should be as easy for god as doing nothing, right?


Please reply.
I will listen with an open mind

[Jeremiahv]

I love Catholic Answers & listen to these amazingly knowledgeable Catholic apologists daily!
My knowledge has improved beyond recognition since my reversion thanks in no small measure to this wonderful apostolate!

[victordaria]

Just an honest question, does God's sense of morality change over time or towards different people in different periods in time? Thanks in advance catholic answers

[TheDukens]

So God want to kill bad children
But not Lucifer and the fallen angels

[wanzenriedmaria]

God should always be written in capital letter God..

[etrnlygrtful]

Interesting that the caller who is a priest (could be a RC or a Protestant ) who call Catholic answer...I wonder if he reached out to his brother priests first or his bishop? Just curious...

[dellyfam]

great stuff. these guys are so knowledgeable. thank you

[notthefather]

God respects our freedom? How? He punishes people all the time for choices they make. He hardened Pharaoh's heart when he was thinking about freeing the Hebrews because he wanted to show off. Please, free will is a concept invented by people, which is pretty much what Catholics do for most of their doctrine.

[papahulk]

you must understand God never killed or ask any one to kill. If Jesus wouldn't nether does the Father. Jesus said it's the thief that kills steals and destroys I came to give life abondent. so if there is killing going on its not the Father it's the thief

[Polack]

Wow this is a phenomenal response to this issue.

[Letikx]

So would you say God is a situation ethics guy 🤭

[Mia]

if god is in control he is the source for all evil

[Mia]

if God is in control je is the source for all evil