A serious question

[Dana]

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Thetre is one of many pieces in the HB (OT), that really sound like that. I can't recall exactly where but in the book of Leviticus, there is a section where man in insrtucted to cut off a woman's hand (or perhaps finger), if she were to try to cause damage to a man's testicles. I may have not been entirely accurate in my description, but close.

How are we to explain this? I find it hard to explain it to myself, and I want to believe all of it. 





Please understand, i am far from being combative. i am just bewildered, and I worry that if we cannot explain it to ourselves, how can we defend the faith?Especially in the onslaught of new atheists who have become celebrities of sorts (Dawkins, Harris the late Hitchens) , making money by ridiculing believers and gaining popularity by it. I know it does not make it right, but we can't ignore this either.

Still searching but very open to dialogue.....

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Well, I suppose it has more to do with how you define the need to believe.  I think it is more reasonable to think this would come from the minds of men.  As it  is a man's world and it is men that make war and do terrible things during times of war.  Would a Creator, knowing many women's hands would be lopped off from religious fanatics, down throughout the ages, who either understood the verse perfectly or even misunderstood, regardless, author this kind of thinking?  Or, can you imagine a woman writing this??

I've read some books from each one of these authors and doubt they write for the sole benefit of making money.  Each of them differ in style, Dawkins and the late Hitchens have a flair for humor, while addressing the history and current behavior of religious fundamentalism. Atheists have been known to do some pretty awful things too, so where is the balance?  

I prefer to read from modern scholars that would give us fresh insight and perspective into the scriptures.