> It boggles my mind that, given stories in the Bible like this, anyone would think worshiping such a cruel and vengeful god is a moral thing to do. We're gett

> It boggles my mind that, given stories in the Bible like this, anyone would think worshiping such a cruel and vengeful god is a moral thing to do. We're getting far afield from Ellsberg here, but let me just point out the logic of this statement: 1. There is a universal standard of morality -- a standard so universal that it would apply to God himself 2. "kelnos" knows what this universal standard says, at least well enough to judge the actions of "God" in this story as violating it. Now, for the most part I agree with you (except the conclusion); and in fact, that truth -- that the immorality of killing innocent people applies to God himself, and that mere mortals like Abraham (and kelnos) can be said to know what it is -- is implied by the story itself. But those are pretty big philosophical propositions, and I don't think most people are aware they're making them when they make statements like this.