They never threatened me with dead, or let me choose between them and death, as far as I recall.
But, even as a child, they did
threaten you with punishment, right?
But we're talking adults.....do not governments threaten their citizens with punishment, even capital punishment? Are you railing against the governments?
Would you hold in high consideration a parent that does that? Today he would go to jail and his children removed from him. For obvious reasons.
But again, we are talking about adults, like the Israelites who lived under a monarchy, ultimately governed by Jehovah God's (Yahweh's) Laws, called the Mosaic Law. Did they suffer? No, actually they prospered. In fact, many of those other surrounding nations are gone, but the Israelites kept their identity.
Did God kill many inhabitants of those other lands? Certainly, in the interest of preserving His own people. You'd probably do the same, to save your loved ones. The biggest difference, though, lies in the capability God has, that we don't: we can't read hearts.... He can.
And let me ask you something.....are you aware, according to the Scriptures (John 5:28-29, '
resurrection of the wicked), that most of those who were killed,
will be given the chance to live again?
With the possible exception of stoning rebellious children to death. He seems to be obsessed with death. And gruesome death. It is, de facto, a cult of death. And that includes tons of blood all over the place, including what you have to pay to redeem from what He considers wrong, for some reason.
What do you mean, "gruesome death"? Read Deuteronomy 12:31, and then Jeremiah 7:31. That is gruesome death! No wonder He got rid of them!
Even if there were all non prohibitive, He would still be a dictator. I did not ask, and probably Adam and Eve did not either, to live under what he thinks is good and what not. So, he should have asked before, I think.
Do governments ask their subjects? Do parents ask their children? Sometimes, maybe....but that could be unwise to follow suggestions of inexperienced people.
All this should really be put aside, for what laws are there for
Christians to follow,
today? To "love your enemy", to 'love their brothers', "flee from sexual immorality," to care for others, and a few more. (Matthew 5:44; John 13:34-35; 1 Corinthians 6:18; Acts of the Apostles 15:28-29; James 1:27; Matthew 28:19-20). And at times, we may fail in these.
Is the penalty death? No! Not when we are truly sorry! If we are
not repentant, which we
show by practicing these things, then we will die, and sleep forever!
Because that's what death is likened to, a sleep (John 11:11-14). No eternal pain for anyone!