What's wrong with worshipping a golden calf?

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Actually, that's a pretty bad interpretation.

The whole point was that God's people were to have faith in GOD. They sent spies to scout out the Promised Land even when they had no need to do so. The only purpose I can see would be to devise a plan of attack, to formalize their strategy.

The problem here is that God told Moses that He would drive out the Canaanites ahead of the Israelites. Fear alone could have taken back Canaan. So while sending scouts DOES have its practical purpose, it hints at their lack of faith.

10 scouts were sent. 8 came back with an unfavorable report, 2 came back with a faithful and optimistic report. It was the 2 that survived the 40 years together with Moses.

Because the Israelites failed in their faith and listened to the 8 unfaithful spies, God condemned them to another 40 years in the wilderness until that unbelieving generation died out. It would be their children who would actually conquer Israel.

If you have a hard time understanding why God broke His word with His children, then you are overlooking the fact that it was His children, the Israelites, who broke their covenant with God in the first place. It was their lack of faith they were being punished for, and God was well within His rights to do so.

The generation that died out was a generation of failing faith. The next generation was one broken and hardened by the rigors of nomadic existence. They'd fought and won battles already before even crossing the Jordan. God knew that THIS generation was not only strong enough spiritually, but also capable mentally and physically of completing the task at hand. They ALMOST got it right.

Once again, your poor appraisal of God places blame on God for something God was not responsible for, but rather his people. God does not fail or make mistakes; people relying on their OWN judgment rather than seeking God's word DO, and the harsh treatment they receive for their misdeeds is well-deserved.

I don't know. What about this one?

http://www.thebricktestament.com/exodus ... 25-26.html

Punishment for making a golden calf BEFORE god teaches the commandments is... make the people slaughter themselves, 3000 dead! woohoo! a flawless god.

Oh and punishment for breaking the sabbath is ... death?

I'll tell you in simple english what's wrong with worshiping a golden calf.

If you worship the calf, then you cannot melt it down and sell it to get rich.... which would mean you'd have lots of people admiring and dare I say it, worshiping you for your wealth....

A calf to worship or wealth? hrm... lemme think for a bit which I'd prefer....

It amuses me to debate the bible.

But why shouldn't I debate the gods of Greece or Rome or Egypt or India?
Why shouldn't I ask questions about the gods of the Australian Aboriginals or the American Indians?

What makes the god of some tiny middle eastern tribe "important" or "real" while we call all the other stories "mythology"?

Because Yahweh exists, and He will damn you to an eternity of hell for doubting Him, unbeliever.

Hey! To heck with you! You can go to hell if you want but I am going to Valhalla where I can fight and wench.

Or I might go to Avalon or Tir na Nog.

Or I might go to the Muslim heaven where I get those 72 virgins.

Jesus as Jesus didn't smite people but his God could burn you in Hell for eternity. I think Buddha has no god. Genghis Khan, Hitler, and Pol Pot were powerful and respected out of the fear they created. Whether they were "great" was not the concept.

Calf love topic

I am an atheist, but I do not worship things(though i revere my collection of keys and such. ).

Hindus have been accused of worshipping cows, but I believe this is reverence for life rather than worship.

The golden calf is a metaphor, but wanting wealth is something many of us yearn for. Using it for good is probably what the almighty was hinting at.

Cows are a sacred animal to Hindus but the cows themselves aren't worshiped, just viewed as animals that have their god's (gods'?) direct favor.