"When it is pointed out that other ancient Near Eastern kings claimed to do the same (as I did clearly in my chapter), Copan must argue that these other kings were not justified, as their gods were not the one true God."
This comment, and the rest of the article, misses the point. The ancient world was violent. Given this reality, what was the best way for God to achieve His purposes? Suppose that God had chosen Israel and then turned them into pacifists. Israel would have been quickly wiped out. The only way for Israel to survive was to do what other ancient peoples did. Once Israel had become established, it was possible for God to lead them along a path that would ultimately be of great benefit to the world. The modern world is a more ordered and civilised place than the ancient world. This is the result of a culture that owes much to Judeo-Christian tradition. Things are far from perfect now but the kind of judgements that Joshua Bowen is making would not even be possible without the influence of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
I suppose it is a problem of complacency. People like Joshua Bowen enjoy the benefits of living in the modern world but they rarely think about what it has taken to get to where we are now. Their thinking is shallow and facile.
"When it is pointed out that other ancient Near Eastern kings claimed to do the same (as I did clearly in my chapter), Copan must argue that these other kings were not justified, as their gods were not the one true God."
This comment, and the rest of the article, misses the point. The ancient world was violent. Given this reality, what was the best way for God to achieve His purposes? Suppose that God had chosen Israel and then turned them into pacifists. Israel would have been quickly wiped out. The only way for Israel to survive was to do what other ancient peoples did. Once Israel had become established, it was possible for God to lead them along a path that would ultimately be of great benefit to the world. The modern world is a more ordered and civilised place than the ancient world. This is the result of a culture that owes much to Judeo-Christian tradition. Things are far from perfect now but the kind of judgements that Joshua Bowen is making would not even be possible without the influence of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
I suppose it is a problem of complacency. People like Joshua Bowen enjoy the benefits of living in the modern world but they rarely think about what it has taken to get to where we are now. Their thinking is shallow and facile.