richard_dawkins_-_the_god_delusion

256 T H t G O D 1) E L U S I O N
and gave them permission to conquer. If they would not
have acted in this manner or killed anyone, then there
would be the danger that the Sons of Israel would have
assimilated among the Goyim.
In my opinion Joshua was right when he did it, one reason
being that God commanded him to exterminate the
people so that the tribes of Israel will not be able to
assimilate amongst them and learn their bad ways.
Joshua did good because the people who inhabited the
land were of a different religion, and when Joshua killed
them he wiped their religion from the earth.
The justification for the genocidal massacre by Joshua is religious
in every case. Even those in category C, who gave total disapproval,
did so, in some cases, for backhanded religious reasons. One girl,
for example, disapproved of Joshua's conquering Jericho because,
in order to do so, he had to enter it:
I think it is bad, since the Arabs are impure and if one
enters an impure land one will also become impure and
share their curse.
Two others who totally disapproved did so because Joshua
destroyed everything, including animals and property, instead of
keeping some as spoil for the Israelites:
I think Joshua did not act well, as they could have spared
the animals for themselves.
I think Joshua did not act well, as he could have left the
property of Jericho; if he had not destroyed the property
it would have belonged to the Israelites.
Once again the sage Maimonides, often cited for his scholarly
wisdom, is in no doubt where he stands on this issue: 'It is a positive
commandment to destroy the seven nations, as it is said: Thou shalt
utterly destroy them. If one does not put to death any of them that