No, I do not believe that only a Christian could say that, since Atheists such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao practiced it. Theists and Atheists are both capable of doing horrible things. I would have no problem with genocide if God commanded it. If the Israelis had done what God commanded and actually practiced genocide, it would have been better for them. This is why a Christian lives by faith, for God’s ways are not our ways. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. If you believe that what God ordains is always best, you trust that God knows what he is doing.
The question that you should ask yourself is why do you believe that genocide is wrong?
“No, I do not believe that only a Christian could say that, since Atheists such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao practiced it. Theists and Atheists are both capable of doing horrible things. I would have no problem with genocide if God commanded it.”
You have proved my point, thank you very much! I wrote, “Only a Christian could say that,” and you have said it, “I would have no problem with genocide if God commanded it.”, but none of those you have mentioned would ever have admitted they would practice genocide, even though what they actually did resulted in genocide.
Now if “God’s ways” are the way of genocide, that is purely evil. I do not believe you really think this, but if your do you are the one that needs to ask yourself some questions.
“The question that you should ask yourself is why do you believe that genocide is wrong?”
I’m not usually very responsive to people whe presume to tell me what questions I ought to ask myself, but in this case I’ll answer, because there are principles involved that others might be interested in.
Such questions are meaningless to me, not even possible, anymore than why would I believe rape is wrong. I am a volitional being, as are all other human beings, which means everything I think and do, I must consciously choose to think and do. It means the only proper relationship between rational beings is as traders, offering what I have produced to others for what they have produced by their own effort. Reason is the only proper relationship between men. The use of force, in any form, cancels reason, and all that is right for rational volitional beings.
The idea of using force even against one other individual is revolting to me, as it would be to all fully rational beings. While I believe any amount of force may be used in defense against anyone who threatens force against another individual, there can never be a moral defense for using force against those who do not threaten force.
Since I could not even consider, nor want, to use force against anyone else, for any purpose, much less personal gain (which would be no gain), the idea of “genocide” does not even have meaning for me. Only a Christian, whose morals are not absolute, but arbitrary dictates, could ever say genocide is justified, just as your have.
Hank