Please explain the freedom of thought afforded when prophets of another god are summarily executed. (1 Kings 18:40).
@Suppressed Perhaps you should better research what a priest of Ba'al does. Your ignorance of that religion confounds you. To say each one of them is guilty of vicious murder would be an understatement. But I will tell you no tales. Research it for yourself that you may know, and not trust me for your conclusion.
But I will return the volley:
Liberty has responsibilities, freedom has consequences.
Once liberty has been discarded for the libertine (as it is right here right now), how is that predictably going to go, and how is it predictably going to be returned to a state of liberty?
What sort of benevolent god acts like a tyrannical dictator and orders the execution of people for collecting firewood on the wrong day? (Numbers 15:32-36)
That one is a stumper for me. I have run into the question before, and simply have not studied the matter enough to give you a good answer. But I can say what it isn't.
I don't think it is merely 'gathering firewood'. The whole 'no work' thing has been greatly distorted by modernity. As an instance, an agrarian community HAS to work some on sabbath. The animals have to be fed and watered, and the cow has to be milked, twice.
As another instance, not kindling a fire - If I don't have a fire in the dead of winter when it's 30 below, I am going to die. Either the stricture is interpreted too tightly, or that isn't what it is meant to convey at all.
The commandments are not given to make animals suffer, nor are they there to make me die.
For the passage in question, it could just as easy mean 'assembling or building' with wood, or making a 'stock' or idol. Another thing pointing to that is the fact that they jailed him and had to wait for a decision. They didn't know what to do with the offense, when the offense for 'working on the Sabbath' was clearly already given, and the method of dispatch (stoning) was also already given... That speaks to me of something more going on.
Sorry I can't answer more fully. I will go study the matter.