This is a re-upload of a post written by a Tumblr user with the screen name ‘Dorper’, on the now-closed dorper.tumblr.com. The post was made on 27 Jun. 2021, a dead link can be found here, and an archive on the Wayback Machine can be found here. I’m re-uploading it here because I find it useful and want it accessable. If you’re the creator and don’t want it here, let me know. Keep in mind that I am not the original writer of the text below, so it’s views are not necessarily my own. Let us begin:
Many Atheists will take specific parts of Deuteronomy 28 out of context to show that God supports cannibalism. Specifically verse 53:
And you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the Lord your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you. (Deuteronomy 28:53 RSV)
This is a warning, not a command. This is part of a list of curses that will fall upon the Jews if they do not obey God’s commandments:
But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading-trough. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your cattle, and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. (Deuteronomy 28:13-19 RSV)
God is not telling people to eat their own children. Instead he is saying that this will happen if the Jews do not obey. Deuteronomy 28 goes into detail on the far reaching consequences of the Jews obedience or disobedience. The actual punishment that God does to the Jews is removing his protection of Israel from other nations leading to a nation attacking Israel (v. 49). The attackers then steal all of the food from the Jews (as was common during war) (v. 51). The lack of food will cause starvation, desperation, and eventually cannibalism (v. 53). This is a horrific, but accurate description of what war was like back then. Luckily, this attack and eventual famine could be avoided by keeping God’s law which God promised would lead to prosperity for the Jews.
Nikaea 325 