In Genesis, chapter 18, God reveals to Abraham that He intends to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness. Abraham argues with God about the justice and righteousness of this judgment considering that innocent people will die along with the evil people. Abraham is recorded as saying “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” Abraham, appealing to reason, actually then gets God to agree not to destroy the cities if ten righteous people are found in it. In Genesis, chapter 22, God commands Abraham to take his only son, the beloved Isaac, and sacrifice him upon Mount Moriah. Abraham proceeds to obey the command without questioning the rationality or the morality of this human sacrifice of a son through whom God had promised Abraham countless descendants.
Which Abraham do you admire more, the one who challenges God’s decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah based on reason and an innate sense of justice or the Abraham who in extraordinary faithfulness to God’s commandments takes his son Isaac upon Moriah to sacrifice him? (The author of Genesis appears to favor the man of faith over the man of reason.) Explain your decision. What does this “debate” suggest to you about your own reliance on faith? On reason?
