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Again via Pharyngula, I took the Biblical Morality Quiz:

Sample question:
1. Two strangers visit your home, and you are kind enough to provide them with accommodations for the night. They tell you they are angels appearing on behalf of the Lord. However, later in the evening, an angry mob turns up seeking to sodomize your guests. Do you:
-> Protect your guests and call the police.
-> Expel your guests and call the police.
-> Turn your preteen daughters over to the crowd to be raped.

Most of the questions are like that. It’s an amusing quiz, although I think it would be greatly improved with references to the scripture in question, in order to see context.

I’m going to bet that most of these incidents are Old Testament.

In this case, Old or New Testament, “call the police” would not have been an option. No phones to call with, and no police to call. So there you are, alone in your home, surrounded by a mob… and your choice is to give in, or defend your guests with your bare hands, maybe a sword, against a mob. You can take one or two of the mob down before you are overwhelmed. Your guests are killed, and your daughters raped anyway. Also, I would stand with my guests whoever they are, unless I have credible evidence that they are outright evil, but if they were in fact angels of the Lord, I would certainly expect them to assist in their own defense, and the defense of the household sheltering them. Failing to do so, and caving to the mob immediately, is essentially a gross breach of faith.

(I will do no more than mention that the incident took place in a time when two strangers could claim to be angels, and be believed…. It is essentially impossible for us to imagine the mindset of the people involved. )

I also have to ask, how much of this behavior is held up as exemplary, and how much is simple reporting of the actions of fallible human beings? Honestly, I don’t know, but I think quite a lot of the latter.

Let’s look at another example:
3. If you buy a Hebrew servant, how many years must he serve?
-> None. Slavery is inherently wrong.
-> Forever. I paid good money for that slave.
-> Six years.

Biblical answer: Six years, which by our modern standards is terrible, but by the standards of the time? Much better than “Forever”.

All of which is to say: Do I believe the Bible to be the divinely inspired answer to all things, was then, is now, and ever shall be? No. Don’t be silly.

But it does represent a significant step up from the standards of its day, and a great deal of what we now take for granted is rooted there.

One more thing: For this quiz to be considered as more than brainless propaganda, it should include the many examples of behavior that we still consider good — the story of the Good Samaritan comes to mind. If any of my readers is more acquainted with the Bible than I, feel free to propose those kinds of questions in comments.

[Aside: How many of those laughing at this quiz want an answer "D" to the first question: "From your roof, fire at the crowd with your AR-15, while your wife and daughters guard the guests with the shotgun and their 1911s?" I know I do, but I suspect many at Pharyngula are citizen disarmament supporters.]