@ trueblood, naa koy link i post this is regarding violence in the Old Testament.
dili lang kaayo ta magdebate diri nga thread kay this is a thread for RCC questions
to be fair with you, i think this link might give you insights about your first question regarding Old Testament violence if not answers..
this link may not officially be the RCC stand towards OT violence but i think every Christian would agree with this.
before we brand God of something else 'cause He did this and that,
Let us remember that He alone knows and sees all things and if we question something infinite using our finite minds
we will never be able to reconcile something..
i think we all have gone through tough times in our lives
where at one time we detest a certain situation or situations but years after thanking the odds for going through them
for in those situation we became somewhat a better person..these situations are best known as "blessings in disguise"
with our finite wisdom, we would have never allowed ourselves to go through tough times
but all the while through God's infinite wisdom, through tough times we will become stronger.
since we do not possess infinite knowledge about things
who knows, death would have been the only way for salvation.
i recommend you check this link out...thank you
God and the Canaanites