From: I3150101@DBSTU1.RZ.TU-BS.DE (Benedikt Rosenau)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: Re: The Mind of the Bible Believer
Date: 5 Jan 93 02:36:13 GMT
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Scott S Parish types:

>>Since Xians like parables and metaphores so much:
>>There was a father with two boy children.  The eldest was a bully while
>>the youngest was as obedient as could be asked.  The father kept the
>>eldest son from harassing the youngest son and the youngest son grew in
>>knowledge and contentment.
>>One day the eldest son appeared before the father and sad, "Yo, dude.
>>The only reason the runt loves you is because you watch over my every
>>move and don't let me torture him as I will.  If you give me free reign,
>>your precious little brat will spit in your face."
>>The father said, "No, my youngest son obeys me because he loves me and
>>not because I keep you from hurting him.  Go, have your way with my
>>youngest son and he will still love me."
>>So the eldest son beats the snot out of the youngest son while the father
>>stands by, headless of the suffering of the little tyke.
>>When the beating is over, the youngest son asks, "Father, what did I
>>do to deserve such a beating?"
>>To which the father replies, "How dare you question my motives?  Who
>>brought you into the world?  Were you there when I made your mother
>>squeal with glee?  Who supplies food on your table and a roof over
>>your head?  Who has showered you with presents on your birthdays and
>>who as bought your books so you could learn?"

This version of Job is nice, but I'd rather rephrase one passage:
So the eldest son beats the snot out of the youngest son and actually killed
some of his friends ...

>Then you ask if we would like that kind of father.  First, I think
>all of our parents have responded in a similar fashion (just maybe
>not with the same rhetorical questioning).  Who here can say that
>when you asked your father why he did or did not do something your
>father did not respond, "Because" at least once?  That happened
>quite often when I was young as I'm sure it happened in others
>households.  Maybe not exact manner of response Job got, but very
>similar.  So before you go exaggerating the audacity and "injustice"
>of the response, take off your blinders and look around.

This rephrases nicely that the inconsistencies of the biblical god
are similar to those of ordinary parents. However, ordinary parents
are not supposed to be perfect.
Ie, you missed the point.

>Next, you completely leave out what happens after the father questions
>his son.  I'll finish your parable for you...

>"And after the questioning, the father took his youngest child into
>the house.  He cleaned up his son's wounds, fed and clothed him--
>restoring what the older brother destroyed.  From that day forward
>the father blessed his son more than he ever had before."


And joyfully did they dance on the graves of his former friends.
And, wow, could he impress chicks with his scars.
The occasional nightmares about his brother did not leave any
traces on his soul, since they were just the expression of
harm already done. The thing was settled, as his father said,
and who would dare to argue with this brother still being around.

Or was it a new older brother?
   Benedikt

          |  Inconsistence is still inconsistence |
          |  even if you choose to ignore it.     |
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