From: jfelder@lerc.nasa.gov (James L. Felder)
Subject: Re: The Bible As A Rorschach
Followup-To: alt.atheism
Organization: Sverdrup Technology, Inc.
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 14:22:44 GMT

In article <1992Dec28.230529.19778@arden.linet.org>, joeb@arden.linet.org
(Joe Beiter) wrote:
> 
> In article <9211241258.AA21354@inet-gw-1.pa.dec.com> I3150101@DBSTU1.RZ.TU-BS.DE (Benedikt Rosenau) writes:
> >
> >Fundis appear to work on the following premises: God is Good and the OT (plus
> >the NT for christians) is the word of god. However, when one actually reads the
> >OT (instead of thinking one knows the content), one finds a lot of disturbing
> >stories of genocide, mass murder, killing of almost every living being,
> >slavery, and mutilation ordered or directly done by god. Looks like the
> >premises given above contradict, doesn't it?
> >Interestingly, a Fundi came up with an excuse like: Genocide, when ordered by
> >god, is ok.
> 
> Justice, when it is Just, is OK.  You appear to assume God has your sense
> of what is acceptable and what is not.  Did you actually know the people God
> killed?  How do you know they didn't deserve death in the eyes of God?

A God that kills is no God for me.  I see no logical reason that an all
powerful being has any need to kill. There are many other non-lethal
methods available to such a being.  Why then would a merciful God CHOOSE to
kill or allow those who follow it to do so?  The first time I came across
Duet. was when I realized that I couldn't follow the Christian God, and
this is the Christian God, not just for the Jews.  Christian churches read
from the OT just as much as the NT, both are in the bible.

Barbarism in the name of religion in all its vile forms current as well as
historic, has been the greatest scourge this planet has ever known.  Not
that religion is required of course.  I think there is an innate part of
human nature to hate those outside one own tribe (whatever that might be),
it is just that religion give such an excellent frame work for harnessing
and focussing this dark side of human nature.

I am not saying that intertribal hated and violence is part of the stated
intent of the Christian churchs, but when tales of utter barbarity are a
part of their sacred book it does raise the question of what lies under the
surface. 

If Christians really don't believe that brutality in the OT is really the
work of their God, THEN TAKE IT OUT OF THE BIBLE.  It think it is a weasly
thing to say that this OT stuff was for the Jews alone to follow.

> 
> -- 
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James L. Felder            (216)891-4019         -My opinions are MINE-
Sverdrup Technology, Inc.  jfelder@lerc.nasa.gov  I think that should
NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland 44135        cover all bases, 
                                                  don't you.

"Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge -
    other people gargle"
Newsgroups: alt.atheism