I don't like much of the god I find in the Old Testament. There is a lot of death and murder that is undeserved. The many stories remind me of a jealous two year old fighting over his toys.
Sure, I understand the theology behind it. Trust in the Lord and he will bless you. Don't have any other god's but the god of the Bible. Among other reasons to not get the ole' sword in the belly. I just don't buy it.
A reasonable human being would not listen to an imaginary or unseen presence that told him to kill his son. Today, we would arrest them on the spot and institutionalize them for insanity. I would argue that that insanity decree would be well deserved. People do not kill children unless they are evil - even if they claim god told them to, no matter what the Bible says.
And yet, in the Bible, god tells Abraham to kill Isaac. And when he blindly followed the order, god miraculously saved Isaac by giving Abe a male sheep to kill instead. I see Abe wiping his brow and letting out a shrill whistle and I see Isaac letting out a loud "WTF!? Are you kidding me, daddio! You were going to kill me and you only stopped when god provided an alternative? I'm out!"
If someone told me to kill my kid, I would call the police. Actually, I would get it on tape so that the police would have something to work with. But, since god can't get on tape, it would be easy to conclude that a crazy, nutty order like that would be simply from a loose screw in the brain. I imagine the person who tells me that to be one with hollow eyes, growing frightening whiskers, male or female.
No, I won't do it. If god, himself, came down to earth, walked right up to me and ordered me to kill my kid, expecting me to trust him to resurrect the blood of my loins, hoping beyond all hope that he would repeat the crazy Abe exercise and save my kid from sure death just before the knife slit his throat, I would tell him to shove it. Go find some other idiot who would do something that stupid. But if he does, I would have him (god) arrested.
And it would be counted to me as righteousness.
Sure, I understand the theology behind it. Trust in the Lord and he will bless you. Don't have any other god's but the god of the Bible. Among other reasons to not get the ole' sword in the belly. I just don't buy it.
A reasonable human being would not listen to an imaginary or unseen presence that told him to kill his son. Today, we would arrest them on the spot and institutionalize them for insanity. I would argue that that insanity decree would be well deserved. People do not kill children unless they are evil - even if they claim god told them to, no matter what the Bible says.
And yet, in the Bible, god tells Abraham to kill Isaac. And when he blindly followed the order, god miraculously saved Isaac by giving Abe a male sheep to kill instead. I see Abe wiping his brow and letting out a shrill whistle and I see Isaac letting out a loud "WTF!? Are you kidding me, daddio! You were going to kill me and you only stopped when god provided an alternative? I'm out!"
If someone told me to kill my kid, I would call the police. Actually, I would get it on tape so that the police would have something to work with. But, since god can't get on tape, it would be easy to conclude that a crazy, nutty order like that would be simply from a loose screw in the brain. I imagine the person who tells me that to be one with hollow eyes, growing frightening whiskers, male or female.
No, I won't do it. If god, himself, came down to earth, walked right up to me and ordered me to kill my kid, expecting me to trust him to resurrect the blood of my loins, hoping beyond all hope that he would repeat the crazy Abe exercise and save my kid from sure death just before the knife slit his throat, I would tell him to shove it. Go find some other idiot who would do something that stupid. But if he does, I would have him (god) arrested.
And it would be counted to me as righteousness.
