Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpha_Q
It's nice to see people discuss the Old Testament. At least some people have actually read the damn book. For me, every verse was another hammer-blow to the nails that pinned me to the cross of my atheism. I don't see how anyone can read that and take any part of it seriously, especially women. Either the bible is wrong, or, if its right, god is a total malevolent, immature, childish simpleton. The ultimate dead-beat dad, and just an out and out a-hole...
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Pretty simplistic depiction of the Old Testament from my perspective. I don't deny that there are a large variety of texts in which the God, YHWH, El, or whoever carries with him the typical megalomaniacal stamp of ancient Canaanite deity. But there are many other facets of the god(s) of the Hebrew Bible. The problem with the Old Testament is that it is neither completely right or wrong. In it's pages god is both malevolent and benign, and the reason for this is that it is not a simple book composed by a simple person (or people) in one or even a few settings. the Bible is a collection of varied pieces of ancient literature that bears witness to the development of a religion from polythiestic Canaanite folk beliefs and practices to a monotheistic temple cult, to a variety of community confessions. Painting with broad strokes in biblical literature will always fail to appraise all of its subjects and themes with accuracy.