The Cruelty Of God

[John09]

Let's say you had several children. You decide to tell the one born first that whatever wrong he/she did, all the other following children would also have to be punished just as the offending child was punished once they are born. So, the firstborn child does something you consider wrong and he/she is punished with death, sickness, sweat, misery, and the continual propensity to do more wrong things every moment of every day. In addition to this, you decided that all the siblings of this child yet to be born are also punished with all the same punishments inflicted on the offending child, though they are not yet born. They don't even have a chance. They are already cursed.

 

Are you a loving parent to all your children, or should you be rendered incapable of child bearing before you have any more? lol

 

This is exactly what the christian god decided to do with humans when he created them. I have witnessed the confusion and discouragement of numerous christians wrestling over the obvious cruelty of this very concept (even pastors). I'm still trying to understand why I would try to ignore and explain away such things as this with stupid explanations like "god's ways are just too mysterious for our fallen intellect to comprehend."

 

Interesting thing is, every rational question I have posed to my still-christian friends has been answered with just such a statement. The fact is, the only way one can continue to believe in the christian god is if one abandons reason and rational thought, as well as one's own instinctive ideas of what is kind and cruel.

[Shyone]

<snip>

This is exactly what the christian god decided to do with humans when he created them. I have witnessed the confusion and discouragement of numerous christians wrestling over the obvious cruelty of this very concept (even pastors). I'm still trying to understand why I would try to ignore and explain away such things as this with stupid explanations like "god's ways are just too mysterious for our fallen intellect to comprehend."

 

Interesting thing is, every rational question I have posed to my still-christian friends has been answered with just such a statement. The fact is, the only way one can continue to believe in the christian god is if one abandons reason and rational thought, as well as one's own instinctive ideas of what is kind and cruel.

I'm sure the particular Christians that read this will deny Original Sin (which is a horrible concept and contrary to every human sense), but they have more trouble denying the cruelty of the rest of the Old Testment (e.g. the Flood, the genocide, slavery, Draconian punishments, etc.). What they do, however, is say that God has changed. He was like that for them, not us.

 

One asked me something like, "Can't you see some nice things God did in the OT?" I answered that a person that donates to charity, but sexually abuses his children, is still immoral beyond measure regardless of how "nice" he can be to some.

 

I had a problem with the exclusivity of the OT. Chosen People my ass. Why not more than one? I find more wisdom from Rodney King than God; "Can't we all just get along?"

[Franko47]

"god's ways are just too mysterious for our fallen intellect to comprehend."

 

 

 

Good. Only an insane person could understand God's methodology in the OT as productive or helpful.

 

 

This is a common statement I often get from Bible Christians. I remind them that if so, we might as well go back to burning witches, since our modern squeamishness about such a practice is obviously just another symptom of our "fallen nature". Maybe even a result of our "liberal media". LOL

 

The mental gymnastics involved in trying to reconcile the bizarre and ruthless nature of OT god with the "kindly virtues of modern popular Christianity" must be tiring. Heck, when I was a Xtian I didn't even try. But then again I was a heretic even going in.