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This is the weekend where christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is supposed to represent the action of a just and loving god -- the fact that god so loved mankind that he sent his son to die on the cross so their sins would be forgiven. Now I've never understood why this sacrifice had to be made before forgiveness could be given by god. After all, if he is truly all-powerful,why could he not just forgive anyway?
But that is not the point of this post. I was not always an atheist. I was born and raised in a fundamentalist christian sect, and even went to a fundie college to become a preacher at one time. But that didn't last long. All I really learned in those studies, was that I could not believe in both the literal truth of the Bible and the concept of a loving and just god. The two simply do not go together.
If every word of the Bible is literally true (and this is what fundamentalists profess to believe), then there are many times in the Bible where god is neither loving nor just, but instead looks fickle or just downright mean and vicious. Just a few examples are god choosing to favor Abel over Cain, even though both had given what they had, god striking a man dead just for trying to keep the Ark of the Covenant from falling, god killing the firstborn of Egypt and god commanding the Jews to completely exterminate all inhabitants of cities in the "promised land" (and in fact, promising them land already owned by others).
But the faith-breaker for me was the book of Job. After god brags about how pious Job is, satan says it is just because he is prosperous. Now a truly loving and all-powerful god could have laughed that off and went on, but he didn't. He let satan goad him into proving Job's piousness (although why an all-knowing and all-powerful god should have to prove anything is unexplainable in itself).
In order to basically win a bet with satan, god allows satan to take all of Job's wealth and possessions, kill his family (except his wife), and then finally cover his body with itching horrible boils. Job refuses to curse god even after all his tribulations, so god wins his bet. He goes on to reward Job with new possessions, children and wealth.
But Job's first family is STILL DEAD -- sacrificed to win a bet (or argument). That does not sound like a loving or just god to me. It sounds more like a vain and uncaring god. And yet, if every word in the Bible is literally true, then that is what happened.
Personally, I don't even want to believe in a god that could act in such a capricious way toward those who believe in him. And I really don't understand why anyone could believe in a god who would kill off a man's family just to test or prove his faith.
After all, if he is truly all-powerful,why could he not just forgive anyway?
ReplyDeleteBecause God is also all-holy and cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. It's the same reason why Adam and Eve's pathetic attempts to cover their nakedness (i.e. sin) by their own efforts, using leaves, were insufficient. God had to provide them with animal skins (i.e. had to shed the blood of animals) in order for them to stand in His presence.
I like the symbolic burial and rising again aspect of the Easter story, it's so blatantly fertility rite of planting. So I plant my beans on Good Friday, and on Easter they rise. It's a Feed Me ritual. Perfectly human need.
ReplyDeleteI tell you the Job tale is a controversial story even amongst Christians. A few years back I tried to teach the book of Job in a High School literature class. I had a parent get so uptight about it I was forced to change my curriculum.
ReplyDeleteSeems to me that the bible should be a work of airtight philosphical standing...and yet it's filled with stuff like Job.
Why? Why? (shaking fist at the sky) I just want a little certainty dammit.
CT-
ReplyDeleteYour argument makes no sense. Are you saying all-holy trumps all-powerful. Is sin god's kryptonite that renders him powerless (unless something is slaughtered)?
In Job, he doesn't seem to mind being in the presence of satan (who is the personification of evil and sin).
Us parents tell our children, who are much younger then us, to listen, pay attention, to learn from our advise. We are much older, wiser & experienced & know what we are talking about. Yet, they continue on dedicating more time & effort to expressing their thoughts, then to actually listen, read, research & learn until they reach the point when they realize how much it is that the span of they're knowledge covers.
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ReplyDeleteYour point about God tolerating Satan being in His presence is an interesting one. Perhaps it has something to do with Satan being an angel (albeit a fallen one), as opposed to a human being. On the other hand, Satan and his angels were expelled from heaven, which is more consistent with my first premise (i.e. God cannot stand to be in the presence of sin). Maybe angels in general (or Satan in particular) are afforded temporary access to God by virtue of the fact that they cannot experience salvation.
The bottom line is: I don't know.
(cont'd)
lequino,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the story of Job is controversial. However, I disagree with you when you say that "the bible should be a work of airtight philosphical standing."
That might be the case if it was authored by human beings (as opposed to through human beings).
I think the most important portion of the Book of Job is Chapters 38 through 41 (the Lord's response to Job), followed by Job's reply.
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Whenever we put God in a box, by caricaturizing Him an a "superhero"("Is sin god's kryptonite that renders him powerless (unless something is slaughtered)?") or expecting him to be totally understandable ("Why? Why? (shaking fist at the sky) I just want a little certainty dammit."), we miss the point. Chapters 38 to 41 of Job give us a greater perspective of who we are, as opposed to who God is. The comparison was so overhwelming for Job that he had no choice but to repent "in dust and ashes."
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I've spent the better part (and I do mean "better") of the last three decades plumbing "the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God" (Romans 11:33), and I still haven't come close to touching bottom yet.
ReplyDeleteTrying to discern who God is can be an exercise in futility at times, because his ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9) We can't pigeonhole him like we do each other. Contrary to popular belief, God is neither Republican nor Democrat. He doesn't hold a U.S. passport, either. Try though we may to make Him into our own image, the fact of the matter is that it's just the other way around. Or should be.
But as frustrating as it is, seeking God's face is the most rewarding activity I know. Like Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32:23-34), the process can leave us physically spent but spiritually blessed.
I still don't see a loving or just god in the book of Job. What I see is a vain, capricious and rather vicious god, who would kill off a family just to win an argument. That's not a god I could worship, even if he was real.
ReplyDelete"I was not always an atheist. I was born and raised in a fundamentalist christian sect, and even went to a fundie college to become a preacher at one time. But that didn't last long. All I really learned in those studies, was that I could not believe in both the literal truth of the Bible and the concept of a loving and just god. The two simply do not go together."I've been reading your blog for several months, but have never posted. When I read your quote above, I realized I could have written it myself, and would have been telling the complete truth.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny when athiests find "kindred spirits," especially since we don't believe in spirits. :-)
I wish I had more to contribute to this post, but I'd just be "preaching to the choir." I couldn't resist saying hello.
Welcome Kevin! Feel free to comment anytime.
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