It seems to me that Christians, Jews, and Muslims take the Abrahamic God at his word pretty easily. They don't require any proof of the claims he makes, and instead focus on faith that he is the one true god. Why? Because he says so. Looking at it from another direction... it seems like one giant con to me. Especially since the morality of the bible is so close to the morality of the people who wrote the bible.
I mean even if Yahweh exists... there's the possibility that he's nothing more than a fraud, a snake oil salesman. And it's a pretty strong possibility IF he exists. I mean the stories that were told in the bible? None of them were first hand accounts. They all read like tall tales that people tell when they're talking about the fish they caught out in the ocean. And they all sound so impressive--and were probably more so to the people of the time. Rather than giving them knowledge they had no possibility of knowing he gave them a system of morality pretty much matching that of their own time. Why? Because I propose if he did exist--that he was a fraud. That he wasn't the creator of the universe, and was trying to take credit for someone else's work. All to get people to worship and praise and adulate him. Given this, the concept of hell makes a lot more sense. Why would the creator of the universe care about praise and adulation? What does he gain out of it? If anything, just recognizing the wonderfulness of their creation would be the greatest praise you could give someone if they created the universe. But if they didn't--it wouldn't be enough. If you were a charlatan like I propose Yahweh would be if he existed--then you'd need more. And that's where the concept of heaven and hell come in. Promises of Gold that people buy into because it sounds good! Even though it sounds too good to be true. It's a lot easier to appeal to people as the moral authority when everyone already pretty much agrees with you. It'd be hard work for anyone to actually change someone else's morals. Especially an entire tribe. If you want to make a god claim when you aren't god, it'd be much easier to do so if you adapt your system of morality (and as a fraud you'd have to have one in case they ask). It also makes it really easy to write up a system of laws for your followers to follow--and they're already following most of them anyway.
The creator of the universe would surely know that the sun is older than the earth. They would know that sickness is caused by germs. And they would know that the earth is undoubtedly round. People say they read the bible and are inspired by it--but assuming that Yahweh is actually inspiring them, it doesn't even really prove that he is who he says he is. Not if his capabilities are that of manipulation. He doesn't have to be god to inspire people with his works. For that matter, he wouldn't even really need any special powers. People are inspired by all sorts of works. Including those of cult leaders.
Looking at the stories in the bible... most of them talk of Yahweh's great power. Which is a great con-man technique. And given that we haven't really seen Yahweh do any of this stuff since the invention of the camera (and long before that as well), we have no reason to believe that he's necessarily telling the truth. He's asking for something--in exchange for an unproven concept. It's like the Nigeran Prince Scheme. If only you give him all your love and affection and follow his rules--he'll let you go to heaven when you die. (If you only give him your bank account, he'll route a lot of money into it!)
This would explain why he's so absent if he does exist--he's not really all powerful. And people today wouldn't just accept it if someone appeared and claimed they were god (or if they would, they'd be considered mentally ill by most people, and nobody would listen to them) Or if he did exist, he might be dead I suppose. Maybe some greater god killed him, or the creator of the universe got sick of all of his claims, and snuffed him out.
I started thinking about this when someone (I think it was a Chick Track) said that the contradictions in the bible were put there purposely because it'd weed out all the non-believers. Which is a silly concept. "The parts that aren't true are just there to fool non-believers!" That such a god would be untrustworthy, which would make that god a fraud. Even if there was a Yahweh, I see no reason to think he's actually the one who created the universe. Or that any of his stories are true.
I mean even if Yahweh exists... there's the possibility that he's nothing more than a fraud, a snake oil salesman. And it's a pretty strong possibility IF he exists. I mean the stories that were told in the bible? None of them were first hand accounts. They all read like tall tales that people tell when they're talking about the fish they caught out in the ocean. And they all sound so impressive--and were probably more so to the people of the time. Rather than giving them knowledge they had no possibility of knowing he gave them a system of morality pretty much matching that of their own time. Why? Because I propose if he did exist--that he was a fraud. That he wasn't the creator of the universe, and was trying to take credit for someone else's work. All to get people to worship and praise and adulate him. Given this, the concept of hell makes a lot more sense. Why would the creator of the universe care about praise and adulation? What does he gain out of it? If anything, just recognizing the wonderfulness of their creation would be the greatest praise you could give someone if they created the universe. But if they didn't--it wouldn't be enough. If you were a charlatan like I propose Yahweh would be if he existed--then you'd need more. And that's where the concept of heaven and hell come in. Promises of Gold that people buy into because it sounds good! Even though it sounds too good to be true. It's a lot easier to appeal to people as the moral authority when everyone already pretty much agrees with you. It'd be hard work for anyone to actually change someone else's morals. Especially an entire tribe. If you want to make a god claim when you aren't god, it'd be much easier to do so if you adapt your system of morality (and as a fraud you'd have to have one in case they ask). It also makes it really easy to write up a system of laws for your followers to follow--and they're already following most of them anyway.
The creator of the universe would surely know that the sun is older than the earth. They would know that sickness is caused by germs. And they would know that the earth is undoubtedly round. People say they read the bible and are inspired by it--but assuming that Yahweh is actually inspiring them, it doesn't even really prove that he is who he says he is. Not if his capabilities are that of manipulation. He doesn't have to be god to inspire people with his works. For that matter, he wouldn't even really need any special powers. People are inspired by all sorts of works. Including those of cult leaders.
Looking at the stories in the bible... most of them talk of Yahweh's great power. Which is a great con-man technique. And given that we haven't really seen Yahweh do any of this stuff since the invention of the camera (and long before that as well), we have no reason to believe that he's necessarily telling the truth. He's asking for something--in exchange for an unproven concept. It's like the Nigeran Prince Scheme. If only you give him all your love and affection and follow his rules--he'll let you go to heaven when you die. (If you only give him your bank account, he'll route a lot of money into it!)
This would explain why he's so absent if he does exist--he's not really all powerful. And people today wouldn't just accept it if someone appeared and claimed they were god (or if they would, they'd be considered mentally ill by most people, and nobody would listen to them) Or if he did exist, he might be dead I suppose. Maybe some greater god killed him, or the creator of the universe got sick of all of his claims, and snuffed him out.
I started thinking about this when someone (I think it was a Chick Track) said that the contradictions in the bible were put there purposely because it'd weed out all the non-believers. Which is a silly concept. "The parts that aren't true are just there to fool non-believers!" That such a god would be untrustworthy, which would make that god a fraud. Even if there was a Yahweh, I see no reason to think he's actually the one who created the universe. Or that any of his stories are true.
The whole tone of Church teaching in regard to woman is, to the last degree, contemptuous and degrading. - Elizabeth Cady Stanton
