(October 20, 2014 at 10:56 pm)Aractus Wrote: The story was written to convey the control and power that the Judaic god (Jehovah) has over Egypt.

That's a pretty terrifying god you serve, one who's willing to slaughter countless children to make a point about how big and strong he is and nobody better mess with him.

And you feel good about worshiping this deity?

(October 22, 2014 at 1:16 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote:

(October 20, 2014 at 10:56 pm)Aractus Wrote: The story was written to convey the control and power that the Judaic god (Jehovah) has over Egypt.

That's a pretty terrifying god you serve, one who's willing to slaughter countless children to make a point about how big and strong he is and nobody better mess with him.

And you feel good about worshiping this deity?

I can't say he's not terrifying. Hell is ten times worse that what happened to the Egyptians.

Why bother worshipping him then?

(October 22, 2014 at 1:24 pm)Lek Wrote: I can't say he's not terrifying. Hell is ten times worse that what happened to the Egyptians.

True but at least Hell has the attempt at a rationalization, however flimsy, that it is a form of punishment that we somehow deserve.

What struck me about his post is the flippant acknowledgement of a bloodthirsty god terrorizing people into submission, not only without any fig leaf of a flimsy rationalization but seemingly with a witness.

(October 22, 2014 at 1:28 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote: True but at least Hell has the attempt at a rationalization, however flimsy, that it is a form of punishment that we somehow deserve.

What struck me about his post is the flippant acknowledgement of a bloodthirsty god terrorizing people into submission, not only without any fig leaf of a flimsy rationalization but seemingly with a witness.

All I did was to agree that his actions have been terrifying, which they are. I can't read the old testament accounts without realizing that. I didn't call him "bloodthirsty" and I didn't say that he is unjust or unloving. How about him becoming man and and suffering death on the cross so that everyone who ever lived on the earth could have eternal happiness? Doesn't that portray a loving God?

He didn't die, he was fine. Unless you're claiming God was dead for 3 days.

(October 22, 2014 at 1:46 pm)Lek Wrote: How about him becoming man and and suffering death on the cross so that everyone who ever lived on the earth could have eternal happiness? Doesn't that portray a loving God?

Nope.
He could've forgiven without all that shenanigan just as easily.

I know a girl whose father beat her, her mother and her siblings regularly. He also went into debt to pay for her college education. Funding her college was a loving act. But that doesn't making him a loving man, only a monster who has a few good qualities.

(October 22, 2014 at 2:17 pm)Jenny A Wrote: I know a girl whose father beat her, her mother and her siblings regularly. He also went into debt to pay for her college education. Funding her college was a loving act. But that doesn't making him a loving man, only a monster who has a few good qualities.

Nah, he would be good if only he sacrificed his daughter to himself to convince himself to stop beating his other children temporarily...

(October 22, 2014 at 1:46 pm)Lek Wrote: All I did was to agree that his actions have been terrifying, which they are. I can't read the old testament accounts without realizing that.

And what do we call attempting to coerce a certain behavior through terrifying actions?

I'll give you two hints: it uses the same root word you used, "terrifying" and ends with "ism".

Quote:I didn't call him "bloodthirsty" and I didn't say that he is unjust or unloving.

Of course you didn't. You want to believe your god is good and the religion you serve is good. Perfectly understandable. In fact, commendable, since I assume you wouldn't knowingly serve an evil god even if offered a reward.

And yet my description is exactly what happened. Your god hardened the heart of the Egyptian king and explicitly said he was doing so in order to demonstrate his power. That demonstration, among other things, included widespread slaughter of children.

Now there's a thing called "cognitive dissonance" where two conflicting ideas need to be reconciled. "Yahweh is good". "Killing little children to demonstrate power is bad." What must ensue is a number of possible rationalizations, along the lines of "mysterious ways" or "must have been a good reason" or "some greater good" but I can promise you they'll all sound lame to the non-believer. My use of the word "bloodthirsty" stands.

Quote:How about him becoming man and and suffering death on the cross so that everyone who ever lived on the earth could have eternal happiness? Doesn't that portray a loving God?

Where the OT god was a bloodthirsty sociopath, the NT god is barking insane.

He had to become his own son to sacrifice himself on a cross because doing so was the only way he could convince himself to forgive us.

Do you see how that seems crazy to a non-believer?

I can forgive others without killing myself. I assume you can as well. Why can't your god?