Is God Evil? »
Posted By Progressive 9 months ago in ReligionWhen David Plotz set out to read every word of the Old Testament, he discovered gruesome smitings, rampant misogyny, and a God who's a lot like Donald Trump. The author of Good Book talks to The Daily Beast about what his Biblical journey begat.
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Progressive
There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing. -- Oscar Wilde
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not2needy9 months ago
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I read the majority of the article.
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Now, what the author of the Good Book is saying is true, there are contridictions in the ible, but we MUST remember that the Bible has been intrepreted and re-written many times, anyone who tampered with the original content will be punished. I also agree that women were sorely mistreated in the Bible, but i believe that was due to the tampering of men, because it was definitely to their advantage to keep women subserviant.
In short, the Bible is all Christians have to follow, and the ones who have tampered with God's word will pay. Furthermore, the Old Testament was law, the New Testament is grace and although we are expected to still follow some of the laws of the Old, we are living under the grace of the New!-
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ForrestPhelps9 months ago
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Dionys9 months ago
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"anyone who tampered with the original content will be punished. "
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What "original content?" Pre-redaction writing by people who weren't who they said they were because they wrote under a different name?
"I also agree that women were sorely mistreated in the Bible, but i believe that was due to the tampering of men, because it was definitely to their advantage to keep women subserviant."
It probably had nothing to do with the culture of that time being fairly oppressive towards women.
"In short, the Bible is all Christians have to follow, and the ones who have tampered with God's word will pay."
Like the people who mistranslate things into English leading people to hate homosexuals?
"he Old Testament was law, the New Testament is grace and although we are expected to still follow some of the laws of the Old, we are living under the grace of the New!"
So which parts of the old do 'we' follow?
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Jaydee409 months ago
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IS god evil? Yes the very thought of god is evil!!! If there is an entity who exists who created us why would he sit back and allow the evil that happens every second in this world? And more importantly why would any human idolize such a creature? Now if god were powerless to do anything surly such a creature is not be worthy of the ideology civilization has given him over the years no mater what name is used at whatever time in history. When you think about all the evil done in the name of god in recorded history I sometimes wonder how even the thickest skulled knuckle dragging uneducated person can believe in such utter bunk but when it comes right down to what other options are there? We all need something to hold onto but maybe we should set our standards higher than some imaginary entity mentioned it a archaic collection of fables and short stories. I think it's note worthy the author of the article mention keeping it in the bathroom but it's my opinion the books historical and literary worth give it a much greater importance than bathroom reading or emergency toilet paper designation.
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toph19739 months ago
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I completely agree. I've anways wondered with all of the smiting for no reason, stoning children who misbehave and advocation of slavery, I've always held religion and god as evil. For arguments sake and we say there is a god and it's the benevolent one written in the NT, where were they during the crusades? The inquisition? The Holocaust. God would be required to act. This is the most damning proof that there is no god.
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ppiittuu9 months ago
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"I sometimes wonder how even the thickest skulled knuckle dragging uneducated person can believe in such utter bunk..."
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oh i dunno, why not ask:
Copernicus, Sir Francis Bacon, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Newton, Robert Boyle, Faraday, Mendel, Kelvin, and even perhaps Planck and Einstein.
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antibrainwasher9 months ago
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God is a creation of the human mind, evolved from chimpanzees. God is a character in stories, like santa or easter bunny. There is no evidence for the existance of any of athe thousands of gods created by con men and kings. None what so freaking ever. Nothing, nada, ziltch.
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If you think there is a god somewhere that knows your name, and is waiting for you to die to send you to heaven or hell, which also don't exist, then you are completely INSANE.-
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lvrofwolves9 months ago
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antibrainwasher, I feel the same way about some of the things you say in your comment, but...I would not call anyone who believed completely insane, even if they were, it works in their life and for the actual ones who follow the actual idea of 'Jesus' insane or not, I respect those who follow that ideology, tho it does not make me a believer in a 'God' or the Bible or anything else religious. I would not call a person insane who believed in UFOs/aliens either. I would not think a child who believed in Santa or Easter bunny insane either.
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Just because there is no proof, does not mean a creator does not exist, again I'm not saying I believe, I'm Agnostic. IF the 'God' of the Bible exists, I would only believe it if 'God' himself came and told me it was true, and if he did, I would think many things about it, and not very much of it good. the 'god' of the bible has many contradictions, weaknesses, imperfections, yet expects us to believe in his existence, perfection and love?? I cannot force that belief on myself. -
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toph19739 months ago
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This is exactly what god is. We tell kids not to have imaginary friends, yet as adults people are worshiping one? I'm not too sure what people are thinking? We'll I guess they are not. But when a book that is supposed to be the word of god has not one factual part to it, and people contnue to believe in this, it's astounding. The church must do one hell of a job of brainwashing people. Look critically at god and religion and it's very clear that the whole thing is a fraud.
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vor9 months ago
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As always, a bit rough around the edges but dead on!
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I am quite sure I will go to my grave with only a slight increase in the number of non-believers but someday the world may turn to rational thought and rid themselves of all of these pipe dreams man has made. Put down the serpents, put the barb wire straps away, and stop drinking wine and calling it a man's blood. It is the best hope for the future of mankind. Living in continued delusion will not truly move us forward.
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thefool9 months ago
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mr. jaydee , and others...your reply "If there is entity who exists who created us why would he sit back and allow the evil that happens every second in this world" there is many humans who ask the same thing..or another is why did GOD do this to me? let me ask you this...why do you send YOUR children to school? to learn maybe? does not every MOTHER and FATHER want his child to learn? Isn't experience the best way to learn for one's self. If you never experience or suffer pain then how can you know what it is...pain and love are emotion's and not materialistic....and without pain or hate ,how can one really understand love? Did it ever occur to any one that maybe,just maybe your creator has placed you here on a 3-d planet to learn as his child so in your next life you can evolve to higher and other knowledges and experiences? As a wise one once told me that our souls are all just children here on this planet in different forms for a purpose....to experience,learn and create ...so you will be prepared for your next lesson in your soul's evolution to a higher understanding...must you not learn to walk before you can learn to run??
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Jaydee409 months ago
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Sorry but your still in make believe land, come back to reality. We are born on this planet and only have one life, the sum of who we are is tied to what we do with that one life because when it's over, that my friend, is all that is really left. And school is a real place that we can be part of the governing, not a pretend entity. But I commend you attempt at explanation.
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thefool9 months ago
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Let me ask another question. someone states "GOD is the creation of the mind" ..If thats what you believe thats fine.I'm not trying to tell you whether your right or wrong.but I would like your thought's then on ....Who created the mind ? If you believe the mind created GOD then what or who exactly created the mind?
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antibrainwasher9 months ago
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toph19739 months ago
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I would attribute the survival of more and more morons to the fact that our lives have become so easy and that natural selection has completely stopped. It used to be that only the smart and strong would survive. Now it's the fat and stupid.
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thefool9 months ago
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toph 1973, you seem so certain GOD is a sham and you state we evolved from a single cell organism.So i would like to learn from you since your so intelligent......WHERE DID THE SINGLE CELL ORGANISM COME FROM???? What or whom created the first single cell? where did it come from??? Please dont tell me it just appeared out of nowhere!! because then i'll really be confused on your speculation...
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antibrainwasher9 months ago
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Jesus on a jet ski, how many thousands of science books have to be written on that exact topic before you actually read one. Thousands of books, and why do you have to ask to have it explained to you.
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All live evolved. Its not a philosophical arguement, and there is no f'ing god. You are just spinning around in circles, trying to rationalize what you hope is true. -
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toph19739 months ago
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Ahh, the old who came first the chicken or the egg, (the chicken of course). It's actually an easy answer. What are comets primarily made of? Frozen water, amino acids, organic materials. The essential buildong blocks for life. Comet impacts, or seeding is how life got here. It makes perfect sense.
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You tell me not to say it appeared out of nowhere, yet that exactly what you believe happened. Somehow I don;t think that I'm the one that is confused.
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thefool9 months ago
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i'm not one who forces or tells another what he or she must believe or should.But a quick word i once heard from a old wise one....we all create what we believe, therefor if one does not believe in a GOD,then he shall never have one. If one believes in hate and war and egotism,then that will be the world that will always exist for him. so it is written so shall it be done !!
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FairNBalanced9 months ago
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I believe that the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God and that men were moved by the Spirit to write words of Scripture.
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I believe that the Bible is without error.
God is good and perfect in everything that He does.
He is Holy and bound by His word.-
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Dionys9 months ago
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"I believe that the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God and that men were moved by the Spirit to write words of Scripture."
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Dogma. Could be true.
"I believe that the Bible is without error."
Dogma. Absolutely not true. There are hundreds upon hundreds of conflicts within the Bible.
For example in 1 Samuel 17 it’s clear that David killed Goliath. But in 2 Samuel 21:19 some texts say that Elhanon killed Goliath. It’s thought that the 2 Samuel passage should say that Elhanon killed Goliath’s brother and 1 Chronicles 20:5 confirms this.
"God is good and perfect in everything that He does.
He is Holy and bound by His word."
God is God. God isn't always "Good" as you can see in the OT pretty plainly. Perhaps God as seen through Christ's eyes is good and 'perfect.' God isn't a "he." By limiting God you make God a not-God. God is holy, sure, but boundless. -
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ppiittuu9 months ago
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at times i feel envious of people like you with your faith, but alas, at times i'm cursed with mixtures of doubt, epiphanies, questions, ignorance, faith, love, searching, confusion, misunderstanding, knowledge, educational bigotry, anger, needs, emotions, and so on and so on...
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my quest for God i fear will be unending. my peace is knowing that God is patient and will wait for me and never abandon me.
how did you come about your faith?
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prophyporcritesComment removed: Spammer, Hard Banned
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skyking2p9 months ago
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John Lennon had it right. "What ever gets you through the night is alright" No matter what we say, no one knows what happens when you die. I think the brain's function stops and that is that. What we need to think or believe to keep us from going insane because of this is OK.
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Progressive9 months ago
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John Lennon said, "God is a concept by which we measure our pain":
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09e1y82IcJA
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donrp089 months ago
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FREE WILL(choice) is a wonderful thing and that is what god gives us humans, in the new testament. it's very sad however that many make the wrong choice's homosexuality, murder, rape, incest, and the list goes on and on. GOD want's only good and happiness for his children but when WE human's make the wrong CHOICE it does bad thing's to all of us. (IMO)
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Beau78909 months ago
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Free will is given very early on in the Old Testament, donrp.
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When Adam and Eve succumb to temptation, it is of their own free will, and they take responsibility for the consequences.
But though their choice may have exposed them to additional hardships, it's not yours to say it was the "wrong choice." In accepting the consequences, they also gained wisdom and self-awareness.
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