Biblegod The Good & His Chosen People

Have you ever read how biblegod treats his so-called chosen people? It's a learning experience. One would think that he would have all kinds of patience with them and accord them mercies galore. After all, he's supposed to be good and merciful, isn't he? At least That's what we're told.

The Bible doesn't read that way though. No, not at all. In this installment of "Biblegod The Good" we'll be looking at how YHWH, god of the Bible, really treats his chosen people and why being YHWH's chosen doesn't necessarily mean it's a good thing. We'll look at a few examples of YHWH's "goodness" toward his chosen. We'll look at two examples of YHWH's "goodness" toward those he "loves".

The first couple, Adam and Eve, we're the first of the chosen. According to the Bible they were the first created, so they would necessarily have to be the first "chosen". Adam was created first and then Eve, depending on which genesis story you read. They were in the garden of Eden, content and happy. Little did they suspect what a trap their "Creator" had set for them.

Gen 2:16 ¶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

With no information whatsoever concerning what it meant to die, biblegod let the woman be tempted by a snake--a talking snake no less! Get out of here! A talking snake?!?! Yes, a talking snake! The author of this book must have thought very little of the woman's intelligence. The snake persuaded her that the "forbidden" fruit was actually good to eat because after eating it, said the talking snake, she would be like biblegod, knowing good and evil.

Sounds pretty good, right? I'd want to know the difference between good and evil so I could avoid evil and do good, wouldn't you? Don't forget that evil, in the Bible, isn't just an act you perform but also what happens to you, such as a disease or a broken leg. If you had created Adam and Eve, would you not want them to know this? I would, but biblegod didn't see fit to tell them.

In the Genesis account, the snake gets Eve to eat the fruit and then she persuades Adam to do the same and then, pardon the pun, all hell breaks loose. YHWH curses the woman, curses the man and if that wasn't enough, he also curses the land; and if that wasn’t enough, we're told, in Romans 8, that all of creation was cursed. Oy gevalt! When this god curses, he means business! Fundamentalists tell us that this would include the sun, the moon, the other seven planets, as well as the rest of the universe.

Now, think about this for a minute, would you? Because of one act, the full consequence of which was not known by Adam and Eve, YHWH cursed everything he had created. Talk about overkill! Why didn't he just get rid of Adam and Eve and start over again? Or, why didn't he just forgive them; he's supposed to be a forgiving god, isn't he? For that matter, why didn't he prevent the talking snake form ever tempting them? Why did he even create the talking snake? Why did he even create evil in the first place? He knew what would happen: he's god for cryin' out loud! This story, which makes no sense when taken literally, is believed by devout Christians all over the world, many of of which are highly educated people.  

Well, because of this one "sin" we are all born sinners condemned to hell. That's right, through no fault of our own, without ever having had any choice, you and I are going to hell in a hand basket right from the minute we're conceived. Hell, even before because biblegod has predestined everyone anyway! Fundamentalists keep telling us we deserve to go to hell, to suffer unbearable pain for all eternity, because we're sinners. But we're sinners because one man and one woman ate a f**king fruit! Does this make any sense to you? If it does, you need to get some help!

Israel the beloved of biblegod

Hosea 10:14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

Hosea 13:16  Samaria shall bear her guilt; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword; their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

Here, the prophet Hosea is prophesying against his people, telling them what will happen to them when biblegod finally let's his wrath take its course. The language is quite graphic: "the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children" and "their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up." This is but one example of the "goodness" of YHWH toward his beloved people.

If you read the book of Lamentations, you will find example after example of how biblegod treats his people Israel. The prophet tells all who read that it was biblegod himself who did the killing in Jerusalem.

Lam 1:5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

[...]

Lam 1:12 ¶ Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
13 From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day.
14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.
15 The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.

Lam 3:37 ¶ Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

If the above is not enough for you, then read Deut. 28.

Deut 28:1 ¶ And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

[...]

Deut 28:15 ¶ But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

[..]

Deut 28:45 ¶ Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.

There follows, after these two verses, a series of blessings and curses. Biblegod seems to thrive on extorting love and adulation from his chosen people. According to the covenant he made with Israel, they were supposed to follow every commandment, perfectly and without exception, or be cursed. What kind of deity is this that has to threaten people in order to get them to love and worship him? The kind that the Hebrew imagination dreamed of: the only kind they could dream up.

I have often used one of Robert Heinlein's quotes because it is so very well suited to biblegod: "Men rarely (if  ever) manage to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child." The biblegod the dude is no different: an evil despot bent on the adulation of a people who were the slaves of their prophets and seers. If a prophet, Moses for instance, told them that he had seen biblegod and that he had given them preferred status among the nations, backward and ignorant as they were, they readily believed this prophet.

It is often said, in defense of YHWH, that the Israelites foolishly accepted the terms of the covenant at Sinai. What, pray tell, would you have done in their stead? Exodus and Deuteronomy tells us of the frightening things they are supposed to have seen:

Exodus 20:18 ¶ And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Exodus 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 5:22 These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
23 ¶ And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24 And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

Could you have refused if you'd seen a sight like this? I think not! Of course we all realize, except for the credulous among us, that this is mere mythology. But the point is this: how can a people be said to have "foolishly accepted the terms of the covenant" when such fearful sights were their motivation. What choice did they have? Could you have withstood "the LORD" to his face and said "but LORD, this covenant is unfair, for who can obey its every law perfectly?"

The punishments for disobedience, which were so sure to happen that they were prophesied, were of such a horrendous nature that any civilized person should cringe at their mention. Do Fundamentalists cringe at their mention? Nope! In fact, they very happily praise their god and bow their heads in prayer to thank him for having "revealed it unto them." I know this for a fact because I've heard it and done it myself on many occasions in the past.

Deut 29:4 Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

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Deut 31:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?

Jos 23:15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

The deck was stacked against them! YHWH was manipulating them. He was, through the mouth of the prophet, telling them what would happen to them in the future, how that they would abandon him by breaking the covenant, admittedly impossible to obey perfectly, and how he would curse them. Take the time to read those curses and then tell me how anyone of reasonable mind could ever think that this god was good, just and righteous. And think about this: if this god is omniscient, then those people had no choice whatsoever, for all that would happen to them was preordained.

If biblegod can treat his favorite people this way, can you imagine what he does to those he doesn't like? I shudder at the thought. This is the very background for the Christian doctrine of eternal punishment which is supposed to be taught in the NT. Does this "God" deserve to be worshipped? Does he even deserve a second thought? Undoubtedly, NO!

This god, along with so many of the gods of antiquity, is the product of primitive and superstitious imaginations. It is the product of barbaric minds bent on conquest and finding any excuse to justify their actions where said conquests are concerned. How can we, educated and informed as we are today, still hold to such atrocious beliefs? Perhaps the answer lies in this, that despite all our advances, all our knowledge, there still lurks in our collective consciousness the desire to dominate, inflict pain on our neighbours and to conquer and kill. Perhaps we're not so civilized after all. Perhaps, as I believe, Freud was right that god-belief and the religions which were spawned by it, are the product of neurosis. I think he's not far from the truth.

grgaud