Skwim
Veteran Member
If you, as a believer in the god of Abraham, expect others to join your ranks, what incentive do you offer? But before you answer consider that this is a god who purposely created evil or bad times or disaster or calamity or doom or hard times or adversity, depending on which Bible you read (Isaiah 45:7)
And
Allows the existence of suffering
Permits the existence of genetic diseases and defects
Created an eternal hell whose entry is based solely on one's behavior during a very minuscule time on earth
Condones and advocates slavery
Kills innocent humans
Advocates raping the women of one's enemy
Expects human sacrifice
Kills those who worship foreign gods
Burns those who transgress his covenant.
Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship and adore this being, but why? Is it because the good stuff he's done offsets these reprehensible acts? OR is it because he's promised not to send them to hell if they do?
In my opinion the good things this god has done hardly begin to counterbalance all the bad stuff. So I have to conclude that people don't worship and adore him for his character, which is obviously far from stellar or worthy of emulation, but solely to curry favor so as not to wind up in hell, Which in MHO means that any professed praise or love rings quite hollow---it's like bribing the jail keeper. OR . . . there's a serious disconnect between what this god is actually like and how he's perceived.
And is this how I, a non believer in the god of Abraham, am expected to regard him: forget about his true character and instead convince myself he's especially good and therefore worthy of my worship and praise in order to avoid hell?
But don't get me wrong. I can see why one might be thankful for having been given life, but why pick the god of Abraham to thank?
.
And
Allows the existence of suffering
Permits the existence of genetic diseases and defects
Created an eternal hell whose entry is based solely on one's behavior during a very minuscule time on earth
Condones and advocates slavery
Kills innocent humans
Advocates raping the women of one's enemy
Expects human sacrifice
Kills those who worship foreign gods
Burns those who transgress his covenant.
Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship and adore this being, but why? Is it because the good stuff he's done offsets these reprehensible acts? OR is it because he's promised not to send them to hell if they do?
In my opinion the good things this god has done hardly begin to counterbalance all the bad stuff. So I have to conclude that people don't worship and adore him for his character, which is obviously far from stellar or worthy of emulation, but solely to curry favor so as not to wind up in hell, Which in MHO means that any professed praise or love rings quite hollow---it's like bribing the jail keeper. OR . . . there's a serious disconnect between what this god is actually like and how he's perceived.
And is this how I, a non believer in the god of Abraham, am expected to regard him: forget about his true character and instead convince myself he's especially good and therefore worthy of my worship and praise in order to avoid hell?
But don't get me wrong. I can see why one might be thankful for having been given life, but why pick the god of Abraham to thank?
.