Why would an all knowing master of space and time feel the irrepressible need to be adored by mere insects (relatively speaking), and indeed punish them in the most absolute of terms if they fail in this task? Indeed it makes God seem very human, although rather immaturely so. We expect such behavior from schoolyard bullies, megalomaniac dictators and small children who demand adoration from their beaten dogs. One might think that God would be held to a somewhat higher standard. And yet this is exactly what the Judeo/Christian version of God would have us expect of Him.
I suppose I can understand that primitive peoples facing starvation after seeing their hard earned crops devoured by locusts might see the universe as a cruel game played by a vengeful deity exacting revenge for a perceived slight, say not enough virgins sacrificed last year. I suppose that one can look at the world today and still assume that a megalomaniac God is playing with us like the brat with his abused pet. Perhaps thats the only kind of God that would fit the facts e.g. the Holocaust, Central Africa, etc., etc., the only other possibility being random chance (which we might expect to be cruel).
I suppose there is no reason why a God might not be that spoiled brat version of God, as much as any other. If God exists then He is God and His nature is His nature and thats that. I also suppose that if I were to become convinced that such a God exists I would chose to worship Him rather that suffer the imponderable consequences. I would become like Doestoyevskys atheist philosopher who dies and suddenly finds himself on the other side, defying his expectations. He is given the option of walking a trillion trillion miles to heaven or sit for eternity in nothingness. He spends a thousand years sitting, out of principle, but then gets up a starts walking. What choice does he really have after all? Yet I find myself unable to believe in such a God, it just seems silly. Personally its easier for me to believe that the hammer fell on my head by random chance than that a spoiled brat did it.