Disturbing Divine Behavior

by Terry 9 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Terry

  Disturbing Divine Behavior:
  Troubling Old Testament images of God
  by Eric A. Seibert

  This is a scholarly work which you can read online:

  Cut and Paste this rather ponderous link in your URL:

  books.google.com/books?id=tO0EsMfyFD0C&pg=PA301&lpg=PA301&dq=t.r.hobbs+author+profile&source=bl&ots=AMMsH2tzVQ&sig=v9PcKPmTz1I2fyIS_L2xKG-T47c&hl=en&ei=TsSITorFNca2tgeA9-g_&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

  It struggles with the portrayal of God in his dealings with man in scripture. The questions addressed are the inspiration of the Bible, what is meant or intended and why Christians view scripture as something more than evidence seems to support.

  I'd say you could read the whole thing in less than 15 minutes and come away with real sense of having learned something.

  Interestingly, these are the same questions Marcion struggled with and nearly wrecked Christianity by addressing back before the Gospel was put to paper and only Paul's letters were in circulation.
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  cofty

  Thanks Terry
• 

  PSacramento

  Interestingly, these are the same questions Marcion struggled with and nearly wrecked Christianity by addressing back before the Gospel was put to paper and only Paul's letters were in circulation.

  Marcion of Sinope?

  By his time there were already Gospels circulating, not just Paul's letters.

  One can indeed sympathise with Marcion.

  Certianly Christianity would be a far easier "sell" without the OT and that was basically his view.
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  designs

  OT/NT same god same problems.
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  dark angle

  Thanks Terry.

  The early Gnostic Christians believe that the God of the OT was the evil one, resorting to violence when ever he was dissatisfied.
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  Terry

  I can imagine how heated the arguments must have gotten in the first three centuries. That is, before they got worse!

  It is almost as though humans need to work out how they are going to get "God" right where they need Him to be.

  If He gets too surly, off with His head!

  I think the reason the problem arose (concerning the Jews' god, Jehovah) was that this Messiah figure Yeshua came as a package deal.

  How could he be born Jewish if that religion was wrong?

  A little imagination goes a long way toward solving any problem of mythic proportions.
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  rocketman

  I guess part of the problem for many people is that God never seems to rise above the human societal contraints of the times. In an era during which women were treated as property, God treated them as...property.
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  EntirelyPossible

  And man created God in his image...
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  Terry

  Once we believe BELIEVE something...we don't really stop and think of it anymore. I mean rationally and analytically. I

  It is set in stone. Belief becomes a "given."

  Worse, faith in something becomes a sacred cow, untouchable.

  Loyalty becomes a stand in issue which changes the context of everything.

  Context changing is a red flag; always.
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  erbie

  I can't actually bring myself to take the bible seriously or even read it. That used to trouble me but not so much now. I'm sure there is a creative force or inteligence but in what form I know not.

  Just got my son a book on the Hubble Telescope photos. WOW!

  What wonders!