When i first joined the forum a short while ago the aforesaid book was recommended to me after i ranted about the disgusting, genocidal machinations of Jehovah. Nathaniel Merritt, although i don't concur with ALL he says, is a very brave and bright guy. His abhorence of the nightmarish evil perpetrated by this god mirrored the thoughts that i've been having for a few years now. In blind stupidity i served this MONSTER that commanded his people to slay and destroy utterly what he designated, young, old, maidens and babies....just because they believed something different. OK maybe they practiced child sacrifice, which is abhorrent in itself. But the solution he comes up with is.....exactly the same thing!!
From page 87 i quote Merritt-
''Onward Jewish soldiers, get your sword and thrust it through the little five year olds belly- yeah, the cute little boy with the angelic face-that's the one, right over there, crying over his dying bleeding mother. Slice up his little brother too...and just let him bleed to death. Keep hacking the little boys until your arms are so tired you do not think you can kill another one. At that point the LORD Jehovah will give you the power to rise anew and kill even more little boys. Hallelujah!! Debase yourselves before the deity who gave such orders and tell mankind what a loving and merciful deity he is''. That may seem graphic or extreme, but that is how it would have happened...and much,much worse.
He continues-
''If you as human beings do not find the behaviour of your Jehovah evil beyond description and malevolent beyond comprehension, you are truly heartless and you deserve whatever nightmare your Jehovah has waiting for you in the afterlife''
Time and time and time again this god brings such evil to bear on humans that it simply beggars belief that i never registered it for all those years. I simply made excuses that it was a righteous war or that god new best. I spoke to a Baptist minister about it last week and he gave the reasoning that god had judged these nations as a 'whole' and therefore the children came under the same penalty. I made my excuses and walked away.
Listen i understand about justice and how punishment does at times have to be administered to greater or lesser degrees, from corporal to capital. But not like this...NOT LIKE THIS!
Merritt identifies Jehovah as none other than Satan in a different guise and is very convincing in such an argument...backed by scriptures. I'm not sure. His Gnostic faith 'does it' for him, but i have many questions before i settle for another system of belief.
This is a book worth the read if only to get another persons opinion on faith and life, it only took me a couple of days to get through.
It also made me realise that i used to serve an 'organisation', not a god. I served THEIR mindset, wishes and twisted opinion.
If i'd have lived in ancient Israel i'd have served that god out of sheer terror and i can't believe in a milion years that wasn't the way they served him. Like having a father that would explode and reach for the belt buckle as soon as you stepped out of line, rushing at you as you cower behind the sofa in quaking fear.
The god Jesus preached was undoubtedly completely different!
Loads more in the book, but you may fall asleep if i carry on.
Peace
Lowden