Are There Any Instances In The Ot Of God Being Morally Good?

[Whynot?]

Petty, Unforgiving, Genocidal and Vengeful.

These are pretty much the general impressions I got from "Sunday School".

This is my first post so I'm not up to speed on the terms used here as yet (am I a theist, an atheist, both or neither?). All I know, is what I know. All I believe, is what I believe. These statements (as you seemingly far too clever by half folk will know/believe) are not mutually compatible . I do not believe in God, and I do not believe in God. In other words if Gods' existence were proven to me, I would still doubt his message.

I would be less inclined to distrust religious people, if I thought they were in some way acting for an agent (real or otherwise) that stood for general good.

However, I'm continually being told that "God is Love". Is there anything in the Old Testament to back up these claims?

[Kosh3]

God making special convenant with his special, favoured people, the jews. This surely evidences in god some kind of love and protectionism.

[Coooolo70]

'God' is evil. he has enslaved billions.

[Mike Rosoft]

Of course, you can cherry-pick some good verses from the Old Testament, such as "you shall love your neighbour as yourself" in Leviticus 19:18. (Too bad that God doesn't follow this commandment of his own.)


Mike Rosoft

[JaronK]

Well, he won't let you eat fuzzy bunny rabbits. That's worth something, right?

Also, I imagine creating all that stuff could be said to be good.

Freeing the Jews from slavery is nice, though the methods he used were pretty darn nasty and evil, so that one's harder to sell.

Free food to Jews wandering in the desert should be worth something.

JaronK

[Whynot?]

Of course, you can cherry-pick some good verses from the Old Testament, such as "you shall love your neighbour as yourself" in Leviticus 19:18. (Too bad that God doesn't follow this commandment of his own.)


Mike Rosoft


What I mean is are there any instances of God actually behaving in a manner which might be humanly deemed good?

[Bartender]

One of my rare posts.

What does God so in the old testament beyond protect a few and slaughter the many? If you look it as a literal history then the words probably have a meaning. However, if you look at the OT as a book written by humans then the meaning becomes a bit more clear. The people who wrote the OT were persecuted, enslaved, etc and they put down their desires in writing. It's easy to persecute your enemy with written words and express your desires by doing so.

God was a real hard ass in the OT and beyond a few good deeds here and there, he was pretty much a murderous bastard.

Don't look for a few select words, look at the OT as a whole.

I'm sure even Ted Bundy had one or two good redeeming characteristics but those don't outweigh the bad he did.

[Bartender]

Let me go a bit further in my reply.

I really don't have an answer to your question because the OT is a rather revolting book that I won't read again. It's just ridiculous.

It's kind of funny how churches today focus on the NT and seem to forget that the OT even existed.....

[J-D]

More than there are in the New Testament.