07 Feb '08 20:25>3 edits
In the thread "Atheism as religion" you stated that many atheists consider God evil or a "monster God" due to some sort of misunderstanding of the text and/or the nature of God. You also stated that all argumets attempting to portray God as mean or evil are "fatally flawed". You even suggested that you might be able to help some of us understand why, in spite of some horrific stories about him in the OT, God is not evil or a monster.
I will do my best to check my preconceptions about the subject right here if you will attempt to explain to me why God, as portrayed in 1 Samuel 15, should be worshiped by me and/or not considered to be a monster.
Obviously the whole chapter should be read but here is a selection:
1 Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' "
I look forward to reading your explanation.
I will do my best to check my preconceptions about the subject right here if you will attempt to explain to me why God, as portrayed in 1 Samuel 15, should be worshiped by me and/or not considered to be a monster.
Obviously the whole chapter should be read but here is a selection:
1 Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' "
I look forward to reading your explanation.