Is Yahweh well made?

[marco]

A reasonable view is that Yahweh is a human composition. How well has he been made and to what purpose?


I suppose he's meant to frighten and inspire; he also voices good rules for keeping a tribe together.

But can we see the human fingers in Yahweh's construction?


Here are some ideas: He's made by men for men and women suffer, even one's own daughters. In the commandment against coveting, the wife is listed with ox, ass, house and servants - just as we would expect from big bossy hirsute men.


In Exodus we hear: "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." Man's perception of Olympus, perhaps?



So does Yahweh show human flaws in his make-up or does he command total respect?

[bluethread]

"I don't know.", than come up with a weak explanation.

Exactly and that is my position with all questions religious. I cannot say if a super-being exists in a dimension not mine and so I follow the example of Socrates and offer my ignorance. However, I can examine the God that others present to me and by the cut of his suit or the size of his shoes I believe I can shout "bogus!" I may be wrong, but then I think I would have been very cleverly misled. And I know the appropriate quotations to back such a sad view!

I think that is why you and I do well in our discussions. I have for a time taken the Socratic position, and retain the methodology. However, mine is now a best fit approach. In looking at the Hebrew Scriptures, I find that the philosophy portrayed is better aligned with the human experience than is the case with other philosophies. Most notably is the presentation of events and concepts that run contrary to the philosophical ideals presented. Nearly all other philosophies are not so self effacing and tend to gloss over those things that challenge the philosophical underpinnings. Of course, this provides plenty of fodder for those who are more interested in using such things a cudgels, rather than negative lessons, as they are intended.

[William]

[Replying to post 19 by bluethread]

Sometimes, it is better to just say, "I don't know.", than come up with a weak explanation.

If only organised religion had done this to the extent that they didn't create the opportunity for such conundrum in the first place which then leads to these unanswerable questions.

The best one can do therefore is to put aside such stories as virgin moms and holy children by appreciating the most logical explanation as to why the stories exist has nothing to do with any actual GOD or [his] plans for the world. They are sociopolitical myths created for the purpose of getting people to first believe in them and secondly to shrug and exclaim 'I don't know (but I still believe)' because this position allows for people to ignore the fact that virgin moms and holy children don't actually exist, and have never actually existed.

The 'I don't know' allows for the placeholder of 'it may in fact be true...I don't know - so I had best believe it just in case it is true.'

Once the individual believes, then the individual is malleable to other authoritative dogma coincidentally and conveniently contained in the organised religions official 'GOD-inspired' writ.

People who believe in such myth as factual are then inclined to take it personally - as if they are personally being attacked (cudgeled as you put it) - when the logic is presented as counter-argument to their belief based 'arguments' - which in turn allows for the 'injured' to complain to those with sympathetic ear and who may even hold positions of power which they can use to punish the 'offenders' (which is seen as GOD making things right), and all this strengthens their resolve because they are also told by the same myth-makers that the 'devil' is out to get them and trying to talk them out of their faith and drag them from GODs presence and into hell - and also to expect that and know that because they are being 'persecuted', they are on the right track and there faith will be well rewarded...

This is how organised religion hogties it supporters. while at the same time, demonizes its antagonists.