The Humanity of Jehovah

[SallyF]

The writers give the biblical Jehovah god very human physical, and very human character attributes.

What are these attributes and do they help demonstrates that the biblical versions of "God" are simply human imaginings …?

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 1 by SallyF]

In the early stages, YHVH it's true seems to have been given physical attributes, (or more likely they were simply metaphors, as in "the right hand of God" ) but at least two important steps occurred in the process of spiritual evolution and understanding of the Bible writers: (assuming or course that even the early ones were not using metaphor)

"Thou shalt not make graven images or bow down to them" from Exodus.

and from the Gospel of John:

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth"

I'm sure their are other markers along the way.

Also, your OP seem to assume there is no underlying reality behind early human attempts to describe or understand the mysterious YHVH. That only the descriptions are real. Talk about a "straw man".

Do you entirely dismiss the possibility that YHVH indeed is real, and that early depictions (literary or artistic) are deeply flawed? If so, that is on the writers and artists, not on YHVH.

[SallyF]

[Replying to post 1 by SallyF]

In the early stages, YHVH it's true seems to have been given physical attributes, (or more likely they were simply metaphors, as in "the right hand of God" ) but at least two important steps occurred in the process of spiritual evolution and understanding of the Bible writers: (assuming or course that even the early ones were not using metaphor)

"Thou shalt not make graven images or bow down to them" from Exodus.

and from the Gospel of John:

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth"

I'm sure their are other markers along the way.

Also, your OP seem to assume there is no underlying reality behind early human attempts to describe or understand the mysterious YHVH. That only the descriptions are real. Talk about a "straw man".

Do you entirely dismiss the possibility that YHVH indeed is real, and that early depictions (literary or artistic) are deeply flawed? If so, that is on the writers and artists, not on YHVH.

It takes imagination to develop metaphors.


Which very much helps my point that I suspect the biblical god is as imaginary as any other god.


I don't dismiss the possibility that the biblical Jehovah is real.

It's just that not a soul EVER demonstrates that the Genocidal Jehovah IS real.

Including yourself right here.

And you haven't mentioned the writers giving the god very human character traits.

[Elijah John]

And you haven't mentioned the writers giving the god very human character traits.

I thought I did. The early writers seem to have given him physical attributes, unless they were describing God with metaphors. And yes, likewise they projected human personality traits onto him in their narratives.

It's good to hear you acknowledge that there may have been an underlying reality to YHVH in spite of early attempts to characterize him. Sometimes those characterizations don't do him justice, and in fact may be mischaracterizations. Sometimes.

Sometimes I read or hear the tales and think to myself, "that's not the YHVH I know and love", and "that's not the YHVH who said through the prophet Micah that all he requires is that we "do justice, love kindness and walk humbly" with him.

[SallyF]

There is NOTHING metaphorical about the "scripture", or the commandment-breaking image of one of Jehovah's very human hands.

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 3 by SallyF]

Oh, and another "marker" in the process of spiritual evolution the Hebrew authors seem to have experienced is when the prophet Elijah found YHVH in the "still small voice" presumably in prayer. I am convinced that is the same "still small voice" that some Eastern religious experience when they meditate. The Spirit of YHVH transcends theology, and cannot be confined by any one religion.

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 5 by SallyF]

"Written by the finger of God" ? Or course it's metaphor. You are being too literal. The painting may be a violation of the Commandment, I don't think the written metaphor is.

[SallyF]

[Replying to post 3 by SallyF]

Oh, and another "marker" in the process of spiritual evolution the Hebrew authors seem to have experienced is when the prophet Elijah found YHVH in the "still small voice" presumably in prayer. I am convinced that is the same "still small voice" that some Eastern religious experience when they meditate. The Spirit of YHVH transcends theology, and cannot be confined by any one religion.

So this finger-writing business didn't happen in reality.


The writers were just makin' stuff up.


That's what I think too.


So where exactly does just makin' stuff up end and reality begin …?

[Purple Knight]

I'm not sure which passage but somewhere in the early bits, God's literal feet are literally washed by Humans.

So not only does it have feet, but they get dirty!

[SallyF]

Coupla interesting things here.


First is the very human attribute of singing.

I've never heard any god sing.


I suggest the writers have just made this up too.


The second thing is the use of the term "Lord" right here.

And giving the word God a capital G.

I suggest this is deliberate misrepresentation.

"Lord" here refers to the yet-to-be-shown-as-anything-other-than-imaginary Jehovah god.

But if we use the term "Lord", it can help keep thoughts away from considering that we are dealing with a mythological deity with a name.

Smoke, mirrors and obfuscation, in my view.

Which is downright dishonest, in my moral compassless Atheistic view.

Which brings us to the capital G.

The word "god" here is just a job description of the Jehovah deity.

It's what it does for a living (if it existed).

We don't talk of John our Plumber, with a capital P …

And then call him Plumber - as though there were no other plumbers.

In my view …

Such verses should read

"Jehovah/Osiris/Thor/Krishna (your local, mythological) god, will appear in the sky and shower you with blessings and kindness and strawberry muffins" (or fire and brimstone - you know, whichever).