I am willing to say that if there is a God who burns children alive, 'He' must make this brain (that He, ostensibly, gave me to think with, and discern right from wrong with, as He gave me eyes with which to see and ears with which to hear,) able to conceive of some way that doesn't involve the ludicrous, cop-out words, "SATAN did it!!!" in which his doing this, this burning of innocent children, alive, when he could treat them as kindly as might an averagely decent street person... well, if He does that, He must make me able to comprehend why He deserves worship.
The brain that 'God' gave me tells me it is wrong to worship a cruel deity.
Make up a kind one, and worship that.
Of course it can't be omnipotent, but there are worse things than weakness.
Burning little children alive because you think it's a good idea is worse.
When is someone going to notice that every description of the state of mind of the believer toward the 'terrible' God is a description of the state of mind of a child toward its parent, even an abused child, perhaps even especially an abused child? Believers seem to revert to an infantile state of mind; one in which it is necessary to put aside the evidence of one's senses and one's sense to let an all-powerful Other tell one what is right and what is wrong
Those terms do apply to God. They have meaning, we know their meaning, we know kindness when we see it, and cruelty when we see it, and, because we are adults and not children, we apply them accordingly. I don't assume that any needle anyone sticks in any child's arm is a good thing. If a Martian asks you why you cause your child to cry with that needle, you reply quite easily.
What would God say if the Martian asked him why he burns little children alive, and has them die asking that their Mama not be told?
It better be good; and until I hear it, I'm not worshipping Him. |
