Communication is a two-way street. Both the one doing the communicating
and the one listening must do his or her best in facilitating a correct
understanding. My dentist is one of the best communicators I know. He makes
sure I understand what my problem is, what he intends to do about it, and what I
should do after my visit. He tells me in two or three different ways. There is no
mistaking what he wants me to know. Ronald Reagan was considered the "Great
Communicator," "because of his skill at talking evocatively and using folksy
anecdotes that ordinary people could understand."6 I consider Christian
philosopher Richard Swinburne to be a superior communicator as well. When
he's done talking or writing, you know what he meant to say, even if you
disagree.
In any business the CEO must effectively communicate to his people. If any
company is in disarray or pursuing dead ends, then the buck stops with the CEO.
He isn't communicating very well. The blame is laid squarely at the top. This is
obvious and noncontroversial. So I'm going to apply this same line of thought to
the God who supposedly revealed himself in the Bible, especially since he knew
how certain texts would be misused by the faithful. Then I'll examine several
Christian attempts to deal with this problem and conclude that the evidence
strongly suggests there is no divine mind behind the human authors.
Just imagine if we were to help God in the production of his book given what
we know today. What things would we change, knowing the history of the
church like we do? If God has omniscience, then he knows us intimately. If God
has foreknowledge then he had our present-day perspective in mind when he
revealed himself in the Bible. Remember, we're talking about a perfectly good
God unblemished by the hint of even so much as an impropriety. You'll need
your Bible if you want to read along.
THE OLD TESTAMENT
THE GENESIS CREATIONACCOUNT GENESIS I.
This whole passage is contrary to modern science in so many ways, as Ed
Babinski has pointed out in chapter 5. I've already suggested a different way for
God to have begun the first few sentences in Genesis 1: "In the beginning God
created an immeasurable universe of billions of stars, some of which are billions
and billions of miles away, through a process that took billions of years out of
which he finally created the sun, moon, and a spherical earth which revolves
around the sun. On it he created water, land, the beasts of the sea, and eventually
every living thing on it through stages as one species evolved into the next one.
Finally he created human beings to rule over everything he created." 7
See how easy that was? In the passages that follow I won't always suggest
how I would change the wording, because it would quickly become repetitive. I
think intelligent readers can do that for themselves. For now, I just want to
highlight several biblical texts that created conflict, violence, murder, and
mayhem because the divine communicator did not effectively communicate his
perfect will to his socalled fallen human beings.
THE DOMINION (OR CULTURAL) MANDATE. GENESIS 1:26-28
This passage has been used in opposition to the care of our planet and of the
animals on it. It tells us that since we have been given dominion over it we can
do what we want to with it. The words "to rule over" and "to dominate" are
extremely harsh.8
God also commands human beings to populate the world with children, which
has been used against contraception and family planning in an era where
overpopulation is a problem with the earth's limited resources. It is also being
used by Christian Reconstructionists in advocating a theocracy where the church
rules over the nations. Been there. Done that.
THE INFERIORITY OF WOMENAND HOMOSEXUALS. GENESIS 2:18 2S
This passage has been used to denigrate women since Eve was made from man
as a "helpmate" to help him, and because Adam named her, which makes him an
authority over her. Also, since another man was not made as a helpmate for
Adam this text is used as a justification for condemning loving homosexual
relationships .9
WOMEN BLAMED FOR THE SIN OF MAN. GENESIS 3:1-3-1-4
Because Eve was used to tempt Adam, women have been blamed for Adam's
sin. Because of this women are seen as the weaker sex, and as such, man is told
to "rule over" her (verse 16). Somewhere along the line God should've said:
"Thou shalt not treat women as inferior persons, nor shall you rape them nor
force them to marry a man they do not want to marry"
THE CURSE AND MARK OF CAIN, THE FIRST MURDER. GENESIS 4:8--
r7
Here is recorded a horrible act. One brother kills another. This passage has been
used to support racism and slavery. Christians have falsely interpreted the
"curse" and the "mark" on Cain to mean that his skin was turned black and his
descendants were cursed. As such it was also used to justify a ban on interracial
marriage.
DIVINE GENOCIDE. THE FLOOD. GENESIS 6-9
This is the first of many stories showing us a God who sends natural disasters
upon human beings because of their sins, which is a dominant explanation for
such things as droughts and plagues of locusts, and one reason why natural
scientific explanations for these phenomena were not pursued.
A REAFFIRMATION OF THE DOMINION MANDATE. GENESIS 9:1-3
Notice here God is understood to authorize the meat-eating industry, since God
tells Noah that "everything that lives and moves will be food for you." And once
again God commands mankind to have children, which has been used against
contraception and family planning.
THE "DIVINE"AUTHORIZATION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT GENESIS
9:6-7
This practice is being rejected by more and more civilized people. It has
condemned a lot of innocent people and has been disproportionately applied
against black people in America. There are many barbaric capital punishment
laws found in the Old Testament (OT), including having extramarital sex
(Deuteronomy 22:13-30), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), and engaging in
other deeds that democratic, free-loving people would not think deserve such a
punishment, to say the very least (Exodus 21-22, 31:14-15, 35:2; Numbers
15:32-36; Deuteronomy 13:1-18, 17:2-5, 21-22, 24:5; Leviticus 20-21, 21:9,
24:10-16).
THE CURSE OF HAM. GENESIS 9.'20-27
This passage has been notoriously used to justify racism and the brutal
enslavement of Africans and to condemn interracial marriage. It says Canaan
was cursed to be the lowest of slaves to his brothers, and the proslavery faction
used it to justify that Canaan's curse was the black man's curse.10
POLYGAMY' ABRAHAM'S WIVES AND CONCUBINES. GENESIS 16:13
Not only does Abraham take Sarah and Hagar as his wives, he also had many
concubines (Genesis 25:6). This has been used to justify polygamy. Jacob
(Genesis 29:15-30; 30:1-12) and Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-3) followed the same
practices, as did many kings.
THE PALESTINIAN LAND PROMISE. GENESIS 17:1-8
This grant by God has been the source of conflict over the land of Palestine from
/> the beginning. It was reiterated to Jacob (Genesis 28:1-15) who was renamed
Israel and known as the father of the Jews. Today this conflict is still seen
between Arabs and Jews.
THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOMAND GOMORRAH. GENESIS 19:1 28
More divine genocide! This passage has been used to label gay people as
"Sodomites" and is the source of the oppression, beating, and killing of them."
Notice also how cavalierly Lot is willing to hand his daughters over to be raped
by the men of Sodom and how a slighted God turns Lot's wife into a pillar of
salt.
ABRAHAM'S ATTEMPTED SACRIFICE OF ISAAC. GENESIS 22:1--12
For no reason at all God commands Abraham to sacrifice his only son. The
silence of God about child sacrifice here is appalling. God never says child
sacrifice is abhorrent to him in this passage.
ONAN'S SIN AND DEATH. GENESIS 38:7-10
Onan was slain by God because he did not fulfill his duties to help produce an
heir for his brother. The sin of Onanism has been used to prohibit masturbation,
coitus interruptus, and contraception.
No GRAVEN IMAGES. EXODUS 20.4
This second commandment was used to prohibit and destroy some great artwork
of the past. During and after the Protestant Reformation, as but one instance,
there were several outbreaks of iconoclasm, with Protestants destroying both
Catholic and sometimes even Protestant religious artwork and statues.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND SPEECH IS CONDEMNED BT DEATH.
Anyone who accepts a different religion and/or seeks to convert others is to be
put to death (Deuteronomy 12:1-13:16). Anyone who curses God is to be put to
death (Leviticus 24:11-16). Witches are also condemned to death (Exodus 22:18,
Deuteronomy 18:10). This is very significant when it comes to democratic, free-
loving people, and it was the impetus for a great many killings and wars, as we
shall see when it comes to the Thirty Years' War. What would have been so
wrong for God to have said, "Thou shalt not kill anyone under any
circumstances simply because of what he or she believes"?
THE ATROCIOUS LAWS ABOUT SLAVERL ExoDUS 21:1-32 (CE LUKE
12.-47-48)
Surely no civilized person should accept indentured servitude or slavery of any
kind, nor any of these specific laws. I know of no ethical code or civilized law
where one person can strike or beat another person so long as that person doesn't
die within two days. But that's what we find a supposedly perfectly good God
saying. Leviticus 25:44-46 tells us that slaves could be bought from foreign
nations. They are considered to be "property." They can be bequeathed to
children. They are to be slaves for life with no hope of personal freedom. What
did the southern states do that isn't found here? Just picture yourself as a slave
who was forcibly ripped from her homeland, stripped naked on the auction block
and "inspected," sold independently of her family, brutally broken to obey if
disobedient, and forced against her will to be lifelong servant. Would you really
want to say that a perfectly good God: (a) could not have said anything different
or (b) that this expresses God's complete and utter love toward you as an
individual? I don't think so. Not at all. Not by a long shot. It can't. On this rock
the Christian faith dies.
"EYE FOR AN EYE"PASSAGES (I.E., LAW OF RETRIBUTION).
LEVITICUS 24:18 20, EXODUS 21:22-25
This is barbaric justice, period, and is still practiced in some cultures to this day.
We also read that a woman's hand should be cut off if she tried to rescue her
husband in a fight by grabbing the other man's private (literally, "shameful")
parts (Deuteronomy 25:11-12). This Exodus passage is also used by
antiabortionists to deny women the right to choose. This in turn has caused many
women to die from "back alley" abortions and has been used to justify the
actions of terrorist abortion clinic bombers. However, they are wrong to use this
text to justify antiabortionist views.12
USURYLAWS. EXODUS 22:25; LEVITICUS 25.-35-37;
DEUTERONOMY23:202I; PSALM 15:5; JEREMIAH 15:10; EZEKIEL 18:8 9,
13, 17
These laws prohibiting the charging of interest on a loan in the OT demanded a
sophisticated level of gerrymandering to get around them. They didn't prevent
investment, but made the lender a joint-venturer such that he or she would have
to share the risk. The rise of modern democratic capitalism by contrast, has
raised the standard of living in countries that have rejected these specific laws. In
Dante's The Divine Comedy we read that the usurers are in the inner ring of the
seventh circle of hell.
"LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD."LEVITICUS 17.10
Regardless of the many unnecessary dietary laws themselves, this verse was (and
is being) used to deny blood transfusions, which are now necessary for
performing some surgeries and to sustain injured people.
HOLY WAR
Even though the phrase "holy war" is not mentioned in the OT, divinely
sanctioned wars are frequently mentioned (Joshua 8:1, Judges 4:14-15, 1 Samuel
17:45, 1 Samuel 23:4, 2 Kings 3:18), including genocide against the Canaanites
(Deuteronomy 7:1-3; Joshua 10:40, 11:19-20), the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:2-3)
and others (Deuteronomy 2:31-34; 3:1-6). Many wars in the history of
Christendom were justified by claims that God demanded it, as in the Crusades.
In most wars fought between Christian nations both sides claimed God was on
their side, even the Nazis who wore belts that said Gott mit Uns (God with Us).
A LEVITE AND HIS CONCUBINE: MORE RAPE, MORE SLAUGHTER,
AND MORE KIDNAPPING. JUDGES 19-22
These few chapters in the Bible describe incredible horrors. They must be read
in their entirety to see how barbaric God's people were. It is one thing for God to
have commanded genocide against foreigners, as utterly appalling as that is. It's
quite another thing to see the near genocide that takes place between the tribes of
Israel. According to the Bible, God sanctioned the near genocide of the
Benjamites (Judges 20:18, 23, 28, 35), leaving only six hundred men who
escaped. And since the people of Israel didn't want to exterminate the
Benjamites, they felt obligated to keep an inalterable vow they made about not
giving their own women to them as wives (on vows see Numbers 30:3;
Deuteronomy 23:21-23). So they slaughtered every man, woman, and child of
the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, except for four hundred virgins, and gave these
virgins to the remaining Benjamites. But they still needed two hundred more
virgins, so the "elders of the congregation" encouraged the kidnapping of two
hundred virgins of Shiloh to be their wives (Judges 21:5-7). This is absolutely
stunning and hideous. Where was God? Why didn't he tell them not to do this?
Most important, why should we trust the writings of people who saw nothing
wrong with this? In other passages women are considered booty for the victors
as sex slaves (Deuteronomy 21:10-12, Numbers 31:15-18).
SAUL CONSULTS THE WITCH OE ENDOR. I SAMUEL 28.'3-19
This text was understood by the witch hunters (from 1450-1750 CE) to say that
witches really do have power over othe
r people, and should be killed. We also
read where God's people were not to allow a witch to live (Exodus 22:18).13
THE NONBELIEVER ISA "FOOL."PSALM 14:1, 53:1
The use of the word "fool" here generally means a person who conducts his life
as if God and his will are of no consequence. This has been used to berate and
discriminate against nonbelievers, and even persecute them.
BEATING AND SPANKING CHILDREN. PROVERBS 13:24, 22:15
These verses have been used by abusive fathers who were justified in using a
"rod" to beat their children because they were "loved." We now have more
enlightened ways of disciplining children.14
"I WILL MAKE THEM EAT THE FLESH OE THEIR CHILDREN."
JEREMIAH 19.3-9
As you read this passage consider both the morality and the intelligence of
Jeremiah's God. A few children were being sacrificed to other gods, so God gets
angry with the adults who were doing this, and arranges for them to eat their
children. As a result of God's judgment more children will die, and/or be eaten,
and/or be fatherless. This does not make any sense at all. What difference does it
make to God whether parents sacrifice their children or they eat them? In either
case innocent children are still being killed!
Besides, there are much better ways to handle such things. Merely send them
a prophet who can do great miracles in their midst to tell them the sacrificing of
children is plainly forbidden. Better yet, why not just make one of the Ten
Commandments: "Thou shalt not sacrifice any man, woman, or child to me or to
the many other false gods"? The God of Jeremiah is nothing more than the
reflections and musings of an ancient, superstitious, barbaric people-plain and
simple. This is the best and simplest explanation for what we find in the Bible.
THE HEALTH AND WEALTH GOSPEL.
Prosperity for obedience to God is promised and/or given in several OT
passages. God will bless his people if they obey him (Genesis 33:11, 49:24-26; 2
Chronicles 7:14; Psalms 127:1, 128:1-2). In Malachi 3:8-12 we read where God
will bless people if they tithe (meaning, provide a payment of one-tenth of one's
income). Televangelist preachers use these verses to bilk their followers out of
any and all money they can. Most theologians do not think the tithing laws apply
to Christians. They think the "health and wealth gospel" is neither healthy, nor
biblical. There are some serious problems in trying to harmonize the biblical
passages themselves on this subject.
THE NEW TESTAMENT
Let me deal briefly with some of the texts in the New Testament. In it there are
texts that speak of cutting off body parts if they cause someone to sin, rather than
being cast into hell (Matthew 5:29-30, 18:8-9). Origen of Alexandria (ca. 185-
254 CE) took this literally and had himself castrated so he could tutor women
without suspicion.15 There are harsh demands when it comes to the conditions
allowable for divorce, which say nothing about divorcing a spouse for verbal
and/or physical abuse (Matthew 5:31-32, 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12; 1 Corinthians
7:8-17). There are harsh sayings about hating one's parents that cultists have
used in brainwashing their young converts, since they seek to separate rebellious
youths from parental oversight (Matthew 10:34-39, 12:46-50; Luke 14:26).
There are guilt producing texts like the unforgivable speaking sin of blasphemy
(Matthew 12:31-32), which has forced many believers to wonder if they had
committed this sin prior to converting.16 Expressed in the NT we find racism
(Matthew 15:21-28) and even antiSemitism (Matthew 27:21-36; John 8:44-45;
Revelation 2:9-10, something that Hector Avalos argues in chapter 14 was
influential in justifying the Holocaust). In it we find asceticism and the denial of
Why Faith Fails The Christian Delusion Page 24
