Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ll-xn!nike!kaufman
From: kaufman@nike.uucp (Bill Kaufman)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian,talk.religion
Subject: Re: Does the Bible show God's evil?
Message-ID: <509@nike.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Aug-86 16:22:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: nike.509
Posted: Fri Aug 15 16:22:36 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 19-Aug-86 06:25:18 EDT
References: <461@tekfdi.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@nike.UUCP
Reply-To: kaufman@orion.UUCP (Bill Kaufman)
Distribution: net
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 75
Keywords: God, justice, evil, puishment
Xref: linus net.religion.christian:4389 talk.religion:9

In article <461@tekfdi.UUCP> bobb@tekfdi.UUCP (Robert Bales) writes:
>>Such as when He flooded the entire world because He felt like it.
>
>Just because He "felt like it?" No: "And God saw that the wickedness of man
>was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
>heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5) God is a God of justice. And

What's your definition of "wickedness," please?  I think there are several
things tha have to be defined before we can start on this (and, no, I haven't
been reading net.religion; there probably IS one there).

The only definition inherent in the Book is, "disobeyance of The Big One"; 
nothing else.

>> Such as when He playfully toyed with Abraham and watched him squirm as he
>> was about to actually sacrifice his son to Him.

(Wellll, ...nasty, yes, but Evil?)

>> Such as when He created discord at the Tower of Babel to deliberately
>> prevent people from working together to seek knowledge. (Of course, it was
>> knowledge about Him, and thus very dangerous to His power over us.)
>
>The purpose of the confusion of tongues seems to be to cause the people to
>move out and settle the earth, as was necessary for the human race to survive,
>instead of remaining in one place. There is no indication that evil of any
>kind was involved. Certainly, there is no support to paint the incident, as
>Paul did in another posting, as a "race war."

Sure, He moves in mysterious ways, but couldn't He have used a more direct
method (plague, famine, drought in all inhabited areas, perhaps)?
This one act has been the source of nearly EVERY unnatural, intentional 
death since.  Now you know who to blame.

>> Such as the ``testing'' (taunting) of Job for His own ego gratification,
>> murdering innocent people in the process.
>
>Except that God didn't bring the calamities upon Job and his family. Satan
>did.  Briefly, the scene is this: God points out to Satan that at least one
>righteous man, Job, exists. Santan says, "Yes, he serves You, but only because
>You are good to him -- not because You are God. If you stop protecting him,
>and let me harm him, he will stop serving you." And God allowed Satan to
>bring things upon Job to determine on what Job's faith was based. But Satan 
>was the instigator and the doer of the evil.

The Big One not only ALLOWED Satan to shpx Job (i.e., dropped his "protection")
but, by bringing his name up in the first place, practically SIGNS Job's DEATH
CERTIFICATE! (A hyperbole; no flames, please.)

>> You asked for examples of God's evil. I hope this suffices for now.
>
>When all of the Bible record of these incidents is read, it becomes clear that
>this record does not indicate that God does or did evil.
>
>    Bob Bales
>    Tektronix

You're definition of "evil" seems to be, "That which does not conform to
G*d's views."  By this definition, G*d can NEVER be "evil".  While this
is a very functional definition, this is patently NOT the definition the
first poster used.

Oh, an addendum:  In one section (Old Testament; unsure of which book),
one of His prophets is insulted by a bunch of street punks.  G*d's response?
The kids were ripped to shreds by (a pack of wolves/bears ?).

					-Annoyingly,
					 Bilbo.
 ___________________________________________________________________________ 
/ DISCLAIMER:  If I had an opinion, do you think I'd let my employers know? \
|E-MAIL: kaufman@orion.arpa or kaufman@orion.arc.nasa.gov 		    |
|FLAMES: There are no flames.  Re-check your opinions.
|QUOTE: "I'M NOT ON DRUGS!  I WAS JUST THINKING!  MOM, JUST GET ME A PEPSI, |
|        OK?"    -Suicidal Tendencies, "Institutionalized"                  |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+