Does God endorse such transactions? Third, Copan interprets the context as one of protection and care due to the fact that "it would have been more difficult for a woman to find a husband had she been sexually involved with another before marriage" (p. 119). Moreover, as Copan himself explains, is does not necessarily imply ought (pp. To set things in order right from the start I need to tell you I am unequivocally convinced that God is not only NOT a monster, but on the contrary, He is a just, benevolent, wise, loving and thoughtful Creator. The so-called consent of the female is simply her failure to scream out for help. Check it out – it may help to shed important light in a world filled with the darkness of misunderstanding.
While the cover copy and book text focuses on answering the accusations from the current so-called "New Atheist" movement, this whole array of accusations against the biblical God have actually been around for generations (in some cases going back to pagan Roman polemicists such as Celsus). (Part II), Ghosts, Reincarnation and Humanity – What’s Real? Where does our idea of Hell come from? However, at least one important passage, Numbers 31, gives us a clear example of women approvingly treated as the spoils of war. A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists have leveled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. Below are the most popular searches. Shows careful analysis of the text reveals that these terms don't entail all that we, in our modern context, might assume. He did however prove himself better than God for a while as for the most part he did let people die. Copan is philosophically sharp, historically knowledgeable, and exegetically skilled. In this book, Copan addresses this apparent inconsistency by tackling some of the hardest theological questions that arise in the Old Testament historical accounts. Lewis's Screwtape, Ian Rose suggests that the ‘Big Lie’ Satan is currently sowing in our society would…. For anyone interested in this question, this book is a fantastic place to start. A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists have leveled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. The simpler explanation is that the Old Testament authors had no idea that Jesus was going to exist and that he would go on to make claims that would obfuscate the meaning of Old Testament narratives. We worship a sovereign God who, nevertheless, is a suffering God. Well written and thorough arguments that show how wrong and superficial the accusations by Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris are about the christian God.
Copan simply assumes that God has the right to end the lives of peoples who do not agree with the dominant theology of Israel. Instead, he prevaricates and pussyfoots around difficult passages with the Old Testament, sometimes taking the (to me, unhelpful) step of alleging that the plain meaning of the text is not as "bad" as it appears to be - for example, bringing up the unproven assertion that Jephthah did not sacrifice. Making Sense of the Old Testament God. They are flawed individuals. Are We Supporting the Right World Leaders? Deuteronomy 22 discusses the fate of women who are raped, whether against their will or with "implied consent." The question this book proposes is clearly a resounding ‘NO’ and Coplan doesn’t waste too much time in communicating that. A Long Way East of Eden: Could God explain the mess we're in? Let us exam this point. To adequately defend the attacks from the atheists, or those of other religions against the seemingly harsh nature of God and his laws in the OT, this book will help you to put together a solid defense. VIDEO: Moments that Matter – Is Faith Built On Reason or Is Reason Built On Faith? I think four points need to be clarified. Leslie Scrase in The Unbeliever’s Guide to the Bible describes the God of the Old Testament as "dishonest, capricious, cruel, jealous and violent". Be the first to ask a question about Is God a Moral Monster? So the moral teaching of the Bible cannot be summarised by a brief and brutal quote taken out of context from the Old Testament. The Bible describes history and its participants, warts and all. The assumption—made by both sides of the debate—that the Old Testament's authors have the same democratic and egalitarian ideals that we do today is what leads to these absolutist positions. The real problem to overcome is the need for this great book to be either completely perfect or completely barbaric. There must be a causal relationship, not an accidental coincidence. 37-74. The cross is a lot of things…but it is also a cross in the heart of a kind and compassionate God. It is not the racial group that is in view but their "detestable practices". After all, what was the flood of Genesis or the conquest of Joshua if not a glimpse of future judgment? Are you an author? It is a plan founded in justice and includes the fully fair treatment of every man woman and child who ever lived. A distinction should be made between "acting immorally as an X" (first kind) and "acting immorally because of X" (second kind). Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion describes the God he doesn’t believe in as a "control freak", an "ethnic cleanser" and a "malevolent bully". As we read the Old Testament stories we need to consider carefully what lesson we are actually being taught because a narrative may be descriptive but not necessarily prescriptive. On Monday’s podcast we’ll continue our discuss, It’s Thankful Thursday and today we are thankful, So much of our lives can be focused on worrying ab, Click the link in our profile and listen now to he, Next week’s podcast will be on mistranslations a, It’s Scripture Sunday- what scriptures are you m, Click the link in our profile then listen live to, On Monday’s podcast we’ll talk about how to un, When we look at experiences of those older than us, We are all sinners, every single one of us, and ye, On Monday’s podcast we’ll talk about the upcom, It's Thankful Thursday and today we are thankful, One of the greatest gifts God has given us is each, Next week’s podcast will be on the upcoming elec. Your email address will not be published. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that any Christian who wants answers to such questions could pick it up, read it and understand. Have a question about this product? In other words, the passage does not forbid rape when the female victim is unmarried. god may not be a monster, but god is monstrous. This is why you really need to listen to our December 12, 2016 podcast, “Why Do Some Think God is a Monster?” This broadcast step-by-step explains the “why” of things…Why did God let evil in? Sign up to our monthly email to get the latest resources to help you grow as a thinking Christian delivered straight to your inbox. Furthermore, the book of Joshua does not describe a genocide. Sin disrupted creation and consequently we live in a world of evils and suffering. – Christian Questions, Your email address will not be published. ", The reference to "fools and hypocrites" was probably paraphrased from Jefferson's statement in. 2011. Remember: The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Start by marking “Is God a Moral Monster? that Copan is far out of his depth on this topic. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I'll be honest - I only made it about 2/3 of the way through this book. It is not that they think he is a moral monster, but that they are afraid he is a moral judge, and that has implications for our behaviour now.
Hell does not demonstrate cruelty on God’s part, but it does demonstrate his holiness and our accountability. So, to be clear, any immoral acts found in the Bible must be of the second kind in order to render religion a unique source of moral failure—in particular, they must be done out of obedience to God or because of a divinely mandated law. Copan makes it very clear from the outset that the objections, which are summarised in the question ‘Is God a moral monster’ are mainly matters of ignorance, interpretation & context. Copan points to Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao Zedong as examples of the evil done by atheists (p. 18). He deals with things lie slavery, womens' rights, and the destruction of the Canaanites. His reasoning is no different when discussing the Midianite massacre in Numbers 31.
B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. / 2008 / Trade Paperback, Westminster John Knox Press / 2008 / Trade Paperback. Perhaps this is the real reason many people rail against the God of the Bible? But no instruction is given in the Numbers passage that explains what the phrase "spare for yourselves" means. While he ignores the obvious fact that the codes of the Deuteronomist betray a strongly male attitude towards women in general, Copan strongly contends that the well-being of women is at the heart of several controversial passages. It is one I’m glad I have on my shelf, as I have no doubt I’ll continue to go back to it as I lead and teach the Bible. The controversy surrounds identifying who really is acting because of their religion or irreligion.