The Monotheistic Abrahamic religions, Muslim, Hebrew and Christian, describe God, Allah, Jehova, in detail .Some people have questioned why the Bible, Koran and Talmut describe a vengeful and cruel god who demanded ultimate loyalty and sacrifice by his followers and dictated that their enemies be utterly destroyed. Upon closer examination this “god” strongly reminds one of the ancient emperors in Asia. They were almighty, their power unlimited, their judgment absolute and their decisions could not be questioned. These ancient emperors were typically well known warriors and conquerors, and their wisdom was beheld as legendary. If natural disasters helped destroy the enemies of these rulers, they could easily be accredited with supernatural powers.
By reading such passages in the ancient texts, one cannot deny that this comparison is justified and should be regarded as the source of the original god concept. And by the time that such stories about past leaders were written down (leaders who by most accounts were considered gods anyway) the picture of the modern day "god” emerges.
Let us quote a passage of the Bible describing god in just this way.
nahum 1:2-8 Common English Bible
2 The LORD is a jealous and vengeful God; the LORD is vengeful and strong in wrath. The LORD is vengeful against his foes; he rages against his enemies.
3 The LORD is very patient but great in power; the LORD punishes. His way is in whirlwind and storm; clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He can blast the sea and make it dry up; he can dry up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; the bud of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake because of him; the hills melt away. The earth heaves before him— the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can confront the heat of his fury? His wrath pours out like fire; the rocks are shattered because of him.
7 The LORD is good, a haven in a day of distress. He acknowledges those who take refuge in him.
8 With a rushing flood, he will utterly destroy her place and pursue his enemies into darkness.
Many of today’s monotheistic religions tend to ignore these parts of their ancient texts since they do not fit the picture created by the concept of an all loving god. Those who take these writings to be the absolute truth also often ignore the parts which are not compatible with their current life style (some do however, and that can become extremely dangerous).
I cannot understand that these very interesting ancient texts written by humans (allegedly inspired by a supernatural being) are singled out from among so many other interesting ancient writings, only to have so many of its passages ignored. After all, we do not believe that stories about Zeus, Horus, and all the other gods are literary true.
By reading such passages in the ancient texts, one cannot deny that this comparison is justified and should be regarded as the source of the original god concept. And by the time that such stories about past leaders were written down (leaders who by most accounts were considered gods anyway) the picture of the modern day "god” emerges.
Let us quote a passage of the Bible describing god in just this way.
nahum 1:2-8 Common English Bible
2 The LORD is a jealous and vengeful God; the LORD is vengeful and strong in wrath. The LORD is vengeful against his foes; he rages against his enemies.
3 The LORD is very patient but great in power; the LORD punishes. His way is in whirlwind and storm; clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He can blast the sea and make it dry up; he can dry up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; the bud of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake because of him; the hills melt away. The earth heaves before him— the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can confront the heat of his fury? His wrath pours out like fire; the rocks are shattered because of him.
7 The LORD is good, a haven in a day of distress. He acknowledges those who take refuge in him.
8 With a rushing flood, he will utterly destroy her place and pursue his enemies into darkness.
Many of today’s monotheistic religions tend to ignore these parts of their ancient texts since they do not fit the picture created by the concept of an all loving god. Those who take these writings to be the absolute truth also often ignore the parts which are not compatible with their current life style (some do however, and that can become extremely dangerous).
I cannot understand that these very interesting ancient texts written by humans (allegedly inspired by a supernatural being) are singled out from among so many other interesting ancient writings, only to have so many of its passages ignored. After all, we do not believe that stories about Zeus, Horus, and all the other gods are literary true.
Chinese war god
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