“If there is any kind of Supreme Being, it is up to us to become his moral superior.” – Lord Havelock Vetinari Unseen Academicals, by Sir Terry Pratchett.
Yeah, I’ve been a little slow off the mark reading the new Pratchett book. It came out a couple of weeks ago and I’ve only just acquired it. It was a little startling, therefore that this particular comment appeared that was so in harmony with some things I’ve been thinking during my own Bible study[1].
There’s a passage in Matthew[2] where Jesus is discussing the goodness of the Nature of God. Ya know, maybe God was good by the standards of the time, but any parent who treated his child like God treated His children would have found himself hauled in front of a court to answer for abusing his kids.
Of course, you always get the Elisha and the Bears[3] comment from we people who are just too horrible and corrupt to understand the goodness of God. But read the Bible with care and attention. The book is loaded with similar stories. My flawed and human parents loved me more than to murder me for making fun of someone’s bald head, just sayin’.
I can’t see that what’s described in the Bible is in any way loving, especially the Christian story. God set up the game in the first place, so he set it up that someone had to be tortured to death in a nasty way to redeem people for things that God defined as sins in the first place? I wouldn’t even consider pulling a shell game like that on someone I hated, much less someone I loved.
If there is a God and he’s anything like the Biblical description, he’s vicious, childish and cruel. This, I’m supposed to worship? The description of God from the Bible is someone I’d try my best to stay far, far away from and do my best to shield my kids from.
[1] Yes, we Godless Heathens dammed to the fires of everlasting torment do study religious texts, too. Strange, innit?
[2] Matthew 7:9-10 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
Hey Noel – you been reading Heinlein again? He certainly makes that point in almost all his books.
I’m halfway through the antics of UU. Do you know whether Pratchett wrote it recently, what with his Alzeimers and all? Or was it before he got ill?
No, Shirls, I haven’t re-read any Heinleins in awhile.
I think Pratchett did write it recently. He’s still in the early stages of his illness, by all accounts and his basic issue is that of not being able to find the “a” key on keyboards and things like that. He dictates his books now, from what I understand.
What do you think if it so far?
It’s the usual good Pratchett stuff – I’ve always liked the wizards and witches best. I think he is admirable, just getting on and writing – I’m still dithering about where to begin my pesky novel. How is yours doing?
The novel is going rather badly, actually. I’ve got nearly 70,000 words of rambling garbage that may require a mercy killing.
Interesting. I wonder if that passage from 2 Kings has anything to do with Douglas Adams choosing 42 as “the answer”…