"Oh, you must not, or at least you should not read the Old Testament", he said.
"Why not ?" I asked.
"Because the Old Testament is full of similes and parables which only theologically trained people can understand."
"Come on", I said. "I've read some of it, and it's all quite clear - nothing particularly difficult to understand.
The only thing difficult to understand is that anybody in his right mind will accept it as a 'God-inspired work'.
It is rather a collection of storeys written by a man called Moses and/or men like him in order to justify and excuse their very inhuman, human activities".
You kill: God made me do it.( Numbers 25:1-9 and Joshua 10:1-43 a.s.o. )
You steal: God made me do it ( Numbers 31:2-3 a.s.o.)
You rape: God made me do it (Numbers 7:9-10 a.s.o.)
Besides these cruel, murdering, stealing, raping activities there is another side to this God of the Old Testament and modern Governments have taken a leaf out of this book: (Exodus 25:2 ) God becomes a tax collector. At least Moses, the old scoundrel, tells his people that God told him that he shall collect from the people of Israel an "Offering" which shall consist of Gold, Silver and Brass.
Does God, as he exists in the biblical form, really need Gold, Silver and Brass ? I don't think so!
He created Gold and Silver! didn't he ? He must know that 'Brass' is made of Copper and Zinc.
It stands to reason that God has no need for those "Offerings", but Moses, this sly fellow, can use these riches and he knows that the easiest way to get them is to tell his people that God wants them.
....and blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goat's hair (Exodus 25:4)...
I can just imagine how urgently the Allmighty needs fine linen and goat's hair, and of course the quickest way to get these goodies is not to create them ( which surely would have been easy for the Creator) but to collect them as "Offerings" from the people of Israel.
Today's Tax Collectors are at least a bit more honest. They do not call those "Offerings". In a more straight forward way, they call them "Taxes", the non-payment of which lands you in Jail.
Can somebody, please, explain to me, without using a lot of gobbledygook what for this Allmighty, All Powerful God needs all these things, treasured by Man, and surely of no import to a God ?
And then, God becomes a designer of treasure chests:
"...and they shall make me an Arc."
Moses claims that God tells him exactly why he wants the Arc. (Exodus 25:8)..."and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them..."
As I understand it, a "Sanctuary" is a refuge or safety from pursuit or other danger. Surely God needs not fear danger and needs not hide in a "Safe Haven".
The next Chapters and Verses (Exodus 36 -38 ) are devoted to an exact description of how the Altar and the Tabernacle are to be built. The specifications are so detailed and precise, that, in their meticulousness, they are almost funny.
Then Moses claims that God told him to cover the Ark with Gold. Inside and Outside.
God seems to really like Gold. Or is it, in fact, Moses who loves to surround himself with all these riches ?
As I've said earlier: I believe that Moses is a cheat and a scoundrel. Under his leadership there was a great deal of killing and stealing and raping going on. All of it, if you listen to Moses, ordered by God. Methinks Moe was not a very nice man.
Is there something in this whole story which is missed by
Bertstravels ?
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