>> Oh come now...  you actually call this a REASON why God is how He is? Because of who WE were He acted like this?

I dont think that was Tom's point, actually. If anything, what he's saying is that our particular vision of God is coloured by how we act, not the other way around. During the early, more primitive days of the times described in the OT, God was seen as a reflection of ourselves -- easy to ire, vengeance-driven -- because that's who we needed Him to be, not the other way around.

But thats not new, when you think about it. We rarely allow God to manifest Himself as He is, just who we need Him to be to justify our own miserably human actions. And face i: we've done some pretty awful stuff to each other in His name. Need to justify slavery? The Bible can do it for you. Need to make sure women are kept in their place? The Book is replete with scripture that will support that. Want to make sure those gays are kept where you want them? Well, hey, three verses are all you need to tell to one and all that the Truth says we're an abomination in His eyes.

Whether or not we actually are is another question, bound by one's personal sense of faith and no more. But lots of folks cant allow that, you see, because religion (not faith) requires order and a sense of hierarchy: spiritual "leadership" built on as many bureaucratic levels as the federal governmen, with plenty of people to tell you what you should believe, that this or that is what God says. Never mind that it might not make sense; it's still "Truth". Because "we" say God says so, and that should be good enough for you, so shut up and send us the donation today.

:)

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