A God So Unloved the World
If you've watched videos of police interrogating suspects, you'll understand. Sometimes there's a time of relief for both questioner and suspect. It's when the cop reaches a point where he can safely say, "Quit the bullshit, okay? You and I know you did it." And the perpetrator begins to unburden. That's the kind of relief, of liberation, we need more of.
Curiously, I revisited a biblical text you won't find discussed in bible teaching classes, ever. There's an interesting site, Bible Gateway, to find texts merely by punching up book, chapter, and verse. So let's approach the texts with the maxim of the British Royal Society: "Take no man's word for it."
Here we go. Bible Gateway's "Genesis 8, v. 21, in all English translations." (I counted 54 on the same text, and suggest reading all of them.) Of course, they each say the same things in their own way. Number One: The Lord says, in his mind or verbally, that he will no longer curse the ground and destroy the world, because he concluded "the ideas /inclinations, etc. of human hearts are evil from their youth." Don't know about you, but it's reasonable to ask The Question, "Isn't that an admission he screwed up? Wait a minute; he didn't know before he destroyed the world that doing so wouldn't change human nature? That's some serious misjudgment.
Number Two: The text continues, "Neither will I ever smite and destroy every living thing as I have done." Question; WTF are you talking about? Every living thing wasn't destroyed. (Oh I have so much fun with the Great Flood fable!)
At this point, to a reasonable person, it looks like this god has learned his lesson. But the same tradition of these Authors Who Don't Proofread What They Wrote continues. They write in Matt. ch. 24, v. 37-39, his Jesus, (who should have been in touch with what it means to be human), says people are STILL behaving "as they did in the days of Noah," so they'll be mass-punished again. This time the world will end not by this god drowning it, but in burning it. Will this god again claim he "smited and destroyed every living thing?" Notice that even Revelations doesn't claim complete human destruction; only that the selfish believers are lifted up and the rest of you can go to hell. For this god so loves the world he can't keep from punishig humans for being human. How can you trust someone who never learns?
Be glad the Flood story isn't true, otherwise I wouldn't be writing/ you wouldn't be reading this. Be relieved that you know and I know it's bullshit. Rejoice realizing this god referred to, you know and I know, doesn't exist.