GOD - Chapter 3 (Unjust)

In the third chapter of GOD, Barker is out to demonstrate that the god of the Hebrew Bible YHWH (he refers to the deity as 'The Lord Jealous'), is unjust. It is more of the same -- atrocities committed by the deity, revealed by his own admonition in the 'the good book'. And actually as I continue to move through the volume, it becomes apparent that the format of the book -- some commentary, followed by organized Bible quotes-- is actually quite effective in transmitting the main ideas of the book, of which is it is intended to convince us of. However, there is some 'pizzazz' missing from this, & it has somewhat become a joyless experience of muddling through GOD. After the first few chapters, & the novelty of this approach has kind of worn off. I already know I do not care about GOD's central premise -- that YHWH is the most 'unpleasant' character in all of fiction, so perhaps that is why I find myself disengaged now. 

This image entitled "Ten Commandments On The Moon"

Barker makes mention early on in the chapter of the question of the physical stone tablets that the Ten Commandments are supposed to have been etched upon & handed to Moses. Where are those tablets? We have no verifiable accounts of anyone not a part of the YHWH cult having seen these tablets. Barker asks why YHWH did not write his commandments on a more seeable venue like the moon. It is a good question. And also an interesting scenario to think about. 

He describes the Arc of the Covenant & what that supposedly looked like. In the book of Samuel, Barker shows, it is stated that God himself is seated within the Arc, but almost everybody was not permitted to see it, nor was it open to the public to be examined. According to Joshua 3:4, nobody was permitted to approach any closer than half-a-mile away! (Barker says, this is because the Ark clearly *did not* contain any tablets, & that YHWH was not visibly present; although, I come to wonder why it was not just as possible that one of the Hebrews, most likely a cleric, could have just *fabricated* the tablets and placed them in there) 

Barker states that the story furnished in 2 Samuel 6:6-7/1 Chronicles 13:9-10 was "clearly invented to instill fear." Then he goes to explain a rather uninteresting story (also in Samuel) of how the Israelites lost their arc, then regained it & YHWH killed 50,700 people because someone 'looked at the arc'.   

Bethshemesh - Where god killed thousands

At this point, there is very little doubt that YHWH is a rather unscrupulous character; that he is cruel & capricious is beyond doubt. Why anyone would invite this deity into their life beside those who have the unfortunate 'blessing' to be his subject 'chosen' people is a mystery. It is rather odd to think that it is from this sectional deity that the world-wide evangelical appeals of Christianity originated. (or did they?) 

Barker's specific opinions are obvious & discernible in his writing. After putting forward that, for example, the tablets of the commandments did not exist, or that the historical record does not indicate that any city in the vicinity of Bethshemesh could have possibly contained the amount of people that YHWH is supposed to have killed, he does not, like DM Murdock may have done, go forward and present historical evidence that may contradict the Yahwists claims. Instead, Barker just moves on & states New Atheist ideological points instead of actual new information. This is again indicative of the Dawkins & co. tendency to rely upon ideological maxims/assumptions instead of actually verifiable information (i.e. their claim that the tablets 'never existed' are just as unverifiable as the Yahwist claim that they did). 

DM Murdock

But, as far as the point that Barker is making, again the answer would be in the affirmative-- YHWH is absolutely not a just actor- to his supporters nor his enemies. There is a lot of coverage in this chapter about YHWH requiring the punishment of proxies in lieu of those who actually violated his 'sacred' commandments. Often, many people died in the text as a result of a 'holy' or 'chosen' figure like the mythical King David. And, of course, all of these people are of the 'chosen', who despite their status, go on committing misdeeds in the eyes of YHWH, killing or causing the death of thousands, or simply doing abominable things like raping (holy) or committing genocide (again, divinely ordained.) A rather vivid example of violent, biblical textuality is this passage from the book of the prophet Hosea. In 13:16 of that book, it is stated that because the people of Samaria disobeyed some command, YHWH left their "pregnant women ripped open." (NIV) In Isiah 13:11-16, YHWH, unfortunately not referring to himself, sets out to "put an end to the arrogance of the haughty," & so "infants will be dashed to pieces" as well as "wives violated."  I believe this horrific collection of books we call the bible is a real look into at the psychological world of the ancient Hebrew civilization, something I don't think we would be able to recognize as 'civilized' at all.  YHWH does not care whether it is children, man, or women; guilty or innocent, that he orders or carries out the death sentence of. They all are flung to the fire as he levies his anger-filled judgments. 

After being subjected to stories in which YHWH kills this person or that person or this village or that entire people, all of the stories & disconnected quotes start to blend in to one another. While it is entirely convincing that these books were written several decades apart in different languages etc..., they share a remarkable consistency with regards to the content of the savagery displayed by the 'god'. Nothing more really needs to be said about this, except these further iniquities which YHWH himself commits upon his people & others:

*The rape of David's wives as punishment for his sins

*The banishment of bastards into temples up to the 10th generation from the bastard conception

*The well-known murder of first-born Egyptian children 

*The lord says he will cut "both the righteous & the wicked"

*YHWH comes out against progressive taxation

*Killing Lot's wife for 'looking back'

*Ordering the death of rebellious children

*The death penalty for various animals

*The 'holy' Israelites attack other tribes to enslave women so they have 'wives'

*If any person, 'righteous or unrighteous' should commits something YHWH does not like, they will be condemned regardless. "None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered." So that pretty much leaves everyone to be condemned

*All who are not Yahwists (i.e. Jews) are to "be put to death." (2 Chronicles 15:13, NIV) The Christian indignation at Islam for its supposed 'kill the unbelievers' mentality is astounding, for it is their very 'good book' which demanded exactly that thousands of years earlier.

Feel god's love!