Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading is god a moral monster making sense of. Oxonian richard dawkins thinks that yahweh is truly a moral monster. How do we explain gods command to israel to exterminate the canaanites. Mosaic torah and pay twenty shekels to the priest at the center of the shrine. When a person rejects the god of the bible, he often chooses to label him as immoral. Copan points out that the phrase eye for an eye is not to be taken literally. Many skeptics criticize biblical morality, claiming that the god described in the bible is immoral. Hilber, professor of old testament at grand rapids theological seminary. What a great study of one of the most attacked subjects of christianity. Apr 22, 2017 is god an a moral monster who encourages slavery and abuse. Paul copan takes on neoatheists claims of a petty, malicious old testament god.
Christians believe that god himself is the standard. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read is god a moral monster. Introduction the god of the bible is a good god who demonstrates his love for people by giving his son for the salvation of those who believe john 3. What makes my jaw drop is that people today should base their lives on such an appalling role model as yahweh and even worse, that they should bossily try to force the same evil monster whether fact or fiction on the rest of us. But to will that they should be is to decree them jonathan edwardsrelated. However, opans analysis and explanation of gods actions is stellar. A recent string of popularlevel books written by the new atheists have leveled the accusation that the god of the old t. His central argument is that no, having god helps, but of course as were all made in gods image we dont need him and that we can be moral without him but having him helps make us better. On closer inspection, the hero status accorded to abraham, moses and david in the old testament and echoed in the new testament is rooted not in their moral perfection but in their uncompromising dedication to the cause of yahweh and their rugged trust in the promises of god rather than lapsing into the idolatry of many of their contemporaries.
These vocal atheists christopher hitchens, richard dawkins, and sam harris, both in writing and public debate, interpret the biblical god as a. For a nonjewish person, the god of the old testament might come across is very cruel. If anybody who has a hard copy of copans book wants to fix any pagination errors, id be in your debt. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament. Jan 16, 2015 the issue of commanding israelites to kill is difficult accept but not believe.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god. In the past i perused the discussion boards on the internet and at times found it difficult to defend what god did in the old testament against the accusations of some of todays modern critics. Now, it is selfevident that if he knows all things beforehand, he either approves of them or does not approve of them. Click download or read online button to get is god a moral monster book now. And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of god portrayed in the two. Oct 04, 2011 gods greatest achievement is the son of gods selfhumiliation. Moral standards require the existence of a good god when atheists attack the morality of the bible, it is important to ask where their standard for right and wrong comes from. Making sense of the old testament god by paul copan available from rakuten kobo. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god english edition ebook.
Because of israels embeddedness in the ancient near easts harsh, morallyproblematic social milieu, old testament legislation is in. In this timely and readable book, apologist paul copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including. By his very nature, god is humbleand he dwells with the humble in heart isa. The subject of david quammens monster of god is the nowendangered status of the maneating, socalled alpha predators who, for centuries, threatened the status of humanity on the food chain. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. All that own the being of a god, own that he knows all things beforehand. Making sense of the old testament god 1st edition by copan, paul isbn. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god. Gods greatest achievement is the son of gods selfhumiliation. Tawa anderson at the 2015 defend the faith conference at the new orleans baptist seminary. This viewpoint is even making inroads into the church. How could an allpowerful, allloving god allow evil to exist. Nonbelievers have been known to accuse god of being hypocritical, selfish, arrogant, judgmental, hateful, and even homicidala moral monster.
Awhile back i read paul copans book is god a moral monster. Copan takes the time to explain many of the old testaments seemingly inexplicable and tedious laws. God is arrogant and jealous god punishes people too harshly. Is god a moral monster a recent string of popularlevel books written by the new atheists have leveled the accusation that the god of the old. Oct 07, 2016 how could an allpowerful, allloving god allow evil to exist. But like the phoenix, god rises from the ashes, shorn of the moral categories that humans.
We might as well say that yahweh isnt a moral monster because, really, when. Is an assessment of whether god craves attention, or whether being religious and worshipping god is a way of improving the self. Is a brief assessment on how much the modern world has been influenced by jesus, and argues that he is far more important than many of us imagine him. This god is not interested in justice or injustice. The issue of commanding israelites to kill is difficult accept but not believe. It brings together important material that is otherwise scattered and demonstrates how this material responds to a line of moral criticism that has, by and large, been neglected by christian philosophers until now. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. God as creator and author of life have every authority to do on his way. God is arrogant and jealous god punishes people too harshly god is guilty of ethnic cleansing god oppresses women god endorses slavery christianity causes violence copan not only answers the critics, he also shows how to. Making sense of the old testament god ebook written by paul copan.
His central argument is that no, having god helps, but of course as were all made in god s image we dont need him and that we can be moral without him but having him helps make us better. Is god an a moral monster who encourages slavery and abuse. Making sense of the old testament god grand rapids. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god kindle edition by copan, paul. Sometimes the real monster lies not so much in criticisms from without as in our own holding to.
He sends rain upon the just and the unjust, the good and the evil alike. Not according to philosopher paul copan, who has written about this issue in his book is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god. In this timely and readable book, entitled is god a moral monsterapologist paul copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including. God s greatest achievement is the son of god s selfhumiliation. Download pdf is god a moral monster pdf free online. The book is good enough that i am leaning toward including it in the future as one of the four textbooks in the seminary apologetics course i teach and that, dear reader, is high praise indeed. Are the charges made by the new atheists a distorted representation of old testament ethics or is god a moral monster, as the new atheists says he is. Jan 01, 2011 is the god of the old testament nothing but a bully, a murderer, and an oppressor. This is a necessary step, before we can begin to move forward constructively, as a people who hope in god. I have already recommend this book to people who have children who have rejected the god of the bible for moral reasons. He regularly displays humility in his interactions with human beingsespecially in jesus of nazareth, who comes to serve humans. Paul copans book consists of a response to the new atheists aggressive claims summarized by richard dawkinss description of the old testament god as a moral monster.
And when god calls on us to worship him, this fulfills our humanity since we are made to know and love god. A recent string of popularlevel books written by the new atheists have leveled the accusation that the god of the old testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer. God is arrogant and jealous god punishes people too harshly god is guilty of ethnic cleansing god oppresses women god endorses slavery christianity causes violence and more copan not only answers god s critics, he also shows how to read both the old and new testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving god in both. He finished with, and besides rockets fly people to the moon but religion flies planes in the buildings as his final argument. The god of the bible is a good god who demonstrates his love for people by giving his son for the salvation of those who believe john 3. As an example, he asks us to continue reading in ex. Is god a moral monster download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. But gods speeches from the whirlwind at the end of the book reflect a paradigm shift. Yet the old testament presents creational moral ideals in genesis 12. In the eyes of some, it presents god as fearinspiring, violent and vengeful a sharp contrast to the love and. The new atheists dawkins, dennett, harris, hitchens level arguments against old testament morality as primitive and barbaric, presumably undercutting belief in the biblical god yahweh. However, upon closer examination, it is clear that verses are being taken out of context by those attempting to read and understand scripture.
Anyone familiar with the writings of the new atheists is aware of their penchant for taking potshots at old testament ethics. A recent string of popularlevel books written by the new atheists have leveled the accusation that the god of the. Download is god a moral monster pdf ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub, and mobi format. However, we must remember that god sees things from an eternal perspective, and his ways are not our ways isaiah 55. Click download or read online button to is god a moral monster pdf book pdf for free now. A recent string of popularlevel books written by the new atheists have leveled the accusation that the god of the old testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. Is god a moral monster, committing or condoning genocide as some have interpreted from this text.
1291 653 271 1134 358 926 344 1436 768 340 391 1467 1278 1293 1591 1326 1534 826 921 1369 576 193 1481 1384 1530 68 175 961 1597 691 330 383 43 493 1430 1400 1149 1252 1022 1232 387 1327 802 1030