Think about it, aren't many of God characteristics a lot like an abusive partners?

For instance:

* He is constantly jealous
* He makes you think you are worthless without him
* He threatens to torture you if you leave him
* He tells you how to dress and what you can eat/drik
* He wont allow you to see other guys
* He says he is responisble for everything good in your life, but nothing bad
* He puts you through horrible test just to test your devotion to him
* He wants you praise hime everynight and he gives nothing in return
* He has a violant temper
* He has racist, homophobic and sexist values
* He is following your every move, constently checking in on you so he knows what you are doing.

And think about this. You are sitting at a café and you overhear a conversation with three young woman.

Woman 1 says: My boyfriend is so good to me, he has promised not to torture me if I obey him
Woman 2 says: Mine is also fantastic. He forgives me for not being perfect.
Woman 3. I know what you mean, my boyfriend killed his son so he wouldn't have to take out his anger on me.

Does that sound like a good relationship? It sound more like the Stockholm-syndrome to me.

I also would recommend this video:

http://youtu.be/k-XPOWGjDNU?t=2m47s



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2014 02:01PM by quickman.

I don't see God that way at all! While I am an ex-mo, I still believe in God but see Him as more of a kind though righteous being. That's just my take.

Yeah, but for those who are biblical fundamentalist this is pretty much the case. God is a horrible being in the bible, but I know not every Christian takes the book literally.

You don't have to take the Bible literally to find it problematic.

I get sick nigh unto giving up the ghost hearing folks extol the virtues of the Bible as allegory, because a) the Law as laid down in the Torah was meant to be read as LAW, which included regulations regarding things such as death for rape victims and slavery, and b) the allegories don't paint Yahweh/Elohim/Jesus in a particularly favorable light when weighed against a more contemporary view of morality.

And before the accusation is lobbed at me that I'm taking a presentist attitude toward ancient literature, remember that the God of the Bible is supposed to be the same yesterday, today and forever.

The Bible doesn't paint a picture of a kind and caring God, but an authoritarian, a Slave Master who demands exact obedience over his servants.

I came from an abusive household so for me going to Primary and hearing the same threats as I did at home immediately caught my attention. I've never loved god/Christ/scriptures. They were always filled with threats, poison and fear of death or worse. I could never fill the needs of my abusive parents, nor could I of an abusive god.

I now see where my parents got the idea that it was ok to behave the way they did. All church sanctioned.

+ a million!

Yes, all church sanctioned!

I agree with this, but in my mind, I would substitute "Mormon church" or "MorGod" for "God." I still believe in a Creator who loves his creations.

My concept of God really isn't what I've been taught. It's based more on my personal experience and my 'gut' (know that might sound odd!) I just have always believed that there's move benevolence on God's part than we've been led to believe. I also think the teachings of churches try to breed fear to mandate control and obedience. Good old John Lennon put it very succinctly in his song "Working Class Hero". I'm not sure I'm allowed here to post lyrics so I won't, but if anyone wants to see them, they're all over the 'net. I've always loved the message in that song.

Or an abusive parent?

http://packham.n4m.org/abuse.htm

I pointed this out to a few family members who are still lds recently. They were like thats not true! Where did you get that information? God is loving, just, etc. i listed stories and issues in the bible which displayed his jealousy and rash reactions, etc. and they looked appalled and went back into the, "we dont understand everything, god isnt mean hearted and vengeful," speech. It's like hello! If you believe in the bible you cant simultaneously believe hes nothing like the character you read about and get to know in that book.

I personally believe god is loving and accepting. I disagree with most of the bible, if not all of it. It was primarily written long after Christ died, and was written primarily i think to induce fear and gain control of the population by uniting them through one canonized book- the sections religious leaders at the time personally didnt like, were thrown out when the book was compiled.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2014 05:17PM by healing4peace.

I think God is like that elephant in the old morality tale where a group of blind men were told to describe what an elephant looked like. The one who got the leg to feel said an elephant was like a tree - the one who got the ear said an elephant was like a large butterfly - the one who got the trunk said an elephant was similar to a snake...

My point being, people define God based on their own view of the world and how they see life. People who believe in a hell-fire-and-damnation sort of God are people with a very negative view of life IMO. Whomever made up the biblical God would probably fall into this category - I mean, life was a lot less optimistic and a lot more gruesome back then. Why people buy into that mindset now tells more about them than about God. There are all different cultures who have their own, very different definitions of God. Maybe the God we were raised with - the biblical/Mormon God is like an abusive boyfriend (and a bit of a pervert if you add the Mormon stuff) but that doesn't mean God is like that. It's just the best guess of what God is like, based on the culture we were born into. You don't have to believe in that God and I often wonder why people want to believe in a mean, nasty God. I prefer to believe in a loving God, admitting I don't really have a clue and never will. I only have my best guess.

"I love you, baby. I'm sorry I drowned all your friends. Look at this pretty rainbow I got for you. I promise it'll never happen again. Don't worry, I'll call you. Do you still love me? Yeah, me too."

"P.S. About that restraining order..."

I always laughed at the whole rainbow thing.

"You have my promise--never again will I destroy the world!...............um.....with water"

Talk about fine print.

Well, first of all we have always been getting second-hand information at the very best. We don't get to talk to God at all ourselves, although we can have a one-way conversation.


So we are not asked to believe God; we are supposed to believe his self-elected representatives. You know the kind. Long-dead Hebrew priests or prophets. People with an iffy reputation like Paul of Taurus. Meglomanics like Joseph Smith and Jim Jones. Corrupt businessment like the Council of 70.

I can't believe that the most important information in my entire existance has to come through people I cannot trust. And I cannot believe that an entity that has created this Universe, with all its magnicient and terrifying spendor can't talk to each of us even once in our lives. Not even once?

So. If I am offending the Creator of Everything with my disbelief of the dogmas handed down by imperfect human men,
I think I got a case.

He loves you...
This is the biggest lie & damage a human being can inflict himself, thinking there's a God who loves you.

Yes. Like a mother who tells her child who has just been abused by his Father that he loves them anyway.

I think that is a bad idea to plant in a little head.

I think when he did the "Undercover Boss" thing it changed his whole attitude.

You gotta admit after he came down here and had to live under his own rules and answer to his own staff for a few years he really chilled the F out.

He's been pretty quiet ever since.

This description sounds right!! It is so weird how sheepherders from 2000BC could have sooooo much in common with republican/libertarian/christian leaders of today. I mean beating the crap out of their women property and making up stories that predated them.........it's uncanny!!!

As a libertarian, I find your comment to be idiotic.

It is the kind of thinking found in the church. Same stupid shit, different subject.

so tell me some "libertarian" doctrine.

Dave the Atheist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> so tell me some "libertarian" doctrine.

Thou shalt not steal. That pretty much sums it up.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2014 10:44AM by london.

Hilarious. Thanks for this post.

The writers of the OT envisioned Yahweh as a warrior god, their defender.
You describe god as a bad boyfriend.
A vast variety of god concepts.
People picture god based on their personal hopes and disappointments. That's my observation, anyway.

Christianity is classic battered wife/child syndrome. So is Islam, perhaps even more extreme.

I found this pic on atheism meme base.

http://www.atheistmemebase.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/114-Signs-of-Abuse-650x487.jpg

Not only does he follow your every move, he's keeping record of it in a big book. That way, he won't forget to punish you for anything in the next life.

The abusive God thing sort of breaks down in the end when he takes countless tens of millions of undeserving people to a place where they will never have a problem ever again, and they will learn new stuff about His kindness forever.

If He were abusive, he would continue to be abusive and would not stop.

What? He's not abusive because although he kills and tortures billions of people who don't believe in him he saves a couple of million who do???