Quote:
Originally Posted by SerenityLives
I always wondered, if the story of Job was just that, a story to teach us something. Because if it really did happen, wouldnt that be really really messed up? God taking away everything you love or allowing Satan to take away everything you love just to prove a point. No matter the new wives or children Job had at the end, it wouldnt make a difference because they wouldnt be the same loved ones he lost. Yes, lets say we treat the women and children like inanimate objects or property, then prob the grief would have seemed to be less. But that just shows how God views our loved ones in the OT. And not to mention God telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and in the end it was “just kidding, herems a ram”. Thats sadistic. And God being Jealous all the time when the Israelites worship other gods. isnt that a human attribute? Is God compassionate and understanding or is he sadistic and jealous?
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We're human. We can only understand things in human terms. So we write in human terms grand poetry such as the book of Job. (It's exquisite poetry).
It's written in three parts, between the 7th and 4th c. BCE. It's core early original concern was theodicy, or how a good God allows human suffering and evil. Then later was added the opening of the story, and the ending, that makes for interesting marvelous literature.
And humorist reading.
After my son died -- my beautiful smart blonde Chinese boy -- I was drawn to the book of Job, and was reading it over and over again.
I remember it well. I won't go into the details of the moment, but I remember after reading it many times, I busted out laughing. It was after God coming out of the whirlwind, and bragging about how big and powerful He was.
What made me laugh was, after betting with 'the Satan,' that Job would stand righteous no matter what the devil would do to Job, save take his life, and Job ends up with nothing but dust and ashes, and sores all over his body, God comes out, and didn't thank Job for making Him a winner, but comes out bragging about how wonderful and powerful He is. Now that's some humorous feminist poetry.
In the end the book attempts to explain why bad things happen to good people. But it depicts God as a The-O-Dicey. In other words, a unpredictable God, with indifference to human suffering (like the powers of nature - what humans know).
Anyway, to continue my original point, if the book of Job depicts God as He or She is, then the 18th chapter of Leviticus should not be taken as God's law. But should be just another example of poetry, depicting God as The-O-Dicey.
And therefore, shouldn't be used to clobber gays.