Do poly atheists know the Bible?

[Kidlicious]

Ok so molly bloom (smartest atheist I know) says the Book of Job says God is a bully? Do poly atheists have more than a superficial knowledge of the Bible? Here's your chance to shine. No trivia or multiple choice. Without looking it up give us an informed interpretation of Job.

[Dauphin]

It makes one ponder the existence of unicorns.

[pchang]

Run like hell the next time God gets in a pissing match with Satan.

[Aeson]

I think "know" is meant in the Biblical sense ...

[Imran Siddiqui]

And avoided papercuts? The wrath of our Lord can be fierce .

FWIW, The Book of Job is my favorite book of Scripture. I find it is a reminder of the unknowability of what God's will exactly is. We have a glimpse of the majesty and wonder of God and His revelation, and we try to do the best in understanding what God wants us to do, but we can't fully know.

And yes, the poem does make it seem as if God, at the end, is somewhat of a bully on first glance... but I think there are deeper ways of reading God's monologue at the end (namely what my paragraph above said).

[Aeson]

My problem with Job is not about what happens to Job, but the complete disregard for the happiness of everyone surrounding Job. (From God, Job, and most people who read Job.)

[Imran Siddiqui]

Usually in fiction (and just about every Biblical scholar treats Job as a fictional teaching poem), we only care about the main characters and the lesson comes through the relationship of the main character to their experience. I mean who cries tears for the peasants of Westeros in Game of Thrones?

[Aeson]

I would hold moral tales supposedly inspired by God to a higher standard than completely amoral entertainment that presumably isn't inspired by God.

[Aeson]

When the message a tale sends is, "Trust in God, your wife and children are easily replaced" ... something is wrong with the moral fabric of the tale. It's an insight into how society viewed women and children back then, but not something I'd set my moral compass by.

[Colon™]

I've seen a bible on TV.

[Ban Kenobi]

Job has a great life and loves God. Satan tells God that Job only loves God because Job has lots of great stuff. God makes a bet with Satan that Job loves him no matter what and lets Satan destroy all of Job's stuff to prove Job will still love him even though God is supposedly omniscient and should know how the bet would play out without needing to go through with the bet and it would be dumb for Satan to make a bet with an omniscient being. Job's neighbors assume God is punishing Job for being a dick but Job insists he's really a nice guy and doesn't know why God is doing this. Then God shows up and rants about the fountains of the deep and unicorns and how Job is insignificant compared to him and Job has no right to question what God does. God does not explain to Job that God made a bet to Satan. Job is sorry for questioning God and is totally submissive so God decides to give Job his stuff back and give Job a new family to replace the family members that were killed. (Obviously Job can't have his dead family members back because resurrecting dead people would just be ridiculous.) The moral of this story is God is an ******* but if you worship him he'll show you some mercy.

[Ban Kenobi]

And avoided papercuts? The wrath of our Lord can be fierce .

FWIW, The Book of Job is my favorite book of Scripture. I find it is a reminder of the unknowability of what God's will exactly is. We have a glimpse of the majesty and wonder of God and His revelation, and we try to do the best in understanding what God wants us to do, but we can't fully know.

And yes, the poem does make it seem as if God, at the end, is somewhat of a bully on first glance... but I think there are deeper ways of reading God's monologue at the end (namely what my paragraph above said).

Yep, omnipotent omniscient beings who stand idly by while thousands of people are raped, tortured and/or murdered every day sure are mysterious.

[Kidlicious]

So far no atheists have demonstrated a knowledge of The Book of Job. What does it mean? Specifically, God is not a bully. This point is made in the book, how and why? Sone are thinking the book says God isca bully, that he doesn't care about women and children, or that he's apathetical. Why don't atheists understand what the book is saying? If you were asked on a quiz coukd you get it right? What would your answer be ob a quiz to see if atheists know more than christians about the Bible?

[Ban Kenobi]

Riiiight... if I take your belongings and only give them back after you suck up to me I'm obviously not a bully...

[Kidlicious]

Job has a great life and loves God. Satan tells God that Job only loves God because Job has lots of great stuff. God makes a bet with Satan that Job loves him no matter what and lets Satan destroy all of Job's stuff to prove Job will still love him even though God is supposedly omniscient and should know how the bet would play out without needing to go through with the bet and it would be dumb for Satan to make a bet with an omniscient being. Job's neighbors assume God is punishing Job for being a dick but Job insists he's really a nice guy and doesn't know why God is doing this. Then God shows up and rants about the fountains of the deep and unicorns and how Job is insignificant compared to him and Job has no right to question what God does. God does not explain to Job that God made a bet to Satan. Job is sorry for questioning God and is totally submissive so God decides to give Job his stuff back and give Job a new family to replace the family members that were killed. (Obviously Job can't have his dead family members back because resurrecting dead people would just be ridiculous.) The moral of this story is God is an ******* but if you worship him he'll show you some mercy.

Good try, but no. You crash and burn on the last sentence especially. Good and bad things happen to good and bad people alike, right? No one can say good things happen to good people and/or bad things happen to bad people, right? I gather that you understand that, but you fail still, why?

If we can't understand why good and bad things happen to us why should we expect an explaination of this from God in a way that is direct and exact?