Eric Pepke > Isn't giving one chance and one chance only unnecessarily harsh? I >mean, a p

Eric Pepke

> Isn't giving one chance and one chance only unnecessarily harsh? I
>mean, a parent that gave their child one chance to be generous to
>a friend, and then burned their arm off if the kid didn't or gave him
>a lifetime supply of ice cream if he did would be regarded as misguided,
>if not insane.

Certainly.  When I first read the Bible, I was struck by how closely the
behavior of the Bible-god resembled the behavior of an abusive parent, and
also by how closely the behavior of his followers resembled that of abused
children.  The whole notion of sin boils down to, "I'm responsible when Daddy
hurts me, because I must have done something wrong to make him mad.  I'm bad,
but Daddy is good, and he loves me.  I'm so, so unworthy."

Further, this is the only interpretation of the Bible-god that I have run
across which is totally consistent between the Old and New Testaments.  The
OT-god is brutish and destructive and angry.  The NT-god is basically
self-punishing, although bits of the old nastiness come through.  Both of
the behavior sets are found in abusive personalities.