Sorry for double post, but considering how sensitive the question I asked above is, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone replies before I finish my reply.

Yes, that probably did sound a little blasphemous. Should I recant what I wrote above? I’m not sure that I would. On one hand, we have YHWH, who cursed Cannan and his descendents, who demanded that the Israelites kill everybody in the land that they were to inhabit, who is very xenophobic about ideas that aren’t his own, etc… On the other hand, we have the Devil, the embodiment of evil, a being who delights in doing everything YHWH considers abominable, many of these things still considered evil in the eyes of man today. Then there is the matter of what would happen to those who die. If popular theology was true, then after you died, you would either receive eternal damnation or an eternal lobotomy where you are incapable of going against YHWH’s will.

The message that biblical literalists (which, of course, include my parents) believe in sometimes feels like poison, and yet they say the best offence is a good defence, thus necessitating study of scripture (Old Testament, New Testament, Apocrypha, and Koran being the most important…maybe also the Book of Mormon for good measure 😛).

To ensure that my statement doesn’t become overwhelmed by the “Appeal to consequences” fallacy, I might as well mention biblical contradictions (especially concerning prophesy), inaccuracies, etc, that make the bible questionable.

For the theists on this forum, how do you deal with these issues?

edit: I forgot to mention that sometimes I think YHWH is incapable of understanding grey morality. Remember his comment in Revelation, (Paraphrased) “Some of you are neither hot, nor cold, but lukewarm. I wish that you either were hot or cold, and if you remain lukewarm then I will spit you out of my mouth!”