Deeper 7 - Deeper Homicidal - Robert Russell

Deeper - Homicidal God?

Is the God of the Old Testament the God of the New Testament?


Revd Simon Coupland New Wine Summer 11New Wine Magazine



‘The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sado-masochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.’Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion


Simple Solution No 1Cut out the Old Testament


Simple Solution No 1Cut out the Old Testament-

4 consequences: No longer follow Jesus



4 consequences: No longer follow Jesus Cut out large part of NT too



4 consequences: No longer follow Jesus Cut out large part of NT tooLose context for Jesus



4 consequences: No longer follow Jesus Cut out large part of NT tooLose context for JesusLose best bits


Simple Solution No 2Say it didn’t happen


Simple Solution No 3Stop being such wimps!


Simple Solutions:–Cut out the Old Testament–Say it didn’t happen–Stop being such wimps!


Helpful thought 1Judge events by the standards of the time


Helpful thought 1Judge events by the standards of the time


Helpful thought 2Remember why God commanded this


Helpful thought 3Jesus changes everything


Helpful thoughts•Judge events by the standards of the time•Remember why God commanded this

•Jesus changes everything


Is the God of the Old Testament the God of the New Testament?

YES

Spiritual

Deeper 7 - Deeper Homicidal - Robert Russell