Evidence of Abrahamic God as an alpha male

23 Oct, 2016 - 00:10 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

#ChiselingtheDebris  Shingai Rukwata Ndoro —
We have so far noted the difference between “Mwari” and the Abrahamic God. “Mwari,” the Divine, is an infinite, eternal and impersonal life force. It does not crave for human attention and needs no supplication. It does not seek relevance and validation by threats, force, fear or coercion.  In contrast, the Abrahamic God is a humanoid, masculine and personal (tribalist) figure sickeningly craving for human attention, praise and supplication.

It has what Hector Garcia called “parochial altruism”. Its scriptural record of being the worst kind of character is shocking and unsettling to any person of honour. Last week, we introduced the concept that the Abrahamic God is a mythical figure whose scriptural characterisation is that of an “alpha male.” We now need to get scriptural evidence that substantiate this characterisation. The references will not be exhaustive but will still be helpful for our discussion.

Firstly, as an alpha male, the Abrahamic God demands absolute devotion and unquestioning submission, obedience and allegiance. Absolute and unquestioning submission started in Genesis 2:17, when the Abrahamic God decreed human ignorance with a threat of death. Dissent was met with vengeful punishment.

In Exodus 20:2-3, Deuteronomy 5:7-9, Matthew 22:37 and Luke 10:27a, the Abrahamic God took a position that he shall not have a competitor and that he is very jealous. This can be likened to a narcissist, defined as “a person who has an excessive interest in or admiration of him/herself”.

Such a person demands and craves for excessive or exaggerated attention.  Subordinates or subjects of such a person show continuous deference “by ritualised gestures such as bowing,” praising, kneeling, supplications and other displays of unquestioning submission “to appear smaller and less threatening” and to secure favours.

Secondly, an Alpha Male has aggressive dominance and maintains a social group related by blood by a grip of brutal violence. Because of the demand for absolute submission, the alpha male figure is indiscriminate and merciless in killing for obedience. In the flood narrative of Genesis 6-9, the Abrahamic God unremorsefully caused the killing of everyone (men, women, children, infants, newborns, the sick and the physically challenged) except that of Noah’s family.

Later in Genesis 19, the Abrahamic God, whom we are told as being of love and compassion, indiscriminately killed everyone. The unnamed Lot’s wife was also killed just for looking back. In Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17, there is the sixth commandment by the Abrahamic God, “Thou shalt not kill.” He violated his own commandment even by causing the destruction “of entire cities, just to allow the Jews to have a homeland in the Middle East” (Numbers 25). More examples are Deuteronomy 7:1-3, 1 Samuel 15 and Joshua 6: 16-20; 8:1-2 and 10.

Don’t you find this disagreeable?

“I will sing praise to your name, O Most High … The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins; their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished … The Lord will swallow [up his enemies] in his wrath, and fire will consume them. (He) will destroy their offspring from the earth … their children from … humankind.” (Psalms 9:2, 6, and 21:9-10)

“(Thousands of angels) proclaimed with loud voices: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth, wisdom and might, honor and glory and praise!’… I saw heaven wide open, and a white horse appeared; its rider’s name was Faithful and True, for he is just in judgment and just in war … (H)e was robed in a garment dyed in blood, and he was called the Word of God.

“The armies of heaven followed him … Out of his mouth came a sharp sword to smite the nations; for it is he who will rule them with a rod of iron, and tread the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the sovereign Lord.” (Revelation 5:11-12, 19:11 13-15) With an irrefutable scriptural record of being hateful, discriminatory, aggressive, homicidal and genocidal, the tribalist Abrahamic God even created evil, adversity or calamity (Hebrew “raah”) (Isaiah 45:7, Lamentations 3:38, Jeremiah 32:42) and has anger that is best placated by both animal and human blood. Definitely, he is not the same as the impersonal “Mwari,” the Divine.

We need to (1) “Abandon the idea that (the Divine) ever has commanded or condoned or ever would command or condone the mass slaughter of innocent people, even if such claims are made in sacred scripture or asserted by otherwise trustworthy religious authorities”; and (2) “Consider the possibility that it does not blaspheme or insult the Divine to believe that the (Divine’s) actions (should be) limited by objective moral principles.” (DL Perry, 2001)

References:
Skeptic’s Annotated Bible/Book of Mormon/Quran
Dr David L Perry, “The Problem of Holy War” (September 25, 2001)

Feedback: [email protected] and Twitter @shingaiRndoro. A gallery of previous articles, www.sundaymail.co.zw/author/shingairukwata

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds