Why Do Some Think God is a Monster?

What would you think of a powerful leader who sanctions rape, pillaging, the destruction of thousands of lives for the wrong doings of one, racism and genocide? No matter who we are, if we have a conscience in any way tuned to the sanctity of human life, we would have to label them a monster – a maniacal psychopathic egotist. Sadly, there are many who read certain parts of the Bible and handily conclude that the God of the Bible – the Creator of all things - is such a being. They call Him out for the horrible and harsh things written in the Old Testament and boldly claim that a God who presides over those things is no god at all – He is instead a monster. Now look – there are terrible things written in the Old Testament, but do they point to a heartless dictator or is there another explanation? To set things in order right from the start I need to tell you I am unequivocally convinced that God is not only NOT a monster, but on the contrary, He is a just, benevolent, wise, loving and thoughtful Creator.  Further, I get personally frustrated by those who make these monstrous claims because I truly believe their claims are based on cherry picking Scriptures from very specific contexts and parading those verses around as fact and proof of God’s character – or lack thereof.  I see this treatment of the Bible and of God as rash, incomplete and foolish, and therefore it becomes the basis for an entirely unfair assessment of the character of God.  We don’t want to be unfair, do we? Think about it – the Bible covers thousands of years of history from the dawn of mankind all the way through the few generations that followed the time of Jesus.  Have any of those who would call God a monster ever questioned why this lengthy history was covered and why such a diverse set of experiences, both extremely positive and negative, were written down?  You see, the answer to that question of “why” actually holds the answer to the accusations that God is a monster. The bottom line is this:  God from the start had (and still has) a plan.  It is a plan founded in justice and includes the fully fair treatment of every man woman and child who ever lived.  Did you get that?  It includes the fully fair treatment of every man woman and child who ever lived.  To understand this plan in the context of some of the horrible things written in the Bible people complain about is doable but certainly not easy.  You cannot simply explain 4,000 years of history in five minutes and without asking the key questions – what does God want from all of this evil and why would He oversee things like one nation conquering another or strict laws that forbid religious freedom? This is why you really need to listen to our December 12, 2016 podcast, “Why Do Some Think God is a Monster?”  This broadcast step-by-step explains the “why” of things…Why did God let evil in?  Why did God let Satan rule?  Why does God use evil as a tool?  Even better, it explains the “where…“ Where is God leading us through all of this evil?  What will be the end result?  Check it out – it may help to shed important light in a world filled with the darkness of misunderstanding.