Today I went into my parents room to take my fathers bible. I wanted to get some examples of three things I had written yesterday. As soon as I opened the bible, I remembered the flood and Noah’s Ark. God actually used a flood to destroy all the evil on Earth at the time. He believed the world had become too corrupt and thought by destroying the world with floods, the world could begin again. That is a prime example of people personifying God.
I also found things supporting how He rewards the good. I could just use the idea of heaven and hell. God decides whether or not we go to heaven. Many people have different beliefs of how this works, but in the grand scheme of things, its usually if you obey His words you go to heaven. To me, this gives God another human characteristic.
Now I actually didn’t find in the bible where it mentions that he is a jealous God, but I am almost positive. I remember my father always telling me how God is jealous. How it wants us to devote our whole lives to Him. I never understood this because when I view jealousy, I always view it as a bad thing. Like my ex, she was jealous of everything. I practically had to stare at the ground and keep quiet in order to keep her from arguing with me. Although it can be a good thing, for the most part, it usually brings out the worst in people. It is but another characterstic describing God, making humanizing Him even further.
I do not understand why people think like this. Looking at how screwed up people are, why would we create a God to be like us. I feel like people are clueless.
I never agreed with the idea of a jealous God either. Jealousy is such a petty emotion that it’s impossible to think about it being anything more than human. The fact is people are so screwed up -as you said- so dysfunctional- that we twist the universe to be as messed up as we are. So, God smites where we would smite, He becomes jealous where we would and He is vengeful where we would be vengeful. How scandalous is the idea of an all loving and all merciful God to a species that sees love and mercy as a weakness. The fact that humans seem unable to “love one another as I have loved you,” and to “judge not lest ye be judge” drives up to make God and unreasonable as we are.
I am so saddened by this journal. Even so I found what you are doing is a great hommage to your friend Matthew, it seems like thoughts coming from an early grave and to me it is almost frightening. It must be so painful for you to read and write these entries.
After reading the FaQs I was wondering if you have 3-years worth of journal entries, or did it take you sometimes before to go on with your friend’s wishes ?
Best Wishes