1 - God killed them because they broke the rules and turned their backs on him. The same thing happens here, if you break the rules enough the state executes you or puts you away.
2 - "5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Genesis 6:5. All they did was sin. Take this as you will, but I believe this world was like Vegas at night, all the time.
God did make perfect people. But he made perfect people with a will of their own. He wanted people to
choose to love him, and do what he said. He doesn't want an army of blind robots saying "Yes Sir, We Love You Sir, Hail Sir." He wants people to defeat the things that tempt them, and follow him instead.
3 - I'm sure God did know that Abraham was the right man, but I think he knew that everyone else later would need an object lesson. Remember, a few hundred years later Abraham's descendants were slaves to the Egyptians. Isn't "Abraham passed God's test" a better explanation as to why you are God's chosen than "Oh, I dunno, God just knows." Maybe Abraham needed a lesson too. Maybe he needed to know that although there would be hard times, God would always be pulling on his side.
Having multiple wives was quite common in this era of history. More wives meant you were a wealthier man. Women married young, often as young as thirteen or fourteen. Polygamy may be detestable today, but it was accepted back then. (Even though not everyone did it).
I don't know why you think God's teast was sadistic. Do you even know what sadistic means?
deriving pleasure or sexual gratification from inflicting pain on another
www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn
Yes, I'm sure God was giggling with glee as Abraham sorrowfully followed his orders.
It was a simple test. God told Abraham, Look, are you willing to give up everything on my command? God had no intention of killing Isaac, because there are only two outcomes. 1 - Abraham refuses, so God goes looking for another fellow, or waits until Isaac grows up. Result: Isaac lives. 2 - Abraham does what God says, and God waits until the last moment, and then stays Abraham's hand. Result: Isaac lives.
I don't think God went and had an orgasm because of the sorrow his request inflicted upon Abraham.
4 -
I never went to Eden or ate any fancy apples, but I'm sure not in there now, am I? No, apparently, an ancestor ate the apples and so I'm punished too.
Aw man, mom and dad messed up with their bank accounts, and now we're too poor to afford to send me to collage. That means I'll have to WORK MY WAY THROUGH!!! Waaaaa, the world isn't fair, *sob sob cry cry*.
:rolleyes
And to go back to the floods? How did he know EVERYONE was corrupted? What about babies? Babies born recently, they wouldn't have had time to become evil yet. Or small children? It seems to me to be another incident of group punishment. I don't think God can easily differentiate between humanity in general and individual humans, he seems to preffer acting with a group at a time.
Sins of the fathers extend to the descendants. Think of it as motivation to not mess up, because your offspring are going to be cursing your name for thousands of years.
And I don't know about your group theory, God seemed capable of picking out Noah, and saving him and his family.
And if he exists he's definetly got some issues. He creates a painfully flawed race where our natural instincts don't even INCLUDE good (Good is something we have to make up as we go along) then says if we don't follow his moral guidlines (Some of which seem less moral and more vain. Why does worshipping God assure we're good people? I think maybe he just likes to be worshipped) then we're going to burn forever. Not to mention all the plagues and disease floating around. If he were nice he would have made us without great ambition and anger and other weaknesses and put us in Eden and not left that stupid tree hanging around.
Several points here.
a) God created a perfect race of people. Satan 'Poopie Head' AKA The Devil, messed it up for us.
b) God created very few guidelines. There are ten of them, and they're very simple to read and understand.
c) Worshiping God, acknowledging his existence, paying fealty, etc, doesn't make you a good person.
d) God created a perfect people, put us in a perfect world, but he gave us a choice. He left us the option to not worship and follow him. Had he left the tree out, I guarantee that people would be moaning about how God is a dictator, and doesn't give anyone free-will.
If we could synthesize it and give it to someone trustworthy, s/he could use them to create an alternate divine system, one that functions without difficult moral guidlines or ultimate justice.
No ultimate justice ... ? Ah, you want total anarchy then.
God made the animals. C) God made man. D) God made the rules. E) God made the consequences. F) God enforces the rules.
