God

The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction

By: Dan Barker

Narrated by: Dan Barker, Richard Dawkins, Buzz Kemper

What words come to mind when we think of God? Merciful? Just? Compassionate? In fact the Bible lays out God's primary qualities clearly: He's jealous, petty, unforgiving, bloodthirsty, vindictive - and worse!

Originally conceived as a joint presentation between influential thinker and best-selling author Richard Dawkins and former evangelical preacher Dan Barker, this unique book provides an investigation into what may be the most unpleasant character in all fiction.

Barker combs through both the Old and New Testaments (as well as 13 different editions of the "Good Book"), presenting powerful evidence for why Scripture shouldn't govern our everyday lives. This witty, well-researched book suggests that we should move past the Bible and clear a path to a kinder and more thoughtful world.

©2016 Dan Barker (P)2016 Pitchstone Publishing

Thank god I'm an atheist.

Game changer for me, Thanks so much Dan Barker , richard dawkins and buzz kemper for this amazing and detail book again thanks :)

Better as a reference book.

The title lives up to it's name. If there is any problem with it, it would be the incessant ramblings of its source material.

greatly enjoying the book

greatly enjoyed this book although breaking up some of the longer Bible text my might've helped it.

Know the REAL Lord/ God of the Bible

You have to increase the speed for this book by x1.1 to x1.2

This book is Explosive Expose of “God’s” true qualities based on the very book that attempts to describe “Him”. Taking a page from Richard Dawkins, former evangelist minister and co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, Dan Barker takes the readers on a journey through the Bible and during this trip he clearly describes the “Lord Jealous”.

1. Well-researched, well-written book. Barker takes glee in exposing the character of “God”.
2. The fascinating topic of the characterization of “God” through analyzing the Bible. “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, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
3. The chapters are broken out by character traits. Each chapter begins with a biblical appropriate passage. “A jealous and avenging God is the Lord, the Lord is avenging and wrathful.” —Nahum 1:2”
4. Barker knows the Bible with mastery and provides countless biblical passages that clearly supports his main points. “He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering.” (Genesis 22:2)”
5. So many biblical passages that will make your head spin. “Leviticus 19:28 “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh on account of the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”
6. Traits of an unjust “God”. “Exodus 22:18 “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.””
7. The concept of hell. “The concept of eternal Hell, a truly infinite lack of forgiveness, does not occur until the New Testament, thanks to Jesus.”
8. Many examples of “God’s” Type-A micromanagement.
9. Traits of a vindictive “God”. “Deuteronomy 32:35 “The Lord says, … ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’””
10. The bloodthirsty lord. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar; for, as life, it is the blood that makes atonement. (Leviticus 17:11)”
11. Threatening nonbelievers, so cruel. “2 Chronicles 15:13 “All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.””
12. Ethnic cleanser of biblical proportions. “Go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. (1 Samuel 15:3)”
13. Misogyny and plenty of it. “Deuteronomy 22:28–29 “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her; he may not put her away all his days.” RSV (You broke it, you buy it.)”
14. So anti-gay. “Leviticus 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them.””
15. The Bible endorses slavery, how terrible. “Leviticus 25:44–46 “As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are round about you. You may also buy from among the strangers [NRSV: “aliens”] who sojourn with you and their families that are with you, who have been born in your land; and they may be your property.””
16. Examples of infanticide. “O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us! Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock! (Psalm 137:8–9)”
17. Examples of megalomania. ““So I will display my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” —Ezekiel 38:23””
18. Examples of malevolence. ““I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” —Isaiah 45:7, KJV”
19. Just a plain old bully. “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go. (Exodus 10:20)”
20. Examples of flame-happy “God”. “Leviticus 21:9 “And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.” KJV (Notice that her “crime” is profaning her father.)”
21. And so much more.

Redundancy is the point

Repetitive but the bible is nothing other but. Barker made me question if the bible is a good source to teach benevolent, kind, or good works? Maybe it would be if one only wants to teach strict, narrow, BCE and early CE judaic law to tabula rossa minds. I personally believe current ideas based on humanism, social and personal responsibility, science, and our interconnectedness with the life giving planet 'Earth' are superior to relying on 'The Holy Bible'.

Chapter 31, 32

Dan wrote incredibly accurate on the Bible I would like to recommend to my kids. All ministers pulpit pounders are abusing children.

Amazing.

Extremely well written and put together. Both educational and entertaining at the same time. I have no doubts in recomending this book to anyone who wishes to be educated about what is really in the bible, both old and new testament.

God worse than I already knew.

I liked the book, but it was a little tedious at times. But I should have expected as much to a point, as it is basically scripture study. But there is SO MUCH that was not taught to me and/or I glossed over in my early days of devout religion. Awesome.

The Most Unpleasant Character In All Fiction

Dan Barker does a great job compiling hundreds of verses from the bible to demonstrate every negative attribute of the god of the bible and has added some reasonable commentary along with it. This is truly a good book as it cuts out all the fluff and filler and shined a spotlight on all the putrid filth and blood dripping from nearly every page of the damn bible.

useful

the book is a bit laborious to get through, however the content / information is well organized and will prove as a good point of reference when engaged in countering religious zealots.