Elisha, bears and 42 children dead

[_Buffalo]

[_Rambo]

This was my favorite scripture when I was a believing Mormon because it gave me a good laugh. I actually don't really think I believed this scripture though because it was from the Bible and I figured that it wasn't translated correctly.

On my mission I shared this as a spiritual thought and warned people not to make fun of bald men. I said this was my Dads favorite scripture because he is bald too.

[_EAllusion]

Huck -

I made a claim that the Bible is replete with revenge fantasy and warnings of not messing with God or his chosen lest there be severe consequences. I brought up one of the more beautiful and famous Psalms as an example of what I'm talking about. I then described the sentiment at the end as evil. This isn't a wooden reading of the passage and you don't even appear to have a problem with my reading of it.

Regarding being mauled by bears, suppose you responded to a home invader by capturing them, skinning them alive, and boiling them in oil. Would this be a moral act by you? I don't think so. Suppose you pointed out that this was in self-defense and rhetorically asked me if I have a problem with self-defense. My issue isn't with self-defense. It's that I endorse the near universal idea that such harm should be necessary and proportionate to the offense. Likewise, being mauled by bears is a far more cruel way to protect Elisha, even if we accept that interpretation, then other means available to God. The upshot here is that this whole thing is just a myth and no actual god was involved. The downside is people like Hoops take it very seriously and are willing to corrupt their own moral thinking to defend it.

[_Simon Belmont]

If Elisha felt bad about being bald, why didn't he pray for God to give him hair, rather than praying for the miracle of revenge against those kids who were making fun of him?

He may have been autistic.

[_sock puppet]

If Elisha felt bad about being bald, why didn't he pray for God to give him hair, rather than praying for the miracle of revenge against those kids who were making fun of him?

He may have been autistic.

I've known people that have been diagnosed as autistic by psychologists, that have better written verbal skills than stemelbow exhibits. But then, Elisha did not dispute that he was bald, did he?

[_moksha]

Does anyone think this could have been the act of a renegade bear, who was acting independently of Elisha's anger at being taunted for his baldness?

If one approached this story as literal, without some midrashical moral message like, "you shouldn't taunt a man of God", then it speaks ill of the compassionate qualities of both Elisha and God.

Maybe wearing a skull cap could have solved the whole thing.

.

[_sock puppet]

Does anyone think this could have been the act of a renegade bear, who was acting independently of Elisha's anger at being taunted for his baldness?

If one approached this story as literal, without some midrashical moral message like, "you shouldn't taunt a man of God", then it speaks ill of the compassionate qualities of both Elisha and God.

Maybe wearing a skull cap could have solved the whole thing.

.

It would have been a most unusual event in the history of human-bear relations for 2 she bears to attack and tear 42 little children, if those facts occurred--which I do not believe did. I think it is a myth. That even makes it more profoundly stupid. If men are going to conjure up stories and create a god, they need to make him a mean curmudgeon? Just to scare the s*** out of people, frighten them into submission--into 'fear of god'? It makes the whole scenario all the more nefarious.

[_moksha]

If men are going to conjure up stories and create a god, they need to make him a mean curmudgeon?

The Old Testament is replete with such stories as this one. I imagine stories that got passed down in war-like tribes when life was short, nasty and brutish would be of a much sterner substance than Bambi or the Complete Works of Dr. Daniel C. Peterson, Vol 1-48.

The God of the New Testament offered an alternative.

[_sock puppet]

If men are going to conjure up stories and create a god, they need to make him a mean curmudgeon?

The Old Testament is replete with such stories as this one. I imagine stories that got passed down in war-like tribes when life was short, nasty and brutish would be of a much sterner substance than Bambi or the Complete Works of Dr. Daniel C. Peterson, Vol 1-48.

The God of the New Testament offered an alternative.

Mormonism's god is more of the ilk of the Old Testament, as just me has pointed out on another, current thread.

Even if the New Testament and Old Testament gods are different beings, aren't they one in purpose? So why was the Old Testament god's purpose so mean-spirited?

Were they just handed down stories, or do they reveal the nature of god?

[_ludwigm]

... some midrashical moral message like, "you shouldn't taunt a man of God" ...

I know a church (and You know, and we all know) which says nothing about taunting a man of God.
You should not criticize them (by the way even the critic is valid).