I’ve long had the view that the earlier parts of the Bible tend to display a god-concept which, to me, looks uncomfortably like an old-fashioned oriental despot. That isn’t remotely consistent with my peak mystical experiences, which include something like omnibenevolence as well as a well of power which could wipe me out in an instant – but which eventuality is never going to happen, to me or anyone else (much as I might think some people deserve that*).
I’ve tended to view this as an inevitable result of what a people with only very undeveloped concepts of societal organisation and power thinking about an entity (if that’s the right word) with a level of power which would have to be described as divine would come up with. Let’s face it, the Greek and Roman gods were generally thought of as arbitrary, picking favourites and generally behaving in a manner which in a human would be considered despicable in any reasonably liberal circles. I’ve been encouraged by the biblical counter-narrative which, I think, becomes more prominent the later the writing is through the Hebrew scriptures, of real omnibenevolence, underlined by the narrative of Jesus’ statements which tend overwhelmingly in the direction of love – neighbours, yes, but even enemies (such as Samaritans and Romans).
And yet… I’ve looked at the recent career of Donald Trump and seen the relentless self-aggrandisement and fawning (and entirely misplaced) adulation of his Republican MAGA supporters, and thought that if one only had their narrative to work with, Trump would be seen as all-knowing, all-powerful (which he’s uncomfortably close to being, so far as an individual human can be) and as the best thing since sliced bread, and I think about the narrative which has God nearly wipe out humanity shortly after the start of the narrative and then repeatedly command the wiping out of other nations – Amalekites, Philistines, Moabites and more. (And who arguably condemns the whole of humanity on the basis of one bad choice by a couple of people who on the face of the story lacked the knowledge of good and evil…) And I wonder whether just possibly that is the true situation…
Faced with a despotic and erratic ruler, one would naturally think of praising their mercy and kindness in the perhaps vain hope that they might be flattered and show something like that.
Of course, historical despots always ruled because the people permitted and encouraged their behaviour, which tended to be accompanied by wild statements about their personal characteristics (to avoid their narcissistic wrath), and also (because people on the whole had a shrewd suspicion that the emperor had no clothes) with a rapid turning on anyone who suggested that the despot was in some way flawed. I see suggestions that criticising Trump should result in penalties up to and including imprisonment and deportation and shudder. Sadly, I see a lot of self-proclaimed Christians spending a LOT of time praising God and perhaps even more criticising or fighting people who don’t share their opinion – and I have in mind that we still have blasphemy laws in my country. As if an omnipotent deity could be in the slightest way harmed by some random human’s ideas, even if expressed (say) as vigorously as by a Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens.
I think my worry is unfounded. But I think the evidence shows that quite a lot of my fellow Christians think that God is actually like that…
* I do hold open the possibility that all will not be saved because some will choose oblivion rather than fellowship with God – and more importantly people they hate… which leads me to wonder whether, if offered oblivion or eternal fellowship with the Trump-like god-concept, I wouldn’t choose oblivion.