Here are his actual remarks.

I don't know. I try to stay away from that kind of drama. Obviously if people are sacrificing their children to Moloch you don't want to tolerate that. Generally speaking, I suppose adults can be trusted to find their own way.

Well, he is a little pissy about the "worshiping other gods" thing. In the Old Testament, he can scarcely turn his back without the Israelites running off with Ba'al or Golden Calves. He has some trust issues after that, I think.

heh, Bill, when I feel like messing with my more religious friends, I ask them things like, "Well, if God is the one true God, then why did he need the first commandment? I mean, if there are no other gods, why does he need to worry about people worshiping them? Kind of petty, don'tcha think?"

Heh heh heh.

One thing that always got me about the Golden Calf story...these people had just witnessed the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea and the subsequent drowning of the Egyptian Army. Why on Earth would they decide to create another god when they just saw how their existing one handled the last group of people who pissed him off?

Yeah, that OT God was a righteous ass kicker. He was as cool as George Washington.

From reading the news stories and the link that Laura provided, I don't see what the big deal is. So some of the bible study group went "Anglican" and he criticized them for it. Call me when he starts talking about beheadings or other methods of death to infidels.

Actually, Bill, I read a book a while back, called A History of God that, IIRC talked about that sort of question. Basically, said that the Israelites were (at one time) polytheists, and many of the traditions held up even after they became monotheists. There was also some discuss, again, IIRC, that the God of the Old Testament was actually a couple of different gods at different times in history. The book's well worth the read (the author is a former nun, so she probably knows her stuff)

"the God of the Old Testament was actually a couple of different gods at different times in history."

Not surprising, if you consider that, as the Bible says, he revealed himself to different people at different times. Why would he let everybody stumble around in complete ignorance until he started talking to Abraham?

Hey, the coolest thing about the Golden Calf story is Eddie G. Robinson...

(the author is a former nun, so she probably knows her stuff)

I would say, rather, that she probably has a few axes to grind.

KG,

I have heard about the early Israelis being polytheistic, some even believe that strict monotheism did not come into being until the Babylonian Exile and the influence of Zoroastrianism. I haven't read the book, but I may look into it.

Considering how easily people fall into and out of earthly loves, the First Commandment strikes me as a sensible precaution. =)

Karen Armstrong does indeed have axes to grind, Bill. I made it partway into the book before I tossed it aside. There didn't seem to be anything new in it; the only thing she was certain of was that the orthodox view just couldn't be right. Everything else was up for grabs.

The OT was a little vague on whether any of the gentiles' gods actually existed, but the first commandment kind of coppers the Israelites' bets on it. Whether they're real or not is irrelevant; they only have one god either way.

I sort of sympathize with this guy Drollinger, not wanting to do an Armstrong on his religion. But in that case, he's just not cut out for a ministry like this one. (And I'd say that even if he hadn't lumped me in with the heathen.)

"Putting words in God's mouth" has always been my definition of blasphemy.

I've always figured that saying "Thus saith the Lord" when He didn't actually saith it was the definition of taking the name of the Lord thy God in vain.