God, the Unpleasant Character

"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."

~Richard Dawkins

I'm sure the above quote, from Dawkins' book, The God Delusion, is familiar to most Athiests. However, I heard it today for the very first time, and am so in awe of it that I thought it deserved its own post in my blog. I agree with it wholeheartedly -- I have previously made attempts to construct a similar statement myself, but did not come close to the thoroughness and sharp eloquence Dawkins wields.


Don't agree with the statement?


Let me ask you this...have you read the Old Testament? Really read it? Not just studied parts of it in bits and pieces, but sat down and devoured it like a novel, so that you could keep every incident fresh in your mind, and get an overall impression of the whole thing?


If you haven't, then with all due respect, shut up and read. I suggest the New Living Translation; it is probably best for this purpose.


After you've read it, really read it, come to me and try to tell me which part of Dawkins' statement is incorrect.