Compare And Contrast Lamb And Richard Dawkins

God in the Old Testament is perceived in many ways, from violent to loving, to unjust and fair-minded. David Lamb and Richard Dawkins both explain contradicting perceptions of God. Dawkins’ quote from, “The God Delusion” gives off a negative tone of God’s image. Dawkins uses words such as: misogynistic, megalomaniacal, and a capriciously malevolent bully.” While Lamb applauds Dawkins’ attempt to bring the issues up to the surface, Lamb believes that Dawkins exaggerates the negative side of God. However, Lamb does acknowledge the different sides of God and the way he chooses to handle a situation. Lamb responds to Dawkins’ claims by providing full examples of God behaving badly and he shows his positive aspects as well(17). Lamb reveals that

In Lamb’s chapter, “Sexist or Affirming?”, Lamb explains how many christian women stop following God because of how he portrays women as just servants to men. However, Lamb says that, “The charge of sexism in the Bible is based upon a lack of knowledge of Scripture”(47). He elaborates more on how God created mankind in his image and he blessed both men and women. However, even the order of who came first makes people believe that God put women inferior to men. However, we are not supposed to get confused over the term submission and inferior and label them equal to each other. God brought a woman out of a manand when Adam and Eve sinned they were both put under difficult circumstances. Eve was cursed with painful childbearing and submission to Adam. While Adam was told, “...cursed is the ground because of you”. Lamb explains how the woman’s, “curse” was not really a curse, “...while the ground of the man is cursed (and the serpent is directly cursed)”(57). Lamb tells us that it was not God’s intention to bring forth such harsh punishment to both the first man and women, but their disobedience to him resulted in punishment. God wants us to know that out of love he protects us and provides discipline to guide us into the correct

While in other’s eyes God is just using his power and legalistic ways in a negative way for his people. Lamb explains how through God’s mercy he gives us grace through obedience to his laws he creates. These, “harsh laws”(121), were set aside for the people in the land to follow to have an account to. The creation of these laws was for Israel to have a legal system(122), they were given many laws to follow since they were a nation right out of slavery. Many of these laws were actually a blessing to his people, such as the commandment of the Sabbath day. God told the Israelites to rest after their six days of tiresome labor, and to keep the Sabbath day holy. Another claim against the Sabbath day is the death of the man who was collecting sticks on that day and God ordered for him to be stoned death(125). People use this example of God to be shown as unmerciful and megalomaniacal. While no one listens to the underlying cause of God’s actions. A man who was supposed to be resting on a holy day God set out for the Israelites was working and God gave clear instructions not to do so on that day. As a result, he was stoned to death and God only wants his children to obey his rules and to honor and respect him. Also, God gave specific instructions and showed the importance of the Sabbath