The Story of God: A Biblical Comedy about Love (and Hate)

"Part Kurt Vonnegut, half Douglas Adams, yet let's be sincere, Matheson had me at 'Based at the Bible.'"  —Dana Gould, comic and author   The Bible bargains a few clues to God's personality—he's alternately been known as vindictive and simply, bloodthirsty and worrying, omnipotent and impotent, capricious and foresighted, and loving and hateful. yet nobody has ever totally explored why God could be this sort of determine of contrasts. Nor has somebody ever satisfactorily defined what publications his courting not only with angels, the satan, and his son, but additionally with all of production. may well he be thoroughly misunderstood, a secret even to himself? may possibly his habit and activities towards humankind let us know even more approximately him than it does approximately us? input the brain of the writer of the universe, trip with him during the heavenly highs and hellish lows of his tale, from Genesis to Revelation, to higher comprehend his burdensome trip: being God is not effortless. After listening to his story—at occasions troubling and tragic yet regularly hilarious in its absurdity and divine in its comedy—you'll by no means examine a miracle or catastrophe—or at our position within the universe, or God's—the comparable method back.

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Your plan is for them to not obey you? ” Satan’s “innocent” questions annoyed God. “Exactly! ” he snapped. “But should you already comprehend they won’t obey you, then what’s the purpose of checking out them? ” God stared at devil for a moment, then shook his head in a timely fashion. “Leave the large considering to me, all right, devil? ” That clean glance back. “He’s mocking me,” God inspiration. “I should still kill him immediately. Why do i want this man? I don’t. growing him, which I evidently did, was once a mistake and I’m going to rectify that mistake instantly. ” God glowered at devil and ready to kill him—then hesitated, reconsidered. “No. i'm God. i don't make errors. i'm, through my very own definition, excellent, no longer even in a position to a ‘mistake. ’ hence, i need to have created devil for an ideal cause. i'm going to forget about his ridiculous questions and make him do my bidding. ” “Here’s the purpose, devil: i've got commanded them to not devour of the tree of information of fine and evil. ” (Gen 2:17) “The what? ” “The tree of information of excellent and evil,” God repeated, puffing up a piece, really pleased with the identify he’d given the tree. “Not pretentious within the least,” he’d congratulated himself. “What is that? ” “It’s a tree that includes wisdom of excellent and evil, evidently. ” “And you don’t wish them to understand the variation among them? ” God tightened. He’d had adequate of this asinine line of wondering; this wasn’t concerning the damned tree, this used to be approximately obedience! “Just take heed to what i'm telling you to do, okay, devil? ” devil crossed his hands and checked out God silently. “As I acknowledged, i need you to check the people, in particular the lady. there's something approximately her that I don’t belief. ” “That’s since you like males. ” God glared at devil, understanding rather well what he intended. “Rise above it, Lord,” he informed himself. “You are higher than this, don't get pulled right down to his demonic point. ” “As i used to be announcing, devil, i need you to take the shape of a speaking creature of a few variety. ” “How a few reptile? ” “A reptile, hmmm—yes, which can paintings. you can be a speaking reptile and you may trick the lady into consuming the fruit of the tree of information. ” “How may still I trick her? ” “Tell her … inform her that she is going to no longer die if she eats the fruit, ha! ” (Gen. 3:4) “Which is right. ” “Which is right, precisely, convinced! ” “Even notwithstanding you already instructed the guy that in the event that they ate the fruit they'd die? ” “I was once establishing the trick, Satan,” God defined, as though chatting with a tender baby, even rolling his eyes a bit to suggest “how dim you're. ” devil simply seemed again at him. “You are telling her the reality as a part of the trick, do you no longer comprehend me, devil? ” “I do comprehend you. ” That comment hung within the air for a second. “Oh no you do not,” God idea to himself. devil left quickly after that and God breathed a sigh of reduction. What a foul individual he was once, so nasty and insinuating and regularly with that vaguely bemused tone to his voice, as though he knew whatever, which he didn't. “Why did I create him? ” God requested himself. “To paintings opposed to me? Why would i need that?

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