Genesis Revisited #3 – Who Is the Creator?

[It is not required, but my blog, “Genesis Revisited (#2) – Beliefs Held,” lists several unbiblical beliefs mandated by the common version of the creation story.  Knowing what they are may come in handy while reading this and the following blogs.]

Most of the biblical prophets warned the people against the incorporation of foreign beliefs into what God gave at Mt. Sinai.  Such actions rejected covenant and diluted faith in the one true God.  Even a pious religious façade would not save them.  

How is that different from Christian’s unbiblical beliefs that overshadow the biblical creation?  Let us look at how “perfectionistic” concepts distort the omnipotence (all powerful) and omnipresence (present everywhere) characteristics of our God.

God is so perfect that He resides in heaven therefore not on earth.  If that is true, then He is just another Zeus sitting on Mount Olympus.  He is not always with us.  He requires help from other spiritual beings (like angels) to know what is happening down here in the dirt.  Except: The God of the Bible is always with us.  He is within us.  We cannot go any place where He is not.

God is so perfect that His creation had to be perfect.  He could not create imperfection.  If that is true, creation cannot testify to His existence or His act of creating, because nothing is perfect.  As believers, we should not call anything good or beautiful.  Except: Goodness and beauty surrounds us and nature teaches us deep truths about humanity and God.  God is so perfect that He created an imperfect world so that we could have free choice.

God is so perfect that He only created good things.  All bad things come from some other entity (like Satan) or force (like sin).  If that is true, then God is not the God of all creation.  Some things are not under His authority.  Except: Giving God’s authority to anything within creation is idolatry.  Genesis One says God made everything above and everything below.  Everything means everything.  God took responsibility for all the good things and all the bad things.  Satan’s curse removed his ability to do more than whisper.  Likewise, sin is not a force.  It is a choice to transgress law.  Any creativity comes from humans who follow the voice of Satan and invent new ways to express evil.  These people reject their responsibility and teach others to give Satan the credit.

God is so perfect that He could not imagine Satan’s actions.  If that is true, God’s knowledge is limited.  He is not the Lord of all, and no different from any mythical god.  Except: Without God’s permission, Satan cannot even whisper.  God is in control, but He gives his creations the ability to choose.

God is so perfect that He could not imagine Eve or Adam’s disobedience.  If that is true, God’s knowledge of His creation is extremely limited.  He could not maintain a perfect world, how can He control this corrupt one?  So, Satan must control this world.  Except: That is idolatry, even if it is a reversal of worship.  God is in control.  He sees what is going on and what can happen next.  God created the garden scenario to transpire as He chose.  We must have faith that God knows what He is doing.

God is so perfect that sin repulsed Him.  If that is true, sin was more powerful then the Creator.  By leaving, God is not everywhere, thus limited.  Except: God came to Adam and Eve, talked to them.  Then, He taught them to make clothing.  Our Creator was never forced to do anything, never forced to reject anyone.  He always comes to us to convict sin.  He always desires our repentance.  God even knocks on the worst sinner’s door.

The God described by “perfectionism” was too weak to maintain a perfect creation.  He was too nearsighted to see what lay ahead.  His incompetence doomed humanity, and then He blamed and condemned us.  He let sinful humans live.  Not just Adam and Eve, but Cain and Noah’s family lived to reproduce sin.  The God of “perfectionism” is too perfect to take responsibility for His own actions.

I reject that theology.  It does not describe the biblical God, who is in control even when our world is in chaos.  It represses the love, mercy, and forgiveness that define His very being and the goodness of His creation.  We need to stop hating humanity.  We need to stop placing limits on a limitless God.

To be continued:

[Lessons from Creation’s Parables: Genesis and Standard Science, Sung as One, by Jo Helen Cox.]

Also in this series:

Genesis Revisited #1 – What to Worship

Genesis Revisited #2 – Beliefs Held

Genesis Revisited #4 – Meaning of Days

Genesis Revisited #5 – A Poetic Creation

Also see series:

Eden Revisited

Eden Revisited