Job 1
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Discuss.
The science fiction writer Robert Heinlein wrote a fun but weird modern day retelling of the Job story. In that version, by the end of the story the devil took pity on Job and erased Job’s memory of whole trial and created a small part of hell to be a small town in Kansas and Job lived happily ever after with the woman he loved. I got the impression that Heinlein didn’t think much of God torturing Job over a petty bet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.....of_Justice
Also given the original Job story, the collateral damage to Job’s friends and family was total. Through no fault of their own, they got killed off.
Speaking of Robert Heinlein, this quote
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as “bad luck.”
may very well be his most memorable.
Looks like socialism to me. Job works his ass off tilling his fields and increasing his flocks, then God comes along, confiscates it, and gives it all to Satan. The original food stamp program. Satan probably was an illegal immigrant in Job’s country, too. This is the god that Republicans worship?
Maybe for you. I don’t remember his saying it.
Heinlein was a strong libertarian, he didn’t like authoritarian governments of any flavor.
As I remember much of his works, he also thought that while individuals could be good and caring, selfless and compassionate and smart, people in general were stupid, selfish, petty, needlessly mean and greedy.
@2 Assuming “advances which permit this norm to be exceeded … are the work of an extremely small minority,” is that the same extremely small minority that ends up with all the money (i.e., Wall Street bankers and traders, hedge fund managers, greenmailers, asset strippers and flippers, and CEOs), or are those guys a different extremely small minority?
Maybe the story is allegory and he’s really talking about OPEC.
@ 4
…he also thought that while individuals could be good and caring, selfless and compassionate and smart, people in general were stupid, selfish, petty, needlessly mean and greedy.
Don’t look now, Better, but I think you just paraphrased @2.
Thanks for the assist.
Switzerland’s rightwing party suffered a stunning electoral defeat today, with both of its referendum measures losing by 3-to-1 margins. The measures would have sharply curbed immigration and required Switzerland’s central bank to back the country’s currency with much larger gold reserves. It appears the Swiss know better than to let conservatives run their economic or immigration policies. Too bad our voters aren’t as smart as theirs.
“Speaking of Robert Heinlein, this quote…may very well be his most memorable.”
Yeah, to you wingnuts. In fact, a simple search reveals a number of wingnut sites quoting it.
I imagine you right-wing, totalitarian control freaks embrace this Heinlein quote too.
“The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.”
Little wonder you get off on such things as closing women’s health clinics and suppressing the right to vote.
I think from reading Heinlein’s works it’s impossible to say he was a libertarian, Republican or Democrat or any other political aspiration. He was an American. He stated at some point that readers should not try to figure out his personal politics from his works as he would use those politics that best fit the story he was telling.
Still Job is frankly a story that may be based on the Job mentioned elsewhere in the bible. Though one interesting fact is Job isn’t Jewish. Satan isn’t really the devil as we know him. Here the Satan is actually the accuser. See he hangs out with God and says hey God you aren’t so perfect. You don’t understand this creation called man. Job later becomes the accuser in the story. It’s not a factual story. Is it the inspired word of God or of some talented poet. That would be poets as a poet probably when the Hebrews were in Babylon put the middle section into the older story that included this passage. The poets are both inspired, and I believe capable on their own with no inspiration from God to have created this story.
Yet the question of why do bad things happen to good people is one of importance and hard to deal with. What are our responsibilities to our fellow human being? Jobs friends don’t quite get it thinking Job’s bitchiness is not called for yet Jobs god tells Jobs friends that Job’s whistleblowing is something he likes, and is most honest as the world as it truly is harsh and seemingly unjust.
Job comes out of this a changed man though. His daughters are now his sons equals, and important in their own right. Where he had slaves he no longer has slaves. Of course od is still in his heart and he believes in God he no longer fears God.
Where before he would never collect sticks on the day of the lord after this he just might if it needs to be done. He may also be less quick to condemn a man for collecting sticks or at least he won’t do it because he is afraid of the Lord.
Job’s god does not need the saccharin adulation of human beings. He also brings rain upon the heads of the good and evil alike.
Once again God is being a dick.
And in Job he admits I. Though no acknowledgment his given name is Richard.
The operative action here is what Satan asks God to do God will not.
God allows the god of HA DUMMOCRETIN atheists to perform his nasty work.
Satan, the original progressive DUMMOCRETIN! Creating havoc before then and now into December 2014!
This is a lesson the IDIOT Wabbit can’t comprehend in it’s senility. Satan accuses God of over blessing Job and that’s why Job worships and honors God. God is on trial here. Satan tells God to stop protecting Job and Job will curse God. Satan is the accuser (prosecutor). Butt, God doesn’t need any defense attorney. God allows Satan to perform his dirty work so the universe can see that Satan is a friend of HA DUMMOCRETINS!
When Job’s wife and all of Job’s friends tell Job to curse God, Job does not. Why? Because Job knows God. Job complains to God why this is happening butt Job NEVER curses God. Job never changes. Job still loves God the same way Job loved God before Satan attacked! Good God vs. evil Satan. In the end God blesses Job with more than he had before Satan attacked. Job is told by God to offer sacrifices for his friends because they mischaracterized God just like HA DUMMOCRETINS mischaracterize God every day and every way on this blog! Look at post #11!
Still trying to determine how #8 post from the IDIOT Wabbit has anything to do with Job? Ohhh wait… senility… HA’s IDIOT Wabbit gets a pass to pollute any thread at any time as the IDIOT Wabbit sees fit! Puddy’s baaaaaad!