God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist?

When our systematic theology comes into conflict with the Bible, the former needs to be modified, not the latter.

If it is okay for women to compose sections of the Bible, perhaps we should let them teach it?

When God seems distant in the midst of crises and pain, we can pray the psalms of lament. As we follow the pattern of the lament—from doubts and despair to prayer and petition—we eventually arrive at a place of hope, trust and praise.

Old Testament feasts weren’t designed to encourage gluttony but simply to remind Israel that God’s generosity was to be celebrated frequently.

Instead of following Jesus’ example of praising women who want to serve, we are often more like the sexist disciples, rebuking women who take initiative.

Love for people can lead to anger over a broken relationship. Love for people can also lead to anger about injustice.

Most people think of themselves as good, so they assume that in a just world they deserve good things and are troubled when bad comes their way. But Scripture informs us that from God’s perspective no one is good (Ps 14:3; Rom 3:23).

Attitudes that denigrate people of a particular race are, therefore, not only racist but also insulting to the God who created all people in his image. Racism ultimately is blasphemous, since the Bible first informs us that the people of each and every ethnicity resemble God himself.

Fear of tough texts won’t help. If we avoid them, they won’t go away. The only way to understand them is to read, study, discuss and teach them.