The Persistence of the Storybook God
Most religious adults, particularly those in developed nations, reject the simple storybook god, just as atheists do, or preserve only parts of it in their personal theologies. But just because they can no longer believe in the god of childhood doesn’t mean they want to give up on the god idea altogether. So they add sophistication to the concept, reinterpreting the anthropomorphic scriptural stories in a wide variety of non-literal ways that allow believers to preserve belief.
This doesn’t keep people from often thinking and speaking of God in the old ways, however. Belief in answered prayer is one such anthropomorphic slip: since an all-wise and all-knowing god wouldn’t change his mind just because unwise and ignorant people begged him to. (Moreover, the common use of he and his in reference to God is another such slip.)
But since it is the storybook god that provides the motivational engine behind the abstract god of theology (believers don’t start out as theologians), such slips are to be expected. Indeed, they are defended with complex rationalizations designed to make sense of them despite their incompatibility with the basic set of abstractions.
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How can one think only part of the story is true? I feel these people just don't want to give up the idea of a god yet they can't deny the impossible claims of the bible.
I see friends like this and they refuse to ask themselves the hard questions. They like living in the delusion. It is comfortable to them.
They have even admitted this to me.
I just can't believe my ears when I hear such things.
This reasoning is even worse as some of the most extreme creationists - they do give at least one single reason (God said it). This post contains only statements.
One bold claim for each shameful recommendation:
Bold claim 1: "Most religious adults, particularly those in developed nations(A), reject the simple storybook god(B), just as atheists do(C), or preserve only parts(D) of it in their personal theologies."
(So many claims in one sentence, at least all four A-D would be very hard to prove.)
Bold claim 2: "believers don’t start out as theologians"
(One counter example suffices, and I will have one.)