While the Bible is used so swear oaths on from the court room to political office and is often heard in the popular statement, “I’ll swear on a whole stack of Bibles.” evidently few people who use the Bible as a moral and ethical guide have ever really considered the true character of its two deities!
I don't think Harry McCall understands what the Trinity is or anything about what the Bible teaches about God. His whole point on this article is that the Bible records lies of God. But does he present any evidence of God lying?
Divine Lie 1
In 1 Kings, Yahweh has his 400 prophets lie to Ahab:
"Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” (1 Kings 22: 6)
Divine Lie 2
Jehoshaphat knows God has His prophets lying to Ahab and tells him to send for the prophet Micaiah who confirms that God is indeed a lair:
"Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. “The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. 21 “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The LORD said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.’ “Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.” (1 Kings 22: 19 – 23)
Let's take both of these at the same time. Because McCall's second example is supposed to confirm the first lie. Scriptures say that all prophecy is from God. Therefore while God allowed the lying spirit to lie to Ahab through 400 prophets, it was also God that told Micaiah what happened in Heaven and made it known to Ahab and Jehoshaphat. and yet both Kings chose to attack Ramoth-gilead although they knew they shouldn't. This wasn't God's fault and God made sure that they knew better. McCall is wrong. God did not lie in this situation or any situation.
Divine Lie 3
The Prophet Jeremiah accuses God of being a deceiver and a liar:
"Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the throat.” (Jeremiah 4: 10)
Jeremiah was not really accusing God of lying. Jeremiah was telling how he felt. He had been abused and oppressed for telling people what God told him to say. He was suffering and felt betrayed because he did not think he would be suffering so much for doing the right thing. However, no where did God promise Jeremiah (or anyone of us) no pain and no suffering due to our obedience to Him. Several places in scripture tells us that we should expect pain and suffering in life period.
Divine Lie 4
Jeremiah again accuses God of lying:
"O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me." (Jeremiah 20:7)
Same as number 3.
Divine Lie 5
God will lie to anyone He doesn't like:
"And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel." (Ezekiel 14: 9)
Maybe McCall is afraid that God does not like him. I wish McCall would remember context. It's not God does not like this prophet. This is in context of judgement for idolatry.
Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. 5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’
6 “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
7 “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. 8 I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9 “‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. 10 They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. 11 Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” - Ezekiel 14:1-11
Divine Lie 6
God lies to Adam about the Tree of Knowledge:
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2: 17)
God’s lie is further exposed when the talking snake tells the truth.
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 3: 4)
McCall is forgetting that God is not against Knowledge (read Proverbs if you need proof). The Tree was not the Tree of Knowledge. It was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God did not tell Adam that that Adam would die immediately if he ate of the fruit. McCall forgets that God said the creation was perfect - no death. Adam would not have ever died had he not disobeyed God. McCall has written a lot on Debunking Christianity decrying and whining about suffering and evil yet thinks that the serpent was telling the truth while the fact that listening to the snake caused all the evil and suffering he wants to blame on God. The snake lied to Eve, not God.
Divine Lie 7
God lies to cover-up his lies:
“He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.” (Psalm 101: 7)
How does God putting out liars, cover God's lies? It doesn't. No logic here either. Let's keep looking for a good argument.
Divine Lie 8
God lies about his holiness to cover up more of his lies:
“There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,
A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers." (Proverbs 6: 16 -19)
Asserting a lie does not make it a lie. Good thing God doesn't sue people for slander against Him. Hopefully, McCall will repent before it is too late.
Divine Lie 9
Jesus lies to get his apostles and to get converts.
“Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." (John 14: 11 – 14)
This statement of Jesus was made after the 12 made their commitment to him. Also McCall doesn't provide any evidence that this isn't true. Jesus did not lie. McCall likes to pretend that he used to be a believer, but I find his testimony wanting. If he had, he would be able to tell Jesus was telling the truth firsthand.
Divine Lie 10
Jesus lies about his Second Coming:
“Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16: 28)
Nope. McCall should read Pastor Mark Driscol's commentary on this verse. Oh wait I have it right her: Tough Text Thursday: Matthew 16:28. McCall shouldn't be thought of a liar in this case. The problem here is ignorance. It's a difficult verse Still a failure in exegesis, but an understandable failure.
Ironically, the Biblical authors of the Old and New Testament end up believing and then (unknowingly) condemning their own Gods:
“He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." (1 Samuel 15: 29)
"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21: 8)
McCall fails to show how God lied about anything. Ten premises....ten fails.
Debunking Christianity: The Biblical Lies of God and Jesus
