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Samuel Roberts's avatar

Another excellent substack -- until the last sentence! The actions of those deceased were certainly heroic but I'd supply a different seconr adjective: humane. I don't see how their sacrifice can be attributed to faith or belief in a deity. And to my mind that attribution diminishes the sacrifice.

Job is one of the great biblical stories, but to me (a staunch atheist) the most important feature is the setup: God decides to test Job (or to remove his protection and allow Satan a free hand) only because Satan goads God, challenging His omnipotence. God's permitting Job to undergo terrible suffering is in essence an inhumane act of pride, a response to a dare. My takeaway as an adolescent was: what an Asshole! Decades later, my reaction is the same, leading me to say to Him, as would LR: "F*k off!"

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Dr. Deborah Hall's avatar

I am so moved by your last lines I can't write.

I can only thank you for your compassion.

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