(OPINION) The New York Times published an op-ed Friday that proposes eliminating belief in God — as one of the holiest weekends of the year begins. Titled “In This Time of War, I Propose We Give Up God,” the article claims that God is responsible for “war and violence” and for “oppression and suffering,” and suggests that people stop teaching children about Him.
Author Shalom Auslander, who is disillusioned about his upbringing in a religious Jewish community in New York, argues (original emphasis): God, it seems, paints with a wide brush.
He paints with a roller. In Egypt, said our rabbi, he even killed first-born cattle. He killed cows. If he were mortal, the God of Jews, Christians, and Muslims would be dragged to The Hague. And yet we praise him. We emulate him. We implore our children to be like him.
Perhaps now, as missiles rain down and the dead are discovered in mass graves, is a good time to stop emulating this hateful God. Perhaps we can stop extolling his brutality.
Perhaps now is a good time to teach our children to pass over God — to be as unlike him as possible. Killing gods is an idea I can get behind. Good Friday is widely observed on Friday, followed by Easter Sunday; Passover is observed starting on Friday night. READ MORE
