But regardless, I like Ebons version. Too many people(including too many Christians) forget God is loving AND just.

[Emphasis mine]

You Christians keep using these words. I do not think they mean what you think they do.

But regardless, I like Ebons version. Too many people(including too many Christians) forget God is loving AND just.

merely a poem written by a woman.

What's that supposed to mean?

Doesn't a child need consequences when he/ or she misbehaves against the parents?

A child needs to be disciplined in a fashion appropriate and proportionate to the actual offense, accompanied by a clear explanation of why the child's behavior is wrong and why it resulted in the parent's actions, when he or she behaves in a fashion that actually harms someone or is likely to. God's wrath, as depicted, fails every element of this.

The child is still loved, but must be taught lovingly, but firmly.

Am I to understand that you actually believe that what is depicted in the bible verses Ebon quotes constitutes "teaching lovingly, but firmly?" Burning someone alive in hell forever, after a person dies, with no escape and no chance to learn from the experience and apply it in life, is "teaching lovingly but firmly?"

Let me put it this way. Earlier today my four year old, mildly autistic daughter, after a somewhat stressful morning, began throwing a tantrum, essentially due to the symptoms of autism sometimes called "rules," in which she becomes extremely agitated when things are changed or not done a certain way. Her mother and I told her to calm down, and after a moment I told her to go to her room and sit on her bed for a time-out if she was going to act like this, which made her scream and whine harder. She initially refused to stay there, but I told her firmly that she needed to. We went back and forth with it a bit, but eventually, as she was calming down but still crying a bit, I came in and sat with her and explained that it was okay for people to change things in her environment, that she needed to not act like this because it made her look foolish and hurt other people's ears, and a few other things. She calmed down and was allowed to go off of time-out, and was fine for quite a while after that.

Apparently, in your mind, the appropriate response would be to leave her home alone, watch her behavior from a security camera, offer no guidance or support or teaching whatsoever, and then, after she fell asleep, grab her, throw her in the oven, lock it, and set it to "Clean."

Please tell me that you don't have children of your own. ...and that you don't have them because they were never born, not because you decided to "teach them lovingly, but firmly."

Why don't you quote the verses of the Bible as they are used in context to show that the punishments and warnings here are due to the people disobeying God, and not following Jesus Christ.

First, that would have to actually be wrong; since it doesn't harm anyone (God, after all, is indestructible), how can it be? Second, even if it was, refer to my earlier point about making punishments appropriate, proportionate, and providing clear guidance (obvious myths in a jumbled book riddled with scientific and historical absurdities whose intended import no two people familiar with it entirely agree upon don't count).

The Bible doesn't ask you do anything evil to anyone. The Bible, and Jesus Christ only teach things which even non beleivers would deem as good and not harmful.

The falsity of these claims has been demonstrated, and if you'd done even a half-assed job of looking into what atheists (or, for that matter, many non-Christian or unconventionally-Christian theists) actually write, you'd know this.

Also, if you are an atheist, why do you bother trying to convince others of that? If you don't want to beleive in God, then so be it, and leave it at that if you choose.

Among many other reasons, concern for the welfare of the children of people who believe that burning someone alive is "teaching lovingly and firmly.

The Bible doesn't ask you do anything evil to anyone. The Bible, and Jesus Christ only teach things which even non beleivers would deem as good and not harmful.

Ha ha ha! Oh man, sometimes it's too easy.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

The big deal is that God does not carry people through times of toughness.

so you default to some other, even more improbable idea and say, "Viola."

What do stringed instruments have to do with it? Can he say "Violin" instead?

(Sorry, couldn't help picking the nit. It's "Voila.")