Jesus Rocks and God is the Light of the World

You can learn a lot on the tubes. I re-watched Religulous and thought to myself... "Self... I wonder how the people in REAL AMERICA felt about that movie." So I did some extremely tough investigative journalism (i.e. opened up google and typed in the movie's name) and on the first page I stumbled across this little nugget of wisdom and glory:

"Maher: "Having no other gods before you, that's not moral...it's just something a jealous god would do."

The man who plays "Jesus" cites a passage that says God is a jealous God, and Maher replies:

" ..that seems so ungodlike, that God would have such a petty human emotion. I know people who have gotten over jealousy."

My answer:

The word for "jealousy" in Joshua 24:19....is used less than half a dozen times in the OT, and always is used to describe God. Nowhere is this word described as a sin. A related word is used to describe a husband who worries that his wife is walking out on him (Numbers 5). Sarna (Exodus commentary, 110) notes that the root of the word means "to become intensely red" and that it can refer to ardor, zeal, rage, or jealousy. Paul knows of a godly jealousy (2 Cor. 11:2), so is this a sin as we understand it? Jealousy is part of God's nature because it is demanded by who He is -- He is the only being who can indeed say He has a right to be jealous, since He is the only one who truly deserves utter respect and devotion. Malina in The New Testament World [126-7] adds that in the context of an honor-based world, jealousy was "a form of protectiveness that would ward off the envious and their machinations." It is a behavior that an honorable person is expected to "exhibit towards that which he or she is perceived to possess exclusive access." Thus for God to be jealous here is not a vice in context, but a supreme virtue and demonstration of His concern for Israel.

I doubt if Maher is familiar with agonistic societies.

Maher also says later, "[God] spends the first five books of the Bible wiping out people."

Really? I must have missed that where it was in Leviticus; there was a death toll of just two there, not exactly a wipeout. This is merely argument by outrage."

So, faithful readers of the Smokebomb, today we learned that:
a. Jealousy is not a sin because God is a man (not only an man... but the man) and it is just 'in his nature/who he is'. Also, you're supposed to feel jealous of the things you own.... therefore making it ok to wiretap your wife
b. Since Maher lied (2 people smited by God does not a massive death toll make.... DUH!) he is just a dumb dumb. Everyone knows it was only the first 4 books of the bible that count. I mean.... just because he ordered people into misery for incorporating fruit into their diet, killed everything and everyone with a massive flood while PMSing, turned someone into a pillar of salt for having the dishonor to turn around, had his son die in a pretty horrific and messy way, convinced people to almost kill their sons and daughters, and sent a bunch of plagues and then is going to judge the whole world... well I mean come on! That is totally normal behavior!

For more insightful commentary please check out this gentleman's rants and ravings here