u/BattleFries86

WARNING: This may come across as a bit rambly or rant-ish, with a question at the end. MY apologies if this puts you off at all.

~ ~ ~

So, I'm an agnostic secular Jew, but I don't hate Judaism or anything. But just watching people discuss things online... I had this one very pointed moment that changed my mindset of the Jewish god completely.

It was when I finally read the actual text of the parts of Exodus about the Ten Plagues, ending with the angel of death killing every firstborn in Egypt while passing over the homes of Jews who marked their homes with the blood of a sacrificial lamb, IIRC, and the entire holiday of Passover that's typically a big gathering of friends and family.

And I actually read the passages, and God tells Moses to tell Pharaohs to let his people go, or else the next plague will come.

But every time this happens, God hardens Pharaoh's heart beforehand, thus ensuring that he will never give into God's demands because God has hardened his heart so he cannot agree.

Every victim of every plague, every firstborn in every Egyptian family - from royalty to slaves, innocent or guilty - is murdered by this so-called 'god' for no other reason I can discern save pure cruelty.

And Judaism has an entire holiday devoted to the Passover of the Jews and the mass murderer of so many others alongside that Passover.

That was the moment when I could no longer look back at Judaism as just the religion I grew up with and left on amicable terms, and was forced to look at it as the tales of a whimsical being of power who kills humans, gives humans cruel tests for no reason, and orders humans to slaughter other humans.

It's when I realized that the 'god" of Judaism is like a child playing cruel games with his toys.

And that's my story.

I'm curious if anyone else has That One Moment when their entire view of any religion and/or secular set of viewpoints changed completely, for better or for worse.

Thank you all for listening. Wishing everyone all the very best~!