Apologists sometimes attack religious people’s attitudes instead of G-d’s existence directly. One central argument of theirs is that the holy texts are rife with corrupt people and gods who are not only not worth emulating but pose as the holiest figures alive in the eyes of believers.
The Bible’s most central figures are those who possess unseemly characteristics. Abraham and Jacob trick other people and appear not to have any remorse. Isaac aligns himself with Esau, the more depraved of his two sons. Joseph engages in political trickery with his brothers while in a position of power—just as a ploy. Moses is a heartless leader who executes rebels without any remorse—with G-d’s command.
Even in polytheism, we have principal gods with essential flaws. Zeus is an unrepentant adulterer, perhaps even a rapist. Hermes cheats and steals even as an infant and uses these tools to become a god—and he goes unpunished. Loki, after becoming a divinity, makes a point of deliberately ruining everyone else’s plans and spoiling the fun for any living creature in sight for his own sport.
St. Augustine had a child out of wedlock, and excessively experiments with beliefs and practices, like a college student. Why is he considered the paradigm of the Christian saint for all time?
There are those in the Bible whose sins are never mentioned. Rabbinic interpreters have identified Benjamin and Jesse, David’s father, as two people who never sinned, and died only on account of Adam’s curse. We can choose some of these for role models, can’t we? Why does manipulative Joseph get all of the godliness, and sinless Benjamin get none? Why haven’t we set things right this far away from the redaction of the holy texts?
An essential truth exists: religion is not made only for absolutely flawless human beings. (Neither is anything else, for that matter). Furthermore, concerning people without sin such as Benjamin and Jesse—there is little to no narrative about them, and nothing for people to apply in their everyday lives or conversations.
It also necessary to establish a notion that people who sin do not have their holiness disqualified just because of that. On the contrary, all human beings sin—the question is how to sin so as to make holiness manifest itself in all other aspects of life. This is why St. Augustine becomes the Christian Saint. Because of his sexual exploits and previous wayward religious experiences, he was able to revert the power from these sins into holy energy.
Another thing concerning the Biblical figures with character flaws is that negative character traits can spawn positive and even righteous results. Being zealous for G-d’s sake or being able to divorce yourself from your loyalties is something that becomes necessary in dire straights—Moses typifies that throughout his desert journey. Joseph knows that making his brothers suffer will strengthen their resolve and commitment—an important lesson for parents and educators everywhere. Isaac’s love for Esau indicates that it is a good idea to give love even to a wicked person. Abraham, Jacob, and David used their wiles to save their lives—a useful idea to anyone undergoing a life-threatening situation at the hands of people.
As to the gods with character flaws, especially serious ones, these serve to put human beings on a higher level than the gods. The Homeric writings make clear that if humans had all of the power, they would sink into depravity and self-interest in the same way Zeus is a womanizer and Loki a malevolent clown. While the gods have good traits sometimes, their reality is more indulgent and more amoral in comparison to the realm of humans. To these polytheists, morality is to exist on earth among humans to make up for the wickedness among the Pantheon.
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