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'scriptural proof' total depravity is stupid

Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 1:8
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Job 2:3
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.


Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Deuteronomy 18:13
Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.


1 Kings 15:14
But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

2 Kings 20:3
I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

2 Chronicles 15:17
But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

seems there were several perfect men before Jesus.
Maybe the law is meant to be kept?
and not as a cosmic joke by a cruel creator.

For me not being given the divine gift of belief of things
just because they are written don't know.

As I'm sure you would know if you'd read on a bit further, Job went on to sin and God came to him in a whirlwind and reproved him. Job then stated of himself: "behold, I am vile" and there is no record of God interrupting him and saying " Job, I disagree. You're still perfect."

Noah went on to sin and get drunk when he came out of the ark.

In the case of King Asa: the very verse you have quoted points out his sin: he allowed the idols to stay. He himself was not an idolator but he allowed his subjects to be so which was sin.

In the case of the many commandments from God telling us to be perfect, those do not disprove total depravity either. Jesus specialises in commanding the impossible. He commanded a dead man to live. He commanded a blind man to see. He called Peter to walk to him on the water. And he commands the wicked to be perfect. All of those things come to pass, according to his Word.

LOL I made two separate posts. The first concerned the men you mentioned. The second concerned commandments. Try quoting the right one.

I wasn't being smug. I was laughing at how you're so eager to storm in and lay into me that you don't stop to read. Edit: but, yes, I am a terrible sinner and openly confess to my total depravity and need for salvation. If you're going to start looking for evidence of total depravity by examining me for faults, I'd be a good place to start.

I interpret "nevertheless" to mean that first the bible says a bad statement about Asa but then it goes on to concede that he also merits to be noted for something good. If you read carefully through the records of other kings, some allowed idolatry and also participated, (both bad points) some tore down the idols and never worshipped them (both good points). Asa was a mixture. He had a good point and a bad point. Maybe he was a bit of a coward and wanted to keep his people happy whilst also pleasing God. Although that idolatry was going on unchecked and Asa took no steps to tear down the high places, he himself did not participate in it. However, he turned a blind eye. His status in terms of idolatry was perfect - but his permissiveness was not. You might call him a "passive idolator."

Jesus was no passive idolator. He stormed into the temple and whipped those thieves out of there himself. He was not a crowd-pleaser or a coward. He was indeed perfect.

I do not think you are understanding. Studying and understanding the bible is not something you can do in a split second. You must examine the whole context and try to discern what things really mean. The bible does not say that Asa never sinned. It mentions that he neglected to obey the commandment to tear down the groves, but that his own status (in terms of idol worship) was perfect before the Lord. That is what the word perfect is referring to. Lack of idolatry (one specific sin) at a certain moment in time, not lack of sin per se. Asa went on to sin most gravely by selling God's holy things of the temple to the enemy, and ignored prophets God sent to him. God then struck him down with diseased feet. Does he still sound "perfect" to you in the sense that you mean it? In a general, overall sense? No, but he was perfect in terms of keeping the first commandment.