I get why some people see awful things in the Old Testament, that stuff is hard to defend. But I still think the whole point of Jesus was about love and offering a way out, so calling God inherently evil just feels too extreme for me.

But doesn't free will require some room for suffering? I mean, you make a fair point, and I really can't argue with that. Yet I still feel like God gave us a chance to choose love, so calling him inherently evil just doesn't sit right with me.

Surprisingly, recent surveys show that most Christians today actually think God is loving, not evil. You make a fair point about offering a way out of the thing he started, and I really can't argue with that. But my gut still says Jesus shows love, so inherently evil feels too strong.