Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Some revisions correcting typos made today.
I made some revisions today correcting typos, grammar and the re-working of some sentences for June's blog.
Monday, June 15, 2009
What religions have never accomplish but science has.
"None of those (All religions.) have ever had any success in the past, in uncovering truths about the Universe, science has.
--Richard Dawkins, interview on BBC HardTalk, August 05, 2007
--Richard Dawkins, interview on BBC HardTalk, August 05, 2007
"That's my faith you mustn't question that."
"The point I was trying to make, is that once you sell the pass about faith, once you agree that faith doesn't have to be justified, then the vast majority of people who have faith are never going to do anything bad, that's fine.
But a few are going to do very violent things and if you then try to challenge, and "Why do you do that? How could you go and make yourself into a suicide bomb? How could you kill like that," they say, "That's my faith you mustn't question that."
They've been taught that, they've been taught to respect faith by moderate teachers. And that's the only point I'm making."
---Richard Dawkins, interview on BBC HardTalk, August 05, 2007,
But a few are going to do very violent things and if you then try to challenge, and "Why do you do that? How could you go and make yourself into a suicide bomb? How could you kill like that," they say, "That's my faith you mustn't question that."
They've been taught that, they've been taught to respect faith by moderate teachers. And that's the only point I'm making."
---Richard Dawkins, interview on BBC HardTalk, August 05, 2007,
Moderation allows extremism to happen.
"Moderation in religion, where religion, remember is faith not based on evidence, is kind of cloak of respectability under which extremes can hide.
It [moderation] does provide a kind of smokescreen in which extremism can flourish, more than a smokescreen actually, because if you think about the respect, let's come back to the point of respect, we are all supposed to respect faith.
So if somebody says, "That's my faith," then you're not supposed to say well justify it because faith is not justifiable, you don't attempt to justify faith.
Now if children have been brought up by moderate teachers to regard faith as a virtue, then a minority of them are going to use that faith and use the fact that faith is respectable to justify doing extreme things which of course the moderates wouldn't dream of doing."
---Richard Dawkins, interview on BBC HardTalk, August 05, 2007,
It [moderation] does provide a kind of smokescreen in which extremism can flourish, more than a smokescreen actually, because if you think about the respect, let's come back to the point of respect, we are all supposed to respect faith.
So if somebody says, "That's my faith," then you're not supposed to say well justify it because faith is not justifiable, you don't attempt to justify faith.
Now if children have been brought up by moderate teachers to regard faith as a virtue, then a minority of them are going to use that faith and use the fact that faith is respectable to justify doing extreme things which of course the moderates wouldn't dream of doing."
---Richard Dawkins, interview on BBC HardTalk, August 05, 2007,
Religious beliefs do not entitle one to receive the respect of others.
“What many people are doing is subconsciously buying into this presumption that religion is entitled to an exaggerated measure of respect.” ---Richard Dawkins, interview on BBC HardTalk, August 05, 2007.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Do we get today's morals from the Bible?
Why is it that many Christians make the invalid claim that today’s morality and ethics comes from the Bible? This is simply not true.
While there might be some good ideas concerning how to treat others scattered throughout the Bible, there is a slew of immoral and unethical practices in the Bible.
I know what you are thinking. Prove it. Thanks for asking, I will.
It is easy to prove today’s modern society has surpassed the morals of the Bible. All one has to do is look at history, after the Bible was written.
• 1095 – 1291 Crusades. "The Crusades were a series of religiously-sanctioned military campaigns waged by much of Latin Christian Europe. The specific crusades to regain control of the Holy Land were fought over a period of nearly 200 years, between 1095 and 1291. Other campaigns in Spain and Eastern Europe continued into the 15th century. The Crusades were fought mainly against Muslims, although campaigns were also waged against pagan Slavs, Jews, Russian and Greek Orthodox Christians, Mongols, Cathars, Hussites, Waldensians, Old Prussians, and political enemies of the popes." Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades
Even though current religious leaders denounce the Crusades and the average person agrees that wars should not be fought based on religious beliefs, unfortunately, this is one lesson modern civilization has not learned on a whole that religious war is morally wrong.
However, today’s modern civilization is trying to surpass religious wars based on the morality of the Bible.
• 1481 Spanish Inquisition. "The Spanish Inquisition was an ecclesiastical tribunal started in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.
At first, the activity of the Inquisition was limited to the dioceses of Seville and Cordoba, where Alonso de Hojeda had detected the center of converso activity. The first auto de fe was celebrated in Seville on February 6, 1481: six people were burned alive. The sermon was given by the same Alonso de Hojeda whose suspicions had given birth to the Inquisition." Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition
Today’s modern society prohibits religious beliefs to kill people for not believing in their faith. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• Middle Ages note:
"Montague Summers, in his translation of the Malleus Maleficarum,[49] notes that red hair and green eyes were thought to be the sign of a witch, a werewolf or a vampire during the Middle Ages;
'Those whose hair is red, of a certain peculiar shade, are unmistakably vampires. It is significant that in ancient Egypt, as Manetho tells us, human sacrifices were offered at the grave of Osiris, and the victims were red-haired men who were burned, their ashes being scattered far and wide by winnowing-fans. It is held by some authorities that this was done to fertilize the fields and produce a bounteous harvest, red-hair symbolizing the golden wealth of the corn. But these men were called Typhonians, and were representatives not of Osiris but of his evil rival Typhon, whose hair was red.'" Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hair
• Late 1600s – Salem Witch Trials. "Despite reverence for the Bible, the Puritans had established a type of theocracy, in which the church ruled in all civil matters, including that of administering capital punishment for violations of a spiritual nature." Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials#Religious_context
(Note: The civilized world no longer approves of religious organizations administering capital punishment.)
Today’s modern society prohibits religious beliefs to kill people for not believing in their faith. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1865 – "Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution officially abolished and continues to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. (Note: The Southern Baptist Convention formed the premise that the Bible sanctions slavery and that it was acceptable for Christians to own slaves.)" Quoted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_United_States
Today’s modern society prohibits slavery. Note: Slavery was acceptable in the Old and New Testament. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1920 – Women in all states could vote. Women’s suffrage. (Note: There was an organization called, “National Association Against Woman Suffrage.”) See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage
The New Testament does not consider a woman to be equal with a man. A woman could not speak in the church and a woman has to follow her husband in all family decisions.
Today’s modern society has made into law: Equality for all genders. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1954 – Brown vs Board of Education – Rejected separate white and colored school systems.
Prior to 1954, U.S. citizens and government officials used the Bible to justify the inequality between black and white people. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education
Today’s modern society has made into law: Equality for all races. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1964 – "The Civil Rights act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment." Quoted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964
Prior to 1964, U.S. citizens and government officials use the Bible to justify the inequality between black and white people.
Today’s modern society has made into law: Equality for all races. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1965 – Repeal of the criminalization of birth control nationwide. 1873 – U.S. criminalizes birth control. (Note: This law was spearheaded by a Christian believer named Anthony Comstock [1844-1915].) See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Comstock and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_control
Modern society knows that birth control is not immoral. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible. (Oops, don't remember? The criminalization of birth control was spearheaded by the Christian Anthony Comstock.)
• 1967 -- – The banning of interracial marriage was lifted by this Supreme Court ruling. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_v._Virginia
Prior to 1967, It was a felony crime for two people of different races to marry in the United States. U.S. citizens and government officials use the Bible to justify the inequality between people of different races.
Today’s modern society has made into law: Marriage legal for all races, off the opposite sex. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
Marriage Equality between any gender or race is around the corner. Once Marriage Equality becomes law, Marriage Equality will surpass the morality of bigotry and the morality of intolerance as written in the Bible.
Summary:
Today's modern society does **not** get it's high moral standards and high ethics from the Bible.
While there might be some good ideas concerning how to treat others scattered throughout the Bible, there is a slew of immoral and unethical practices in the Bible.
I know what you are thinking. Prove it. Thanks for asking, I will.
It is easy to prove today’s modern society has surpassed the morals of the Bible. All one has to do is look at history, after the Bible was written.
• 1095 – 1291 Crusades. "The Crusades were a series of religiously-sanctioned military campaigns waged by much of Latin Christian Europe. The specific crusades to regain control of the Holy Land were fought over a period of nearly 200 years, between 1095 and 1291. Other campaigns in Spain and Eastern Europe continued into the 15th century. The Crusades were fought mainly against Muslims, although campaigns were also waged against pagan Slavs, Jews, Russian and Greek Orthodox Christians, Mongols, Cathars, Hussites, Waldensians, Old Prussians, and political enemies of the popes." Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades
Even though current religious leaders denounce the Crusades and the average person agrees that wars should not be fought based on religious beliefs, unfortunately, this is one lesson modern civilization has not learned on a whole that religious war is morally wrong.
However, today’s modern civilization is trying to surpass religious wars based on the morality of the Bible.
• 1481 Spanish Inquisition. "The Spanish Inquisition was an ecclesiastical tribunal started in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.
At first, the activity of the Inquisition was limited to the dioceses of Seville and Cordoba, where Alonso de Hojeda had detected the center of converso activity. The first auto de fe was celebrated in Seville on February 6, 1481: six people were burned alive. The sermon was given by the same Alonso de Hojeda whose suspicions had given birth to the Inquisition." Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition
Today’s modern society prohibits religious beliefs to kill people for not believing in their faith. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• Middle Ages note:
"Montague Summers, in his translation of the Malleus Maleficarum,[49] notes that red hair and green eyes were thought to be the sign of a witch, a werewolf or a vampire during the Middle Ages;
'Those whose hair is red, of a certain peculiar shade, are unmistakably vampires. It is significant that in ancient Egypt, as Manetho tells us, human sacrifices were offered at the grave of Osiris, and the victims were red-haired men who were burned, their ashes being scattered far and wide by winnowing-fans. It is held by some authorities that this was done to fertilize the fields and produce a bounteous harvest, red-hair symbolizing the golden wealth of the corn. But these men were called Typhonians, and were representatives not of Osiris but of his evil rival Typhon, whose hair was red.'" Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hair
• Late 1600s – Salem Witch Trials. "Despite reverence for the Bible, the Puritans had established a type of theocracy, in which the church ruled in all civil matters, including that of administering capital punishment for violations of a spiritual nature." Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials#Religious_context
(Note: The civilized world no longer approves of religious organizations administering capital punishment.)
Today’s modern society prohibits religious beliefs to kill people for not believing in their faith. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1865 – "Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution officially abolished and continues to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. (Note: The Southern Baptist Convention formed the premise that the Bible sanctions slavery and that it was acceptable for Christians to own slaves.)" Quoted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_United_States
Today’s modern society prohibits slavery. Note: Slavery was acceptable in the Old and New Testament. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1920 – Women in all states could vote. Women’s suffrage. (Note: There was an organization called, “National Association Against Woman Suffrage.”) See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage
The New Testament does not consider a woman to be equal with a man. A woman could not speak in the church and a woman has to follow her husband in all family decisions.
Today’s modern society has made into law: Equality for all genders. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1954 – Brown vs Board of Education – Rejected separate white and colored school systems.
Prior to 1954, U.S. citizens and government officials used the Bible to justify the inequality between black and white people. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education
Today’s modern society has made into law: Equality for all races. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1964 – "The Civil Rights act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment." Quoted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964
Prior to 1964, U.S. citizens and government officials use the Bible to justify the inequality between black and white people.
Today’s modern society has made into law: Equality for all races. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
• 1965 – Repeal of the criminalization of birth control nationwide. 1873 – U.S. criminalizes birth control. (Note: This law was spearheaded by a Christian believer named Anthony Comstock [1844-1915].) See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Comstock and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_control
Modern society knows that birth control is not immoral. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible. (Oops, don't remember? The criminalization of birth control was spearheaded by the Christian Anthony Comstock.)
• 1967 -- – The banning of interracial marriage was lifted by this Supreme Court ruling. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_v._Virginia
Prior to 1967, It was a felony crime for two people of different races to marry in the United States. U.S. citizens and government officials use the Bible to justify the inequality between people of different races.
Today’s modern society has made into law: Marriage legal for all races, off the opposite sex. Today’s modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
Marriage Equality between any gender or race is around the corner. Once Marriage Equality becomes law, Marriage Equality will surpass the morality of bigotry and the morality of intolerance as written in the Bible.
Summary:
Today's modern society does **not** get it's high moral standards and high ethics from the Bible.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Who are my heroes?
For years, I really did not have any heroes. Until I read the book, "Letter to a Christian Nation," by Sam Harris. Now I have a hero.
In fact, after reading, "The God Delusion," by Richard Dawkins, I now have two heroes.
Of course, I'd have to add James Randi, I read many of his books before Sam Harris' book. Randi has such an awesome website: www.randi.org.
Who else? Carl Sagan and the people who publish the Skeptical Inquirer. And there are the scientists--who when faced with a scientific problem they can't solve--don't assign a supernatural reason for not knowing the answer. They are my heroes also.
And my friends and acquaintances I have met over the years who refuse to rationalize religion (and who rarely speak up about it), they are my heroes also.
I guess I have a lot of heroes.
In fact, after reading, "The God Delusion," by Richard Dawkins, I now have two heroes.
Of course, I'd have to add James Randi, I read many of his books before Sam Harris' book. Randi has such an awesome website: www.randi.org.
Who else? Carl Sagan and the people who publish the Skeptical Inquirer. And there are the scientists--who when faced with a scientific problem they can't solve--don't assign a supernatural reason for not knowing the answer. They are my heroes also.
And my friends and acquaintances I have met over the years who refuse to rationalize religion (and who rarely speak up about it), they are my heroes also.
I guess I have a lot of heroes.
Requoting from "Letter to a Christian Nation," by Sam Harris
“Religion is the one area of our discourse where it is considered noble to pretend to be certain about things no human being could possibly be certain about.” --Page 67, Harris, Sam (2007), “Letter to a Christian Nation”, New York: Knopf
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Religion poisons everything.
All you have to do is believe in Jesus.
Religion poisons everything.
I know in my heart that God is real.
Religion poisons everything.
Jesus, what a sweet, precious name. Jesus.
Religion poisons everything.
We are proof that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is alive and here. (Polytheism.)
Religion poisons everything.
Oh Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
(Christopher, you are one of my heroes also.)
All you have to do is believe in Jesus.
Religion poisons everything.
I know in my heart that God is real.
Religion poisons everything.
Jesus, what a sweet, precious name. Jesus.
Religion poisons everything.
We are proof that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is alive and here. (Polytheism.)
Religion poisons everything.
Oh Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
Religion poisons everything.
(Christopher, you are one of my heroes also.)
Religion is dangerous to society.
“More generally (and this applies to Christianity no less than to Islam), what is really pernicious is the practice of teaching children that faith itself is a virtue. Faith is an evil precisely because it requires no justification and brooks no argument. Teaching children that unquestioned faith is a virtue primes them— given certain other ingredients that are not hard to come by—to grow up into potentially lethal weapons for future jihads or crusades.
Immunized against fear by the promise of a martyr’s paradise, the authentic faith-head deserves a high place in the history of armaments, alongside the longbow, the warhorse, the tank and the cluster bomb. If children were taught to question and think through their beliefs, instead of being taught the superior virtue of faith without question, it is a good bet that there would be no suicide bombers.
Suicide bombers do what they do because thy really believe what they were taught in their religious schools: that duty to God exceeds all other priorities, and that martyrdom in his service will be rewarded in the gardens of Paradise. And they were taught that lesson not necessarily by extremist fanatics but by decent, gentle, mainstream religious instructors, who lined them up in their madrasas, sitting in rows, rhythmically nodding their innocent little heads up and down while they learned every word o the holy book like demented parrots.
Faith can be very very dangerous, and deliberately to implant it into the vulnerable mind of an innocent child is a grievous wrong.” –The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins, 2006, page 307-308
Immunized against fear by the promise of a martyr’s paradise, the authentic faith-head deserves a high place in the history of armaments, alongside the longbow, the warhorse, the tank and the cluster bomb. If children were taught to question and think through their beliefs, instead of being taught the superior virtue of faith without question, it is a good bet that there would be no suicide bombers.
Suicide bombers do what they do because thy really believe what they were taught in their religious schools: that duty to God exceeds all other priorities, and that martyrdom in his service will be rewarded in the gardens of Paradise. And they were taught that lesson not necessarily by extremist fanatics but by decent, gentle, mainstream religious instructors, who lined them up in their madrasas, sitting in rows, rhythmically nodding their innocent little heads up and down while they learned every word o the holy book like demented parrots.
Faith can be very very dangerous, and deliberately to implant it into the vulnerable mind of an innocent child is a grievous wrong.” –The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins, 2006, page 307-308
Is there a God? Does sin cause problems on earth?
The real answer is this. No one knows (at this point in time) how the universe was created. Scientist don't say they know that God created the Universe, simply because there is a gap in science.
If there is a gap in science, an unknown, scientist say there is an unknown. Let's keep searching! Now that is exciting stuff. Scientist to not assign supernatural causes to things they can't explain.
Which brings up another point. It's easy to see why people grasp at religion when science can't explain things. Where are we from? Oh shit, not sure. Hmmmm, must be, God did it! Yes, that's it! I have the answer! Wow!
What happens when we die? Oh shit, not sure. Hmmmm, we either go to heaven or hell, per God! Ah ha! I have the answer again! God sends us to heaven or hell. I'm so glad I know these things with complete certainty!
In the past, (in the not so distant past) when there was a drought and people were dying, what happened? Oh shit, God is mad at us, we need to repent. Oops! Wrong. They didn't have modern science back then, so they simply assigned a supernatural reason for the drought. God was not mad. We exist on a living planet which is orbiting the sun, which is what creates weather. It's called, earth science.
The Black Plague.. Hmmm... we don't have science to figure this out, so let's just say, God is mad. Yes! That's it. God is mad because of our sin! Human sin (egotism here) is the cause of the Black Plague! We have the answer. Errr.... wrong again!
"No one in the 14th century seems to have considered rat control as a way to ward off the plague, and many people began to believe only God's anger could produce such horrific displays. There were many attacks against Jewish communities.[45] In August of 1349, the Jewish communities of Mainz and Cologne were exterminated. In February of that same year, Christians murdered 2,000 Jews in Strasbourg.[45] By 1351, 60 major and 150 smaller Jewish communities had been destroyed.[46]" ----http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death
The human body? Where did it come from? The estimated age of the earth is around 4.54 billion years. It takes a lot of time for life through evolution to take place.
For starters, you can Google using these search terms: Natural selection, evolution, Darwinism. I typically look at the Wikipedia entries as Wikipedia is very accurate.
If there is a gap in science, an unknown, scientist say there is an unknown. Let's keep searching! Now that is exciting stuff. Scientist to not assign supernatural causes to things they can't explain.
Which brings up another point. It's easy to see why people grasp at religion when science can't explain things. Where are we from? Oh shit, not sure. Hmmmm, must be, God did it! Yes, that's it! I have the answer! Wow!
What happens when we die? Oh shit, not sure. Hmmmm, we either go to heaven or hell, per God! Ah ha! I have the answer again! God sends us to heaven or hell. I'm so glad I know these things with complete certainty!
In the past, (in the not so distant past) when there was a drought and people were dying, what happened? Oh shit, God is mad at us, we need to repent. Oops! Wrong. They didn't have modern science back then, so they simply assigned a supernatural reason for the drought. God was not mad. We exist on a living planet which is orbiting the sun, which is what creates weather. It's called, earth science.
The Black Plague.. Hmmm... we don't have science to figure this out, so let's just say, God is mad. Yes! That's it. God is mad because of our sin! Human sin (egotism here) is the cause of the Black Plague! We have the answer. Errr.... wrong again!
"No one in the 14th century seems to have considered rat control as a way to ward off the plague, and many people began to believe only God's anger could produce such horrific displays. There were many attacks against Jewish communities.[45] In August of 1349, the Jewish communities of Mainz and Cologne were exterminated. In February of that same year, Christians murdered 2,000 Jews in Strasbourg.[45] By 1351, 60 major and 150 smaller Jewish communities had been destroyed.[46]" ----http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death
The human body? Where did it come from? The estimated age of the earth is around 4.54 billion years. It takes a lot of time for life through evolution to take place.
For starters, you can Google using these search terms: Natural selection, evolution, Darwinism. I typically look at the Wikipedia entries as Wikipedia is very accurate.
Is there a God?
Concerning if there is or is not a god that created the entire Universe. No one knows if there is a god. That is real truth.
If there is a perfect all knowing god, he/she/it has not revealed him/her/itself to the world. This is obvious. The writers of the Old and New Testament copied many ideas from other religions into Christianity. After creating the entire incredible Universe, how could an all powerful God loose His creativity when putting together his religion?
Many Christians constantly infer only their religion provides the morality we need to make moral laws for humanity. Do Christians know the history of humankind? Human morals started before religion began. It is a fact that modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
A perfect, all powerful god does not need worshiped, would not invent sin, would not require that we believe in him and would not need anything, including helper angels.
If I was God, I would not care if people I created believed in me. Why? Because I created them. I know I created them. Why do they have to believe in me when I already know I exist?
Now, let's say I'm God, and I now decide to become invisible to everyone. Yet, I demand that people believe in me to get to heaven. How unfair is that? People have to believe in something they can't see? And what about people who have never heard about Christianity in their lifetime, don't you think that's unfair? I do.
If I was a God and decided to create sin, why not just forgive everyone? It would simply take the wink of an eye to forgive everyone.
In addition, an all powerful God would not need to create any religion. Why would a God need religion? He has nothing to prove to anyone.
If I was God and I decided to make a person with two parts, a finite human body and a spirit that lives forever, why can't everyone go to heaven?
In fact, why not just make a body that lives forever? Why does anyone have to go to heaven? Why make a separate entity called the spirit? Also, as science can't detect your spirit, why does anyone believe in an infinite spirit? It's nuts.
If there is a God, then he is either active or not active in our world. For Christians to say that God is sometimes active and sometimes not, makes no sense.
If I was a God and I felt my creatures needed help, I'd be there for them all the time.
Out reason a God? If there is such a thing as a God, I probably could not out reason a god.
However, I can out reason ancient primitive men who created religions.
It is easy for me and many others to look at the Bible using hind-sight, knowledge of modern science, and education to easily see the many problems of the Bible and it's dogma.
The problem with Christianity stem from man creating a religion, not from a God creating a religion.
If there is a perfect all knowing god, he/she/it has not revealed him/her/itself to the world. This is obvious. The writers of the Old and New Testament copied many ideas from other religions into Christianity. After creating the entire incredible Universe, how could an all powerful God loose His creativity when putting together his religion?
Many Christians constantly infer only their religion provides the morality we need to make moral laws for humanity. Do Christians know the history of humankind? Human morals started before religion began. It is a fact that modern civilization has surpassed the morality of the Bible.
A perfect, all powerful god does not need worshiped, would not invent sin, would not require that we believe in him and would not need anything, including helper angels.
If I was God, I would not care if people I created believed in me. Why? Because I created them. I know I created them. Why do they have to believe in me when I already know I exist?
Now, let's say I'm God, and I now decide to become invisible to everyone. Yet, I demand that people believe in me to get to heaven. How unfair is that? People have to believe in something they can't see? And what about people who have never heard about Christianity in their lifetime, don't you think that's unfair? I do.
If I was a God and decided to create sin, why not just forgive everyone? It would simply take the wink of an eye to forgive everyone.
In addition, an all powerful God would not need to create any religion. Why would a God need religion? He has nothing to prove to anyone.
If I was God and I decided to make a person with two parts, a finite human body and a spirit that lives forever, why can't everyone go to heaven?
In fact, why not just make a body that lives forever? Why does anyone have to go to heaven? Why make a separate entity called the spirit? Also, as science can't detect your spirit, why does anyone believe in an infinite spirit? It's nuts.
If there is a God, then he is either active or not active in our world. For Christians to say that God is sometimes active and sometimes not, makes no sense.
If I was a God and I felt my creatures needed help, I'd be there for them all the time.
Out reason a God? If there is such a thing as a God, I probably could not out reason a god.
However, I can out reason ancient primitive men who created religions.
It is easy for me and many others to look at the Bible using hind-sight, knowledge of modern science, and education to easily see the many problems of the Bible and it's dogma.
The problem with Christianity stem from man creating a religion, not from a God creating a religion.
Religion, science and morality.
Religion has failed. Religion was originally used to try to explain the world around us. The earth is the center of the universe, this is in the Bible. Religion tried to give us morality, this failed.
On science.
Science has given us many of the answers about life and the world around us. There are massive amounts of Science which shows that natural selection as part of evolution created all the living things on our planet. Why do Christians scoff at the volumes of scientific fact concerning this point? Intelligent Design does not show this, I.D. is false and is a lie.
As we know, science does not have all the answers to all of life’s questions and when this is so, science says “I don’t know or I don’t know yet.” However, science certainly does not boldly lie and say it knows were we came from and what happens when we die as religions claim to know.
On morality.
Biblical morality includes murder (people who curse their parents, people who worship other gods, etc.), rape (okay to rape women in war, if people want to have sex with a man in your house, give them your daughter instead), incest (okay for fathers to have sex with daughters), genocide (the killing of an entire community since they don’t believe in your god), human sacrifice and to love one another and do not judge others, these are morals taken directly from the Bible. The problem is, there is no guide post in the Bible to direct religious followers as to which morals are right and which morals are wrong.
Society and human interaction and empathy, over time, have changed the moral standards of the masses (the civilized world) over centuries. These moral changes have exceeded the morals of the Bible and of past societies. Biblical morality includes human sacrifice, the rape of women and men, slavery, murder (if you worship another god, you are to be killed, and there are many other reasons to murder people you know.), genocide, slavery (Old and New Testament) and women being second class citizens (in the New Testament).
These ancient Biblical morals are now shunned by the masses. The masses won’t stand for Christians who are directed by the Bible to murder people who worship any god besides the God of the Bible. The masses will not stand for rape of any type, even though there are many examples in the Bible where it is allowed, per God. Please read the Bible to know what circumstances rape is allowed in society.
The civilized world will not stand for slavery, even thought the morality of the Old and New Testament admonishes us that slavery is acceptable and we are to treat slaves properly. The Bible in the New Testament allows women to stay second class citizens; however, the masses are changing their mind on this point and are demanding equal rights for all people, whether Black, Asian, gay, or a woman.
The moral standards of humanity are being set higher than Biblical morality as the centuries pass. Morality comes from social interaction and education. The morality of the masses is passed onto to each other through, books, movies, TV, government laws, discussions, debates, the internet, etc. which help to spread higher societal morality for civilized society.
On science.
Science has given us many of the answers about life and the world around us. There are massive amounts of Science which shows that natural selection as part of evolution created all the living things on our planet. Why do Christians scoff at the volumes of scientific fact concerning this point? Intelligent Design does not show this, I.D. is false and is a lie.
As we know, science does not have all the answers to all of life’s questions and when this is so, science says “I don’t know or I don’t know yet.” However, science certainly does not boldly lie and say it knows were we came from and what happens when we die as religions claim to know.
On morality.
Biblical morality includes murder (people who curse their parents, people who worship other gods, etc.), rape (okay to rape women in war, if people want to have sex with a man in your house, give them your daughter instead), incest (okay for fathers to have sex with daughters), genocide (the killing of an entire community since they don’t believe in your god), human sacrifice and to love one another and do not judge others, these are morals taken directly from the Bible. The problem is, there is no guide post in the Bible to direct religious followers as to which morals are right and which morals are wrong.
Society and human interaction and empathy, over time, have changed the moral standards of the masses (the civilized world) over centuries. These moral changes have exceeded the morals of the Bible and of past societies. Biblical morality includes human sacrifice, the rape of women and men, slavery, murder (if you worship another god, you are to be killed, and there are many other reasons to murder people you know.), genocide, slavery (Old and New Testament) and women being second class citizens (in the New Testament).
These ancient Biblical morals are now shunned by the masses. The masses won’t stand for Christians who are directed by the Bible to murder people who worship any god besides the God of the Bible. The masses will not stand for rape of any type, even though there are many examples in the Bible where it is allowed, per God. Please read the Bible to know what circumstances rape is allowed in society.
The civilized world will not stand for slavery, even thought the morality of the Old and New Testament admonishes us that slavery is acceptable and we are to treat slaves properly. The Bible in the New Testament allows women to stay second class citizens; however, the masses are changing their mind on this point and are demanding equal rights for all people, whether Black, Asian, gay, or a woman.
The moral standards of humanity are being set higher than Biblical morality as the centuries pass. Morality comes from social interaction and education. The morality of the masses is passed onto to each other through, books, movies, TV, government laws, discussions, debates, the internet, etc. which help to spread higher societal morality for civilized society.
Napoleon's take on religion.
Napoleon said, "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping the common people quiet," and with Seneca the Younger, "Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." page 276, the God Delusion.
On Sin and Hell.
Ancient primitive men created the concept of Heaven, Hell and sin. Their theory, if you are not Saved by Christ, your punishment is eternal hell due to your unforgiven sin. Okay, let's take a serious look at this dogma.
For justice to exist, the punishment must fit the crime. No matter how many bad deeds one commits in this world, there is a limit. Yet, Hell’s punishment is infinite. Their theory, finite sin requires infinite punishment. Are these the words and thoughts of a a perfect and Just God?
Finite sin requires infinite punishment. Where is the justice? On this point alone, isn't it obvious the Bible was written by ancient primitive men who were trying to create a religion (for whatever reason); however, did not think these things quite through?
For justice to exist, the punishment must fit the crime. No matter how many bad deeds one commits in this world, there is a limit. Yet, Hell’s punishment is infinite. Their theory, finite sin requires infinite punishment. Are these the words and thoughts of a a perfect and Just God?
Finite sin requires infinite punishment. Where is the justice? On this point alone, isn't it obvious the Bible was written by ancient primitive men who were trying to create a religion (for whatever reason); however, did not think these things quite through?
Faith is not a virtue.
“Christianity, just as much as Islam, teaches children that unquestioned faith is a virtue. You don’t have to make the case for what you believe. If somebody announces that it is part of his faith, the rest of society, whether of the same faith, or another, or of none, is obliged, by ingrained custom, to ‘respect’ it without question; respect it until the day it manifests itself in a horrible massacre like the the destruction of the World Trade Center, or the London or Madrid bombings.
Then there is a great chorus of disownings, as clerics and ‘community leaders’ (who elected them, by the way?) line up to explain that this extremism is a perversion of the ‘true’ faith. But how can there be a perversion of faith, if faith, lacking objective justification, doesn’t have any demonstrable standard to pervert?” –The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins, 2006, page 306.
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” – Voltaire.
Then there is a great chorus of disownings, as clerics and ‘community leaders’ (who elected them, by the way?) line up to explain that this extremism is a perversion of the ‘true’ faith. But how can there be a perversion of faith, if faith, lacking objective justification, doesn’t have any demonstrable standard to pervert?” –The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins, 2006, page 306.
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” – Voltaire.
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