* From the logic (?) Of my former lifelong faith *
As a true believer I find non-believers often just don't understand the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All Christians know this as the Good News and once you understand it I know you will feel the Holy Spirit pulling your heart to Salvation! So, the simple truth of The Good News:
God created a perfect universe but humanity sinned and so God sent his Son to be brutally executed so that a small percentage of mankind will spend a perfect eternity in heaven while the rest will roast in flames forever! You see now? What good news! I bet you can't wait to worship my God!
So let's go into a few of the little details just in case Satan tries to cause doubt by enticing you to question anything about this Gospel. Always assume it is true or you are sinning and your uncertainty will land you in hell. It is important to question everything else, but never your core faith! Ever!
Here's some answers anyway:
"I know because I have felt God's presence" or the like is always a last ditch explanation for any line of questioning. Even though emotional states have been clearly linked to a host of poor decisions, from investing in scams to groups of people getting worked up into a feral condition until they collectively murder a helpless victim, this one instance is the exception because the bible says so. And we know the bible is really the ultimate authority on everything because God made it. We know He made it because we feel it.
In review:
Feelings = truth (Bible) >
Truth = Bible (God) >
Bible = God (feelings)
This is referred to as circular reasoning and in this case a perfect never ending circle. How divine!
I should also give a quick summery of what you need to know about the Bible. It is the perfect infallible authority on all things. Most of us have no clue as to the various origins of these many ancient texts, how they were collected and bundled, or whether or not they bear evidence of alteration or authorial authenticity. Don't let that fool you! We do believe God wrote it personally but all of this scholarly stuff takes too much time. Just like reading the whole Bible, it's really big. That's what preachers are for anyway. In fact, I've noticed that many self-appointed Bible readers tend to question God and are even lead astray by concerns for things like history or science. So sad. "Paul didn't write this book"? Silly back-slider, his name is printed on the top, what else could there be to know? Now stop studying outside of Sunday school or you'll burn in hell forever.
Let's speed this up (Q&A):
Conflicts in the Bible?
You are blind spiritually.
Stories from Bible found earlier in other ancient religions?
The devil told the stories before the bible to trick us!
Church atrocities in the name of God?
Those weren't real Christians.
Something unexplained that is pleasant?
God
Something unexplained that sucks?
Satan
Faith is simple:
Never question it
Do what you're told
Think what you're told
Feel what you're told
Believe you are dirty
Equate your sexuality to guilt
Let your desperation drive you back to church for approval
Be motivated by fear
Reduce doubt by pushing rules on other members
Smile, Jesus loves you!
Now you understand The Good news. It's not religion, it's a relationship. Like all good relationships just cling to hope while living in terror of brutal punishment for any perceived disobedience. Gospel truth!
One of the things I remember about life in the church was the feelings that acted to form and maintain the bonds between myself and the other members. Our community was created from strong sensations of loyalty, familiarity, and 'brotherly' love. I was proud of these fine qualities and promoted both their emotional and virtuous payoffs as badges of the religious faith I'd adopted and as evidence of the hand of God by way of manifest goodness in people's lives. As I grew from a tiny true believer into a young faithful it became clear to me that many expected that I would one day take on the path of leadership in the ministry. I was a natural orator, tall, booming voice, intellectually gifted, and most importantly I was a fanatic tempered only by my humanist sensibilities which Star Trek had fortunately sneakily provoked in my mind. Had I been asked about the potentially destructive nature of my community I would have been adamant that only anomalous violations of our divinely inspired and maintained collective peaceful nature was possible and any insistence otherwise would have been perceived and dismissed as defamatory attacks on the church and God. Cited historic atrocities were committed by the deceived or false Christians. Potential violence inherent in our spiritual culture? It could not possibly be so. It was unreasonable given what I 'knew' about God. It could not be true and, therefore, must not be true.
Earlier this month a blogger in Egypt began promoting a film now called "The Innocence of Muslims", an anti-Islamic movie. By this writing, only about a week later, there have been widespread riots throughout the 'Muslim' world. Attacks on Christians are common and there have been attacks on embassies of western nations, the US in particular. Government leaders and Islamic clergy have been unable to stem the violence despite calling on their followers to remember that their religion is one of peace and good order. Quoting the Quran and even appealing to a sense of general human compassion have been ignored nearly entirely while every minority within these regions live in fear as they witness the shameless barbarism that a cheap, poorly made movie has unleashed. Yes, Islam: The way of Peace. How is it that so many leaders within these Islamic communities are unable to issue any semblance of calm and rational perspective? Aren't they the teachers of the core truths? Aren't they aware of and in touch with the mind set of their own subscribers? It sure as fuck doesn't look that way.
I realize Sam Harris has fallen under serious criticism for his calls for Muslims to be openly profiled at security checks. Though I disagree with this violation of the core principles of modern constitutional law, both for being ineffectual and for the deteriorating effect on the very principles of human decency that we who oppose religious violence claim as our primary motivation, it should be remembered that such misplaced proposals arise from unpleasant realities that threaten to grow in destructive intensity as technology continues to proliferate weapons of mass destruction. Just as Harris' proposals to discriminate based on appearance are misplaced so too is the oft repeated view that Islam is not violent. History shows that all religions generate an ingrained mentality prone to a host of destructive behavior in its subjects which are far less often present apart from religious factors. Less often and less intense. Islam is not alone with its propensity towards violence, rather it is in good company with all religious systems. Isolated? The room is crammed shoulder to shoulder with dictators of divine code. When someone sneezes the others get upset. And globalization is only dumping more of these absolutist once-upon-a-time supreme rulers into an ever smaller turf. A real game of imaginary thrones.
The reason store burning mobs don't form over the release of poorly acted B movies in the 'Christian' world is not due to less emotional incitement indigenous to the culture but it is thanks to the weaker level of active belief in the central texts and traditions of the faith due entirely to the controls and benefits of the secular state. Centuries of torture and murder terrorizing those on the fringes of society was readily tolerated by ignorant desperate parishioners but a century of Christian enmasse gang warfare was simply too much to bear and, digging into our forgotten past we rediscovered our finer human qualities. These completely non-religious elements allowed us to elevate society where superstitions weighed it down. Islamic regions have not shared in this transformation, though they might be starting down the path, but this only explains why they are more prone to this particular display of inhumanity. From attempting to deny basic dignity, through equality regardless of sexual orientation or a woman's safe control over her own body, to wars raged against non-Christian nations, the west has simply moved further away from animalistic fury as we increase our distance from religious zealotry.
But the same excuses usher forth from our religious leaders when things get out of control. Clearly the disconnect is a universal constant stemming from a total ignorance of the true nature of the system they perpetuate. The cognitive dissonance is impressive. As cars burn, as children mourn their murdered parents clergy continue to be taken by surprise.
So this is a message to every member of every priesthood, everywhere around our shrinking planet, from someone who once thought just like you, saw things in the very same frame: The people you depend on to be good devotees are not what you think they are.
No sublime nature. No supreme decency from God.
They are humans. Disturbed humans. And you are the one fucking them up.
Bigotry.
People don't understand bigotry. There are just so many misconceptions, so many mistaken ideas. This is obvious when I am repeatedly accused of it whenever I openly discuss or shout my personal grasp of reality. My "worldview". You'd think it would give pause. Person after person, year after year, launching this term at me like some kind of dirty word. It can be so distracting when I'm shaking large signs at soldiers' funerals or trying to push through police lines to seize murderers of unborn babies.
Bigotry:
It means racism. You know, calling Chinese people mean names or not treating black people nicely at work. It isn't right to be mean to folks. God says it's sin. Our God not all those fake heathen gods. They're evil and we need to force them out of our country and stop being so tolerant. That goes for the impure strands of our faith. They're all demon possessed and going to burn in hell for all eternity. Disembodied voices told me while I spoke to invisible beings and lurched in aggravated emotional states often in large hysterical groups. My children know too since I make them participate and shelter their young minds from any alternative perspectives. I have prepared them for adult life by teaching them that the entire world is evil and out to get them. What can we expect if we permit this to continue?
Bigotry.
That's what they are, trying to accuse we few who know the truth. We elect, chosen, pure. Can I ignore the revelations delivered directly into my superior mind? I won't turn my back on morality like most of humanity. I won't lie. Won't steal. Won't read the wrong books or believe the wrong dreams. I refuse to trust science, schools, doctors, or non-bible books. They all have agendas to attack goodness. Immigrants, foreign cultures, interracial marriage... gay marriage! The sickest perversion that ever threatened us. Unchallenged it will seduce us all into its physical pleasures and destroy the whole world and not the good apocalypse end of the world. Can't wait for all of those angels to teach everyone that I was right by killing us all and throwing you all into never ending fire. Especially fags! We need to start rounding these worthless diseased animals up and cleanse the planet!
Bigotry?
Just because I call evil what it is? I scream and yell, attack and threaten and you toss this word at me? It's hurtful and uncalled for. After all, I'm doing this for all of us, you and me and our families. Everyone who believes what I believe. We are acting for God and everyone else is evil and stupid. Can't you see? The fact that you fell in love with someone of another color, your parent has another religion, your kid is a homo. It's just a trial. A chance to turn tribulation to victory by cutting them off or beating them into righteousness behind closed doors. Just like a manly husband does his wife. Sin is everywhere and must be fended off or punched repeatedly out of things. Shadows, closets, boxes, people... evil hides everywhere. You are the elect, chosen to purify! I will not stop or slack! The devil whispers to me and I need to keep him quiet you damn liberal fags! It started out so small, just a discomfort and then disapproval, but has grown into being my entire life! To control society and make it right by purging the inferior and contaminated. Now that's righteousness. What else would you call it?
Bigotry.
Where has this Apostate dude gone?
Okay, I was gone for a few months but I'm not dead. Since my last post I have ramped up my efforts at really becoming familiar with the much expanding online Atheist, Humanist, Secularist, and Skeptic communities both online and tracking events in the real world. Not long before my first post I was not an open atheist. Back then only several trusted friends really knew and when I changed my status on Facebook one night everyone else began having different reactions. I was sometimes taken by surprise in happy or saddening ways especially as I utilised my social forums with no greater purchase than my religious acquaintances had. I am much less likely to be surprised at this point and understand more clearly what, in particular, drives me to write or speak out when so many others already do. So I am not the first to bluntly address religion but I believe I do bring my own unique view of the issues as they impact billions of lives around the world. My life is just one of countless that has felt the devastating hand of organised religion despite the fact that it was introduced and reinforced when I was young by my caring, loving parents. Let me be clear, my life has been a wonderful one and this is not to attack or lay blame at the feet of my family or larger community from my youth but to directly challenge the much larger cycle of harmful deceit that we have come to call faith.
The call for mutual respect is BULLSHIT, FYI
For generations now the various religious guilds have been going on about how everyone needs to be respectful of their beliefs and traditions. The message is a strong one often intoned on both ends of the political spectrum and carried aloft even in the modern day Sodom; Hollywood. As soon as someone speaks out about anything from the complete lack of evidence for the "historical" claims religious folk like to make, to the destructive hypocrisy carried out in the public sphere in the name of Spiritual Masters or gods, the devout scream "intolerance" and expect us to just shut our mouths.
How interesting. It may not be so insulting and pathetic a cry if at any point in history true believers had demonstrated even the occasion such respect once they crawled to power any place on the planet. Hell, they aren't even decent enough to do it now, as they cry discrimination and unfair against secular forces that are better known by the term "Constitutional Democracy".
Marriage Equality
Churches Promoting Political Candidates But Don't Pay Taxes
Prayer In School
Anti-Sex Education
Religion In Science Class
Anti-Women's Rights Over Her Body
you get the point, on and on...
To true, literal believers mutual respect is not possible. They are called by God Almighty, or Divine Truth to change this world and your contrary ideas do not fit into this calling. Surely you and I are blind and they are imparted with the magical goggles of truth- at best. Often, once they realise that you are not ignorant of their agenda, they switch immediately over into the incredibly nasty 'you are of the devil' mode. You haven't made clear your opposition to devotees until at least one of them has called you a liar, deceiver, under the devil's spell, or (a most disturbing one I can attest) that you are demon possessed. Hey, what happened to the mutual respect?
Oh yeah, I was making you look like an ignorant fundamentalist...
Here's just a small sample of the loving respect we can expect from those who love god so much they are willing to respectfully shove their undoubted truth straight into the secular classroom of science. And notice the serious minority position in the flock is the one guy who seems to have any real understanding of... say, SCIENCE
If it makes them happy... Happy?
Let me start into those atheists and agnostics who like to ignore the struggle for sanity and decency raging all around them while they relax and watch some good flicks or wander about thinking themselves above it all. A very prominent excuse that is given is the "happiness" card. You know the one, from the suit of bullshit and a value of zero. Yet, behold, it is played regularly and with assumed certainty. The question then becomes, what is happiness? If believing in fairy tales, responding to imagined voices, making important decisions based on a heap of bronze age stories, expecting muttered words to change the world, waiting on invisible messengers to heal serious sickness, etc etc etc is happiness to you than i agree, let the faithful stumble on without challenge to their individual and collective arrested development. But if that is how you really feel then why the hell are you dealing with the unpleasantries of the real world? The fact that those who toss this line are not currently suffering from having their head up religion's nasty ass only shows that these very delusions are inherently contrary to true happiness. We don't call the homeless guy talking to a dead bird he carries in his worn out pocket happy, we call him seriously ill. Especially if he starts getting too close and carrying on too loudly.
What's the harm?
So your religious buddy isn't likely to blow stuff up in the name of the most high, what harm is there in unsubstantiated extreme beliefs? Gotta love this one. This form of tolerance comes not from a place of enlightened understanding but of superiority and arrogance. Who, in good conscience, would allow their friend or family to believe in invisible goats that whisper cosmic truths into their chosen ears so that they could share this knowledge to save us all from the destruction drawing nigh for the Earth? Apparently many non-believers. There is this unbecoming underlying attitude that the religiously minded are simply... well, simple. The non-believer feels pity that anyone should be so diminished mentally or emotionally as to think in religious terms. There is rarely, you see, any good to come from attempting to reason with the pathetic follower. After all, do we expect monkeys to speak proper English and wear suits? Besides the ones we elect. Though I find this attitude offencive it is only fair to point out that it is usually adopted without malicious intent by people who have grown up without fundamentalism forced on them or have really never experienced what it is like to be surrounded by a sea of religiosity.
Having experienced both and having been a fundamentalist for the first twenty-some odd years of my life I can only urge people to educate themselves about the reality of the phenomenon. As a believer I had zero doubts that I and my church served and were led by God almighty and was often a part of conversations we would hold shamelessly in our meetings about how all opposed points of view from non-believers were hopelessly ignorant from the darkness of sin or the evil of Satan. Regardless of what we said about coexisting with other religions, traditions, or ideas we always intended to work actively to attain our God's will for ALL OF MANKIND. Don't have faith? You still can't teach your kids in school about evolution, safe sex, or that women have the right to have abortions. In fact, the very fact that you didn't share our religious ideology only made it more important that we try to use any trick in the book to convert your children, particularly at school. To hem in your godless ways in the workplace. To take over your government and reform it to God's plan and lock out all of the undesirables possible.
The faithful simply don't talk to outsiders about it. Not you, easy go lucky non-believer. To you it's smiles, dinner, or watching our kids play together.
There is no limit where eternity is concerned. Father is dying? We'd try to send someone in to convert them as they lay suffering. Stories of nurses or doctors talking religion and hell to the captive dying behind the family's back was met with affirming 'amen's. Child just died? We send in the converters to find the vulnerable grievers when they most want to believe in an after life and heaven. Or should you become diminished in your old age rest assured they will be making the rounds, particularly if you are lonely.
Keep assuming that religious delusion is harmless. But I can tell you from inside knowledge that they will come for you, they will come for your children, your family, your friends. It causes pain, division, and will always try to strip away the most important gains of modern free society.
Let's not be so naive. Religious thought is very dangerous and in a very real way.
Here's an introductory sample of the giant, Hitchens, through a tribute from an excellent source of media, information, support, and more; The Thinking Atheist (Which I have a link to)
I believe he died of very painful cancer which he fought until dying at age 62.
The inevitable tactic of virtually all religious folk who are active and read in their faith will be to turn discussions from the topic at hand to your own lack of faith. I know that ministers actually teach their congregations to practise this sort of strategy in order to convert unbelievers and authors who promote it certainly know what they are doing. Most church goers will not be able to reason out their faith coherently when tested by an informed mind and this tactic is chiefly designed to shield the average religious layperson from the appropriate level of doubt they should be experiencing. The important thing is to bring the discussion back around and let them know you are interested in exploring the issue rather than getting too far off topic.
More important is the sense of well being you deserve to experience with a well rounded and constantly expanding education not hampered by fear or guilt ridden superstition. The following is a handy list of authors you may want to check out.
More than any other author I highly recommend Bart D Ehrman, who is not listed there, a bible history scholar of world renown. He lost his own faith as he studied the physical bible through history and studied the actual manuscripts the modern day bible is based on. his work is earth shattering to ministers attempting to control a discourse. In fact, many have already been taught about the mistranslations, added stories, forged authors, etc but chose to hide this knowledge from average church goers. If they have formal education at all, that is. You will find that without the bible or equivalent holy text to their particular religion, religious promoters and apologists have nothing much to offer. Here is his page, all his work is excellent.
For science, particularly evolution, i most recommend reading Richard Dawkins. Though he addresses a wide range of issues from the perspective of an atheistic perspective i find his ability to clearly lay out the facts of science in a way both uniform and understandable to non-scientists like myself. Dawkins has earned his reputation as a tireless advocate for reason and decency around the world and his multi platform material will peel back the layers of false assumptions impressed upon you. There is a reason he is so widely reviled in religious circles and those are the only good reasons to be reviled. Courageous honesty, and humane integrity. A good starter would be his "The God Delusion." Here's his site.
For social philosophy I highly recommend the late Christopher Hitchens. Again, this author and speaker covered a great many issues in his work but unlike the other recommendations I have made Hitchens forged his reputation and developed his ideas on life not just in the classrooms of his extremely good education but most notably in the field of real life. A few highlights include meeting Fidel Castro during the Cuban revolution while still a student, losing his mother in a horrible suicide after she joined a cult, and running for safety in live urban battle zones, giving a frightened woman his flak jacket as they ran. This is the guy who lived the life that would make most intellectuals shit their pants. Yet, an intellectual he was. "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" is amazing and "Hitch 22" is his impressive autobiography. This is an unofficial site for his works.
Finally I'll give Sam Harris. He's the brain man (neurology ;) but his intensive and often overwhelming reason have made him one of my favourite atheist Authors and speakers. You will need to read his work more than once to grasp the fullness of his extensive exploration of the topics he addresses. No one covers the human psychology of religion as well, though some of his social views have been found controversial. I plead with you to read "The Moral Landscape" and check out his site.
www.samharris.org
There. A few good bullets for that intellectual gunfight. Remember these are just a few of my own favourites.
I'll give more next time!
I have been quite distracted with an unexpected number of troubles with believers for the last few weeks. It should not be underestimated how many people will strike at you for not conforming and refusing to be silent. It was still surprising. With family there were misunderstandings to be cleared up. With my old pastor there was a snub and refusal to discuss minor points of his public teaching. And a friend caused me a great deal of pain. An atheist who strangely judges me for speaking out about my views. But I guess we all have our difficult times and judgement can arise from anywhere.
Perhaps this is the best way for me to proceed, then, is to lay out the most significant issues to be aware of as one comes to question religion. Besides the fact that people will get upset, that is. Let's begin with this;
1 - They Have No Authority Over You
Religious people may seem lovey dovey at first but one of the very first things they will do is begin to establish a sense of authority over you. It is rarely spoken of openly but it is essential for any religious movement in order to maintain control over it's members. This was brought to mind by the "I'll pray for you" response from the man most responsible for the internal torments of my childhood this week. So why would he not discuss basic issues around his most repeated and publicly condemning messages? Like most religious leaders he is actually not used to being challenged. There is no need to explain beyond the rules of dogma because they have already instituted a system of religious authority. He resorted to asking if i was a good believer "right with God" and then refused any further discussion.
In other words, if you ask too many questions they accuse you of being unfaithful or even blasphemous. Notice that this is an excellent way to never apply rational examination to any belief or explain why these beliefs are healthy, let alone true.
As in my situation, they often use the "love you" language while side-stepping your questions and demeaning your value as a fellow human being just as capable of intelligent thought and just as entitled to good reasons for beliefs. Especially if you have been a participant in, or raised under their religious institution, you have every right to some answers. If they will not give them, the answer is that they disregard your value as a fellow human being.
I suggest the following;
-Try to remain calm, but do not use timid language. You are equals.
(I called my old minister on using blatantly deceptive misinformation on his public blog, and informed him that without further explanation I would have to consider it to be lying)
-Do not accept their statements that you are defying religious authority as substitution for real explanations.
-Don't let them side track the discussion. Always be prepared to bring it back to your question.
-Do not harass. If they are uncooperative, eventually you need to walk away. It isn't worth it.
-Be prepared. Do your own reading and research before this confrontation. These people can be very convincing and at times belligerent.
-Probably best to do 1 on 1. No good being overwhelmed by their numbers. It's the discussion that is important. The issues.
Remember, you are not alone. The questions you are asking are very healthy and can only lead to better knowledge and understanding.
Be good. Do good.
*in the future i will post some good sites for resources and materials*
