Hello
June 26, 2010 at 3:51 pm
(This post was last modified: June 26, 2010 at 3:55 pm by DeistPaladin.)
Minimalist, someone I met on jesusneverexisted.org, has introduced me to this forum. I look forward to participating. I post videos on YouTube regarding Islamo-Christianity and other crazy things in our world. I'm a deist which I often like to say is "just like atheism (pause) except for that part where we believe in God". I'm also one of the co-organizers of the local atheist group here in my home town.
Against the odds, I was actually raised in an agnostic house here in the middle of Bible-belt America. My interest in religion developed when I started going to church because I heard it was a good way to meet women. That didn't work out very well (thankfully, I'm now happily married to a pantheist) but it did give me a chance to learn a little about what it is that Christians believe.
I ran into this fundy guy who seemed eager to talk to me about Jesus. When I asked him to explain (which is like pulling the string on a talking doll), I learned that Christians believe that we are sinners because an ancestor of mine who was made from a rib ate a magic fruit after speaking with a talking snake. That's how this thing called "sin" entered the world which is kind of like this big invisible oil spill that gets all over everything but nobody except these Christians know about it. In particular, it seems to get into your heart although it doesn't appear to affect the function of this blood pumping organ. One wonders why God would plant such a dangerous tree in the first place but that part is never explained.
Christians believe that God tried to solve the problem of sin and violence in the world first by trying to kill every living thing in the world, fighting fire with fire it would seem. Noah, the righteous drunkard, was spared along with his family, leaving the reader to wonder who his grand children could breed with. Then again, I'm from Kentucky so that might explain why no one seems to be bothered by the implied non-forking family tree that we all come from.
That didn't work out so well so the Christian god formed a new plan. He sent himself down to earth to become a human being. Then, in human form, he sacrificed himself to himself. Doing so was the only way that he could convince himself to forgive all of us for being such sinful beings, which we are because the rib-woman ate from the tree that he planted in the first place. We all know that bloody human sacrifice makes everything better because... well, that part's never explained either.
It's not important exactly why bleeding on a cross solves any problems of evil in the world. The important thing to understand, Christians claim, is that Jesus loves each and every one of us. He just loves us so much. And if we don't believe the story I've just related, he's going to have to send us all to a place where we'll be tortured forever.
As I began to read the Bible, I learned that this guy wasn't nuts. In fact, he was relating the story as faithfully as any Christian apologist might. This knowledge, combined with the events of 9/11, inspired me to get involved in the freethought movement. I don't think all religions are dangerous. I've never heard of a Buddhist suicide bomber. It seems that it's the belief in a salvation scheme and a devil to fight against are the deal-breakers. These things are what seem to cause sectarian violence more than anything else. Others might have their own ideas here.
Hope to contribute to this discussion board.
Against the odds, I was actually raised in an agnostic house here in the middle of Bible-belt America. My interest in religion developed when I started going to church because I heard it was a good way to meet women. That didn't work out very well (thankfully, I'm now happily married to a pantheist) but it did give me a chance to learn a little about what it is that Christians believe.
I ran into this fundy guy who seemed eager to talk to me about Jesus. When I asked him to explain (which is like pulling the string on a talking doll), I learned that Christians believe that we are sinners because an ancestor of mine who was made from a rib ate a magic fruit after speaking with a talking snake. That's how this thing called "sin" entered the world which is kind of like this big invisible oil spill that gets all over everything but nobody except these Christians know about it. In particular, it seems to get into your heart although it doesn't appear to affect the function of this blood pumping organ. One wonders why God would plant such a dangerous tree in the first place but that part is never explained.
Christians believe that God tried to solve the problem of sin and violence in the world first by trying to kill every living thing in the world, fighting fire with fire it would seem. Noah, the righteous drunkard, was spared along with his family, leaving the reader to wonder who his grand children could breed with. Then again, I'm from Kentucky so that might explain why no one seems to be bothered by the implied non-forking family tree that we all come from.
That didn't work out so well so the Christian god formed a new plan. He sent himself down to earth to become a human being. Then, in human form, he sacrificed himself to himself. Doing so was the only way that he could convince himself to forgive all of us for being such sinful beings, which we are because the rib-woman ate from the tree that he planted in the first place. We all know that bloody human sacrifice makes everything better because... well, that part's never explained either.
It's not important exactly why bleeding on a cross solves any problems of evil in the world. The important thing to understand, Christians claim, is that Jesus loves each and every one of us. He just loves us so much. And if we don't believe the story I've just related, he's going to have to send us all to a place where we'll be tortured forever.
As I began to read the Bible, I learned that this guy wasn't nuts. In fact, he was relating the story as faithfully as any Christian apologist might. This knowledge, combined with the events of 9/11, inspired me to get involved in the freethought movement. I don't think all religions are dangerous. I've never heard of a Buddhist suicide bomber. It seems that it's the belief in a salvation scheme and a devil to fight against are the deal-breakers. These things are what seem to cause sectarian violence more than anything else. Others might have their own ideas here.
Hope to contribute to this discussion board.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
