Today is memorial day; it is a day that every citizen of this country is supposed to take time out of his busy schedule to remember the fallen. The millions of men and women who died on the worlds many battle fields for God and country. That is what the government tells us, and that is generally what they are honored for, but there is more to it than that. Others say that they died and gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms and that their sacrifices are a constant reminder that freedom isn't free.
Alot of these so called motives are nothing more than lies and ruses perpetuated by our government with the intent to gain some resource or commodity that would simply build our empire. Everything a government does has as a real purpose that is unknown to us; ulterior motives. The government does not care about its citizens or you and I as individuals, this is evident when you first enlist in the military. You are no longer a citizen you are a G.I. (government issue) and you are treated as such.
Once you join the military you are robbed of your identity, you are no longer free. You are ordered to maim and kill and not ask questions as to why. A good soldier follows orders and obeys those in his chain of command to the point of dying if necessary to protect our land and the things we hold dear. They are told that they are fighting for the right to live free, that they fight for the freedoms of the generations of loved ones they cherish:.
Some of us were not meant to serve this country: once they discovered that what they once believed was nothing more than a mask of lies with the intent to make someone richer. To steal from a foreign country that may have the resources we need to prosper. When you enlist in the service you get to experience a true dictatorship and only those that are willing to play dirty and turn a blind eye to the abuse and excesses of their government become successful.
What we are not told is that many of those men and women who died had done so for all the wrong reasons. For example some people join the military to secure a better future for themselves and their loved ones, others feel the need to serve their country, some want to go to college and learn a trade, but what the recruiter does not tell you is that these aspirations may cause you your life and you may never achieve them.
Those that have died in Americas conflicts have given up so much more than their lives. They have given up their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives, children. Under the ruse of love of country, they have literally given up everything they ever had in this life. They have left behind everything they held dear and adored to what they believed was to protect our freedoms. But this day is not about America, freedom, or the lies of politics and politicians, it's about people who were brave enough to answer the call. And even under orders and against their will they ran in front of a hail of bullets, bayonets, and swords, to fight for what the believed.
As a former Marine myself, and I say former because I was able to awaken before I was deceived and overwhelmed by my government to sacrifice my life. I personally honor all of my fallen comrades in arms whose hopes and dreams went down to their graves with them. To those who never made it back home, or got to see or kiss their children goodnight, or tell their parents how much they loved them, who never got to see all of those they held dear in this life. Rest in peace, and may you never be forgotten.
Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.
Oscar Wilde
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The ignorance of theists
I was in a sort of debate the other day on msn regarding the theory of evolution vs. creationism, and I was astounded at the misconceptions and false ideas that some theists have regarding evolution. It reminded me of when I was a fundamentalist myself and studying in the seminary to be a minister. That experience was one of the ones that motivated me to study and search more on matters of evolution and other alternative creations stories.
That day I had been looking forward to class since I was a natural at debating and loved to learn everything about alternative belief systems. We had reached the point in our curriculum where we were finally going to discuss evolution. I can remember the excitement I felt when I entered the classroom, but that excitement soon turned to anger and dismay. When the instructor had reached the point in the book on evolution and began to explain it, well, let's just say that he didn't explain it but simply laughed and brushed it aside.
He basically said and I quote:" If you want to believe that you came from a monkey then you go right ahead but I know that I am a child of the living God!" He then turned the page and moved on. It's no wonder that alot of theists are ignorant regarding evolution through the process of natural selection. I must admit at the time I had the same ideas in my head that we were once monkeys and evolved into what we are today. But in reality that is not what evolution teaches, it teaches that we share a common ancestor which is saying something completely different.
In this debate this theists rambled on about how basically everything in creation and the creation of the universe itself was explainable by accepting by faith that god did it. The usual conscious suicide of reasoning that you hear from theists. It is almost as if it is a sin to think, analyze, and question things that contradict the scriptures. The bible defines anything that does so as being of the devil and states that it is meant to lead you astray from "the truth"!
In my mind god did it is a cop out and a lazy way of trying to make sense of those things that even today we may not understand fully. One thing that surprised me is that some theists are starting to reject the Adam and Eve tale and have relegated it to an allegory. I think that the reason for this is that it can not be reconciled from a logical standpoint with reason at all. This leaves the theists without a creation story, I am anxious to see what they will make up next.
That day I had been looking forward to class since I was a natural at debating and loved to learn everything about alternative belief systems. We had reached the point in our curriculum where we were finally going to discuss evolution. I can remember the excitement I felt when I entered the classroom, but that excitement soon turned to anger and dismay. When the instructor had reached the point in the book on evolution and began to explain it, well, let's just say that he didn't explain it but simply laughed and brushed it aside.
He basically said and I quote:" If you want to believe that you came from a monkey then you go right ahead but I know that I am a child of the living God!" He then turned the page and moved on. It's no wonder that alot of theists are ignorant regarding evolution through the process of natural selection. I must admit at the time I had the same ideas in my head that we were once monkeys and evolved into what we are today. But in reality that is not what evolution teaches, it teaches that we share a common ancestor which is saying something completely different.
In this debate this theists rambled on about how basically everything in creation and the creation of the universe itself was explainable by accepting by faith that god did it. The usual conscious suicide of reasoning that you hear from theists. It is almost as if it is a sin to think, analyze, and question things that contradict the scriptures. The bible defines anything that does so as being of the devil and states that it is meant to lead you astray from "the truth"!
In my mind god did it is a cop out and a lazy way of trying to make sense of those things that even today we may not understand fully. One thing that surprised me is that some theists are starting to reject the Adam and Eve tale and have relegated it to an allegory. I think that the reason for this is that it can not be reconciled from a logical standpoint with reason at all. This leaves the theists without a creation story, I am anxious to see what they will make up next.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Freedom of expression
One of the many things I find offensive about religionists, especially the fundamental ones is that they are always ranting about freedom to express their beliefs and their rights to preach the gospel; but apparently this only applies to them because when an atheist decides to express his unbelief in their fairy tales and myths he is labeled immoral, and is called or inspired by Satan to keep the "truth" from being promulgated.
Apparently freedom of expression only applies to those that believe as they do and agree with their doctrines and teachings. Otherwise you have according to them no right to speak nor express your views since in their eyes everything you say is inspired by the prince of darkness and evil himself Satan. They see things in black and white basically, if it is not coming from their god it's coming from his nemesis.
The thing about it is that the government is supposed to stay out of religious affairs and keep themselves separate from them according to the U.S. Constitutional ammendment, but in practice it is not upheld at all. In fact you have religious inscriptions all over our public buildings and even on all of our currency. There was a time not long ago that your testimony was not valid in court if you did not take their oath to tell the truth in the name of their god.
Religious organizations are given a tax exempt status and are categorized as non profit organizations, when everyone knows that one of the most lucrative enterprises to run is a religious organization. They don't call their donations revenue they call them gifts or donations! Now that is a smack in the face of anyone with a brain stem. Will talk about this more in my next post, till then take care and I will see you soon.
Apparently freedom of expression only applies to those that believe as they do and agree with their doctrines and teachings. Otherwise you have according to them no right to speak nor express your views since in their eyes everything you say is inspired by the prince of darkness and evil himself Satan. They see things in black and white basically, if it is not coming from their god it's coming from his nemesis.
The thing about it is that the government is supposed to stay out of religious affairs and keep themselves separate from them according to the U.S. Constitutional ammendment, but in practice it is not upheld at all. In fact you have religious inscriptions all over our public buildings and even on all of our currency. There was a time not long ago that your testimony was not valid in court if you did not take their oath to tell the truth in the name of their god.
Religious organizations are given a tax exempt status and are categorized as non profit organizations, when everyone knows that one of the most lucrative enterprises to run is a religious organization. They don't call their donations revenue they call them gifts or donations! Now that is a smack in the face of anyone with a brain stem. Will talk about this more in my next post, till then take care and I will see you soon.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Religion breeds hypocrisy
When I was an evangelist, one of the things I noticed from my fellow believers is the level of hypocrisy that was prevalent amongst them. I found that many were one person in the church and a completely different person in their homes. Most of the time that other personality they displayed outside the congregation was the total opposite of what we saw in church, where they were at their best behavior.
Christians in particular suffer from a horrible psychological compulsion called "cherry picking" as in picking and choosing what to believe and follow from their so called sacred text, the bible. Most will choose only those verses of scripture that favor their individual situations. Those other verses of scripture that condemn some of their actions and personal beliefs are ignored or discarded from their minds completely.
I've learned through experience that if you want to be a successful evangelist, that you should preach only those things that the people want to hear. I of course did not, and thus I was never really a successful evangelist in the sense of having thousands of groveling miracle mongers chasing me all around the religious community. I refused to preach platitudes I preached very harsh sermons and at times they did not go over very well with the masses.
People who preach that the church is blessed, that they have been chosen by god to lead this world out of darkness, that they will prosper beyond their wildest dreams both in this life and the next will surely be well liked and followed. The secret to success in any growing ministry is to tell the people what they want to hear, make them feel like they are on the right side of god.
If you but spent a day in a large congregation and opened your ears to everyone's conversations you would be floored at the amount of gossip that prevails in those so called holy settings. Christians don't only condemn the world at large, they criticize, judge, and condemn each other as well. They talk about the pastor, the brother that wears the same clothes every day, the sister at the pew etc. If this is what heaven is like then I have to say no thank you, I prefer to live this life and perish into nothingness when my time is up.
Jesus supposedly made the following statement in regards to the Scribes and the Pharisees, but I think that it is just as applicable to today's church as well.
"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Mark 7:6
Christians in particular suffer from a horrible psychological compulsion called "cherry picking" as in picking and choosing what to believe and follow from their so called sacred text, the bible. Most will choose only those verses of scripture that favor their individual situations. Those other verses of scripture that condemn some of their actions and personal beliefs are ignored or discarded from their minds completely.
I've learned through experience that if you want to be a successful evangelist, that you should preach only those things that the people want to hear. I of course did not, and thus I was never really a successful evangelist in the sense of having thousands of groveling miracle mongers chasing me all around the religious community. I refused to preach platitudes I preached very harsh sermons and at times they did not go over very well with the masses.
People who preach that the church is blessed, that they have been chosen by god to lead this world out of darkness, that they will prosper beyond their wildest dreams both in this life and the next will surely be well liked and followed. The secret to success in any growing ministry is to tell the people what they want to hear, make them feel like they are on the right side of god.
If you but spent a day in a large congregation and opened your ears to everyone's conversations you would be floored at the amount of gossip that prevails in those so called holy settings. Christians don't only condemn the world at large, they criticize, judge, and condemn each other as well. They talk about the pastor, the brother that wears the same clothes every day, the sister at the pew etc. If this is what heaven is like then I have to say no thank you, I prefer to live this life and perish into nothingness when my time is up.
Jesus supposedly made the following statement in regards to the Scribes and the Pharisees, but I think that it is just as applicable to today's church as well.
"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Mark 7:6
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Religious beliefs are childish
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11 KJB
Although this biblical passage is a reference to the awakening of knowledge during the time of the redemption of the Christian church through the return of Christ, it is one of the few biblical texts; that when taken out of its context expresses my very sentiments regarding religious beliefs. I have referred to religious beliefs as primitive and even naive but nothing says it better than calling them childish.
It's ironic but the bible actually says in Mark 10:15
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Have you ever wondered why that is? It is because the mind of a child is referred to by many academicians as a veritable sponge. They are able to absorb vast amounts of knowledge and most importantly believe practically anything you tell them. Here in the U.S. the most common beliefs taught to children is the story of Santa Clause. And as implausible as this story is most children do not question it.
Believing in the biblical god or any god is in my opinion the adults version of a Santa story. There is no evidence whatsoever for the existence of a god, nor does the literature believed to be inspired by him prove anything, except that the men that wrote it were just that.There is nothing in the entire bible that even points to divine inspiration. There is nothing in that book that you could not have learned through experience itself.
Like children who believe in Santa, the tooth fairy, the three kings etc. God is the gown mans fairy tale if you analyze them side by side they both have similar features. We already know about the Santa story so I wont get into that, instead I will focus on the belief in god. Like all fairy tales religion is passed on through society, and of course long history and traditions.
Like all fables the belief in god is also a very implausible story. At the same time it meets certain needs such as allaying fears of the unknown, comfort, hope, and a feeling of security. For some people it is good to know that there is some big guy in the sky always at your beck and call who is willing to listen to you pour your heart out. Who is there to lift you up above your problems and fill you with faith.
A religious person in my eyes is nothing more than a grown up child who never let go of his childhood beliefs. If they stopped and stepped outside of themselves and analyzed their beliefs thoroughly I am sure that they will feel somewhat embarrassed that they held onto them as long as they did. Some people never outgrow it but I guess that is just how they wanted it. For some, to lose a belief in god is to lose everything.
Although this biblical passage is a reference to the awakening of knowledge during the time of the redemption of the Christian church through the return of Christ, it is one of the few biblical texts; that when taken out of its context expresses my very sentiments regarding religious beliefs. I have referred to religious beliefs as primitive and even naive but nothing says it better than calling them childish.
It's ironic but the bible actually says in Mark 10:15
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Have you ever wondered why that is? It is because the mind of a child is referred to by many academicians as a veritable sponge. They are able to absorb vast amounts of knowledge and most importantly believe practically anything you tell them. Here in the U.S. the most common beliefs taught to children is the story of Santa Clause. And as implausible as this story is most children do not question it.
Believing in the biblical god or any god is in my opinion the adults version of a Santa story. There is no evidence whatsoever for the existence of a god, nor does the literature believed to be inspired by him prove anything, except that the men that wrote it were just that.There is nothing in the entire bible that even points to divine inspiration. There is nothing in that book that you could not have learned through experience itself.
Like children who believe in Santa, the tooth fairy, the three kings etc. God is the gown mans fairy tale if you analyze them side by side they both have similar features. We already know about the Santa story so I wont get into that, instead I will focus on the belief in god. Like all fairy tales religion is passed on through society, and of course long history and traditions.
Like all fables the belief in god is also a very implausible story. At the same time it meets certain needs such as allaying fears of the unknown, comfort, hope, and a feeling of security. For some people it is good to know that there is some big guy in the sky always at your beck and call who is willing to listen to you pour your heart out. Who is there to lift you up above your problems and fill you with faith.
A religious person in my eyes is nothing more than a grown up child who never let go of his childhood beliefs. If they stopped and stepped outside of themselves and analyzed their beliefs thoroughly I am sure that they will feel somewhat embarrassed that they held onto them as long as they did. Some people never outgrow it but I guess that is just how they wanted it. For some, to lose a belief in god is to lose everything.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Faith Healing
When I was in the ministry, the focus of my ministry for four years was deliverance, but towards the last year of my ministry many were trying to push me toward faith healing. It seemed that every church I visited a so called prophet would call me up to the altar and tell me that god wanted me to heal the sick and that I had been anointed to do so by the holy spirit.
One of the things I found to be very disheartening in the church was that they were a bunch of miracle mongers. If you sat through a service and then the evangelist or preacher began praying for people and they began passing out, the whole church would run to the altar for a touch of the divine. This is ironic coming from a religion that emphasizes faith and not sight.
Even as an evangelist I was always skeptical about faith healing. I never believed the miracle stories that would float around the congregation from time to time. In fact, a miracle loses all its validity in my opinion if the recipient of the miracle is unknown to you. When Jesus supposedly healed some demoniac from possession the first thing he told him was to go show himself to those in town so that they may see what god had done.
I personally believe that alot of the so called ailments cured in faith healing crusades are nothing more than psychosomatic disorders. You never hear of an amputee miraculously grow a leg back, or a dead person being brought back from the dead. Plenty of faith healers make the claim that they have raised people from the dead but I have yet to see one do it.
I think that faith healing does more harm than good most of the time. I personally knew someone from my church that died because he was afraid to have surgery for a hernia and put all his faith in Jesus that he would one day miraculously be healed. I felt bad for the masses that were putting their lives at risk believing that their good lord would heal them, and I did not want to be responsible for anyone's death.
I prayed for the sick on rare occasions but I did not advocate faith healing, it should be called faith killing because that is exactly what it is. People shun medical treatment in place of faith and end up dying for the silliest infirmities simply because they wanted a touch of heaven. The believers that suffered from psychosomatic disorders were the only ones healed but their ailment was in their minds. I have more to say on this and so I will follow up on the next post.
One of the things I found to be very disheartening in the church was that they were a bunch of miracle mongers. If you sat through a service and then the evangelist or preacher began praying for people and they began passing out, the whole church would run to the altar for a touch of the divine. This is ironic coming from a religion that emphasizes faith and not sight.
Even as an evangelist I was always skeptical about faith healing. I never believed the miracle stories that would float around the congregation from time to time. In fact, a miracle loses all its validity in my opinion if the recipient of the miracle is unknown to you. When Jesus supposedly healed some demoniac from possession the first thing he told him was to go show himself to those in town so that they may see what god had done.
I personally believe that alot of the so called ailments cured in faith healing crusades are nothing more than psychosomatic disorders. You never hear of an amputee miraculously grow a leg back, or a dead person being brought back from the dead. Plenty of faith healers make the claim that they have raised people from the dead but I have yet to see one do it.
I think that faith healing does more harm than good most of the time. I personally knew someone from my church that died because he was afraid to have surgery for a hernia and put all his faith in Jesus that he would one day miraculously be healed. I felt bad for the masses that were putting their lives at risk believing that their good lord would heal them, and I did not want to be responsible for anyone's death.
I prayed for the sick on rare occasions but I did not advocate faith healing, it should be called faith killing because that is exactly what it is. People shun medical treatment in place of faith and end up dying for the silliest infirmities simply because they wanted a touch of heaven. The believers that suffered from psychosomatic disorders were the only ones healed but their ailment was in their minds. I have more to say on this and so I will follow up on the next post.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Gods plan
One of the things I find very confusing about Christianity is the biblical gods overall plan. I don't know but upon closer observation, it just makes no sense. God created mankind according to the scriptures for one reason and one reason only; and that reason is to stroke his ego for all eternity. In the bible god condemns vanity as a sin, but he is the first one that is guilty of said sin.
The Mirriam Webster dictionary defines vanity as such : inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance : conceit. It is considered a sin to think highly of yourself or to have an "inflated pride", yet the biggest ego and inflated pride in the universe belongs to the biblical god. He creates mankind to be sinless and live in harmony with nature, but the serpent made sure that would not work by planting the seed of doubt in the mind of Eve who later transferred it to Adam.
As a result we all inherited this thing called sin and although we had nothing to do with mankinds fall we are as accountable for it as Adam and Eve. Then our wonderful god decides to save us from sin by instituting the sacrifice of animals who are to die vicariously on our behalf, but this did not wash away the sin but simply made god turn a blind eye to the sin temporarily. So next he becomes a man in the person of Christ and partakes of our human suffering and ultimately dies vicariously for us once and for all washing away the sins of the world.
But wait! He is not satisfied yet. Now he needs you and me to accept him as lord and savior or else we shall be punished for eternity in hell fire for our unbelief. And those that do accept him will win an eternity in his presence blowing smoke up his ass forever and ever amen. No thank you but I personally would rather burn in hell than submit myself to a mythical god with an ego greater than the entire universe.
The Mirriam Webster dictionary defines vanity as such : inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance : conceit. It is considered a sin to think highly of yourself or to have an "inflated pride", yet the biggest ego and inflated pride in the universe belongs to the biblical god. He creates mankind to be sinless and live in harmony with nature, but the serpent made sure that would not work by planting the seed of doubt in the mind of Eve who later transferred it to Adam.
As a result we all inherited this thing called sin and although we had nothing to do with mankinds fall we are as accountable for it as Adam and Eve. Then our wonderful god decides to save us from sin by instituting the sacrifice of animals who are to die vicariously on our behalf, but this did not wash away the sin but simply made god turn a blind eye to the sin temporarily. So next he becomes a man in the person of Christ and partakes of our human suffering and ultimately dies vicariously for us once and for all washing away the sins of the world.
But wait! He is not satisfied yet. Now he needs you and me to accept him as lord and savior or else we shall be punished for eternity in hell fire for our unbelief. And those that do accept him will win an eternity in his presence blowing smoke up his ass forever and ever amen. No thank you but I personally would rather burn in hell than submit myself to a mythical god with an ego greater than the entire universe.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Reject or worship God?
As you can see in my title to this post as a former christian turned atheist, when it comes to worshiping the biblical god or any god, I just don't get it. So according to the primitive thinking religionist who are stuck in the dark ages we were created by some being, who for some reason created us with the sole purpose of stroking his over inflated ego? Once again if that was gods plan, then I don't get it.
One of the things I noticed when I was completely free of my religious beliefs and ideals, was the feeling of being unburdened by what I now define as superstition. I don't see a difference between religion and mythology because in both cases they were born out of ignorance. Once a religion was disproved or lost its appeal it was then no longer called a religion but a myth, as is demonstrated by the many myths usually taught to us in school.
I am sure that the Greeks truly believed in their pantheon of gods just like every christian believes in his god, yet Christianity is annoying in that they make truth claims that are unprovable, and based on what they read from a six thousand year old text. They claim that the bible is right, that we should worship this invisible being in the sky and be thankful simply because he created us. We owe him our lives literally!!
I feel that rejecting these primitive beliefs is the only way that you as a person can truly enjoy life, and learn and grow from your experiences. Not concerning yourself about mythical hells and curses or blessings, but enjoying this life to the fullest for the brief time that we are here. Doing what makes you happy and at the same time enriching the lives of those around you. You don't need a god to guide you in this life you just need to make the most of it while you are here.
One of the things I noticed when I was completely free of my religious beliefs and ideals, was the feeling of being unburdened by what I now define as superstition. I don't see a difference between religion and mythology because in both cases they were born out of ignorance. Once a religion was disproved or lost its appeal it was then no longer called a religion but a myth, as is demonstrated by the many myths usually taught to us in school.
I am sure that the Greeks truly believed in their pantheon of gods just like every christian believes in his god, yet Christianity is annoying in that they make truth claims that are unprovable, and based on what they read from a six thousand year old text. They claim that the bible is right, that we should worship this invisible being in the sky and be thankful simply because he created us. We owe him our lives literally!!
I feel that rejecting these primitive beliefs is the only way that you as a person can truly enjoy life, and learn and grow from your experiences. Not concerning yourself about mythical hells and curses or blessings, but enjoying this life to the fullest for the brief time that we are here. Doing what makes you happy and at the same time enriching the lives of those around you. You don't need a god to guide you in this life you just need to make the most of it while you are here.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
How to perpetuate a myth
According to the Mirriam Webster dictionary the definition of the word perpetuate is: : to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely. Although I am no longer a Christian, you have to hand it to the authors of the Gospels for having created a clause that allows them to perpetuate the Jesus myth indefinitely and continue to profit from the gullibility of the masses. Regarding the second coming of Christ to reclaim his church etc. Jesus allegedly said:
Matthew 24:34,35
34.Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35.Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
In another text Jesus goes as far as promising some of his followers the following:
Matthew 16:27,28
27.For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28.Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Now here is the clincher lol these fucking Christians were geniuses!!
Matthew 24:36
36.But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Now they could keep adding years freely to the coming of Christ as they have been doing for the last 2000 years without contradictions. If you took the time to read the bible you will find that it is chock full of bull shit like this. That is the beauty of the bible it is so pliable you can literally make it say just about anything you want.
Matthew 24:34,35
34.Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35.Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
In another text Jesus goes as far as promising some of his followers the following:
Matthew 16:27,28
27.For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28.Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Now here is the clincher lol these fucking Christians were geniuses!!
Matthew 24:36
36.But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Now they could keep adding years freely to the coming of Christ as they have been doing for the last 2000 years without contradictions. If you took the time to read the bible you will find that it is chock full of bull shit like this. That is the beauty of the bible it is so pliable you can literally make it say just about anything you want.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Christian discord
One of the things I find very eye opening is that there is so much discord amongst Christians of varying sects. It's very interesting how each group although they are all reading the same book can come up with such varying interpretations of the same texts. It all boils down to interpretation; but in reality these interpretations, are the interpretations of men who all claim to being led by the holy spirit. So, either the holy spirit is sending mixed messages or like the bible it is a fabrication of mans very fertile imagination.
Topics like the virgin birth, the trinity, the resurrection of Christ are all subjects of contention. Of course there are many more but I just mentioned those as an example. Then there is the manner in which a church should baptize someone. Others argue whether children need to be baptized while others argue that they should or they will suffer eternal damnation if they died at an early age.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
This quote is from the KJV of scripture and as you can see one of the functions of the Holy Ghost is to "teach you all things". Christians claim that it is the holy spirit that helps you interpret scripture correctly, if this is true then all of Christianities churches and sects may not be reading him right. There are many passages like this throughout the scriptures but it just goes to show that all of Christianity has it wrong. No wonder they are such a confused bunch.
Topics like the virgin birth, the trinity, the resurrection of Christ are all subjects of contention. Of course there are many more but I just mentioned those as an example. Then there is the manner in which a church should baptize someone. Others argue whether children need to be baptized while others argue that they should or they will suffer eternal damnation if they died at an early age.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
This quote is from the KJV of scripture and as you can see one of the functions of the Holy Ghost is to "teach you all things". Christians claim that it is the holy spirit that helps you interpret scripture correctly, if this is true then all of Christianities churches and sects may not be reading him right. There are many passages like this throughout the scriptures but it just goes to show that all of Christianity has it wrong. No wonder they are such a confused bunch.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The bible is outdated
One thing I find extremely fascinating even today; is that the bible even after a time span of about 6 thousand years is still considered relevant today by so many people. Some Christians and Jews would love to attribute the bibles longevity to divine providence or in the Christians view the Holy Spirit. They claim that the "truths" outlined in the scriptures somehow are confirmed by some inner knowing within our spirits.
I am of the opinion that the only reason that the bible has survived to this day is because of the continuing ignorance of the masses, and the powerful influences of society and tradition. Most people inherit some form of religion through their parents and their community rather than through divine inspiration. To state that ignorance is bliss is to define everything that Christianity in general is all about.
All of the excuses for our ignorance are attributed to our so called "sinful" nature, and when we are redeemed in Christ then what we can't explain will be revealed to us after we die and receive our glorified bodies and inherit the kingdom of the biblical god. One thing is evident to those of us who actually still know how to use our brains, that this is nothing more than circular reasoning at best.
To Christians and the like the source of all knowledge is attributed to God and there is no true knowledge that can be obtained otherwise. To be a Christian you have to close your eyes, bury your head in the sand, and give up your mind to the ignorance that is primitive belief systems. The bible itself is an open ended document that is pliable enough to interpret its verses to mean whatever the situation you are facing calls for.
I am of the opinion that the only reason that the bible has survived to this day is because of the continuing ignorance of the masses, and the powerful influences of society and tradition. Most people inherit some form of religion through their parents and their community rather than through divine inspiration. To state that ignorance is bliss is to define everything that Christianity in general is all about.
All of the excuses for our ignorance are attributed to our so called "sinful" nature, and when we are redeemed in Christ then what we can't explain will be revealed to us after we die and receive our glorified bodies and inherit the kingdom of the biblical god. One thing is evident to those of us who actually still know how to use our brains, that this is nothing more than circular reasoning at best.
To Christians and the like the source of all knowledge is attributed to God and there is no true knowledge that can be obtained otherwise. To be a Christian you have to close your eyes, bury your head in the sand, and give up your mind to the ignorance that is primitive belief systems. The bible itself is an open ended document that is pliable enough to interpret its verses to mean whatever the situation you are facing calls for.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Holy ghost or hypnosis?
For those that have been following my blog and have seen some of my posts on youtube you will be aware that I have always likened the more charismatic aspects of Christianity to hypnotic trance states. One thing that I have noticed in hypnosis is that not everyone is able to be hypnotized, the reason for this lies in the suggestibility of the subject. One requirement of Christianity is that you submit your will to that of the will of your god; in hypnosis you are doing the same thing in essence, except that you are giving the hypnotist permission to put you in a trance.
One thing is for sure and that is that a person who is unwilling or too skeptical will not be susceptible nor a prime candidate to put under an hypnotic state. The New Testament has a parallel situation that can back up my statements regarding this matter in Hebrews 11:6 which states "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." As in hypnosis the first step is believing, and with belief comes submission. Matthew 13:58 is illuminating regarding this matter. Even Jesus was limited when he came back to his own town of Galilee: " And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."
Most people don't know this but whenever you see some hypnotist doing a show on television, all of the subjects he uses out of the audience have been prescreened. He first runs a test to see which ones are the most highly suggestible to hypnosis with the entire audience participating. Then he hand picks those he will use depending on how they respond to his initial tests.
Inadvertently most religions use similar practices and I think this is why people in church can fall out and not get hurt physically, can jump around mindlessly babbling incoherently etc. They are unknowingly in a trance state which is usually brought on by the setting of the church, the music, and the preaching. It has been my experience that the more you participate and let go of your inhibitions the more you will experience in the so called spiritual realm.
.
One thing is for sure and that is that a person who is unwilling or too skeptical will not be susceptible nor a prime candidate to put under an hypnotic state. The New Testament has a parallel situation that can back up my statements regarding this matter in Hebrews 11:6 which states "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." As in hypnosis the first step is believing, and with belief comes submission. Matthew 13:58 is illuminating regarding this matter. Even Jesus was limited when he came back to his own town of Galilee: " And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."
Most people don't know this but whenever you see some hypnotist doing a show on television, all of the subjects he uses out of the audience have been prescreened. He first runs a test to see which ones are the most highly suggestible to hypnosis with the entire audience participating. Then he hand picks those he will use depending on how they respond to his initial tests.
Inadvertently most religions use similar practices and I think this is why people in church can fall out and not get hurt physically, can jump around mindlessly babbling incoherently etc. They are unknowingly in a trance state which is usually brought on by the setting of the church, the music, and the preaching. It has been my experience that the more you participate and let go of your inhibitions the more you will experience in the so called spiritual realm.
.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Christian literacy
One of the things I find most impressive amongst the atheist communities is that atheists seem to know the bible better than most theists. If you took the time to do some research you would be surprised to know how many Christians have actually read the bible in its entirety. They seem to be content to have the so called men of the cloth interpret the scriptures for them and spoon feed their version of what Jesus meant here or God meant there etc.
As a former evangelist and devout Christian myself I can tell you that it was the act of actually reading the bible that pushed me further away from the biblical god. It seems that everything that god condemned humanity for he himself was guilty of. He is vain glorious like no other and in Proverbs 6:17 it says that the Lord hates a lying tongue yet in 1 Kings 22:23 he sends a lying spirit out to deceive a bunch of prophets. It is contradictions like these that irk me most about the bible.
Many Christians only cherry pick out of the bible those things that are palatable and sweet to their eyes and ears and seem to turn a blind eye to the contradictions and the more condemning scriptures. This in my view shows a measure of hypocrisy on their part and is something that makes me dislike them even more. If you claim to follow the precepts of this god you worship then take the word in its entirety and not piece meal to suit your needs or soothe your soul.
As a former evangelist and devout Christian myself I can tell you that it was the act of actually reading the bible that pushed me further away from the biblical god. It seems that everything that god condemned humanity for he himself was guilty of. He is vain glorious like no other and in Proverbs 6:17 it says that the Lord hates a lying tongue yet in 1 Kings 22:23 he sends a lying spirit out to deceive a bunch of prophets. It is contradictions like these that irk me most about the bible.
Many Christians only cherry pick out of the bible those things that are palatable and sweet to their eyes and ears and seem to turn a blind eye to the contradictions and the more condemning scriptures. This in my view shows a measure of hypocrisy on their part and is something that makes me dislike them even more. If you claim to follow the precepts of this god you worship then take the word in its entirety and not piece meal to suit your needs or soothe your soul.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Religious zeal can be detrimental
As a former evangelist in the Pentecostal church, I must admit that I was an extreme fundamentalist. I believed the bible was the inerrant word of God and that it said what it meant and meant what it said. I prayed fervently and tried my best to live my life in a Christ like manner as much as possible. I preached and when I wasn't preaching I was handing out tracts on the streets, at work, etc.
I spoke in tongues in my prayers and believed that God spoke directly to me through the holy spirit in my own voice in my head. I looked for divine guidance for anything and everything I did, and at times because of that I made some horrible mistakes that cost me good job opportunities. I could not separate my beliefs from my job and so I wore my religion on my sleeve so to speak.
It took me years to be completely free from religion and independent once again. Religion as in anything else that is taken to the extreme can be very harmful on an emotional and psychological level. I literally feared the wrath of God more than I feared life itself. There are many online communities that help those of us who are trying to recover from the effects of extremism and indoctrination. I will do some research and will be posting on how to link up with them for support.
I spoke in tongues in my prayers and believed that God spoke directly to me through the holy spirit in my own voice in my head. I looked for divine guidance for anything and everything I did, and at times because of that I made some horrible mistakes that cost me good job opportunities. I could not separate my beliefs from my job and so I wore my religion on my sleeve so to speak.
It took me years to be completely free from religion and independent once again. Religion as in anything else that is taken to the extreme can be very harmful on an emotional and psychological level. I literally feared the wrath of God more than I feared life itself. There are many online communities that help those of us who are trying to recover from the effects of extremism and indoctrination. I will do some research and will be posting on how to link up with them for support.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)