tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62114096789213936932024-03-12T19:48:52.157-04:00 God is a myth!I am a former Pentecostal evangelist who renounced his beliefs for atheism in 1994. I have decided to write a blog where I share my thoughts and ideas about Christianity in general and the biblical God.Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.comBlogger425125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-28310077826849706062022-02-27T16:49:00.003-05:002022-02-27T16:49:34.683-05:00My path to atheism<p> From 1990 to 94' I was a Pentecostal evangelist. I preached the gospel of Jesus Christ on the streets on the weekends and was often invited to preach in local churches in Brooklyn, NY where I used to reside. I gave my entire life to the the Lord and tried my best to live up to what I believed were his standards at the time. During my time as a believer I had read the Bible from cover to cover four times and even read it in Spanish once. I was a fundamentalist believer which basically means I was also a literalist. The Bible was inerrant and one hundred percent true. No matter what anyone had to say about it. </p><p> Although I was completely devoted to my beliefs I had always been studious and curious about other belief systems.; especially those I encountered often on the streets. But I was not content to read books written by pastors of my faith about them so I often went to the sources themselves to obtain materials about what they believed. I have read Dianetics, The Book of Mormon, and several source materials by the Jehovah's Witnesses. I have always had this nagging question in the back of my mind regarding faith: "With so many religions in the world how can we know that ours is the right one?" </p><p> Aside from the growing seeds of doubt that began to fester in my mind after having read the Bible it was actually a series of events that eventually led me to abandon my faith altogether. I was studying my churches Bible seminary to eventually become a full fledged and ordained minister. Two things happened that turned me off about my church and put another chink in the armor of my beliefs. The first event was at the seminary. Often we had tests regarding subjects we had learned and our grades in those tests were a part of our overall grades at the end of the year. We had one student who was highly regarded amongst the church clergy because he dressed the part. He was often sitting on the altar with the clergy although he did not preach or play any part in the service. </p><p> That man who was so highly regarded by the clergy was also a cheater. We were often left alone during test time since they trusted us as Christian believers to be honest and do the right thing. But this particular brother in the faith often wrote down all the answers to the test in his palm or on a separate piece of paper and as soon as the instructor would leave he would pull it out and do the test. He was shameless and not even try to conceal it from the rest of us. Needless to say when we as a group got together and told the instructor what he was doing the instructor told us not to worry about it that we should leave it in the hands of God! The man went on to graduate that year with honors and got the best student of the year award which should have been mine. </p><p> The straw that broke the camels back for me was when we were about to enter a chapter in our text book about human evolution. I must admit that I read it a few times and was somewhat familiar with the subject so I was quite excited all week looking forward to discuss this in class. When the day finally arrived the instructor opened the book and turned to the chapter and mockingly said " if you want to believe that you came from a monkey then go right ahead. All I know for sure is that I am a child of God!" Everyone in the class yelled out amen! and the chapter was skipped and we went on to the next chapter. I was infuriated and from that moment on decided for myself that I would read everything Darwin wrote and any other books I could get at the time about human evolution. Needless to say it was the nail in the coffin of my faith. </p><p> </p>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-28656626774992237482021-04-18T19:35:00.000-04:002021-04-18T19:35:53.073-04:00There simply is no God! I love to watch debates online about religion and atheism. But it never ceases to amaze me that we (atheists) allow theists to start from a presupposition that they have yet to prove. In reasoning it is always stated that the one making the positive claim bears the burden of proving his/her case. Theists always start from the presupposition that their god exists. But they are never challenged to first prove that he does. <div><br /></div><div> I have been an atheist for about 21 years and have read a prolific lists of books and viewed many debates and have yet found one argument for the existence of God that was anywhere close to valid evidence for what it claims to support. I dare say that all arguments for the existence of God rely entirely on flawed arguments and flimsy evidence that doesn't even fit the claim. </div><div><br /></div><div> One example is the so called watch in the sand argument. It basically states that if you are walking along the beach and come across a watch in the sand you can see that it was obviously not natural but made. theists take this analogy further and apply it to the world and its apparent design which if that was the case, definitely requires a designer therefore God exists! There are so many problems with this argument that I don't even know where to begin. First of all we know that a watch was manufactured by man and on its own it was manufactured for a purpose; to keep track of time. If I found a watch in the sand I would simply assume that someone lost it. </div><div><br /></div><div> Next, how could you compare an inorganic manmade object to what I like to call the living universe? We may not know the exact details about how organic matter came to be, but we don't just assume that it was the result of one of the many myths man has created for himself to explain those things in the world that he does not have an adequate explanation for. Theists look for design in the universe and the world and they seem to find it. But the fact of the matter is that if you are going to accept that there are things in that world that are designed then how are you to account for all the random things that exists? How are you to explain that all living organisms rely on other living organisms for their very survival? </div><div><br /></div><div> The so called evil in the world in all of its categories such as natural disasters, birth defects, child deaths, etc. all count as evidence against the existence of a personal and loving creator. What purpose is there in a good loving couple not being able to have children? Or its opposite of a drug abuser or mentally ill woman having children she later ends up murdering? Where is God in all this? Missing in action. </div><div><br /></div><div> Using a god of the gaps argument for all those things that we can't currently explain does not a logical argument make. I am fine with not knowing. The beauty of science and learning is the enormous feeling of discovery. The challenge of finding rational explanations or solutions to some of the universes most perplexing and complex mysteries. Saying God did it is nothing more than a cop out in my opinion. If God did it then you must explain who or what god is and where did it come from. If you can't do that then you have your work cut out for you. I will be writing more on these issues and would love to hear what you think.</div>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-24521076511770664962021-02-25T02:46:00.005-05:002021-02-25T02:55:18.205-05:00It's all subjective! Really? <p> This is my first post in a long time. I have taken a break from writing about my atheism and lack of belief because quite frankly it was getting boring. But since 1994 when I first walked away from my beliefs and began my quest for discovery and truths beyond my faith I can honestly say that I still remain an atheist. </p><p> It is crazy that after all these years and all that I have studied, read, and learned about religion, atheism, science, philosophy, etc. I often come across nonbelieving scholars who like myself at one point in their life were believers. They not only walked away from the faith but began delving deeper into their own faiths and ended up being nonbelievers despite all of their efforts to give their beliefs a fair shot at being proven true and substantiated by evidence rather than by blind faith. </p><p> It never ceases to amaze me that many of my fellow former believers who are professional scholars in biblical studies, apologetics, etc. have come to the very same conclusions that I have. The only difference being that all I did initially was read the King James Version of the Bible cover to cover. The more I read the more my confidence and certainty grew in believing that I was right to walk away. </p><p> My former beliefs touched every aspect of my life and I was fully dedicated and devoted to sharing those beliefs with as many people as I possibly could in this lifetime. I was crushed beyond words when I came to the realization that all of my beliefs did not hold water when they were put under the microscope for closer scrutiny. I cast my fears aside in search of confirmation and instead found the lack of evidence overwhelming. </p><p> I gave the biblical god a chance and he failed miserably. Maybe he is hidden dear believer because he simply doesn't exist. Could this be the reason for faith? For believing without seeing which Jesus is made to praise in the book of John chapter 20 verse 29: "<span face="Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."</span></p><p> Any so called spiritual experience or claim that cannot be proven empirically or objectively is invalid from a rational perspective simply because it cannot be proven true or falsified by any natural means or scientific methods. It therefore remains nothing more than a claim and a subjective experience unique to the one who claims to have experienced it. So I guess that in the end when it comes to religious beliefs of a supernatural nature it is all subjective after all. </p><span class="p" face="Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-size: 16px; line-height: 13px; text-align: justify;"> </span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-59082324039323664842019-06-20T13:09:00.000-04:002019-06-20T13:09:13.940-04:00I have no use for god beliefsBack in 1990-1994 when I was a Christian Pentecostal evangelist I was of the mindset that no one could live without Jesus in their lives. I was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that in each and every one of us there was a yearning deep inside emanating from our spirits to seek out and worship God. In those days I thought it was impossible to be happy without Jesus no matter how well you were doing in life. I believed that there would be an empty space that could only be filled with the Holy Spirit and continuous and ongoing fellowship with God through Christ. In short; God was the (<span style="font-size: 18px;">raison d'être) </span>reason for being.<br />
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Today after being an atheist for over 20 years I have found that nothing could be further from the truth. I am happy and find my life fulfilling. I have a good job that I love and a two daughters I adore who have made me a proud grandfather as well. I live, love, laugh, and do all the things that everyone else does without a shred of guilt for having a good time. I no longer fear the coming of Christ, nor the wrath of God, nor eternal torments in the flames of hell.<br />
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All these years as an atheist have taught me that your reason for being is not mystical or magical but rather quite mundane in fact. You see, your reason for being is whatever is important to you in this life now. Setting goals and striving to obtain those goals and desires for whatever reasons you feel the need to do so.<br />
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I love reading and educating my mind, the movies, documentaries, sciences, philosophy, and ancient and modern history. Even though I am an atheist I still love studying religion and comparative religion. These things and many others bring me joy in this life. I find pleasure in playing with my grand children and Being the best father and grandpa that I could be.<br />
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A young man at work while conversing with me brought out the fact that I was an atheist. He as I myself would have done so in the past found it unbelievable that I did not believe in God. He asked me "if you don't believe in God who do you think woke you up this morning?" I responded that I did. I then shocked him even more by stating that there was nothing that God could do for me that I could not do for myself. When I say I have no use for God, I mean that I have no reason to seek him or it out nor a desire to pray with him no want his so called fellowship. I find my life fulfilling on its own without a need for divine help. I am not blessed or feel that God is being merciful towards me by blessing me. I am just determined to live this life to the fullest and make the most of it while I can.Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-25720356499530015952018-07-04T08:12:00.003-04:002018-07-04T08:12:43.566-04:00God is real! One of the observations I have made both from my own experiences as a fundamentalist Pentecostal evangelist and those of other believers is that no matter what arguments are presented for the existence of God these arguments are never successful because of one fatal flaw: some things just never change. No matter how sophisticated they try to make their arguments from a philosophical (apologetic) or scientific (pseudoscience) point of view they all overlook the most important aspect of those arguments: evidence.<br />
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They all begin by putting the cart before the horse so to speak. They all start with the presupposition that God exists! All of their arguments start with what should be in any inquiry the conclusion which should be reached after having studied and analyzed all of the evidence first. They rely heavily on logical fallacies that are generally easy to expose and recognize when they are presented. When it comes to the existence of God they tend to beg the question when asked if everything had a beginning then where did your God come from?<br />
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Before postulating any argument for the existence of God you must first prove that he exists. This in and of itself is a monumental task which I believe just cannot be done. Second if you are able to prove that he/she/it exists then you must prove how you know what you think you know about God's attributes and characteristics. This brings us to another problem. Most believers are not trained in philosophy, logical thinking, or science, so they have no clue what we are talking about when we say that they must prove their case.<br />
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As a believer I had no clue what was objective, subjective, or empirical evidence. As a Pentecostal believer all of my evidence was subjective. It was based on my feelings about my beliefs, my faith in the Bible, and what I believed at the time was the experience of the Holy Spirit working through me. I had been slain in the Spirit before, spoken in tongues, had visions, dreams of the divine, felt the presence of God through his spirit all around me. I believed in the power of God because I was at the forefront of a deliverance ministry and my specialty was casting out demons (exorcisms) from the oppressed and possessed.<br />
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Having had those experiences and lived a life of dedication to God in full I too was blinded by anyone who said he did not exist. Nothing could contradict my feelings, no words could convince me that my experiences weren't true or real! A fundamentalist is one because he or she has become convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have touched the divine. I often point out that I had not come to my decision to be an atheist lightly. It took six years of self doubt and fear to get me where I am today. I was truly bound and oppressed by my religious beliefs. It is because of this that logical, philosophical, and scientific arguments have little to no effect on fundamentalist believers. Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-71257548475051952822017-09-24T10:15:00.000-04:002017-09-24T10:15:02.999-04:00Religion and fearFear as anyone knows can have some very drastic and even paralyzing effects on people. Some of our fears are justified while many for the most part are known as irrational fears. While searching online for phobias I was curious to know if there was one for a fear of God, and to my great surprise there actually is! According to a list of phobias found in the online <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/phobias-list" target="_blank">Oxford Dictionary</a> the fear of God is known as (you guessed it) theophobia.<br />
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For those of you interested in getting more information about this strange and irrational fear you can read a great article on it <a href="https://www.healthtopia.net/disease/mental-health/phobia/theophobia-fear-god-or-religion" target="_blank">here</a>. One of the components of theophobia is the fear of the wrath of God and not so much God himself. As a former Pentecostal fundamentalist believer I feared both God and his wrath and lived in constant dread of the idea of going to hell.<br />
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Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 (NIV)<br />
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<span class="p">It was verses of scripture like the one cited above that literally put the fear of God in me. It was what kept me in line as far as obedience was concerned when it came to church officials and what I believed to be the ways of the Lord. The idea that God was watching me at all times and knew my most intimate thoughts and feelings terrified me. I felt great when I prayed and loved feeling what I believed to be the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within me. In a way those feelings were a way for me to gauge whether or not I was on the straight an narrow path. When I did not get those feelings I began to worry that something might be amiss. </span><br />
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<span class="p">I would pray and grovel in private to the Lord asking for him to show me if I had failed him in some way or another and to guide me towards rectifying the situation. I often debased myself in prayer reminding myself that I was nothing and that I was only alive because of God's mercy, love, and grace. I viewed myself as a servant literally and the Lord as my master. </span><br />
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<span class="p">In my world there was only good and evil and I wanted to always be on the side of what I believed to be good. I wanted to be a soldier of the Lord marching on against the legions of Satan and his influence on the world and on the lives of the billions of other humans who inhabited it. I wholly believed in spiritual warfare and saw myself as someone on the front lines for Jesus. I wanted to save the world and show as many people as I could the "truth" and how it would lead them to the salvation of their souls. </span><br />
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<span class="p"><span class="reftext"><b>11</b></span>Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. <span class="reftext"><b>12</b></span>For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against
the spiritual <i>forces</i> of wickedness in the heavenly <i>places.</i> <span class="reftext"><b>13</b></span>Therefore,
take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in
the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:11-13 (NIV)</span><br />
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<span class="p">Religion is a means of control and fear is its mechanism. The more extreme your beliefs and commitment the deeper the fear is imbeded in your psyche. My deconversion was a long and terrifying experience for me from the moments of first doubt to the breaking free of the last vestiges of religion in my life. Of all the struggles I had endured fear was the most powerful and the hardest to overcome. Even after I officially left the church and declared myself an agnostic at the time before transitioning to all out atheist, it took me six years to overcome the fear of God, wrath, death in sin, and finally hell. </span><br />
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<span class="p">It is my belief that everyones journey from faith to skepticism is a personal choice and is undertaken and experienced differently by us all. But at the most extreme end I think that my journey as well as those of the millions of others who have taken similar journeys were extremely difficult and taxing on our entire being. It affects us mentally, emotionally, and physically in some very harsh and unexpected ways. Again, I think that how it affects us is determined most by how devoted and commited we actually were to our beliefs. </span><br />
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<span class="p">Breaking free from religion and the accompanying irrational fears it instills in us is a process that takes time, courage, and persistence. You have to make up your mind that you want to know whether your beliefs are true and that you are willing to research its tenets and history and let it lead you to whatever conclusion it may. I personally was swayed by my beliefs after studying how the Bible was created and its history. I concluded that it was an entirely human process and invention that did not require any input or inspirations from any God or gods. Once I took down the foundation of my faith in this case the Bible then I began to work on the history of the church and the doctrines and how they came about. I read the Bible from cover to cover four times in a period of six years and the more I read the less I believed and the more I hated the image of God as presented within its pages. </span><br />
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<span class="p">In my experience the only thing that can overcome irrational fear is knowledge. Educate yourself about your beliefs. Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions or to confront contradictions honestly and scrutinize them meticulously. Thank you for reading this article and I wish all of those who take this journey the best of luck and hope that they are filled with hope, courage, and curiosity sufficient enough to destroy faith and fear. </span><br />
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<span class="p"><br /></span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-33521150114156851532017-09-10T14:09:00.000-04:002017-09-10T14:09:12.213-04:00The fundamentalist mindsetWhile I was reading an excellent book on atheism I came across a quote that I thought would be quite useful in this post and its subject matter. The book is Atheism Advanced by David Eller the second volume of a two part series. In it he makes reference to Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and the preface to his books second edition Critique of Pure Reason. Here is the quote: " I had to deny knowledge in order to make room for faith."<br />
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I was very moved and impressed greatly by this quote because of its simplicity yet at how effectively it manages to explain a rather complex aspect of fundamentalist belief. From my own personal experience in the ministry I can tell you that faith is what I like to call the ultimate equalizer when it comes to arguments against it. The reason I say this is because most fundies do not rely on knowledge, logic, or reason to validate their beliefs. In fact many of them have never read the Bible from cover to cover much less taken deep philosophical courses or studies on theology. The theology that they have studied is really not theology because it is not philosophical but rather faith based.<br />
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The difference between faith and knowledge is that faith does not have to make sense; it just is. It is believed and it is accepted regardless of the absurdity of its claims. Knowledge demands evidence at all times. There are three types of evidence most commonly referred to in philosophical argumentation. Let's review those and define them before going further.<br />
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<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empirical" target="_blank">empirical</a><span><span class="intro-colon">:</span> capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment <em class="vi"><em></em></em></span><br />
<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/objective" target="_blank">objective</a><span><span class="intro-colon">:</span> of, relating to, or being an object, <a class="d_link" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenomenon">phenomenon</a>, or condition in the realm of sensible experience independent of individual thought and perceptible by all observers <span class="intro-colon">:</span> having reality independent of the mind <em class="vi"><em></em></em></span><br />
<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjective" target="_blank">subjective</a><span> <span class="intro-colon">:</span> characteristic of or belonging to reality as perceived rather than as independent of mind </span><br />
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<span>Empirical and objective evidence are quite similar in that they are both reliant on observation, experimentation, and experience that can be perceived by all interested parties. Subjective evidence on the other hand is based on the subject meaning the one perceiving. Fundamentalists base their entire belief system on subjective "evidence." Their sense experiences of the so called Holy Spirit etc. serves to validate everything they claim. </span><br />
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<span>I had many of these personal experiences myself and it was these experiences that confirmed to me that God was with me and abiding in me. I spoke in tongues (glossolalia), and basically at one time or another utilized during my ministry one of the 9 gifts of the Spirit as they are outlined in <a href="http://biblehub.com/niv/1_corinthians/12.htm" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 12:7-11</a></span><br />
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<span>When I prayed I felt a tingling sensation coarse throughout my entire body from head to foot. I interpreted this to the presence of God. I prayed in my head and often received responses to my petitions in my own voice. I believed in those days that I was a vessel for God to manifest his power in and through me. Many claimed to have been healed, had prayers answered, been blessed in some way either spiritual or physically through my ministry. I served God sincerely with the utmost integrity that I could muster. I believed everything I did wholeheartedly and was fully committed to the service of the Lord. This is why when I started to doubt and realize that what I had believed was not true I was devastated beyond description. I was angry that I had wasted so much time and energy believing and promoting those beliefs openly and publicly. I think that the more you put into it the harder it is to break free and the more devastating are the effects of that separation. </span><br />
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<span>The bottom line is that the fundamentalist does not come to their beliefs through reason but for the most part through experiences. This is why logical argumentation and reason have no effect on them. They view every attempt to convince them otherwise as an attack against their religion and their God. They are taught by the church elders not to question anything pertaining to beliefs because Satan can use those very doubts to ensnare them and lead them away from the "truth" and God. This is why you hear believers often claim that they are being persecuted by those on the outside. They are completely antagonistic to criticism. </span><br />
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<span>In my opinion it takes an experience or doubt that is so serious that it forces the believer to think about and reassess their beliefs. Sometimes it's a series of experiences that make them question everything that they believed. This is an emotionally painful process and a very difficult time for the believer. No one likes to discover that everything that they have ever believed and committed themselves to turned out to be wrong. Nor to think that they were blinded by their beliefs to these facts. </span><br />
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<span>Every former believer has his or her own journey from theism to atheism or agnosticism. They are all unique and very personal to those that have experienced them. But they all have one thing in common and that is that they are all based on doubt. Something made them all question what was formerly unquestionable. The range of emotions that one feels during this process are difficult to put into words but in my experience fear was the greatest and most powerful experience I had to deal with. I will try to discuss the aspect of fear from a fundamentalist viewpoint on my next post. </span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-64272589197411995772017-09-04T09:33:00.000-04:002017-09-04T09:33:41.050-04:00How I once believed in Christianity part 2If you have taken the time to read my previous article you may recall that I briefly spoke of my physical experiences such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, casting out demons, healing people through the power of faith, etc. served as confirmation of my beliefs and that with each experience I believed that I was on the right track.<br />
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First and foremost as a fundamentalist believer you must come to the realization that you are in the world but you are not of this world.<br />
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<span class="reftext"><b>14</b></span><span class="red">I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. John 17:14 NIV </span><br />
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<span class="red">With fundamentalist believers it is always us against them (the world). We chose to live in obedience to God and walk in righteousness while the world (non-believers) chose to pursue the pleasures of this world and of the flesh. As a fundamentalist you are convinced that everyone is a potential tool of Satan for the sole purpose of dragging you away from the Lord and leading your soul into eternal perdition. You are led to believe that you have been particularly chosen by God for salvation and that the majority of the people in this world will lose their souls to hell and eternal torment. </span><br />
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<span class="reftext"><b>14</b></span><span class="red">“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14 NIV</span></div>
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<span class="red"> </span><span class="reftext"><b>13</b></span><span class="red">“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.</span>
<span class="reftext"><b>14</b></span><span class="red">But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14 NIV</span></div>
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<span class="red">When you are properly indoctrinated you come to believe that you are one of the chosen out of the billions of people in all the world. Not only do you believe this wholeheartedly but you are grateful that God has chosen you. The prospect of eternal life in the presence of the creator of all things excites you. </span></div>
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<div class="reg">
<span class="red">It is because of these core beliefs that fundamentalists who have so called experienced the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their lives are nearly impossible to convince that what they have experienced is easily explained away naturally or that what they believe can be debunked with simple logic. Even when a small seed of doubt is planted the very fear of offending God by daring to question or doubt your beliefs serve to keep you in line. </span></div>
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<span class="red">In my own personal experience I had read the Bible four times from cover to cover and the more I read it the more disgusted I became with my beliefs and with the God that I served. I was terrified about my doubts and the Bible made sure that I understood the gravity of my situation by providing nice threats for leaving the faith. </span></div>
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<div class="reg">
<span class="red"><span class="reftext"><b>26</b></span>If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
<span class="reftext"><b>27</b></span>but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
<span class="reftext"></span><span class="reftext"><b>31</b></span>It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:26-27;31</span></div>
<div class="reg">
<span class="red">NIV </span></div>
<div class="reg">
<span class="red"><br /></span></div>
<div class="reg">
<span class="red">As you can see fear is also a very powerful force in Christianity. It is actually a virtue throughout the scriptures to fear the Lord and love him with all your heart. You demonstrate that love by living accordingly and in complete and total subjection and obedience to the Lord. After I had freed myself from all the chains of superstition through reason it was the fear that was the hardest to break free from. That nagging doubt about being wrong. </span></div>
<div class="reg">
<span class="red"><br /></span></div>
<span class="red"></span><br />
<span class="red"> </span>
<span class="reftext"></span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-13633933768229152072017-09-02T13:54:00.000-04:002017-09-02T13:54:17.334-04:00How I once believed in Christianity Part 1I have been an atheist since 2004 when at that time I had renounced my faith in Jesus and stopped eagerly awaiting his return. It often amuses me throughout the years and many books I have read written by atheists at how baffled they are at the believers inability to see the irrationality of their beliefs. It is for this very reason that I have decided to share my experience as a fundamentalist Pentecostal evangelist and how I personally experienced my beliefs.<br />
<br />
The very first thing that you must understand is that I was a literalist.. I believed the Bible to be inerrant and one hundred percent inspired by God through its authors and the various texts we now have. I once owned a pocket red letter addition of the New Testament and recall how excited I would become at the thought of having in my hands the very words of Jesus Christ! As a fundamentalist Pentecostal believer my experience with the church and my beliefs did not come through study but rather through experience. The type of "study" done by me was heavily biased in favor of my beliefs and my confirmation bias assured that I always got the answers that I sought.<br />
<br />
Another thing that is important to understand was that my so called religious experiences were considered and seen as confirmation of my beliefs. For instance, if I was praying and I felt a tingling sensation going down my spine or a presence surrounding my being; then that was evidence enough to indicate to me that God was near and was attentive to my prayers. I believed that everything that happened in this world whether bad or good was God's will with an ultimate and greater purpose behind the event.<br />
<br />
<div class="line1">
<span class="reftext"><b>39</b></span>“See now that I myself am he!</div>
<div class="line2">
There is no god besides me.</div>
<div class="line1">
I put to death and I bring to life,</div>
<div class="line2">
I have wounded and I will heal,</div>
<div class="line2">
and no one can deliver out of my hand.</div>
<div class="line2">
Deuteronomy 32:39 NIV</div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
This is why most fundamentalists rejoice when they see disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and the latest one in Houston Texas hurricane Harvey. They don't see the death tolls as unfortunate but rather they view it as God's wrath on these people for idolatry, fornication, and a slew of other sins they believe may have offended the good Lord. They don't see the victims as unfortunate victims but rather as God's enemies being subject to his "just" judgement and wrath! Never mind the children and many innocents that might have died. They have been given a blessing in that if there were any innocents they would be meeting their maker soon and so the ends justifies the means. </div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
I personally saw the world in black and white there were no grey areas. Either you served God or you served Satan. By serving I meant in how you lived your life and how that was seen and reflected outwardly by others. If you lived in accordance to what I believed was God's will then you were a servant of the Lord. If you lived contrary to what the Bible taught as God's law and will then you were serving Satan. You were in essence an enemy of God. </div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
All other Christian sects were wrong and all other religions were false teachings inspired by Satan. There was a time that nothing could have convinced me otherwise. I believed that I was following the true path of Christ and my spiritual experiences served as confirmation to myself that I was on the right track. I used to speak in tongues, dance in the Spirit, prophesy, interpret tongues (or so I believed), had visions and dreams. My ministry consisted of casting out demons from those I believed were afflicted by Satan and his minions. Casting out of demons (exorcisms) was the norm in my ministry. </div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
I believed I was anointed (chosen) specifically by God to break Satan's hold off of the lives of the many victims I believed to have helped in those days. They passed out at my words, a wave of the hand, a tap on the shoulder etc. I felt I was filled with the Spirit of God to carry out these amazing feats. I never once dreamed that I was living a lie or deluded. But it was these many experiences that served as evidence and convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was with me and I was doing his will. Any attempt by anyone to tell me otherwise no matter how rational their argument was was seen as an attack not by that individual or group but rather by the Devil and his cohorts. </div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="reftext"><b>12</b></span>For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. </div>
<div class="line2">
</div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="reftext">Ephesians 6:12 NIV</span></div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="reftext">Fundamentalist are often warned by their church elders to never let anyone try to convince you of the falsity of your faith. I used to view any attempt to change my mind about my beliefs as nothing more than people being used by demons and their many wiles to draw me away from God. If you weren't with us you were against us and I in turn was against you. </span></div>
Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-81048815315512758492017-05-29T12:43:00.000-04:002017-05-29T14:25:43.365-04:00Good without GodUsually when the phrase used in the title of this post is used it is in reference to the relation between morality and a belief in God. For some reason theists tend to believe that without a belief in thier god or a god in general we cannot know about morality or how to be moral. As ridiculous as that belief is it is not the topic of this post.<br />
<br />
I have a tee shirt that has the phrase ;"Good without God" on it, but when I think about it I use it to mean that I am in no need of a god or god beliefs whatsoever. So this phrase has two meanings to me: the traditional sense for which it was originally intended and the one that I have intended for myself.<br />
<br />
I have found since I have embraced atheism in 1994 that any meaning I find in life is determined by myself and what I think is important. I don't need to worry about heaven or hell or an imaginary afterlife. I have come to realize that this life is all that there is and that I have this one shot at making the most of it and enjoying it to the fullest within reason.<br />
<br />
I realized that I don't have to carry the burden of guilt brought on by the imaginary belief in being born in sin or as a sinful creature. As an atheist I view sin as anything that is offensive to or in direct disobedience to what I may believe to be the laws of God or a religious institution who claims to represent him. Therefore in my way of thinking if God or gods do not exist; then there is no such thing as sin and it only makes sense inside of a religious context.<br />
<br />
I don't rely on God for favors or good fortune nor do I plead for his forgivness or help. I realize that we are responsible for our own lives and the decisions we make. Of course because of the unpredictablility of life sometimes we will face great obstacles and adversity. But that doesn't mean that we lay down on the ground in defeat or throw up our hands and surrender. Anyone who values their life will fight and do what ever it takes to achieve their goals and climb out of the direst of circumstances the good old fashioned way, with dedication and hard work.<br />
<br />
I literally have no use for god beliefs or a god and I take full responsibility for all of my actions for better or for worse. That's what adults who live in the real world do. I don't believe in fate and I don't believe in destiny. I believe that I can do practically anything I put my mind to when I set out to do it. I take all the credit and the fault for my acheivements and failures in life and will continue to do so as long as I live.<br />
<br />
I am absolutely good without God and live life happy and free because of it. Nothing holds me back from going after my dreams, being a good person, being moral as I understand morality and appreciative of every second I get to enjoy breathing and living above ground. Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-88398074469199007122017-02-25T20:52:00.000-05:002017-02-26T01:04:52.303-05:00The cart before the horse<a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/put-the-cart-before-the-horse.html" target="_blank">Putting the cart before the horse</a>: Reverse the accepted or logical order of things.<br />
<br />
I often find it quite amusing when I see prominent atheists actually debating with theists about the attributes of the god of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims; which according to the proponents of those three religions of the book is one and the same god. That claim in and of itself is one that is debatable since the deity of the Old Testament and the New don't even seem like the same god. The same could be said about the god of Islam aka Allah.<br />
<br />
I think that any discussion about the god or gods of the book are a perfect example of putting the cart before the horse. For instance, how could you argue logically or reasonably about the attributes of any deity without first proving that that deity exists? It's like arguing about the diet and preferred habitat and behavior of Bigfoot without first proving that he exists. How can you discuss whether Bigfoot is a nocturnal creature, a predator, or prey of some other creature of the woods? What can be known of something whose very existence is yet unknown?<br />
<br />
When considering the so called attributes of the god of the bible you have to first go to the source of information where those attributes themselves are outlined. In our case they are outlined in the Bible itself. Now, considering this fact doesn't this fact alone defeat any argument that can be made about the attributes of God? Isn't this circular reasoning akin to the phrase Jesus loves me this I know because the Bible tells me so?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/66/Circular-Reasoning" target="_blank">circular reasoning</a>: A type of reasoning in which the proposition is supported by the
premises, which is supported by the proposition, creating a circle in
reasoning where no useful information is being shared.<br />
<br />
In order for a theists to argue about the attributes of his god he must begin with a set of presuppositions. In this case the presupposition that God exists is one that is vacuous and without any supporting empirical or objective evidence. It is taken on faith which is no better than accepting a belief in something without evidence or reason like a gut feeling.<br />
<br />
If you insist on arguing about God being omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent etc. then you must first prove in my opinion that he exists. If you can't do so (which in fact to date I know of no one who has been able to do so convincingly) then there is nothing to discuss. Do you think that we should hold debates about Santa Clause, leprechauns, fairies, gnomes, etc. and their attributes without first proving that they exists? It sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Then why has man invested and wasted so much time and effort trying to discuss gods without a single piece of evidence for their existence? There is no difference.<br />
<br />
The only reason that this subject is so "important" to some is that it gives them a sense of purpose to their own lives. They like to be comforted that beyond this life there is a better one in which they would be nothing but love, peace, and happiness. All these beliefs are just that nothing more than unfounded beliefs based on ancient myths and superstitions.<br />
<br />
This is just my point of view on the entire matter although I think that this form of reasoning is valid and logical. Show me that your god exists both empirically and objectively or else we have nothing to discuss. Sacred texts don't count as evidence, neither do subjective experiences, etc. In closing any and all arguments about God and his attributes are nothing more than argument based on speculation and amount to nothing more than an argument from ignorance.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/56/Argument_from_Ignorance" target="_blank">argument from ignorance</a>: The assumption of a conclusion or fact based primarily on lack of evidence to the contrary.Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-34249721641656692372016-12-07T21:08:00.000-05:002016-12-07T21:08:02.084-05:00Without experience you just can't know! I have stated many times before that an atheist who has never experienced religion could never imagine the effects of deep indoctrination on the lives and minds of fundamentalist believers. When I speak of fundamentalists I am speaking of those on the furthest extreme of religious belief and commitment. Those are the ones who live their entire lives based on faith and believe as they do based on their personal experiences with the divine.<br />
<br />
I myself was one of the most extreme Pentecostal believers when I was an evangelist and in retrospect although I read and studied my bible often my mind was led entirely by confirmation bias. I read only books that confirmed my beliefs or preconceptions about those beliefs. I never came to faith by way of reason or logical deduction.<br />
<br />
This is what many of our more prominent atheists who dedicate themselves to debating theists do not seem to get. Most extremist believers did not come to those beliefs through logical reasoning and so as a result they cannot be reasoned out of those beliefs. As a theists whenever I was approached by non-believers about my beliefs and was presented evidence against my beliefs I chalked it up to various inane reasons. Either those who did not believe had their minds clouded by their desires of the flesh to sin, they were being deliberately blinded by Satan, they could not see the truth because they were of such a corrupt worldly nature, or they were being used by Satan to lead me astray. I often quoted biblical verses that extolled the virtues of faith and condemned the knowledge of man.<br />
<br />
<div class="stanza">
<div class="line1">
<span class="reftext"><b>8</b></span>“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,</div>
<div class="line2">
neither are your ways my ways,”</div>
<div class="attribution">
declares the <span class="name">Lord</span>.</div>
</div>
<div class="line1">
<span class="reftext"><b>9</b></span>“As the heavens are higher than the earth,</div>
<div class="line2">
so are my ways higher than your ways</div>
<div class="line2">
and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9</div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive
philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual
forces of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8<span class="p"></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the
philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the
world?<span class="p"> 1 Corinthians 1:20</span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">I compare the experience of the charismatic believer and the so called gifts of the Spirit and their manifestations versus the atheist who has not had these experiences to those of a trained soldier who has not seen combat and a combat hardened veteran. An atheist who has never experienced these things cannot possibly comprehend why believers take such experiences as evidence of their beliefs and the existence of the god of their choice. Like a veteran who has never seen war we can talk about the horrors of war all day, but until you have been on the battle field watching your friends head explode or his guts spilled before your eyes you cannot possibly comprehend the deep psychological effect that those experiences can have on a person. </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">It took me literally six years to get over my religious indoctrination. It wasn't the arguments made by atheists that convinced me of the falsity of my former beliefs it was the many inconsistencies of the scriptures themselves versus what I was experiencing and seeing in the churches that led me to question and seek a better truth. I never dreamed in a million years that the search for the truth would lead me to atheism. But that is what an honest truth seeker does. They follow the evidence to where it leads no matter what the conclusions. </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">Note: All scripture cited in this post are taken from the New Internation Version of the bible. </span></div>
Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-35145302973249114882016-11-28T21:33:00.002-05:002016-11-28T21:41:55.017-05:00On death and atheismOn Saturday November 19th 2016 my older brother Alvin Colon was fatally struck by a car while riding his bike in Bristol, CT. he was 49 years old. The local newspaper stated that he was struck as he attempted to cross lanes by a 75 yr. old man who thankfully was not injured in the incident.<br />
<br />
The accident took place around 5:20 or 5:30 p.m. and my brother was said to have died instantly. As an atheist I did not ask ridiculous questions nor turn to the invisible man in the sky for comfort. I needed no such help from an imaginary being whose existence I do not except due to the fact that like big foot evidence for his existence is ever more unconvincing and elusive. I did not find comfort from the many platitudes offered to me by my family and well meaning friends. I found comfort in myself and in my own experiences with my brother.<br />
<br />
As an atheist I never say such idiotic things like "may he rest in peace" for he is not resting. I am convinced and have studied enough biology to know that once his brain ceased to function his consciousness his very being ceased to exist. I do not believe in Heaven nor Hell as taught and believed by many Christian groups. Nor do I believe in eternal reward or damnation. I simply believe that we have one life to live and we are to make the most of it while we can. Enjoy it to the fullest have goals and work hard to achieve them. Try to have the most positive experience out of life and be always aware that it can end at any moment without warning.<br />
<br />
Today on November 28 of 2016 my brothers wake took place and he was later cremated. I did not attend the wake because I have a rule since as long as I can remember that I do not attend funerals for no one for any reason. I prefer to grieve alone remembering the person as he/she was when they spent time with me. I don't care to see photographs of them in a hospital bed dying or in a coffin during a funeral. Some can turn this into a positive experience and are reminded about human frailty etc. But I prefer to remember my positive experiences with the person.<br />
<br />
My mother was told by my sister that my brother had been attending church and that he was with the Lord. She found comfort in that and it helped ease her pain and suffering which she quickly informed me and those that accompanied me as we initially broke the news of my brothers untimely death. Although I was annoyed with this initially, I remember saying to myself:" hey it's bullshit, but if it helps her than so be it." Some people need these fantasies to bring hope not for this world but for the so called "after life" where they believe that they will be reunited with those they have lost on this earth.<br />
<br />
I live in the here and now and take comfort in that my brothers life struggles and sufferings in this life have finally ended. He has run his race and his life choices for better or for worse will no longer affect him. He is not resting, his "soul" is not in purgatory, or awaiting the final trumpet of resurrection, nor is it suffering in an imaginary hell; but rather he has simply ceased to exist. His body was cremated and his consciousness upon the death of his brain was no more. I read in a book that consciousness is what the brain does. In other words it's the results of the many biochemical functions of the brain. Once you understand and realize this truth you have no reason to suffer for the loss of your loved ones. We appreciate the time they spent with us and accept that they are no more. Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-45823982145172996612016-05-24T20:26:00.000-04:002016-05-24T20:26:12.686-04:00You should read the BibleToday at work I came across an employee who engaged me in conversation regarding a book I happened to be reading at the time. The title of the book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Closing-Western-Mind-Faith-Reason/dp/1400033802/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464127611&sr=1-1&keywords=the+closing+of+the+western+mind" target="_blank">The Closing of the Western Mind:The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason</a> by Charles Freeman which is an historical account on how under the Roman Empire beginning with the Emperor Constantine, Christian doctrine and orthodoxy arose. It's an excellent book by the way and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the beginning of the dark ages and how they came about.<br />
<br />
As soon as I finished describing the book to him he said to me in the most arrogant and pious manner possible that I should read the Bible if I wanted to obtain true enlightenment. Pffft!! I waved my hand at him dismissively and replied that that was a complete waste of time to which he told me I should never say that about the word of God! I told him I read it four times but he had already turned his back on me and began to walk away. It took a moment, but then and there I realized that this man had to be a Pentecostal and not just any Pentecostal, but an Hispanic Pentecostal.<br />
<br />
Let me explain why in my experience and opinion I have come to believe that the Hispanic Pentecostal church is different from its anglosaxon counterpart. I was a former Pentecostal evangelist and upon reflection considered myself to be one of the most fundamentalist extremist of my day. Our church taught us that women should not wear jewelry, provocative clothing, pants, make up, short skirts or revealing blouses because the Devil would use them to tempt the male members of the church into adultery or fornication. Men were to take their place as head of the household as taught in the Bible and women were to subject themselves to him not as an equal partner but as an help meet unto him as described in the scriptures.<br />
<br />
Everything that ever happened to us in life was either God's will, him testing us, or Satan and his minions tempting us or trying to draw us away from "the truth." Reading literature outside of the Bible and what was taught in the church was frowned upon and would most likely get you admonished. In our church you only needed the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the Pastor and any books he may recommend to help you study your Bible more effectively.<br />
<br />
When it comes to theists of this sort the one thing I find most annoying about them is their arrogance and hypocrisy. When you tell them that you have read the Bible in its entirety they either reply that you read it without faith or the guidance of God's spirit therefore you did not understand it. Or you don't understand the spiritual things of the Lord because you don't have faith. The hypocrisy comes into play when you realize that many of these theists have never read the Bible in its entirety and if they have they have done so with the blinders of faith on. If they come across something they don't comprehend or that leads them to ask questions they ask God to somehow reveal it to them!<br />
<br />
Theists see themselves as saved by God's grace and in turn enlightened because of it. Everyone else is just another lost soul in need of saving. If that is not arrogance then I don't know what arrogance is.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrogance" target="_blank">arrogance</a><span><span class="intro-colon">:</span> an insulting way of thinking or
behaving that comes from believing that you are better, smarter, or
more important than other people </span><span><span class="intro-colon">:</span> an attitude of superiority manifested in an <a class="d_link" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overbearing">overbearing</a> manner or in <a class="d_link" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presumptuous">presumptuous</a> claims or assumptions</span><br />
<br />
<span>But it's not entirely their fault! The Bible actually teaches this in both the O.T. and the N.T. </span><br />
<br />
<span>First: all knowledge comes from God</span><br />
<span> </span>The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7<br />
<br />
<span class="p"></span>indeed, if you call out for insight<br />
<div class="line2">
and cry aloud for understanding, ... Proverbs 2:3</div>
<div class="line2">
then you will understand the fear of the <span class="name">Lord</span></div>
<div class="line2">
and find the knowledge of God.</div>
<div class="line1">
<span class="reftext"></span>For the <span class="name">Lord</span> gives wisdom;</div>
<div class="line2">
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:5-6</div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
Without the presupposition that God exists and that he is the giver of wisdom you can never comprehend his ways. </div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8</div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">So as you can see faith is a prerequisite in order to approach God knowing without evidence that he exists and that he hears the pleas of those that seek him. </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek him.<span class="p"> Hebrews 11:6</span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">The rest of us are foolish and wicked for not accepting a belief in God without evidence. In fact, the knowledge of man as theists refer to it is condemned in the scriptures. </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the
philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the
world?<span class="p"> 1 Corinthians 1:20</span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">So Christian theology is nothing more than a vicious circle of irrational thinking called the fallacy of <a href="http://www.logicalfallacies.info/presumption/begging-the-question/" target="_blank">circular reasoning</a>. </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">A veritable catch 22 for us nonbelievers! If you don't accept beforehand that God exists then you can't know him and he can't reveal himself to you. It's all part of the indoctrination found in the scriptures and taught by the church. The fact of the matter is that most anyone who reads the Bible critically tend to come out of that experience if they are honest with themselves as either agnostic or an atheist. Many prominent atheist were formerly believers who were pastors, priests, ministers, etc. and in search of ways to prove their faith ended up becoming atheist instead. No devil required just analytical study of the scriptures and the end results are usually the breaking of the chains of superstition and superstitious beliefs in ancient myths. So Christians please do read the Bible from cover to cover but do so analytically and put your fear of the Lord to one side. You might be surprised at how idiotic some of your beliefs are. Atheists and agnostics should read the Bible in order to show theists how childish, irrational, and idiotic their beliefs are. </span></div>
<br />
<span>Note: All scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version of the scriptures. </span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-72131598906977066332016-03-27T11:49:00.000-04:002016-03-27T11:49:55.718-04:00Happy hypocrite day! ! <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocrite" target="_blank">Hypocrite<span><span class="intro-colon"> </span></span></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span><span class="intro-colon">:</span> a person who claims or pretends
to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way
that disagrees with those beliefs</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span> </span><span><span class="intro-colon">:</span> a person who puts on a false appearance of <a class="d_link" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtue">virtue</a> or religion</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span> </span><span><span class="intro-colon">:</span> a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span>Today is the day that many of those calling themselves Christians, believers, or followers of Christ break out the finest clothes, suits, and desses to celebrate Christianity's greatest miracle and foundational belief. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! </span></div>
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<span>Some of these so called believers are more dedicated to their beliefs than others. They are members of an established and recognized Christian church and community, they attend services several times a week, they dedicate their time and money in the form of voluntary offerings and tithes to their churches. Then there are the others who live as if God does not exist yet proclaim that he does and aver that he walks with them and is watching over them. I have found that both of these types of believers are nothing more than hypocrites as the word is defined above. The more dedicated one is to those beliefs the more hypocritical they are in life. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span>For instance all believers are cherry pickers. What I mean by that is that theists pick and choose from the scriptures those rules for living that are agreeable to them and those that are not they willingly ignore them. The biggest and most blatant transgressors of this are the gay community. I personally as an atheist and believer in personal freedom do not have anything bad to say against gays. In fact, I support their desire to be recognized by others as a viable alternative lifestyle endowed with all the rights and privileges of every other citizen of this country and even the world. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span>But the bible clearly states that God does not view the gay lifestyle as a good thing but rather as a sin. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span> </span><br />"'Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="p">Leviticus 18:22</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />"'If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman,
both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death;
their blood will be on their own heads.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="p">Leviticus 20:13</span></div>
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<div class="reg">
<span class="reftext"><b>26</b></span>Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
<span class="reftext"><b>27</b></span>In
the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and
were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts
with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their
error.</div>
<span class="reftext"><b>28</b></span>Furthermore,
just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of
God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what
ought not to be done.<br />
Romans 1:26-28<br />
<br />
<div class="reg">
<span class="reftext"><b>26</b></span>Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
<span class="reftext"><b>27</b></span>In
the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and
were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts
with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their
error.</div>
<span class="reftext"><b>28</b></span>Furthermore,
just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of
God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what
ought not to be done.<br />
1 Timothy 1:26-28<br />
<br />
I've used gays as an example because in my eyes their profession of faith is one of the most blatant contradictions amongst the many others. But this applies to all so called believers. In today's world we have people professing to be believers of God and claiming that they are Christians whose lifestyles and public life are a clear contradiction to what they claim to believe.<br />
<br />
Many drug dealers, prostitutes, gang members, murderers, etc. all claim to be Christian. They pray and rationalize their lifestyles with the mercies of God. I've heard some say that "God knows I have to do what I have to do to live!" Because of God's great mercy in the end he will forgive them for their sinful lifestyle in the end and understand that they did it because they had no other choice in life! These same people wear crosses around their necks and prance around making a mockery of what they profess to believe. Most of them have never read the bible and even if shown the error of their ways they refuse to accept it and continue in their hypocrisy.<br />
<br />
The worst of the lot are the more extreme believers on the spectrum of belief: the fundamentalist! This one is trying to live according to his/her interpretation of God's word, but not without first cherry picking out of the texts those things that they agree with . While those things that may condemn their lifestyles are completely ignored. This is for you Christians who judge the world and its inhabitants but are too blind to see your own faults.<br />
<br />
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.<br />
<span class="p">Luke 6:37</span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">If anything, the bible demonstrates clearly that those who choose to follow its precepts are nothing more than hypocrites! It is my opinion that the majority of those professing to be Christians publicly make fools of themselves by living one way and speaking another. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<br /><span class="reftext"><b>3</b></span>We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.
<span class="reftext"><b>4</b></span>Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.<br />
1 John 2:3-4<br />
<br />
<span class="reftext"><b>14</b></span>What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?<br />
<span class="reftext"><b>24</b></span>You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.<br />
James 2:14,24<br />
<br />
Many believe is sufficient but let's be honest if you are going to proclaim faith in God and in his word the least you could do is read it and try to live your life according to its instruction. Good luck with that! I will continue to live my life as a non-believer and a happy atheist. I don't worry about fictional hells or torments after death. I live in the here and now and enjoy every minute of it. For better or for worse I try to make the most of what I believe to be the one and only life that we have. While you believers continue to waste your life trying to please a fictional being who if we take the scriptures at their word is nothing more than a celestial tyrant that does not deserve worship but rather disdain.<br />
<br />
Happy hypocrite day everyone!! <br />
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Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-4150724395169505652016-03-18T19:15:00.000-04:002016-03-18T19:15:32.274-04:00On losing my faithFor those of you that are not familiar with myself and my blog I invite you to read <a href="http://chatpilot-godisamyth.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-complete-deconversion-story-all-13.html" target="_blank">my deconversion story </a>to better familiarize yourself with my journey from faith to atheism. I for one am content to let theists live and believe as they please for the most part. The only time I have a problem with them is when they try to literally shove their beliefs down my throat through political manipulation and trying to seek legislation on things that affect my life on a personal level. Some examples are the banning of stem cell research, abortion, euthanasia, trying to get creationism taught in our public schools and many other similar issues. For the most part they are not motivated by so called morals but rather by divine commandment. The bible says its wrong for them so then it should be wrong for everyone else.<br />
<br />
That being said let's move on to the subject of this post. I often find that talking to theists in general is like talking to a wall. No amount of evidence will suffice, no reason or logic will ever penetrate faith on its own. I remember when I was a believer that there was no way any man would have convinced me of the falsity of my beliefs or even worse that I was deluded in believing the things I did. My faith preceded everything including logic and reason.<br />
<br />
When I was a believer I thought that faith was greater than "evidence" in fact, I thought that the fact that I felt the presence of God in the form of his Holy Spirit trumped anything any man could ever show or tell me. I viewed attacks on my faith and beliefs as either directed or inspired by Satan and his cohorts. I thought that the more people attacked my faith the closer I was to my God and the truth and that all of those attacks were nothing more than the Devil trying to derail my spiritual growth<br />
<br />
It took a personal experience that got me to begin doubting my faith. I had been invited to a local hospital to pray for a young man who was enduring the final stages of the aids virus and its effects. He was literally knocking on deaths door. My ministry partner had him read Isaiah 53: 5 aloud from the King James bible and after praying for him declared him healed in the name of Jesus! He promised the mans mom that her son was going to undergo a miraculous recovery if she believed it and claimed the miracle in faith. I heard my own voice in my head say "he is not healed." I felt fear at that moment and asked God in my mind if it was him or the enemy telling me this. To make a long story short that young man died a few days later.<br />
<br />
At the time I went to visit that young man his mother was not present. I had never met her before but my partner had and he was the one who had the invite to go pray for him. A day or two after that I was invited to a woman's home with a church elder to pray for her since she was elderly and ill. In the middle of the prayer I stopped and told her that her son was going to die and gave her the reason. I believed this was a word from the Lord coming through my mind to her so I was not aware of who her son was. I just felt the need to say what I did. I told her not to blame God but that it was part of his plan to save his soul. After the young man died the church elder ran into me at another church event and ran up to me and said that I was a true prophet of the Lord because exactly what I told that person would happen happened.<br />
<br />
Despite all the events that followed that day when we prayed for that young man. I had the first seed of doubt planted in my mind. I began to analyze my faith and beliefs more closely. I read the Bible four times and each time I read it I doubted it more. It took a very long and personal journey and the willingness on my part to embark on that journey no matter where it led for me to abandon my faith. I had to analyze my personal spiritual experience with a critical eye as well. In the end all of my studying and honest reflection led me ultimately to atheism. I did not come to that decision easily. It took me about 6 years to get over all of the effects of my religious beliefs and it was a long and emotionally, mental, and physically draining process. Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-26546872472233140052015-10-18T10:59:00.000-04:002015-10-18T10:59:30.361-04:00Atheism is not a worldview! <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worldview" target="_blank">worldview</a> : the way someone thinks about the world<br />
<br />
In a recent discussion with a theist I was told that atheism is a negative worldview. My immediate thoughts went to the actual meaning of atheism or the word atheist. What does it mean when someone states that they are an atheist?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=atheist&allowed_in_frame=0">atheist (n.)</a> <a class="dictionary" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=atheist" title="Look up atheist at Dictionary.com"><img alt="Look up atheist at Dictionary.com" height="16" src="http://www.etymonline.com/graphics/dictionary.gif" title="Look up atheist at Dictionary.com" width="16" /></a>1570s, from French <span class="foreign">athéiste</span> (16c.), from Greek <span class="foreign">atheos</span> "without god, denying the gods; abandoned of the gods; godless, ungodly," from <span class="foreign">a-</span> "without" + <span class="foreign">theos</span> "a god" (see <a class="crossreference" href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=theo-&allowed_in_frame=0">theo-</a>).<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atheist" target="_blank">atheist</a>: <span><span class="oneClick-link">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">person</span> <span class="oneClick-link">who</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">denies</span> <span class="oneClick-link">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link">disbelieves</span> <span class="oneClick-link">the</span> <span class="oneClick-link">existence</span> <span class="oneClick-link">of</span> <span class="oneClick-link">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link">supreme</span> <span class="oneClick-link">being</span> <span class="oneClick-link">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">beings.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">As you can see from the above definition taken from the <a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php" target="_blank">Online Etomology Dictionary</a> adding an "a" to the word theist simply states the opposite of what a thiest claims to believe; that God or gods exists. I myself as an atheist do not consider my atheism a worldview for the simple fact that one has nothing to do with the other. I see the word atheist as nothing more than a label that generally states what I don't believe in. Atheist like the word theist is nothing more than a general descriptive label and nothing more. Not all theists or atheists hold the same beliefs or worldviews as can be easily proven by randomly asking theists or atheists specific questions and comparing their answers to their fellow believers or nonbelievers. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">Stating that one is a theist does not automatically make that person a Christian, Muslim, or Jew but rather generally states that they believe in supernatural entities such as gods, demons, demigods etc. What they as individuals believe on other matters beyond their theism has nothing to do with the label although it may be influenced by the ideology itself. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">As an atheist I hold a more naturalistic view of the world and tht is the result of my rejection of the beliefs in the supernatural and the many beings others claim exists in that invisible unknown realm of existence. In my view there are only two alternatives: either you believe that gods exists and are behind everything in nature or you believe that gods do not exists and have nothing to do with nature. I choose to believe the latter position. I personally have no need for a belief in the Christian God or any gods for that matter. I don't need God to be happy since I am convinced that we can be happy on our own by seeking it and making up our minds to find it. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">I find happiness in this life now by living in wonder of our universe and the greatest feeling of all which is that which is felt upon discovery and learning new things about the world and universe we inhabit. I find life itself awe inspiring and much more interesting than religion and gods which I classify as ancient beliefs based on myths and superstitions of the past. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">My life without god beliefs may be influenced by my atheism but atheism itself is not my worldview. I don't see the divine in nature. I find nature to be amazing in and of itself and nothing fascinates me more than looking up at the night sky on a clear night with the knowledge that I am staring out millions and maybe billions of years into the past! The idea that the elements found on earth and that compose our bodies is found in stars (that we are star stuff) is simply mind blowing. It sure beats the hell out of believing that some invisible man in the sky made a man out of mud and blew the breath of life into him. Just writing that screams myth to me! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">In conclusion: Just remember that atheism is not a worldview. It is a label and nothing more that refers to your lack in belief in gods and or supernatural realms and beings. That's it! Nothing more and nothing less. It may influence your other beliefs but it does not define them or who you are as a person. </span> </span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-85892394797172020582015-08-23T19:35:00.000-04:002015-08-23T19:35:58.259-04:00Christian/Hypocrite! I always try to blog in a non-combative tone when it comes to religious beliefs and Christianity specifically. It was not always this way but if you read some of my earlier posts to those I have written lately you can see a definite maturation as you progress. I started this blog mostly as a means to share my knowledge and experience as a former believer with theists and atheists alike. I have been at times angry and emotional and have been dragged into personal attacks and verbal confrontations with those theists that opposed my views. But that is usually what happens when one has a lot of emotional baggage. I have since let go of all that baggage and have decided to critique religious beliefs from a more logical standpoint. I hope to continue doing so as this blog continues to grow.<br />
<br />
I have often stated that in order to be a good Christian one had to also be one hell of a hypocrite. Although I admit that this statement does come off as offensive and seems quite combative I hope that I can make clear my position in this post. Let's start with a biblical citation and then we can go from there.<br />
<br />
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without
expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you
will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful
and wicked. Luke 6:35<br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">Oftentimes the bible admonishes that one should love their enemies and basically overcome evil by doing good. Yet, this is not what we are seeing out of today's believers. I personally think that calling us enemies because we do not share your religious views and opinions is ludicrous since I personally have nothing against a Christian or what he or she chooses to believe in. I lost an online friend today because she took offense to the saying: "Prayer: how to do nothing and still think you're helping." From this she stated that if I didn't like Christians that I didn't like her and unfriended me and blocked me so that I was unable to respond. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">I treat all people equally and everyone as an individual regardless or race, creed, or color. I don't care really what you believe but I also feel that you have the right to believe and express those beliefs openly. My question to theists is why don't you allow others to do the same? Why do you insist that as nonbelievers whether it be as an atheist agnostic or some other religious group do you demand that we keep those beliefs to ourselves? </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">I feel that I have the same rights as you to express my non-belief in those same tenets you hold dear. The difference is that I don't go knocking on peoples doors, stand on corners condemning society and everyone to hell who does not believe as I do. I don't hand out tracts on the street and claim that what I am presenting is the only and absolute truth and salvation of mankind as we know it. Theists believe wrongly of course, that they have know what knowledge, truth, and facts really are. The amazing thing is that they don't have a shred of credible evidence to support their extraordinary claims! </span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">While the bible say's that you should love your enemies it basically classifies enemies as those that don't believe as you do. Basically, as an atheist I am an enemy of Christianity, Christians, and the church in general. No wonder theists are so sensitive and combative when their beliefs are brought to question and are scrutinized by nonbelievers. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm 14:1</span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world
means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend
of the world becomes an enemy of God.<span class="p"><br /> James 4:4</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="p"><span class="p">It is verses like these that in my opinion causes theists to view the world as against them. Anyone who doesn't share in their beliefs is considered by theistic and bible standards as the enemy. By telling everyone how to live, think, and feel you are basically acting in an unreasonable and dictatorial manner. This is where the hypocrisy comes in. You condemn the many for basically those same things you do. There are many Christians living in adultery, fornication, who masturbate and even engage in secret gay relationships. They think bad thoughts about others and even wish the worst for those that they view as an enemy. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="p"><span class="p">The good news is that in doing those and many other acts that are not harmful to society you are just being human. Contrary to what your bible says looking at a woman or vice versa and desiring them in a sexual way is not a crime nor is it a moral offense because these are just thoughts and secret fantasies you keep to yourself. When you act on those thoughts in a harmful manner such as rape or sexual harassment then it becomes a problem that can easily lead to criminal behavior. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="p"><span class="p">I call you a hypocrite not as an offense but rather as a statement of fact. You present this image of being holier than thou and point the finger at others as if they were inferior because of their lack of belief. But in doing so you are the ones who are doing the persecuting and not the other way around. I for instance don't care about gay marriage nor even see it as an issue. I believe that people should live their lives as they see fit and find whatever it is that makes them happy. If that means having a loving and meaningful relationship with someone of the same sex then so be it. I don't see stem cell research as a problem, Nor view the practice of religion as a problem either. I have a very strict live and let live policy. As long as your actions are not harming anyone then it's all good for me. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="p"><span class="p">But don't tell me that you love me in Jesus name or that you want to save my soul and then come back and reject my friendship because I reject your faith. If that is not a hypocrite then I don't know what is.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hypocrite" target="_blank"><span class="p"><span class="p"> hypocrite</span></span></a><br />
<div class="def-content">
1.a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs,
principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a
person whose actions belie stated beliefs. </div>
<div class="def-content">
</div>
<div class="def-set">
<span class="def-number"></span>
<div class="def-content">
2.a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude,
especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or
her public statements. </div>
<div class="def-content">
</div>
<div class="def-content">
Note: All biblical citations are taken from the NIV version of the scriptures. The definitions of the word hypocrite are derived from <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/" target="_blank">http://dictionary.reference.com/</a><span class="p"><span class="p"></span></span></div>
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<span class="p"><span class="p"></span></span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-82595121490863760432015-08-16T08:29:00.000-04:002015-08-16T08:29:59.935-04:00Fear the LordAnd now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the
LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the
LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, Deuteronomy 10:12<br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
"See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death
and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can
deliver out of my hand. Deuteronomy 32:39<br />
<br />
From my former position as a leader in one of the most fundamentalist Pentecostal churches of our day I can attest to the power of fear in a religious context. As a believer I interpreted the many feelings and emotions that I experienced as the working of the Holy Spirit within me. It was these experiences that served as evidence and confirmation to me that my god was real, alive, and all powerful. I saw the world in black and white: on the one hand there was God the representative of all that was good and Satan the representative of all that was evil in the world. We were just caught in the struggle.<br />
<br />
From 1990-1994 I ran a ministry that consisted of preaching on the streets on Saturdays and Sundays and preaching at church and revivals by invitation. I even got the chance once to preach on a Hispanic Christian radio station. My specialty was what was known as liberation or exorcism. I dealt often with so called demon possessed individuals and often found myself casting those demons out in Jesus name. I did not realize nor had any doubts at the time that there were actual explanations for these so called manifestations of demonic possession: deep indoctrination, mental illness, and high suggestibility just to name a few.<br />
<br />
It was this power that I thought I possessed and had that convinced me beyond any shadow of a doubt that the Christian god was the one and only true god. It was this same power that built in me a deep and palpable fear that I could no so easily describe. I loved the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul and had committed myself entirely to his service and what I believed at the time to be his will; to save and liberate as many souls from damnation and bring them into God's saving grace. <br />
<br />
It was this same fear that kept me bound to those superstitions and prevented me from secretly or even openly questioning those beliefs. When I first began to have doubts I simply saw it as one of Satan's many attempts to lead me astray. You see, like the title of Carl Sagan's famous book states I truly was living in a demon haunted world. When I did confide to my pastor and some elders of the church my feelings of doubt I was given ominous warnings about the consequences of leaving the faith.<br />
<br />
<span class="reftext"><b>20</b></span>If
they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they
are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
<span class="reftext"><b>21</b></span>It
would have been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the
sacred command that was passed on to them.<br />
2 Peter 2:20-21<br />
<br />
My idea of hell in those day was a fiery place of eternal torment and because of my fear of hell I also developed an intense fear of death. I was always burdened with thoughts of my life as a believer being good enough to warrant the rewards of heaven. I was always concerned with pleasing God and living in a way I believed that he approved both in my private and public life. Like a child trying to please his dad I was always looking for ways to stand out and make the good Lord proud of how I used his gifts and sought to fulfill what I thought was his will and mission for my life.<br />
<br />
In the end it took me six years to overcome those deeply ingrained fears that I carried. I was an emotional wreck for most of those years and as paranoid as anyone wondering when Satan would pounce on me and steal my life and eternal salvation. I had very realistic nightmares of demonic attacks known as hallucinatory sleep paralysis where I would find myself frozen in fear and felt a presence holding me down to my bed. I heard menacing voices threatening me as I struggled to break free. My mind could not distinguish this nightmare from reality and so I woke up breathless and with my heart pounding out of my chest.<br />
<br />
I have come to the conclusion that the deeper the indoctrination the harder it will be to break free from the clutches of the many irrational fears and superstitious baggage that religious beliefs brings. It is my hope that by sharing my experiences and knowledge on how I broke free that I can continue to help others to do the same.<br />
<br />
Note: All biblical citations used in this post are from the New International Version of the scriptures. <br />
<span class="reftext"></span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-67975912187360679452015-08-14T23:13:00.000-04:002015-08-14T23:13:03.009-04:00God is irrelevant Today I recieved an email from a follower of my blog on prophesying and how it is done. This letter made me reflect on my own experiences in the ministry. It is hard for me to believe that it has been 21 years since I have escaped the mental prison of my former beliefs. It has been 21 years since I finally overcame the fear of a nonexistent tyrannical God and his imaginary hell. I can honestly say today that the greatest burden in this life that I have had to bear was the burden of ignorance that I once believed with all my heart and mind.<br />
<br />
I gave my life and entire being to Jesus and lived to the best of my ability what I taught and preached about. My biggest struggle as a believer was dealing with being a 21 year old evangelist for four years and never having a girlfriend or engaging in sexual activity. I had done so previously before I was a believer, but upon accepting Jesus in my life I became aware that fornication (sex out of wed lock) was a sin. For four years I struggled with my desire to have a God fearing wife and a family but also my desires of the flesh for sex was high on the list as well.<br />
<br />
I tried to live my life according to a literal interpretation of what the N.T. said. I walked in awe and revered the Lord and loved him to the fullest. I feared him because of how great I believed him to be and how powerful he was. I believed that I was alive and chosen only by his grace to carry out the mission of bringing the "lost" to Christ. I studied and read my bible daily and carried it around with me at all times; even to work! I meditated on the Lord and his word day and night and often mentally talked (prayed) with him.<br />
<br />
When I first began to have doubts about my beliefs I suffered great emotional distress because I thought I was being manipulated or mislead by Satan and his cohorts. He was in my mind the first one to blame for my initial doubts. But then as I read the scriptures more and more I began to notice many inconsistencies with how the church should be run and how it was run. I began to first question the order of the church and then the use of the gifts of the Spirit.<br />
<br />
Those initial doubts were the hardest to overcome. but nothing was harder than overcoming the fear itself. I was terrified when I began to doubt and I can't even begin to recall how often I had to ask God for forgiveness for having a certain thought cross my mind. It took me six years to overcome that fear, but the one thing that helped me was the seeking of knowledge.<br />
<br />
When I got my nerve up I began to study the process of how our bible came to be. It was a very enlightening process and it led me to believe that there was no divine author or guidance needed; it was entirely the work of several authors who for the most part were anonymous. I then began to question doctrine and to research how I was able to do or demonstrate the power of God in the form of apparent miraculous acts. I found an explanation for every last one of them. Once I broke free from the fear. I felt the chains of ignorance fall from my mind and I saw a whole new world upen up before me.<br />
<br />
I will never ever go back to any religion. Especially, any religion that requires that I give up my mind and reason and my ability to logically think and analyze all things. I refuse to bow down to celestial tyrants that in my view are no better than the worst of men. I refuse to believe without question or live a life that is radically opposed to human nature. I hope that I may be able to continue to help others that are facing what I once faced. Stay tuned to this blog because I intend to resume writing on this and many other important matters. Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-49870589257673773402015-02-17T18:06:00.001-05:002015-02-17T18:06:51.041-05:00Beyond reason"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8<br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">One of the many features of faith is that no matter how ridiculous a story or an idea may be, it is possible through faith and therefore doesn't require a rational explanation. As a believer I often came across nonbelievers who posed the question "if God made man then who made God?" I would often refer to the above texts or others that were similar to it. My defense was that God was not created that he just is. I could not think beyond God nor did it ever occur to me delve into the origins of God's existence. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">At the time I knew nothing of logical reasoning or philosophy and was completely unaware that by using the Bible and its contents as evidence was nothing more than circular reasoning. It never occurred to me to question the origins of the Bible, who wrote it, how was it composed, compiled, and edited etc. I simply believed that it was the inerrant and wholly inspired word of God. The Bible itself was a witness of itself and the many claims made within its pages. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,<span class="p"> 2 Timothy 3:16</span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">When people questioned the Bible I thought of their lack of understanding as being due to the influence of demons clouding their minds making them incapable of grasping what I thought then was 'the truth.' The bible says that they desired the things of this world and of the flesh more than the things that are of God. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">A true fundamentalist as I once was is not moved by logic or reason and sees these things as inferior to the things of the Lord. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<div class="line1">
<span class="reftext"><b>8</b></span>“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,</div>
<div class="stanza">
<div class="line2">
neither are your ways my ways,”</div>
<div class="attribution">
declares the <span class="name">Lord</span>.</div>
</div>
<div class="line1">
<span class="reftext"><b>9</b></span>“As the heavens are higher than the earth,</div>
<div class="line2">
so are my ways higher than your ways</div>
<div class="line2">
and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9</div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
The Bible had an answer for philosophy and other such things that were put in place by the devil to lead mankind astray and keep them from ever obtaining knowledge of the truth that would lead to their eternal salvation. </div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive
philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual
forces of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8</div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">I was amazed as a believer when I saw these texts and thought to myself back then that God through his word had an answer for everything. This combined with my "supernatural" subjective experiences were enough to confirm my beliefs and the surety of my faith. It never occurred to me at the time that the authors of the Bible were promoting an ideology and that the scriptures themselves were nothing more than propagandist writings used to propound yet another ridiculous mythical set of beliefs. </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">Even apologists who claim to be using logic and reason to confirm their beliefs are completely unaware of their utter and complete condition of confirmation bias. Unlike the scientific method they never try to falsify their beliefs. They begin with the presupposition that what they believe is true; and then they look for "evidence" to support what they already have convinced themselves is true ( circular reasoning). </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">A theist does not reason beyond his/her faith. They go to the edge of enquiry and when they reach that point they turn around. I remember how when I was stuck and did not have an answer to certain questions made to me I would refer to the scriptures and remind myself that there are mysteries that the Lord in all his wisdom has chosen to remain hidden from us. </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face
to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully
known.<span class="p"> 1 Corinthians 13:12 </span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line2">
<span class="p">As Christian apologist William Lane Craig once pointed out: </span><br /> "Should a conflict arise between the witness of the Holy Spirit to the
fundamental truth of the Christian faith and beliefs based on argument
and evidence, then it is the former which must take precedence over the
latter, not vice versa." <small><cite class="book" style="font-style: normal;"><i><a class="external text" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wYWUaefemmkC" rel="nofollow">Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics</a></i> (Revised ed.). Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 1994. <a class="internal mw-magiclink-isbn" href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0891077642">ISBN 0-89107-764-2</a>.</cite></small></div>
<div class="line2">
<br /></div>
<div class="line2">
Note: All biblical citations comes from the New International Version of the scriptures. </div>
Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-80978926585620636012015-02-15T18:47:00.001-05:002015-02-15T18:48:15.239-05:00God's eternal grudge<a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grudge" target="_blank">grudge</a>: a strong feeling of anger toward someone that lasts for a long time<br />
<br />
<span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/6-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>The <span class="name">Lord</span>
saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,
and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only
evil all the time.
<span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/6-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>The <span class="name">Lord</span> regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.Genesis 6:5-6<br />
<br />
According to the Christian church as humans we are all born with an imaginary affliction called a sinful nature. The verse quoted above comes from just before the Lord decided to flood the earth and destroy mankind. It states that mans heart is always inclined towards evil.<br />
<br />
What is sin?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sin" target="_blank">Sin</a><span class="ssens"></span><br />
<span class="ssens"><i class="sn"></i> <b></b></span><span class="ssens"><b>:</b> transgression of the law of God </span><br />
<span class="ssens"></span><span class="ssens"><i class="sn"></i> <b>:</b> an offense against religious or moral law </span><br />
<br />
<span class="ssens">Both definitions cited above apply equally, but for our purpose here it is the first one that I'm most interested in. Because the second follows from the first. According to believers our morals come from God. Sin in its simplest definition is nothing more than living against the laws of god as outlined in the scriptures and dictated by the church. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="ssens"></span>Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death
through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all
sinned--<span class="p"> Romans 5:12</span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,<span class="p"> Romans 3:23</span> </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">The man that is being referred to is Adam; and it was his disobedience of God's direct command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that brought sin (disobedience) into the world. Because of Adam's sin we have all inherited the propensity to sin and rebel against the dictatorial guy in the sky who wants nothing more than your total submission to his will. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">Basically, if someone offends me I have the choice to either forgive them or to remain angry at them for the rest of my life. But anyone who knows anything about life will know that holding grudges is not a healthy thing to do. There are people in my life that have done things that have been cause for me to hate and despise them to the death. But I believe that life is too short to bother with holding grudges. You can forgive and remember those offences for future reference but it is not healthy to hold on to the feelings associated with those offences when they first occurred. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">For instance my older brother is what we have termed the black sheep of the family. He is always mixed up in something negative like heavy addictions to alcohol and illegal drugs. Because of his chosen lifestyle he has been banned from the entire family. They do not accept him in their homes nor is he trusted by my other siblings. He has stolen from me personally on numerous occasions and yet I still talk to him from time to time, but I keep him at arms length. I don't hate or despise him but I am wary around him and don't trust him. I have forgiven him for all the things he has done to me personally but I keep a close watch on him and when he visits me (rarely) I keep him on a very short leash. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">Unlike the all powerful guy in the sky I can choose to forgive those that offend me. I don't require torture and a blood sacrifice ending with the death of the offering. I guess this is one of those many things that the omnipotent deity of the Bible can't do. He had to become flesh, dwell amongst us, suffer torment and torture at the hands of the Romans, and finally be crucified and die so that he could find it in his heart to forgive me for the sins of Adam. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">Unlike God I don't hold grudges, I just separate myself from the poisonous influences in my life. I have a live and let live policy and unlike the biblical deity I could care less what anyone does with their lives as long as it doesn't affect me or harm anyone in any way. God demands that you believe in his son (himself) and his sacrifice in order to be saved from his wrath which includes eternal separation from him and the tormenting of your soul which is yet another unproven religious concept. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe
stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of
God's one and only Son.<span class="p"> John 3:18</span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">I don't believe in him (Jesus) or his so called message, nor do I believe without evidence in the existence of the biblical deity or any god for that matter. I guess God's grudge towards my person as well as other atheists, agnostics, and other believers in other deities is bound to last forever. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">Note: All biblical citations are taken from the New International Version and the word definitions are from the Merriam Webster online dictionary which I have linked to throughout the text itself. </span>Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-65841918836086134502015-02-08T07:57:00.000-05:002015-02-08T07:57:30.090-05:00The confirmation bias fallacyAs we all know we each have certain biases that influence how we think and feel about certain matters we encounter in our lives. This is nowhere more prominent and clearly demonstrated than it is in religious belief. Many refer to their religion of choice and it doctrines as the absolute "truth" about mans origins, life, and his purpose in general. Some go as far as stating that there are mysteries which science can never hope to discover but that are only explainable through the acceptance and belief in faith based religious explanations.<br />
<br />
That being said, I would like to focus on the informal logical fallacy known as confirmation bias and how it is used and expressed in the lives of fundamentalist believers. As a former fundamentalist Pentecostal evangelist myself; I can attest to the power of faith and its ability to stifle the search for knowledge and it's rejection of reason over the acceptance of unprovable and irrational beliefs. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/fallacy/biases.php" target="_blank"><b><u>Confirmation Bias</u></b></a><br />
<br />
<em>Confirmation bias</em>: The tendency to look for information that
confirms our existing preconceptions, making it more likely to ignore or
neglect data that disconfirms our beliefs. For example, when we compare
ourselves with others we are more likely to remember other people's
mistakes and less likely to think of our own.<br />
<br />
The Bible has many examples where the knowledge of men and faith in God are compared and defined. Of course the knowledge of men is often represented as imperfect and of course inferior to the knowledge of God who according to the scriptures is the giver of said knowledge.<br />
<br />
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7<br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive
philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual
forces of this world rather than on Christ.<span class="p"> Colossians 2:8</span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<br />Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from
godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called
knowledge, 1 Timothy 6:20<br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">As you can see it is not prudent to question what one has received by faith. It is referred to as evil and an evil snare to lead believers into a rejection of belief. Ever since I can remember I was and still am today a very inquisitive individual. When I was an evangelist I often questioned to myself the many what at the time I believed to be divine spiritual experiences I had. I "felt" the presence of God every minute of every day and it often gave me goose bumps and was accompanied by a warm tingling sensation all around me. The air felt electric and I felt like I walked inside a shield of divine protection. I often held entire conversations in my head with the Lord which were usually one way but I liked telling him how grateful I was to have found his grace and have been saved by his sacrifice of himself. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">It was these subjective feelings coupled with other everyday experiences that at one time held me captive to the faith. There was no way back then that you could convince me that my God wasn't real. I would reply that I knew he was real because I felt his presence and believed he guided my every action. I spoke in tongues, prophesied, cast out devils, others claimed to have been healed through my ministry. I often cried like a baby when I was overcome with the presence of God and felt what I believed to be his love for me. I had recurring dreams where I often saw myself floating in the air and every dream brought me higher and closer to God. I would often wake up from these dreams and find myself speaking in tongues and overcome by the power of the Holy Ghost. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">As a believer I looked for signs everywhere. If I was about to preach and had a bad experience on the way to the church I took that as a sign that the devils minions were out to stop me from winning souls for Christ or hinder his powers from using me as a vessel through disrupting my focus on the Lord himself. If thing went well I thanked God for the blessings being bestowed upon me although I thought I was never deserving of such favor. I aspired to be a modern day apostle like Peter or even Paul. I wanted God to use me to the fullest potential. I wanted to do greater things than even He did in my ministry as he promised I would. </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have
been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I
am going to the Father.<span class="p"> John 14:12 </span><br />
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p">Confirmation bias became my friend and at the same time my worse enemy. I didn't care what so called arguments or evidence you may have have that refuted my claims about the inerrancy of the Bible. My experiences told me otherwise. The only evidence I cared about was the testimony of a fellow believer who claimed to have been benefited in some way by my ministry. My evidence for my beliefs was the Bible and any and everything else were snares of Satan to deceive and lead me astray. If you did not believe in the scriptures as I did that was your problem and I could only help you if you humbled yourself and let Jesus into your heart to reveal to you as he did to me the truth of his gospel. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="p">Confirmation bias is the culprit in Christianity or Islam or any other religious beliefs that makes it seem like you are talking to the wall when dealing with believers. Their faith and subjective experiences trump whatever evidence you may have to the contrary. Prominent apologist William Lane Craig said it best: </span><br />
<br />"Should a conflict arise between the witness of the Holy Spirit to the
fundamental truth of the Christian faith and beliefs based on argument
and evidence, then it is the former which must take precedence over the
latter, not vice versa."<br />
<br />
It takes determination and an open mind to break free from this cycle of ignorance that one succumbs to in the name of faith. It took me six years to completely overcome the effects that my faith and deep indoctrination had on me. But I can say that it felt like a great weight had been literally lifted off of my shoulders.<br />
<br />
Note: All biblical citations are taken from the New International Version of the scriptures.<br />
<br />
<small><cite class="book" style="font-style: normal;"><i><a class="external text" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wYWUaefemmkC" rel="nofollow">Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics</a></i> (Revised ed.). Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 1994. <a class="internal mw-magiclink-isbn" href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0891077642">ISBN 0-89107-764-2</a>.</cite></small><br />
<br />Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-11386944072829633172015-01-03T05:24:00.000-05:002015-01-03T11:14:53.387-05:00The hiddeness of God problem<span class="reftext"><b>21</b></span>By day the <span class="name">Lord</span>
went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and
by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could
travel by day or night.
<span class="reftext"><b>22</b></span>Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Exodus 13:21-22 <br />
<br />
As an atheist one of the second biggest problems I have with belief in the Judaeo-Christian deity is the fact that his existence lies beyond the realm of objective or empirical proofs. The first problem for me is the problem of evil. In this post I would like to address the issue of the hiddeness of God and why outside of faith one cannot otherwise "know him." <br />
<br />
Right out of the gate I would like to state that I personally do not consider faith in any form as a reliable source of information or evidence. Religious faith in and of itself is an entirely subjective matter accompanied by so called experiences that are equally irrelevant when it comes to providing evidence for the existence of the biblical god. <br />
<br />
I also do not consider the Bible the word of God. In my opinion it is neither authored, inspired, or even a work of said invisible guy in the sky. Therefore, the Bible itself is not a reliable source of information nor a valid proof for God's existence. But since it is the foundational document of belief for Christians the world over we will use it here for illustrative purposes only.<br />
<br />
First as you can see from the biblical text I used to open this post with God apparently had no problems with revealing himself to mankind. In this case in particular to the ancient Hebrews as he liberated them from 400 years of slavery in the land of Egypt. Wow! Talk about the wheels turning slowly! But according to this text God led them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Both physical proofs of his existence.<br />
<br />
<span class="reftext"><b>16</b></span>And
it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were
thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice
of a trumpet exceeding loud; and all the people that were in the camp
trembled.
<span class="reftext"><b>17</b></span>And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. Exodus 19:16-17<br />
<br />
Apparently not only did God give visual evidences of his existence and presence amongst the ancient Hebrews, but he also gave them audible proofs as well. Unfortunately today the good Lord doesn't like to speak anymore. That is unless you count hearing either your own voice or other voices in your head the voice of God. Most likely it is the product of a very deluded individual or the symptoms of schizophrenia.<br />
<br />
In the O.T. the Lord even took challenges from other competing religions and gods and true to his form came through with flying colors.<br />
<br />
<div class="reg">
<span class="reftext"><b>36</b></span>At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “<span class="name">Lord</span>,
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you
are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these
things at your command.
<span class="reftext"><b>37</b></span>Answer me, <span class="name">Lord</span>, answer me, so these people will know that you, <span class="name">Lord</span>, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”</div>
<div class="reg">
<span class="reftext"><b>38</b></span>Then the fire of the <span class="name">Lord</span> fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.</div>
<div class="reg">
<span class="reftext"><b>39</b></span>When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The <span class="name">Lord</span>—he is God! The <span class="name">Lord</span>—he is God!” 1 Kings 18:36-39</div>
<div class="reg">
<br /></div>
<div class="reg">
After challenging the prophets of the god Baal Elijah received a proof of God to his people and all present that he alone was god. Of course Baal did not respond to the prayers and supplications of the prophets and thus lost the challenge altogether. </div>
<div class="reg">
<br /></div>
<div class="reg">
Anyone who reads the Old Testament in its entirety gets to see a God who was not only a tyrant but a moral monster in my view. He instilled fear in his people and demanded their worship and respect. According to many of the mythological tall tales found within its pages God often took a personal interest in disciplining and even executing his people who challenged or disobeyed his laws. The funny thing about it all is that even with all these proofs of his existence we constantly read that the Hebrews would often stray from his laws and at times even worship other gods from some of the foreign cultures they encountered. </div>
<div class="reg">
<br /></div>
<div class="reg">
This brings us to my current views on the demand for faith which is really believing without evidence. I see the idea of faith as a rationalization for God as to why he doesn't personally deal with people anymore. The world is filled with evil people committing evil acts and the Lord remains silent to the suffering of a humanity that he allegedly created and loves! Children are raped, kidnapped, and murdered on a daily basis in this world and God does nothing to save or protect them. I often refer to man as the most brutal animal to walk the earth. We do things to each other that makes even the wildest carnivores in nature look tame and moral from a human perspective. </div>
<div class="reg">
<br /></div>
<div class="reg">
People call out to God all the time from the most dire circumstances or even when in peril of death and he does nothing to save them. The biblical deity has become nothing more than a useless and abstract idea. There is no credible evidence for his existence today nor do I think in my opinion that there ever was. I see the stories in the bible as nothing more than a collection of ancient myths and superstitions with no basis in historical fact whatsoever. The world without gods makes so much more sense and requires no justification when bad things happen to otherwise good people. </div>
<div class="reg">
<br /></div>
<div class="reg">
You would think that if this message of God's were so vital and important that he would go out of his way to make his presence and existence known to all those that request it. He would make it so that everyone who did request it all had accounts of their experiences that can be proven and are consistent with those of others. He would make it so that his existence could be proven both objectively and empirically by showing himself in times of need as he allegedly did in the Old Testament. For instance when the ancient Hebrews were fleeing from Pharaohs army and found themselves trapped between the army and the see he opened the see and led them across on dry land! He then drowned Pharaoh and his army when they attempted pursuit. Where my dear Christian, Jew, or Muslim is this god? </div>
<div class="reg">
<br /></div>
<div class="reg">
The biblical deity has taken his place in my view in the make believe realm of mythology from whence all of mans imaginations have run wild creating and believing all sorts of insane and irrational beliefs without evidence. Fear has been and continues to be the driving force of all religions that bow down and pledge allegiance to some imaginary being or beings. As a nonbeliever in fairy tales and myths I refuse to bow down. Instead, I pledge my loyalty to logical reasoning and critical thinking. </div>
<div class="reg">
<br /></div>
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Note: All biblical citations are taken from the New International Version of the scriptures. </div>
Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211409678921393693.post-2498811757418797152014-11-17T11:27:00.000-05:002014-11-17T11:27:41.792-05:00Absurd fundamentalist beliefs I once held<div style="text-align: left;">
From 1990-1994 I had converted to Christianity; particularly, Pentecostalism. I joined a Hispanic church whose beliefs and practices were quite extreme. We took the Bible as the literal and inerrant word of God. We took every bit of information from the scriptures as absolutely divine and considered them facts that did not even require evidence because no matter how absurd the claims may be our faith and confidence made them true. We measured all other things about the world around us by the standards of the Bible. If science contradicted the Bible then science was wrong and that was the end of it. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Should a conflict arise between the
witness of the Holy Spirit to the fundamental truth of the Christian faith and
beliefs based on argument and evidence, then it is the former which must take
precedence over the latter, not vice versa.” William Lane Craig ‘Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics (1984). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My beliefs were entirely based on emotions initially. I believed at the time that I was filled with the Holy Spirit and that "He" would confirm all truth to me as taught in the scriptures.</span></div>
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But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said
to you. John 14:26</div>
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Often when I read the Bible I felt currents of electricity coarse through my body when I came upon texts I believed were being opened to me by God or expanded upon by the Holy Spirit. I heard these new teachings in my mind in my own voice and took them as confirmation of their truth. I believed that God spoke to me in my head in my own voice often in those days. I also believed that only our church had the truth. All other Christian sects were wrongly interpreting the scriptures and teaching lies whether they knew it or not. </div>
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"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14</div>
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<span class="p">I believed it was my mission appointed to me by God himself to save as many souls as I could from darkness and finally eternal damnation. If you did not believe as I did then no matter whether we believed in the same God or not you were already damned to hell. This is what eventually led me to become a Christian evangelist. I started out with my friend from church who used to preach on the streets of Brooklyn, NY on Saturday's and Sunday's. I joined his ministry and served initially as his Spanish to English interpreter as he preached his message of salvation. It wasn't long before he had me preaching as well. </span></div>
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For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.<span class="p"> Ephesians 6:12</span></div>
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<span class="p">As Carl Sagans aptly titled book stated I once believed that I was living in a 'Demon Haunted World.' Everything in the world that was wrong in my view was wrong because of Satan and his minions (demons) attempts to lead man into perdition. Women dressed provocatively not because they liked showing what they had, but because the devil used them to entice men of God and even lead or distract men from seeking salvation. Gays were demon oppressed or possessed and made prisoners to the unnatural desires of their evil flesh. Basically, the Devil was always in the details and only Christ could wrest you from his grasp once you committed your life and soul to Jesus. </span></div>
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<span class="p">Today just like then this church continues to proclaim that Jesus is coming back for his church soon. I honestly believed that he could arrive any day and at any time like a thief in the night unannounced and I had to be prepared and had to make others ready before it was too late. I believed in the rapture back then. The idea that Jesus would descend from the cloud with his angels and call up to himself both the dead and the living that he has saved from perdition. </span></div>
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<span class="p">I sought guidance in my life through fervent prayer and often searched the scriptures for answers to some of my own personal struggles as a believer. I would pray before I went out to job interviews and often silently lay hands upon and pray over my resumes so that God would lead me to the right job. I prayed for him to cleanse my mind from impure thoughts that I knew to be sinful. </span></div>
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But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.<span class="p"> Matthew 5:28</span></div>
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<span class="p">Even something as natural as sexual attraction was sinful. If I looked at a woman and thought to myself that she was attractive or smelled good etc. I would mentally begin praying to the Lord to help me resist those evil urges and tempting thoughts. It was no way to live but at the time it was the only way I knew how. These are just a few of the absurd beliefs I held as a fundamentalist Pentecostal and I hope that this helps you understand how hard it was to leave. Luckily I have managed to pry myself from the clutches of religion and have truly found my way into the light of reason. </span><br />
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<span class="p">The key element that held me prisoner to these beliefs was the fear of the Lord. The fear of eternal damnation and the fear of losing out on a life of eternal bliss and joy in the presence of the Lord forever and ever kept me bound to these absurd beliefs and unsubstantiated claims. </span><br />
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<span class="p">Note: All biblical quotes are taken from the New International Version of the scriptures. </span></div>
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Chatpilothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550924322118366351noreply@blogger.com8