Liberty Lesson—Understanding the Indoctrination of Positive Liberty

The concept of liberty is dear to my heart. It’s a fundamental right, because it is the state in which we naturally seek to exist. Humans and animals desire freedom. Lock up a human or an animal and he tries to escape. In fact, some humans would rather die than be imprisoned.

Many other so-called “rights” are cultural or secondary and are derived from a governing body. In contemporary Western society, many Americans mistake cultural or social rights for fundamental or natural rights. Healthcare, housing, or even clean water are NOT fundamental rights because to have them, there must be an institution in place to provide them—which is not always possible or the case. They are important and sometimes necessities, but not rights.

The basic role of government is to ensure that our fundamental rights are not infringed upon. That’s it and nothing more. Often times, when these secondary, cultural rights are enforced for some, it is at the expense of fundamental rights of others. This is morally, ethically, and constitutionally WRONG. When we sacrifice our fundamental rights for necessities—food, housing—and perks—health insurance, security—we lose our freedom. When government becomes the force infringing upon those basic rights, it becomes the enemy. This is central to libertarian, classic liberal, and individualist anarchist thought. According to philosopher, Sir Isaiah Berlin, this is known as negative liberty (for further explanation, click here).

American Democrats, Democratic Socialists, Socialists, Communists, anarcho-communists, and syndicalists view liberty in an entirely different way—as positive liberty. They see rights and freedom managed and distributed by government or a centralized body—accompanied by power to enforce. They view the individual as part of a whole and should be told how to live and coddled by the nanny state. The laws they establish must be followed on pain of punishment. This inevitably leads to dictatorship and tyranny.

Yes, freedom is a philosophical concept, but science has demonstrated that it is part of our reality. In the wild, you see no forced compliance among animals. You only see survival. If one doesn’t hunt and strive, he doesn’t eat and therefore succumbs to natural death or is eaten himself. Likewise, if an individual, small company, large bank, auto manufacturer, or government can’t survive within the natural framework, they should be allowed to fail and discarded.

When I see fellow atheists turning toward socialism, I am appalled. It is NOT the way of a free thinker or rational person. They shake the shackles of religion only to replace them with the shackles of government. Unfortunately, many people seek to be controlled—whether through government, religion, or some other institution. It is unnatural and weak. These weak-minded people should be defeated and left to rot in their own solipsism.

Most who know me, know I have rejected the concept of god and am not subject to an imagined being or its mouthpiece, the church. Likewise, I will not be subject to any government.

Easter--A "Uniquely" Christian Holiday

Ahhhhh…Easter. Fun time of the year. It’s a blast watching the kiddies running around hunting eggs, looking for that special pantyhose egg with the $50 in it. I remember those days. Oh, what fun.

Making a religion relevant to the audience is a very common practice. It happened in ancient times and still happens today—look at contemporary Christian television, books, music, and movies, not to mention the contemporary worship services. All are attempts to mask the absurdity of the religion and make it more acceptable to a larger audience.

Friday night, I saw Clash of Titans. I’m quite familiar with Greek myths and classical Greek literature. While watching the movie, I was reminded of the parallels between Jesus and other religious heroes throughout history. In the Greek myth, Perseus, was the son of the sun god of Zeus and Danaë, a human. Sound familiar? This story was well-known in the ancient Near East and would have been very well-known among the Greek writers of the New Testament.

Easter was a pagan holiday usurped by the Christians as a sneaky way to rope pagans into believing in Jebus. It’s easy to convince mind-numb people who already believe in a resurrected Greek god—like Attis, for instance—to believe in a resurrected Christian god. A god is a god and it’s all ridiculous.

It's Trendy to have a Non-White Child

The American Baptists who journeyed to Haiti in recent days to round up black kids and take them to the Dominican Republic no doubt had plans to make them available for adoption in the US. The ultimate plan was not part of “doing the right thing for Jesus”, but rather a need to feed the trendy movement in suburban, white, Christian circles to have a dark-skinned child. Once adopted, these children are held up as trophies symbolizing the parents’ religiosity. “Steven Curtis Chapman does it, so we should do it.”

Some of the children begged, “Don’t take me. I have parents!” These objections were overlooked in the name of Jesus and American chauvinism. It’s pathetic and wrong. It makes you wonder how many other non-white children adopted into Christian families were stolen.

Have You Ever Questioned Your Faith?

You should.

Being truly introspective can be difficult when you are a Christian. Our minds are often clouded by religious dogma. We are taught from an early age not to question the authority of God or his mouthpiece, the pastor. During weekly prayer meetings and worship services, we sit quietly and absorb the message. We’re encouraged to fill our minds with the word of God. Our homes and cars are filled with popular Christian music and books. Every aspect of our lives is consumed with Christian doctrine. Our spiritual leaders teach us not to expose ourselves to anything the church considers immoral or sinful (Romans 8:12-17; Romans 12:2).

There’s a problem. With all of these spiritual reinforcements, have you ever truly questioned your faith? If not, now is the time.

Ask yourself a simple question: “How do I truly know there is a God?” How do you know your particular god is the correct one to follow? Most common answers are: “He has revealed himself to me” or “I feel he is there.” I was a Christian for many years and this was not a sufficient answer for me. Basing a decision on feelings or dreams is not how one should live their life. It is fine to say you think there may be a god, but to think we can somehow know the mind, desires, and requirements of a supernatural deity is absurd. The only source of tangible information about this deity is from an unauthenticated, ancient book full of wild claims, mysticism, and contradictions. We do ourselves a disservice by relying on such scant evidence.

The foundation of Christianity is the Bible. Without it, there is no religion. Below, I will address revealed truth and oral tradition—the foundation of the Bible. The goal is to appeal to your rational side. Armed with nothing more than common sense and reason, you can determine for yourself the accuracy of my argument. Let these invaluable tools guide you as you read.

There is nothing truthful about revealed truth

All religions are based on revealed truth from a higher source. These truths are either documented by an individual who experienced the event or by others who learned of the revelation through an oral tradition. Most of the Bible is not written by the individual who actually experienced the revelation or the events described in the stories.

We must consider several points when reading the Bible and other documents that claim to possess revealed truth:

1) Is the author of this book the person who experienced the event?

2) Is the author being truthful, embellishing, or lying?

3) Does the event square with common sense and my understanding of reality? Are the descriptions too fantastical to be real?

4) What is the history of this individual who received the revelation? Is he delusional, schizophrenic, or emotionally unstable?

With regard to all books of the Bible, the authors’ experiences cannot be substantiated and the source of the stories cannot be confirmed. Many of the claims made in the Bible don’t square with common sense or our understanding of reality. Stating that a person walked on water does not make it true. Documenting that a man’s donkey spoke to him does not make it true. Even if there was corroborating evidence for each of these passages, it would still be too incredible to believe. People don’t walk on water. Donkeys can’t talk. We must rely on our rational faculties when processing such wild claims that run counter to reality.

The Problem with Oral Tradition

Did you play “Whisper Down the Line” when you were a child? I did. Here’s a sample statement: “Susie went to the store.” Ten children sit in a circle and a selected child whispers the one-line statement to the person sitting next to them. That person whispers the statement to the next person and so on. The last person repeats the statement outloud—“Sally works for a grocery”. A simple statement becomes twisted and convoluted in just as few as ten generations.

Much of the Bible was created in the same way. Tradition tells us that Moses was the author of the first five books of the Bible—the Hebrew Torah. The Creation Story in Genesis (Chapters 1-2) is believed to have occurred nearly six thousand years ago. Moses lived around 1200 BC. That would mean his story of Creation would have had to survive nearly three thousand years of oral tradition.

Josh McDowell, a prominent Christian apologist, has attempted to brush off the oral inaccuracy claim by arguing that oral tradition can be trusted. However, this is pointless because the stories themselves are too absurd and unrealistic to even be considered true. Despite any accuracy of oral tradition, these stories remain unbelievable because they contradict common sense and are unsubstantiated by other contemporary documents and evidence. We cannot verify the story or authenticate the author. This creates a dilemma for the thinking person.

Being skeptical is vital in a world cluttered with religions. You are skeptical of all religions except your own. Direct your skepticism at your religion and see what the result is. You might be surprised. It is important to question why you believe what you say you believe. If you come to the realization that religion and the supernatural are false, know you’re not alone there are more nonbelievers in the world than you think.

Your Insecure God

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;"
Exodus 20:5, KJV

"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:"
Exodus 34:14, KJV

"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God."
Deuteronomy 4:24, KJV

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,"
Deuteronomy 5:9, KJV

"(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth."
Deuteronomy 6:15, KJV

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war”, “His eyes were as a flame of fire”, clothed in a vesture dipped in blood“, and “out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Revelation 19:11-15

REAL Emotion

One common selling point for Christianity is the notion that it holds some sort of magical hope, love, and/or joy that the average person cannot grasp without it. I’ve heard Christians say, “yes, you may have love, but do you have Christian love?” or “you don’t know REAL hope until you know Jesus”. These statements may work on the average Joe, but they don’t work on me (anymore).

Love is love. Hope is hope. Joy is joy. Truth is truth. You do not need a special sanction from a celestial being to unlock these "mysteries". They are innate in all human beings. A nonbeliever loves his family just as much a Christian. A nonbeliever finds joy in living just as Christians do (if not more so). And, nonbelievers are hopeful for the future just as Christians. The difference is Christians spend their lives hoping for a second life that will never come and end up wasting the other emotions.

On a side note, these sorts of statements by Christians are typical of those who have been indoctrinated and not unlike something you would hear from a member of the Manson family or someone from Jim Jones’ Peoples’ Temple.

Christians and Morality

I've had ongoing conversations with Christians on Facebook and this blog in recent weeks about the origin of morality. On one hand they criticize society’s perceived moral relativism and the dangers of post-modern thought yet they question truth, facts, reality, rationality, and secular morality in attempts to convince me of their perspective. Either this is a profound paradox or Christians are simple ignorant of the world around them. I am quite certain it is the latter.

They claim the Hebrew god gave law to humanity yet he himself is not subject to it. Throughout the Bible, their god breaks many of the rules he sets forth. For instance, he tells the Israelites not to kill. I’ve heard plenty of preachers interpret this to mean, “Do not kill innocent people.” Yet he tells his people to slaughter innocent people—entire villages including children—throughout the Old Testament. This is the epitome of moral relativism.

Christians believe that the Americanized/Western interpretation of the gospels, Pauline doctrine, and Hebrew texts are the only place to find morality. In other words, to them, one cannot possess innate morality, but must read it in a book written by ancient Near East sheepherders or whoever. If I were to find my morality in the Bible, I would have to believe that I must kill homosexuals and disobedient children and that women must be submissive to men. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew god was jealous and ruthless. In the New Testament, Paul presented a form of morality based mainly on etiquette—what to wear and how to act. Meanwhile, Jesus presented a meek and mild doctrine that shunned violence and embraced the innocent. These three perspectives are clearly inconsistent and offer no practical morality whatsoever.

It is time for Christians to realize that morality is innate. There are numerous moral codes which predate theirs and indicate morality has been around a lot longer than 3,400 years—long before the mythical Moses. Science demonstrates that through natural selection we have developed morality. There is evidence in the animal kingdom that species are altruistic and possess an natural desire to preserve their kind. Over the millennia, natural selection has favored those species that protect and defend related beings in their pack, school, or hive. The Hebrews simply documented a natural phenomenon and cited a divine source.

Rebranding the Hebrew god

Apparently the Old Testament god was too vengeful, ruthless, and egotistical and came across as a bully and insecure school boy. Perhaps his marketing team felt his image needed a facelift. Enter Jesus. He’s the hip and cool new version. He’s good-looking, charismatic, and really knows how to put on a show. I suppose he could be called the “Michael Jackson” of the Bronze Age Near East.

Gone are the days of fireballs from the sky, genocide by Hebrews, rape of virgins, talking donkeys, and schizophrenic prophets/spokesmen. Meet the new and improved Hebrew god and his quick and easy salvation. No more waiting in line to buy a Temple-approved Passover lamb. No more arduous pilgrimages to foreign cities for atonement. You no longer have to suffer under the iron-fist of a terrible god, just believe that Jesus is a magic man from Heaven and BAM, you're in.

Christian Suicide

I posted a note on Facebook asking Christians if they would kill themselves if the Hebrew god requested it of them. All said yes. Now for the real question, if he asked you to strap a bomb to yourself to commit suicide and kill a bunch of “wrong-doers”, would you?

Example of Christian Anti-Intellectualism

Yesterday, I was discussing with a Christian the lineage of Christ as outlined in Scripture. The lineages appear in Matthew 1:1–17 and Luke 3:23–28. If one were to compare Jesus’ bloodline side-by-side, one would see it is completely and utterly inconsistent. However, Christians do not read the Bible in this manner.

Christians normally read the Bible in a devotional manner rather than comparatively and intellectually. They select a passage, read it, and use a dogmatic view instilled by their pastor or other Christian leaders to interpret—essentially justifying anything that might stand out as a contradiction or error.

When I pointed out to this individual that the lineages were inconsistent, he said, “I will go and find a book written by a Christian that discusses this.” I implored him, “No, go to the Bible and look for yourself.” He refused. He plans to read a Christian justification of this contradiction before viewing it for himself.

This is pure anti-intellectualism of the highest degree and demonstrates the depth of indoctrination.

There is No Faith in Atheism

As I argue with Christians, I grow ever more frustrated with them. In my discussions, a Christian will use the word “belief” to describe my atheist position and they say it requires a level of faith to not believe in the Hebrew god. Atheism is not a belief. Atheism claims nothing. Therefore, it does not require faith. It is simply a position based on lack of evidence for the opposing position. You and I both do not believe in the Easter bunny. Would one assert that we require a level of “faith” to disbelieve? No.

Science is the ruler by which we gauge reality. Scientists do not claim to know everything about the universe. They do not claim to have an answer as to what lies beyond the universe. They do not make claims as to whether there may or may not be an afterlife. There is no way to know these things.

I’ve compiled some basic questions and answers to demonstrate the difference between atheists and Christians. The questions will show that atheism does not require faith and is not a system of belief.

Christians:

1) Was the universe and everything in it created? Yes, by the Hebrew god because the Bible tells me so.

2) Is there life after death? Yes, because the Bible tells me so.

3) Are we born evil? Yes, because the Bible tells me a man and woman ate an apple from a tree 6,000 years ago.

4) Why are we here? To serve the Hebrew god.

Atheists:

1) Was the universe and everything in it created? We do not know. All scientific (verifiable) evidence points to the contrary, but we cannot say definitively yes or no.

2) Is there life after death? See previous answer.

3) Are we born evil? There is nothing to indicate that we are. Science demonstrates that humans are born with the desire to survive and are altruistic.

4) Why are we here? It’s a silly question and does not deserve an answer. We are the product of natural selection and essentially serve no purpose other than to survive.

Atheists base their lack of belief on facts—verifiable, scientific evidence. We make no assertions as to the existence of supernatural beings or events. Christians base their beliefs on a book of myths written over a course of two thousand years by undetermined authors. I prefer to build my life on fact and not fiction.

Nazi VBS

Summer is time for fun—swimming, fireworks, family reunions, and trips to Disney World. It’s also primetime for unfettered Christian indoctrination of our youth. Yes, I’m referring to Vacation Bible School (VBS).

One of the most effective ways to convert a person to Christianity is to capture their mind as a child. All religions and totalitarian regimes understand this. Take for instance the Hitler Youth. A ruthless and harsh organization whose goal was to indoctrinate German youths so that, once adults, they would fight faithfully for the Third Reich.

Likewise, Christians have established Vacation Bible School. By contrast, VBS is filled with fun, games, cookies, and harmless child’s play. However, at the beginning of each day, the children are called to congregate to recite Scripture, pledge allegiance to the Bible and Christian flag, and listen to a dogmatic lesson about a nonexistent afterlife and a zombie magician. As a child in VBS, I remember singing “Onward Christian Soldiers”—a blatant homage to the Crusades and song that is still sung today in VBSs across the Western world. VBS is full of war-related overtones.

Christians claim they are loving people who only care about children’s souls, but it is more than that. It is a blind allegiance to a myth that is reinforced daily in their own lives and they feel driven to force it upon their children and the children of others. The following anonymous quote from a Christian parenting website demonstrates the Christian adult’s attitude toward discipline and indoctrination:

“If you don't chasten your children, if you don't use the rod in obedience to God's laws and drive that child's foolishness far from him, if you spoil that child by sparing the rod, you don't love that child or care anything about that child! You hate that child! God cannot stand any kind of unfaithfulness in His army anymore than any other Commander of any other military force can take a chance on security risks and disobedience and failure to follow orders and obey commands.”

Vacation Bible School is nothing more than an annual indoctrination program disguised as a harmless fun time for kids run by the most devoted, dogmatic church members. It is detrimental to the development of a child’s reasoning ability and corrupts his worldview. Christian indoctrination of children is utterly immoral and evil.

The Purpose of Purpose

Burden of Proof

If I had a dollar every time a Christians says, “Well you can’t disprove God,” I’d be a millionaire. The burden of proof lies with the person making the claim. It is a logical fallacy for a person making a claim to demand they be proven wrong. One cannot disprove a universal negative. One cannot disprove the existence of unicorns or the Easter bunny. Likewise, one cannot disprove the existence of a god. However, it is the responsibility of the person making the claim that a particular god exists to provide evidence to support that claim.

When pressed for evidence, a Christian usually resorts to one or more of the following:

1) Well, C.S. Lewis says…
C.S. Lewis was a fine author. I read several of his books in high school and college. Yes, I’ve read Mere Christianity. Twice, actually. However, he says nothing profoundly convincing about the existence of God. If you are a Christian, his words are golden. If you are not, it just sounds like he is advancing a myth. He says what the average Christian says except eloquently. Is that supposed to convince me of the existence of God?!

2) “They” found Noah’s Ark.
First of all, “They” who? I’ve been told this numerous times by Christians, but when pressed they cannot tell me who, where, or when. I’ve been to several museums in Europe and America and have never seen it or even a piece of it on display. Many amateur explorers have claimed that think they have seen what might be the Ark, but nothing has been definitely obtained. Even if the boat is found, what does that prove? It certainly doesn’t prove the existence of a supernatural being.

3) “They” found a chariot wheel at the bottom of the Red Sea.
This is one of my favorites. It was first brought to my attention by a preacher with no formal theological training from a po-dunk, rural, southern town. Apparently, a fork-lift driver from London who masquerades as an amateur archeologist was swimming around the floor of the Red Sea and found what APPEARS to be a chariot wheel from when Moses parted the sea and the water closed in over Pharaoh's army. Did he bring it to the surface for analysis? No. I say we get the pink-haired lady from TBN to raise money for another expedition and let's raise it from the depth of the sea and test it.

4) What about the eye ball? It’s too complex to have evolved.
Ahhhh, the argument of irreducible complexity (reductio ad absurdum). If the claimant does not understand the evolution of the eye, he automatically assumes a supernatural source regardless of the fact that the evolution of the eye has been mapped by scientists. This person essentially says, “My brain can’t comprehend the complexity or origin of this particular object, therefore God made it” or “I have no desire or am too lazy to research and learn about this object, therefore God made it.”

5) The tomb is empty. Duh…
This is one of Lee Stroble's 5 Es which are supposed to convinced brain dead people to convert to Christianity. I ask, which tomb? Where? Tradition tells us where Jesus’ tomb might be, but we do not know for certain if it is his tomb or not. Until we know, we cannot assume it was his and that simply because it’s empty, he rose. This begs the question.

6) What about Josephus?
I say “what about Josephus,” too. He was born seven years after Jesus died. He began writing his book which mentioned Jesus twice when he was about 60. Yes, Jesus lived…and???

This obviously is not a complete list, but you get the point. What is interesting is I have seen Christian "intellectuals", such as William Lane Craig, Ravi Zacharias, Dinesh D’Souza, Josh McDowell, and more, using these same ridiculous arguments or similar arguments in debates. These are not valid arguments and do not get at the ACTUAL claim—that the God of the Bible exists. Try harder you guys!

A Good Christian Wife

Christian men are very insecure. Once they snag a woman, the goal is to convince them to submit. Women must be kept under their thumb at all times. Physical abuse isn’t necessary as emotional, psychological, and religious abuse are usually much more effective.

Below are some methods whereby Christian men accomplish this:

1. Make lots of babies. After all, this is her ONLY purpose in life. Right?
   
2. Make the woman homeschool them.
3. Keep her nice and plump so no other men look at her.
4. Buy her books about being a “Christian” mother.
5. Make her wear frumpy clothes.
6. Encourage her to have a benign hobby like scrapbooking, Pampered Chef, etc.
7. Send her to Beth Moore conferences.
   
8. Demean her. After all, she IS beneath you.
9. Buy her new kitchen appliances so she gets the hint.
10. Break her spirit.

I’m sure there are other methods I’m unaware of, but you get the picture.