God exists

The statement has been used flippantly throughout history. The concept of god is undefined, paradoxical, and unverifiable/falsifiable. It should be discarded as a philosophical proposition until there is ample scientific evidence and at least a clear definition of what god is. Let’s examine this problematic assertion.

Defining God
To assert a god exists, we must develop a definition of “god” upon which everyone can agree. A daunting task, I know. To some, god is everything. To others, god is outside everything. What does it look like? How big is it? Is it good, bad, or both? Did it create everything or only some of everything? Did it create nothing and only exists to manipulate what is already there? Did the universe exist before it and was created by some larger being? If so, what created it? Is it the god of the Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Native Americans, Native Africans, aboriginal Australians, or some other tribe? Is it many gods or one? Is it infinite or finite? Can it mate with humans as described by the Greeks and the Christians? Has there been, is there now, or will there ever be a human who can speak definitively about this god and its true nature? How do we determine his/her credibility on this topic of god? We cannot use a holy book to answer these questions, because we must first establish which holy book is accurate and which author is credible. There are many more questions, but these will suffice to demonstrate the breadth of what we don’t know about deities. Once the answers to these questions have been established, we can then wrestle with the basics regarding its possible existence. As we can see, obtaining clear, concise, and factual answers to these questions is an audacious task.

The God Definition Paradox
To most religious folk I’ve encountered, their god is a paradox. It created everything yet was not itself created. It created the laws of the universe, yet is not subject to these laws. As per Christian tradition, their god is loving and kind in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament, he is jealous and blood-thirsty. They claim to maintain a relationship with it and communicate with it, yet have never physically seen or heard it. It cannot be examined in the known world yet supposedly operates in it freely and openly. As these paradoxes demonstrate, there is no clear agreement on the nature of god.

Can we verify/falsify the proposition?
If we were to be lucky enough to settle on a definition of god, we could then determine if the aforementioned proposition is true or false. It must be verified to maintain any relevance in reality. This proposition is metaphysical, but is stated as fact within the realm of reality, therefore it should be subject to testing within the natural world. Our only tool for determining the validity of a proposition is the science method, which requires the subject to be present in natural form. This is impossible, because deities are conveniently invisible.

Faith as a means of verification
I’ve posed these questions and objections to religious people before and their ultimate response is always, “one must have faith” or “I know my version of god is correct (I know that I know)”. Faith cannot answer these questions. In which version of god do I place my faith? Faith in this instance is not faith in the concept alone, but faith in the messenger and faith that he is credible to deliver an accurate and truthful message. Faith only raises more questions and does nothing to validate god claims.

Even if we could establish a coherent definition for god and could verify its existence beyond a reasonable doubt, the work of determining which god is correct and determining its will and purpose for us will have only begun. Discussing the concept of god is an entertaining exercise, but outside of that, it offers nothing positive and meaningful to our lives. Being convinced there is a god and that one can mystically hear its voice or know its will is a dangerous endeavor that transforms seemingly good people into propagators of lies and willing accomplices in the systematic corruption of children.

Try Harder

Religion is a virus.

I run into a lot of Christians who would agree with that statement. “My faith is not a religion,” they say. In the 90s, Christians decided to play semantics to draw new converts who were traditionally critical of religion and church. This happened along with pastors trading in their suits and ties for Hawaiian shirts and the introduction of guitars and drums into mainstream church services. At this point, the church also dropped the tiny bit of intellectualism it had for a new, non-judgmental, post-modern emotionalism. Yes, this helped to draw in new members, but there remains a greater dearth of critical thinking in the church than ever before.

This movement toward the contemporary church model has left believers intellectually empty and defenseless against the renewed attacks on their faith. When I was a Christian, I rejected this contemporary movement and felt church was lacking something. I moved my membership to a traditional church in hopes that I could find more “meat” in Christian training. It helped even less. When I turned 30, the transition began for me. Until that time, I had been a devout Southern Baptist—having worked for the denomination for 10 years. The decision was made to truly examine my faith—to dig deep and understand as much as I could about the origins of Scripture. It wasn’t long before I realized how little could be substantiated. “Faith” was no longer enough to fill the gaps of evidence.

As time progressed, I ultimately rejected Christianity. Since that time, I have immersed myself in further study of the origins of Scripture, studying Islam and other religions, and catching up on philosophy and science—biology, DNA, mapping of genomes, the theory of evolution via natural selection, astronomy, physics, neuroscience, and so on. By playing the devil’s advocate, I was able to weed out my wrong beliefs.

Now, I find myself arguing with puny Christians—not only weak in their faith, but mind-numb and ignorant. Their arguments are sophomoric and reveal lack of introspection. By posting a simple anti-religion quote on Facebook, I can draw in the weakest of them. Their arguments—whether theological or pseudo-scientific—are unfounded, and quite frankly, embarrassing to read.

I have a word of advice for Christians—try harder. Play the devil’s advocate with yourself. Read material you wouldn’t otherwise read. Think critically. Question your faith. Stop living in a fog of ignorance. This is the only way you will grow as a person and live a full and fruitful life.

Brian David Mitchell...you're doing it wrong!

Elizabeth Smart took the stand yesterday in the trial of Brian David Mitchell, the crazed Mormon who kidnapped and raped her. She described the way he stealthily removed her from her bed while her sister lay just inches away. Mitchell claims God told him to do it. Therefore, it must be ok. Right? The only problem with that is normally the Hebrew god tells his people to brutally murder the entire family and village before taking the young virgin as your wife.

I’m in a quandary. I thought kidnap and rape were wrong. Isn’t the Bible supposed to be our source of morality? Yet, the Bible condones it over and over. I need to find a verse that specifically says, “Kidnapping and raping a young girl is ALWAYS wrong.” I’ve found plenty of verses encouraging it and not one condemning it. Can someone help me out here?

Questions for Christians

From time-to-time, I receive emails from Christians full of questions regarding my deconversion--my rejection of the Christian argument. I always respond to their questions thoroughly and then send my set of questions for them. I generated the list off-the-cuff about 2 years ago. As of late, no Christian has even attempted to answer these questions. They usually claim to be too busy despite the fact I just answered their questions. I'm hoping someone will respond now that I'm posting it as a blog.

Please try not to speculate or provide standard Christian arguments. I'm looking for well-thought out responses.

God
1) Define god.
2) Did your god create sin? Why or why not?
3) Why does your god allow suffering?
4) How and why does vicarious redemption atone for sin? Why is it necessary?
5) What is heaven?
6) What is hell?
7) Why did god not mention hell in the OT?
8) What scientific evidence do you have for the afterlife?
9) What makes your belief any different from a person who claims to have been abducted by a UFO?
10) If the Hebrew god is your moral arbiter and is your source for direction, how do you personally determine his will since he is unseen and mute?
11) If your god “fine-tuned” the universe for life, why is life irregular and chaotic?
12) Have you ever seen a person raised from the dead?
13) Have you seen your god regrow a limb or does he just “heal” things we can’t see?
14) How do you reconcile the inconsistencies among the thousands upon thousands of Biblical manuscripts?
15) If god came to you and told you to kill your child, would you? Please do not respond with "he won't". He did with Abraham. This is a serious question. Would you?
16) If he told you to blow up a public building, would you? He has demonstrated in the Bible that he would ask such a thing.

Biology
1) Show fossils that unmistakably support the creationist view.
2) Show me the alternative system of dating used by creationists.
3) Show me the creationist explanation for vestigial organs.
4) Show me the creationist explanation for fused genes in Chromosome 2 in humans.
5) Show me scientific evidence for the creation story.
6) Show me 10 reputable scientists who have published alternative views to evolution by natural selection.
7) Show me a gene that shows markings of having been created and not evolved.
8) Give me a valid scientific explanation why there are no human bones found in the same layer of earth and/or mingled with dinosaur bones.

Morality
1) If the Hebrew god is good, why did he have the Hebrews commit genocide and rape?
2) Are the Ten Commandments a good moral code?
3) Name them off the top of your head without cheating.
4) If the Hebrews did not have the Ten Commandments until they were wandering in the desert from whence came their morality beforehand?

How do you know what you claim to know in your answers above?

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.