Can Religion Cause Murder

Moral Indignation

Moral Indignation is jealousy with a halo - H.G. Wells

We all have met those kind of people. Religion, fundamental Christianity in particular, attracts those who are insecure and need a stick to punish others ("you are going to hell") and need a skirt to hide behind ("It is not me saying it, it is God").

As Dylan wrote

You got a lotta nerve

To say you are my friend

When I was down

You just stood there grinning

You got a lotta nerve

To say you got a helping hand to lend

You just want to be on

The side that’s winning

...

I wish that for just one time

You could stand inside my shoes

And just for that one moment

I could be you

Yes, I wish that for just one time

You could stand inside my shoes

You’d know what a drag it is

To see you

Song: Positively 4th Street

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts - Bertran Russell.

How Embarrassing Is Religious TV?

The Terrifying Truth About Bananas - Not By Kirk Cameron This Time

Tower Of Babel - Scientific Ilteracy Or Was God Truly Afraid Of Men?

Can't we just agree the Bible gets a failing grade in science? This really would be a story of self correcting errors if God had just let it go. Why didn't God stop men from landing on the moon or sending the Voyager satellites past our Solar System? How is it different today than thousands of years ago? Oh yeah, science.

Alex, Quotes for $1000 please

Alex Trebek: "Everybody else is wrong and I am the only one who is right."

Contestant: "What do fundamentalists and alcoholics say?"

Humans Did Not Come From Monkeys

When confronted with the human fossil record why do creation scientist not agree on which fossil is an ape and which is human? See Jerry Coyne's book for more info

Humans came from an common ancestor, we are apes. However, Christian "scientists" cannot agree on the fossil record on is it human or is it ape. How interesting.

The Underwhelming Evidence For Christianity

By The Blood Of Jesus

A lot of times I talk about the immorality of Christianity. Most of the time, Christians and even a few atheists jump to defend Christianity by talking about various good deeds particular Christians have done and continue to do. But I wasn’t talking about Christians being immoral; I was talking about Christianity being immoral. What can be more immoral then the vicarious redemption of sin?

The whole idea that I can go and murder someone or work on Saturday and have my sins forgiven vicariously by someone else is a license for crime. Christians often use the analogy of some small offense like a drunk driving charge (which for the record isn’t really a small offense) and they talk about how Judge God lets the offender off the hook because Jesus paid his or her fine. But that isn’t how the world works.

If someone went and murdered someone else and was found guilty, no one would be able to pay the fine of prison time except that person who was found guilty. There is an old expression, “If you do the crime, you will do the time.”

But that isn’t the worst part of the Christian redemption system. The way Jesus allegedly pays for your sins is through blood sacrifice. It is funny that when most Americans hear about some cult sacrificing an animal to the Gods they laugh and think such a ritual is absurd and yet 80% or more believe the same thing.

The whole Christian belief system centers around the idea of blood sacrifice. Back before Jesus allegedly came, the Abrahamic God wanted people to sacrifice goats to him so that he could forgive them for their sins. This is where the term scapegoat comes from. Everyone in the village puts all their sins on to the goat and kills the goat as a sacrifice to God. But God wanted more than just a goat.

Lambs were more desirable to God apparently, because he wanted the people to sacrifice an innocent lamb to show how much they care instead. Let me repeat that last part. God wanted people to sacrifice an Innocent Lamb.

Now of course there is no need to sacrifice an Innocent Lamb or any other lamb for that matter because Jesus is the “Lamb of God.” In other words, he is the innocent blood sacrifice that God needs for the redemption of sin.

Some people will say that not all Christians believe this and that I am generalizing. But the fact is that this whole blood sacrifice thing is a pretty central point the Christian belief system. I really don’t think one could seriously be considered a Christian if they don’t buy into the idea that the death of Jesus was a necessary sacrifice to God for their sins. That is pretty much the whole grounding of the religion. God forgives those who have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for payment of their sins.

In reality, there is no vicarious redemption for sin. God can’t forgive you for your wrongs. Only those who you have wronged can forgive you. Next time you lie to a friend or family member about something, instead of asking Jesus for forgiveness, try slaughtering an innocent lamb instead. Let me know if that works out for ya.

http://freethoughtsociety.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/vicarious-redemption-of-sin/

Christian Child Abuse

Extreme Wealth Of TV Preachers

What Me Worry? Part 3

What Me Worry Part 2

What Me Worry Part 1

The great philosopher Alfred E. Neumann stated this brilliant proposition in the upside down year 1961. What Me, Worry?

It sums up how best to live and enjoy your life

There are two thing to worry about:

Either you are well or you are sick.

If you are well there is nothing to worry about.

If you are sick there are two things to worry about:

Either you will get well or you will die. If you get well there is nothing to worry about.

If you die there is only two thing to worry about:

Either you go to heaven or hell.

If you go to heaven there is nothing to worry about.

But if you go to hell you will be so darn busy shaking hands with your friends you won't have time to worry.

Faith Is Not A Virtue

Faith is not a virtue, it is gullibility.

History of Jesus

Nye And Ham Aftermath

The 2 Steps To Finding Jesus

The Jesus Test Analogy

If you truly, truly believe the coin will always land on heads.

Here are the Rules of the Game.

1) Heads, I win!

2) Tails, Try Again

The Porno Magazine That Came To Life

Pastor Says Lose The Panties

Forced To Go To Church

Jesus Needs Money

Jesus Was Wrong

Why Christian Prostelizing Works

When Did Jesus ....

Jesus did say "My Kingdom is not of this World". Apparently, some Bibles have that redacted.

Along with these text apparently

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. Matthew 5:42

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:12-14

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Luke 3:11

There are hundreds of text in the Bible about helping the poor and none say to determine if they are worthy. Well, isn't that the point of the Bible to tell you how unworthy you are and yet God sends the rain on the good and evil.

Christians should learn from the Old Testament. Them getting involved in Government is a big fail.

Woman Created Differently Than Everything Else

Why have you never heard?

Why have you never heard someone say "I asked Jesus to forgive me and Jesus replied 'No Fucking Way. You are an asshole. Stop praying to me'" ?

Why has no one come back from a near death experience (NDE) and told us about hell?

The odds must be incredibly high per Christianity (only a remnant will be saved) yet you never hear it.

Church Morality

That Awkward Christian Moment

Creationist Are Creative

Creationist are Creative - Two Definitions Of Science

When you start with a fantasy story that must not be questioned then you must bend everything to it. So distorting already defined words is a ready game for those so inclined. In the recent HBO documentary Question Darwin a pastor is shown saying, if the Bible said 2+2=5, he would believe it and then work it out to understand it. The creative part! How can I make bend reality to make it fit. This is why it took centuries to get out from under religion (aka Dark Ages) and see the world as it is. This is still why Darwin is vilified. This is still why Ken Ham will make up anything to fit an ancient book that he and a billion others believe in. Oddly they cannot agree with each other.

Religion causes divergence. Science causes convergence.

He Loves You ...

Your Specific Religion Is True

There are 200 billion stars in the Milky Way (our galaxy) and an estimated 125 billion galaxies in our universe. If you were to randomly pick a star from everything you know, you'd have a 0.0000000000000004% chance of picking our sun, which is not even at the center of our galaxy but essentially a rebel outpost. There are 20 current religions with more than a million followers each. There are 41k Christian denominations.

And you think that your specific belief is the correct one?

The picture above is pointing to our solar system, which is a spec in the galaxy.

What A Difference 2000 Years Can Make

God Is A Bullet

Have mercy on us everyone.

Concrete Blond

How I Know God Is A Real Man

He blows shit up.

Every notice in the Bible and apparently in nature when he is pissed he frickin' hates discussion. He just nukes Sodom and Gomorrah. He tells his people to kill every man, woman, child, infant and animal in towns. He punishes with tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and such. Uses a 10-lb hammer instead of a scalpel. God punishes America because of homosexuals. Hmmmm...couldn't just punish the homosexual? Doh!

He has a real bad aim. He tends to hit the mark but sprays all around as well.

He is a red zone. Only black and white thinking.

You screw up in a 70+ year life and you are going to burn for ALL eternity. 

He loves the part of creating kids, but would rather not stick around for the day in day out care. No one alive has actually seen him. And the ones who want him beg for their Daddy to come home.  Why won't Daddy come home, Mommy?

Jesus-Gate

Evolution - Where You There?

The End Times. Come Lord Jesus Quickly.

The Nazareth Myth

Christians Rightfully Ashamed Of The Old Testament

This justifying Biblical internal contradictions/immorality goes back to the beginning of Christianity. Marcion of Sinope was the first to try to canonize the Bible. You know, cherry picking the books to be included - a complex puzzle very hard to put together without cutting some pieces to fit. He left out the whole Old Testament and only included 10 Epistles from Paul and the Gospel of Luke. The problem was it was a void that didn't make sense. You needed the Old Testament to "prove" prophecy and give it the right background. They might have been better to say it was not quite inspired but important. Marcion was later consider a heretic when he was only trying to help. Ah...Christianity. If you are not for them...hmmm...You are going to hell. LOL.

Matthew 12:30a - Jesus said: He that is not with me is against me

Luke 9:50 - And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us

Strike me as a useful conflict. You can get it to say whatever you want. 41k Christian denominations agree!

The New Testament is a smaller target with fewer authors who could not only confer but steal liberally from each other. The first 3 gospels are simply copies of each other with some additions stories thrown in. Christians are ready to say how wonderful the Bible is because it is so consistent. Well, if I copy off the student next to me don't be surprised my answer is consistent with his.

So ultimately they were forced to include the Old Testament especially since the New Testament authors quoted the Old Testament. Matthew was the worst and he totally lifted out of context. Like the guy said in the video context is important. Under that premise Matthew should be thrown out at least. But Christians are stuck with all its' baggage. Condonation of slavery, women as property, divinely sanctioned genocide and it goes on. They really have to twist and turn to make such things moral. Reading the Bible for what it is (i.e. man made) lead me to throwing it out as a divinely inspired book. It falls far short of that. Read the Bible with the understanding that these where humans just trying to justify their behavior and it makes so much sense. You don't have to twist anything. The whole matter is cleared up. The pieces of the puzzle finally fit together without alteration.

What Creation Scientist Add To Science

Changing Views On Marriage Over The Centuries

The Silly Story Of Jacob And Esau

More holes in the story then I realized. The bad biology of the Bible is highlighted at the end of video. I don't know how Christians entirely miss the voodoo in the Bible. Well, I did years ago. You dismiss it the things "you don't understand".

Monthy Python's Life Of Brian Debate

Love the film. Much controversy and when it came out it ruffled the feathers of the pompous "Church" fathers. The Python crew defend their film.

Truth vs Make-Believe

God's God

Jesus Get Rich Quick Scheme

Should Atheist Pray?

The Origin Of Life

Changing Minds

Conspiracy Theories

Oh Sky Cake, Why Are You So Delicious?

Do Not Bow Your Head

Have A Wonderful Mormon Day

Oh Lord, We All Are So Impressed Down Here

Monty Python - The Meaning Of Life. Haven't seen it? Get to it ASAP.

King James Version Of The Bible

Human Evolution And The Nature Of Science

Who Was Jesus?

Who Was Jesus?

There are many articles written on how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament Prophecy, but when I have examined it I have found it to be quote mining and deceptive. Literally partial clips were taking out of context to "prove" Jesus was the Messiah. The book of Matthew is quite horrible for doing this.

Here is an article from a Jew's point of view as to why they cannot accept Jesus as divine. It really gave me pause. I had never heard this before when I was a minister.

The Bible gave a warning about a dangerous, false prophet who would arise to test our faith in G-d. In Deuteronomy 13, G-d describes this false prophet as a member of the Jewish people (v. 2, 7) who would tell true prophecies and would have the power of miracles. G-d Himself would give this false prophet the power to perform miracles and reveal prophecy, but the false prophet would try to seduce the people away from G-d's Law and towards strange gods unknown to Judaism. The purpose would be to test whether we are truly committed to living under the Law, or whether we will be dazzled and fall for the temptation to join a false path to salvation (v. 3-6, 7-8, 11). In this Biblical passage, G-d repeatedly commands the Jews to kill this false prophet, lest the evil spread and destroy many souls.

To be accepted by the people, the false prophet would sometimes pretend to be a righteous Jew who fulfills the Law, but at key moments he would turn against certain details of the Law in order to make the breach (v. 6, 7). This is the reason that verse 1 commands us not to add or subtract any details from the Law, and verse 5 warns us to remain steadfast with all the traditions of the Law.

In Deuteronomy 17, this false prophet is also described as someone who would rebel against the authority of the judges of the Jewish people, and who should be put to death for his rebelliousness (v. 8-13, esp. v. 12). Who are the judges? The highest court in Israel was the Sanhedrin, which was established by Moses (Exodus 18:13-26; Numbers 11:16-29), and which lasted more than 15 centuries. The members of the Sanhedrin were the rabbis known as "Pharisees" (Pirushim, "those with the explanation"). G-d gave permanent authority to these judges to interpret the Law and G-d's Word, and it is a commandment to follow their decisions without turning even slightly to the right or the left (Deut. 17:11). But the false prophet would challenge the authority of the Sanhedrin, thus revealing himself to be an evil man.

In the book of the prophet Daniel, this false prophet is described as a king (the eleventh horn on a terrible beast) who would wage war against the Jews (the "holy ones"; see Deut. 14:2 on this term) and would change the Law including the calendar and the holidays (Daniel 7:8, 20-25). Elsewhere, this false prophet is described as a king who would disregard the G-d of his fathers, exalting himself as a god and giving honor to this new god-head (Daniel 11:36-39).

The man known today as "Jesus" fulfilled all these prophecies. He became a "king" (over the Christian church) who changed the original Law, doing away with the Hebrew calendar and the Biblical holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos the Festival of Tabernacles, Passover, etc.). He disregarded the one, infinite G-d of the Hebrew Bible in favor of a new "trinity" that included himself. And he repeatedly broke the Law by committing terrible sins, while openly challenging the G-d-given authority of the rabbis of the Sanhedrin.

Naturally, Jesus did sometimes pretend to respect the Law, but whenever he thought he could get away with it, he turned right around and broke that same Law. In Matthew 5:17-19, he declared that he came to fulfill the Law, and in Matthew 23:1-3 he defended the authority of the rabbis. But the rest of the time, he rebelled against the Law—thus showing that his occasional words of piety were meant only to hide his evil agenda. The following sins of Jesus are recorded in the "New Testament":

Jesus repudiated the laws of kosher food (Mark 7:18-19). [Compare this to the prophet Daniel's strict adherence to kashrus, in Daniel chapter 1.] He repudiated the laws of honoring one's parents, and called on his followers to hate their parents; he also dishonored his own mother (Matthew 10:34-36; Matthew 12:46-50; Luke 14:26). He violated the Sabbath by picking grain, and incited his disciples to do the same (Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-26). 4) He again violated the Sabbath by healing a man's arm, which was not a matter of saving a life, and he openly defied the rabbis in his total repudiation of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-5). [Compare this to G-d's view of violating the Sabbath, in Numbers 15:32-36, Nehemiah 10:30-32, and dozens of other places throughout the Bible.] Jesus brazenly defied and disobeyed the rabbis of the Sanhedrin, repudiating their authority (This is recorded in many places throughout the New Testament, but look especially at Matthew 23:13-39 and John 8:44-45).

The Talmud (Babylonian edition) records other sins of "Jesus the Nazarene":

He and his disciples practiced sorcery and black magic, led Jews astray into idolatry, and were sponsored by foreign, gentile powers for the purpose of subverting Jewish worship (Sanhedrin 43a). He was sexually immoral, worshipped statues of stone (a brick is mentioned), was cut off from the Jewish people for his wickedness, and refused to repent (Sanhedrin 107b; Sotah 47a). He learned witchcraft in Egypt and, to perform miracles, used procedures that involved cutting his flesh—which is also explicitly banned in the Bible (Shabbos 104b).

The false, rebellious message of Jesus has been thoroughly rejected by the vast majority of the Jewish people, as G-d commanded. Unfortunately, however, this same message has brought a terrible darkness upon the world; today, over 1.5 billion gentiles believe in Jesus. These lost souls mistakenly think they have found salvation in Jesus; tragically, they are in for a rude awakening. Truth and eternal life are found directly from G-d, through performing His Law. Any "mediator" only separates man from G-d:

"G-d is not a man, who can lie, nor the son of man, who relents... He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen perverseness in Israel" (Numbers 23:19).

Who Was Jesus?

Eyewitness Support For Jesus

For a better resolution, click on picture.

God On The Brain Blocks Science

YEC Creationist Don't Understand Science

They should leave science out of their preaching. Scientist spend decades studying before publishing their findings and somehow a preacher who reviews it for a few hours understands it all.

The Pope And Hitler And Atheist

Superbowl Commerical

For those of you who missed it like I did.

The Pope Rap

Do You Believe In A Higher Power?

God - The Big Picture

How I Stopped Worrying and Learned To Love Viruses

Why I Am Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell - 1927

Indonesia Entering The Dark Ages?

Millions of children in Indonesian elementary schools may no longer have separate science classes starting in June, the beginning of their next school year, if the government approves a curriculum overhaul that would merge science and social studies with other classes so more time can be devoted to religious education.

Officials who back the changes say that more religious instruction is needed because a lack of moral development has led to an increase in violence and vandalism among youths, and that could fuel social unrest and corruption in the future.

Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country with a secular government that recognizes the rights of six different faiths, including Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.

Religion is taught to students according to their own faiths, meaning that Muslim students are instructed in Islam, while Christian students study Christianity in separate classes. Reflecting the country’s demographics, most religious instruction is Islamic.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs, which advises the Education Ministry, is proposing that religious education be increased to four hours a week from two. It will remain a compulsory subject, along with mathematics, arts and crafts, physical education, Indonesian language and civics.

More At NY Times Article - Indonesia Science May Give Way to Religion

Cracks Me Up

Makes me laugh and I don't know why.

Jesus Gave Me A Laugh

Reliable Health Information Online

It is long, but definitely worth the time. Should be required viewing

Noah's Ark Could It Be True?

It Is Called Snake Oil, Y'all

Steve Earle's great hit sums up religion

Ladies and gentlemen, attention please

Come in close so everyone can see

I got a tale to tell

A listen don't cost a dime

And if you believe that we're gonna get along just fine

Now I've been travelin' all around

I heard trouble's come to your town

Well I've got a little somethin'

Guaranteed to ease your mind

It's call Snake Oil y'all

It's been around for a long, long time

Say, your crops'll burn if it don't rain soon

Ain't seen a drop since the tenth of June

Well I can open up the sky

People never fear

If you ain't impressed yet, just tell me what you wanna hear

Well you lost your farm so you moved to town

You get a job, they shut the factory down

Now you sit around all day long feelin' sad and blue

You need Snake Oil y'all, tell you what I'm gonna do

I can heal the sick, I can mend the lame

And the blind shall see again, it's all the same

Well ain't your President good to you

Knocked 'em dead in Libya, Grenada too

Now he's taking his show a little further down the line

Well, 'tween me and him people, you're gonna get along just fine

Sudoku - Religion v Science Approaches

Yahweh Logic

100 Years Of Science

After 2000 years of prayer we gave science a chance.

Religion And Science - Seth McFarland

Hovind's Lies

Is his daddy still in jail?

Top 25 Creationist Logical Fallacies

Ad Hominem - attack the opponent n

Man on the street interview

Non Sequitur

Red Herring - distraction

Personal Incredulity - personal disbelief

Ignorance - like god of the gaps

Violation of the philosophy of science

Equivocation - misleading of a use of a word that has multiple meaning (e.g. Theory)

False Dichotomy

Begging the Question - circular reasoning.

Tautology - begging the question.

False Premise - Kalam argument (first cause)

Ad Hoc Reasoning - for this purpose

Slippery Slope

Correlation implies co-relationship

Creative Math

Moving the goalpost

Just Plain Nonsense

Outright Lie

Is Crime Against Atheist OK?

Apparently so. Christians follow the Ten Commandments and loving their neighbor only if their neighbor isn't an atheist.

Article on Christian On Atheist Crime

From a Christian blogger:

Never would I encourage vandalism, but in this case I think I’ll let it slide. Atheists have been vandalizing my beliefs for years, so it’s about time the shoe was on the other foot...

The best part of this whole situation, though, is that these secular billboards were part of a Fourth of July project that placed similar ads in Greensboro, Raleigh and a handful of other cities – and it totally backfired. They underestimated their demographic, and because the vandalism occurred days before the Fourth, no one could service the billboard until after the holiday. It’s the small victories in life that make it all worthwhile.

Wasn't there something Jesus said about turning the other cheek? Doing good to those who do evil to you? That part must be cut out of their bible. Put up the 10 commandments in a courthouse, but keep that bible closed or tape the pages around Exodus 20 together.

Self-Serving Bias

One Nation dot dot dot

And also no faith.

Johnny come lately change in 1954.

Human Delusion In Perspective

The Problem With Miracles

God's Perfect Plan

The Problem With Religion

School Massacre - Birth Of Jesus Reminder

Keep Christ In Christmas

Trading Fairy Tales

Valentina/Bach - In Memory Of Sandy Hook

Are You A Rapture Veteran?

Cut Me Some Slack

Paul can still rock.

Satisfied

Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."[1] With this trademark growl, his incorporation of pre-rock music styles such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville, and experimental tendencies verging on industrial music,[2] Waits has built up a distinctive musical persona. He has worked as a composer for movies and musical plays and as a supporting actor in films, including Down by Law and Bram Stoker's Dracula. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his soundtrack work on One from the Heart.

What Is Faith In God?

Faith in God and scripture are naked assertions (god exists, god works in the world, god speaks to me, humans have a soul, eternal life is real, heaven, hell, etc) without objective proof.

Christians want to believe they have objective truth, but the fact that religion is divergent, there are around 30k Christian denominations, shows it is strictly subjective. Same can be said for Islam.

Israel v Palestine

Born A Skeptic

Malala Yousafzai's story

Moses, Is That You?

Cosmos For Rednecks