Reminiscing
I was "saved" when I was 11 years old.
At that time (the late 60's) Billy Graham was emphatic that the rapture was sure to happen by 1980 or thereabouts. I remember being saddened by the fact that I would never have wife, never have children, never grow old and so on.The whole subject was very real to me.
I neglected my studies and devoted myself to religious meetings, believing that they were of eternal value, while scholastic endeavors were only temporary. I also was convinced bodily exercise was of no real value as well, since it had no everlasting reward.
The rapture and heaven mentality really damaged my potential for success as a youth and later as an adult.
I have been lately told that I should not be so aggressive in my campaign against Christianity. I have been told that whatever someone else believes is not material to actual reality. and I should live and let live - so to speak.
I disagree totally. I believe that ideas have far reaching consequences. Being indoctrinated with a death oriented religion that sees no real lasting value in anything on Earth and sees the ultimate reality in some mystical "heaven" is a terrible hindrance to both mental health as well as effective contribution to human society.
We see this starkly in the Muslim extremists of recent history, but Christianity has no less of a terrible history for those willing to research it.
Freedom from mind control is a great reward to those willing to overcome the pre-programming of their cultures and their respective families.
I offer a hearty applause to all those who have taken the hard step toward rational thought after months, years, or a lifetime of religious subjugation.
Join the discussion board at http://ex-christian.net and discuss this and any topic you wish.
At that time (the late 60's) Billy Graham was emphatic that the rapture was sure to happen by 1980 or thereabouts. I remember being saddened by the fact that I would never have wife, never have children, never grow old and so on.The whole subject was very real to me.
I neglected my studies and devoted myself to religious meetings, believing that they were of eternal value, while scholastic endeavors were only temporary. I also was convinced bodily exercise was of no real value as well, since it had no everlasting reward.
The rapture and heaven mentality really damaged my potential for success as a youth and later as an adult.
I have been lately told that I should not be so aggressive in my campaign against Christianity. I have been told that whatever someone else believes is not material to actual reality. and I should live and let live - so to speak.
I disagree totally. I believe that ideas have far reaching consequences. Being indoctrinated with a death oriented religion that sees no real lasting value in anything on Earth and sees the ultimate reality in some mystical "heaven" is a terrible hindrance to both mental health as well as effective contribution to human society.
We see this starkly in the Muslim extremists of recent history, but Christianity has no less of a terrible history for those willing to research it.
Freedom from mind control is a great reward to those willing to overcome the pre-programming of their cultures and their respective families.
I offer a hearty applause to all those who have taken the hard step toward rational thought after months, years, or a lifetime of religious subjugation.
Join the discussion board at http://ex-christian.net and discuss this and any topic you wish.
Comments
hey, i could copy the grimm fairytales a bazillion times and measure the spaces between my letters with hair - but at the end of the day, it's still a fucking fairytale. :-\
Add to this the fact that all 3 Abrahamic religions believe there will be a mass-slaughter at the end of days. All 3 will justify their actions in that day. All it takes is for one or two nutjobs to show up on the scene and claim that they're the messiah. Common sense alone will prevent them from killing us all in the process of killing each other.
I say I'm a Christian because I actually do what the Bible says and have been blessed through my obedience. I'm not a fake. Never will be. I say what I'm sure of.
I know Jesus is real, that's why I claim he is. True Christians live by faith, and then faith brings along conformation because what God says will happen for you, will on his timing. I've had so many supernatural confirmations just sticking with God. I want you to believe, but I won't force you to. Whatever your choice is, I'll leave you alone from there.
God Says in the Bible, once someone "leaves the Faith, it is almost impossible for them to come back"
Don't give up so easily on the Christian faith because I'm positive He is Real, and that he has a plan for everyone's life, and judge the saved and unsaved according to what they have done.
He gave us Choice, and Hell is a Place. I've seen it and that's why I'm saying that. Take it or leave it.
People only believe what they see!
Just analyze the Religions of the world, and make a choice then.
This beautiful world and different souls weren't by accident!
I brought myself to know the truth, no one taught me or threw words in my mind.
All I can say is think hard about what you are doing.
I know you've read it because you removed it.
I'm fine with that your reading it.
Is the Old Testament Inspired?
What is the basic type of standard we would expect a collection of books would be like, inspired by the almighty God? If the creator of the universe inspired the Old Testament:
It should be a book that man could not produce.
It should contain the perfection of philosophy.
It should perfectly accord with astronomy, geology or as to any subject of science.
Its mortality should be the highest, the purest.
Its laws and regulations for the control of conduct should be just, wise, perfect, pure and perfectly adapted to the accomplishment of the ends desired.
It should contain nothing calculated to make man cruel, revengeful, vindictive or infamous.
It should be filled with intelligence, justice, purity, honesty, mercy, the spirit of liberty and love.
It should be opposed to strife and war, to slavery and lust, to ignorance, credulity and superstition.
It should develop the brain and civilize the heart.
It should satisfy the heart and brain from the most simple to the wisest.
It should be clear and not contradicting.
For centuries, the church insisted that the Bible was true with no mistakes or contradictions. That the creation story is true and that all astronomy and geology are in accord with the facts. Until only less than 100 years ago scientist who differed with the Bible was classified as infidels, atheists (a swear word in the olden days) and were persecuted. Galileo was one of the lucky scientists who spoke out against the church when he discovered that the sun does not revolve around the earth. He, sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life by the church, where hundreds and thousands of others killed in all kinds of horrible ways. All was done in the name of God, to keep people in line with His word. The Bible supports the “facts” that the earth is flat and that the sun revolves around the earth. Today Christians somehow ignores those scriptures.
After science started to prove Bible stories wrong, Christians changed their stance on the “inspiration” of the Bible.
“…the authors, or rather the writers, of the Bible were inspired in spiritual and moral things; that Jehovah wanted to make known to his children his will and his infinite love for his children; that Jehovah, seeing his people wicked, ignorant and depraved, wished to make them merciful and just, wise and spiritual, and that the Bible is inspired in its laws, in the religion it teaches and in its ideas of government.” - Robert G. Ingersoll (1894)
The new claim now, by the more liberal Christians, is that the bible was not written to be factually accurate but to convey a message from God to his creation.
Is the bible moral? It upholds slavery; it sanctions polygamy.
Is it merciful? In war, it raised the black flag; it commanded the destruction, the massacre, of all; of the old, infirm and helpless; of wives and babes.
Were its laws inspired? Hundreds of offences punished with death. To pick up sticks on Sunday, to murder your father on Monday, were equal crimes. There is in the literature of the world no bloodier code. The law of revenge, of retaliation, was the law of Jehovah. An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, limb for a limb.
Is it just and reasonable? The Bible is opposed to religious toleration, to religious liberty. Whoever differed with the majority was stoned to death. Investigation was a crime. Husbands ordered to denounce and to assist in killing their unbelieving wives.
Is the Bible civilized? It upholds lying, larceny, robbery, murder, the selling of diseased meat to strangers, and even the sacrifice of human beings to Jehovah.
Is it philosophical? It teaches that the sins of a people can be transferred to an animal, to a goat. It makes maternity an offence for which a sin offering had to be made.
Does it make sense? It was wicked to give birth to a boy, and twice as wicked to give birth to a girl. To make hair-oil like that used by the priests was an offence punishable with death. The blood of a bird killed over running water was regarded as medicine. Would a civilized God daub his altars with the blood of oxen, lambs and doves? Would he make all his priests butchers? Would he delight in the smell of burning flesh?
Is this the basis for an inspired book by a holy God? As God orders the butchering of thousands of innocent people; babies, children, men, woman, and grandparents because did not believed in Him and was in the way of his “chosen people”, Christians merely turn a blind eye! People choose to apply a “blind faith” band-aide, to let them cope with the truth, but I refuse.
Isaiah 45:7 - “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.”
Amos 3:6 - “If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in the city, will not the LORD have done it?”
The God of the Bible people so eagerly worship and believe to be the most serene being in the universe has not changed one iota from the “creation”!
Malachi 3:6 - “For I am the Lord, I do not change;”
I would like to remember this verse very clearly. Remember God says that He does not change. Moreover, that He is still the same today as He was in the OT.
My goal with looking at the bible is the following:
To reveal the true nature & character of the Christian God.
To disprove the inerrancy of the Bible.
To prove that it could not have been inspired by an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent or omni benevolent God.
As quoted from Morné du Toit - Blind Faith
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