THE BIBLE AIN'T GOD!
Sent in by Michael Z
There is a lot of anguish expressed on this, and other sites like it, by sobbing Christians on the edge. The common thread is that they can't leave the Bibles or god will not exist. Maybe admitting that "what is at the core of existence is beyond our grasp" would be a good start for your recovery from this addiction.
THE BIBLE
The Bible, especially the Old Testament, is at the core of most issues. The Old Testament was written in the early hours of civilization by primitive humans. Do not the needs of the “God of the Hebrews” parallel the needs of any earthly despot of that time? Kneel humbly at my feet or I will kill you! Disobey me and I will kill you. Speak badly of me and I will kill you!
Would a perfect, almighty and munificent supernatural being need the praise of select tribe of primitive peasants to exist?
Would a perfect, almighty and munificent supernatural being pick one group over another? We call that racial-ethnic prejudice today. Would this perfect entity give them unfair advantage in their wars on innocent people? Today, Joshua would be hunted down and hanged as the worst war criminal in history. The Bible is history’s first account of genocide – committed by the same people later to be falsely known as the world’s worst victims of it. More people were slain in Stalinist Russia and Cambodia. There were no claims of godly sanctity in the latter two.
Would a perfect, almighty and munificent supernatural being kill the innocent children of Egypt to force the hand of the Pharaoh to free the Hebrews? If he were indeed all powerful, why did he not just will it so?
If you are not a Jew does the “God of the Jews” pertain to you?
Does mere nomenclature make Christians monotheistic? Certainly not! Just by naming Jehovah “God” does not dismiss Christianity’s other lesser, Greco-Roman style deities. What are angels? What is Satan? What are saints? “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” What other gods?
“God” says “Thou shalt not kill” and later says if you worship only me you have my permission to invade Canaan and brutally slaughter every living thing – among them, frightened innocent women and crying little children. But you can keep the money and valuables! It literally makes me sick to think about it.
I could go on and on but - would you worship such a god anyway?
THEN WHAT REALLY IS THE ISSUE?
One would think that the real issue here is to wake up the sleeping ones. They need to know – it’s OK to question what is totally unbelievable and/or repugnant, no matter who is shoving it down your throat. It’s not imperative to convert the world to atheism, the important issue here is loosening organized religion’s death grip on humanity. When you throw off the shackles of a dangerous and arrogant power base like Christianity you will find that a lot of history needs to be revisited with wiser eyes.
Religious brainwashing has made conformity so necessary to us that we are coerced to select a religion from a menu. What is it buddy? Ya gotta pick one! The first step to freedom and rationality is to read your Bible! Read all of it – not just what you elders point you to. Read it all, and listen to what it is saying. Did you ever ponder the fact that Christianity is solely based on a human sacrifice to appease an angry god? God must be really angry now – who do we kill this time to atone?
If you are spiritual, continue being spiritual. You don’t have to be an atheist, you just need more respect. Who are you, and who is your local "wise man" to know the intimate details of the origin of all things? Have the common sense to move the Bible to the fiction section of the library and stop worshiping it.
There is a lot of anguish expressed on this, and other sites like it, by sobbing Christians on the edge. The common thread is that they can't leave the Bibles or god will not exist. Maybe admitting that "what is at the core of existence is beyond our grasp" would be a good start for your recovery from this addiction.
THE BIBLE
The Bible, especially the Old Testament, is at the core of most issues. The Old Testament was written in the early hours of civilization by primitive humans. Do not the needs of the “God of the Hebrews” parallel the needs of any earthly despot of that time? Kneel humbly at my feet or I will kill you! Disobey me and I will kill you. Speak badly of me and I will kill you!
Would a perfect, almighty and munificent supernatural being need the praise of select tribe of primitive peasants to exist?
Would a perfect, almighty and munificent supernatural being pick one group over another? We call that racial-ethnic prejudice today. Would this perfect entity give them unfair advantage in their wars on innocent people? Today, Joshua would be hunted down and hanged as the worst war criminal in history. The Bible is history’s first account of genocide – committed by the same people later to be falsely known as the world’s worst victims of it. More people were slain in Stalinist Russia and Cambodia. There were no claims of godly sanctity in the latter two.
Would a perfect, almighty and munificent supernatural being kill the innocent children of Egypt to force the hand of the Pharaoh to free the Hebrews? If he were indeed all powerful, why did he not just will it so?
If you are not a Jew does the “God of the Jews” pertain to you?
Does mere nomenclature make Christians monotheistic? Certainly not! Just by naming Jehovah “God” does not dismiss Christianity’s other lesser, Greco-Roman style deities. What are angels? What is Satan? What are saints? “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” What other gods?
“God” says “Thou shalt not kill” and later says if you worship only me you have my permission to invade Canaan and brutally slaughter every living thing – among them, frightened innocent women and crying little children. But you can keep the money and valuables! It literally makes me sick to think about it.
I could go on and on but - would you worship such a god anyway?
THEN WHAT REALLY IS THE ISSUE?
One would think that the real issue here is to wake up the sleeping ones. They need to know – it’s OK to question what is totally unbelievable and/or repugnant, no matter who is shoving it down your throat. It’s not imperative to convert the world to atheism, the important issue here is loosening organized religion’s death grip on humanity. When you throw off the shackles of a dangerous and arrogant power base like Christianity you will find that a lot of history needs to be revisited with wiser eyes.
Religious brainwashing has made conformity so necessary to us that we are coerced to select a religion from a menu. What is it buddy? Ya gotta pick one! The first step to freedom and rationality is to read your Bible! Read all of it – not just what you elders point you to. Read it all, and listen to what it is saying. Did you ever ponder the fact that Christianity is solely based on a human sacrifice to appease an angry god? God must be really angry now – who do we kill this time to atone?
If you are spiritual, continue being spiritual. You don’t have to be an atheist, you just need more respect. Who are you, and who is your local "wise man" to know the intimate details of the origin of all things? Have the common sense to move the Bible to the fiction section of the library and stop worshiping it.
Comments
Xians, wake up and look around you -- as the world shrinks, your narrow view of the world and of history will have to change.
Because there *are* other creator gods out there. I guess many Christians are so steeped in the idea of the Bible being the absolute truth that they can't conceive of one not being bound by the absurd Bible.
And yes... why DOES God supposedly favor the Jews so much? I think in order to found out, we'd have to go back to ancient times to ask those particular people. Before they murdered us on account of us not following their cult, of course.
(I think I read somewhere that the God of the historical Old Testament Jews was really their god of war. Is that true?)
To me, it also makes no sense that there is ONE being. Even families have a mom and a dad.
I thank that if we come from somewhere and go somewhere, there is NO ONE book that can explain it. So, why bother looking for an explanation?
Personally, I am trying to get rid of the NEED TO KNOW absolute truths. Do I really need to know if there is a god or where she lives and what she is like?
I don't think so.
When I was a Christian, I was so sure I had the truth. Then I left the faith and kept looking for truth. Now, I don't give a damn about THE TRUTH. Because there isn't such thing when it comes to the unknown. All we have is opinions, perceptions, points of view, and I am not about to adopt anyone else's.
So to me is not about dishing the Bible and its god. It is about losing the urgent need to know for sure about things that are UNKNOWABLE.
In view of this - Jesus is really the grand son of God!
And to those of you who think Jesus IS God - to whom was he talking (from the cross) when he said "forgive them father, for they know not what they do." Joseph?
Though I havn't seen where Yahweh was exclusively referred to as THE god of war, one need only read the Old Testament to conclude that he is A god of war.
The Hebrews had many gods until they went to Egypt and were led out by Moses – an Egyptian. It seems quite logical that Moses was determined to keep the religion of Pharaoh Akhenaton (the father of monotheism) alive. “Our” religion is a plagiarism of the Egyptian religion and any other that had anything unique to steal. If you want to know about Noah – read the more ancient Sumerian tablets, or the Indian tale of Manu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_%28Hinduism%29).
Egypt has the model for “Cain and Abel” and “the Blessed Mother” – excuse I can’t bring myself to refer to her as virgin. Virgins and mothers are exclusive of one another.
There’s nothing new (or purely factual) in any holy book anywhere.
Why do I post such stuff? Not to kill your faith - but to help you replace your faith with belief. Belief in something YOU select for yourself. If Christianity - as it exists today - were flesh and blood, it would be extinct for lack of ability to adapt to reality.
Touche, Lorena! If I had to lie down at the feet of either a despotic war god - or a loving goddess of peace and harmony...........do I actually have to say it?
They are all merely symbols for that which we don't know - pick a fun one.
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