Here is an email I received in response to one of my essays.
Alby wrote earlier on 2008-03-07
The reason for the delay with my response… I didn’t really expect a response… Since I have read it, I have thought long and hard about a lot of things… You made me stop and think why I even asked you your opinion… I usually don’t get caught up in things like this… and I have thought about what I wanted to say to you…
When I first read your essay, I was furious… I wanted to lash out… I understand why you get so much hate… Not that its right… but I understand…
I have written thousands of essays. I will hazard a guess the one that has you upset is the one titled Combatting Kristianity.
Now, that I’ve gotten over being angry and have read your answers to my questions… I would like to say that you are right… Not about God… but about a lot of his followers… A lot of people who claim to be Christians don’t act like little C hrists at all… A lot of Christians are uneducated… Not the worlds view of educated… but they do not know their Bible like they should…
Apart from the falsity of Christian claims, a university study discovered that joining a Christian church improves the behaviour of 1/3 of people but makes 2/3 behave worse. A drug with that efficacy would never get FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approval. Christians often tell me that if people did not believe their religion, the world would go to hell, where actually the reverse is true. Kristians have always used that argument to justify lying to support the religion.
What harm would it do, if a man told a good strong lie for the sake of the good and for the Christian church… a lie out of necessity, a useful lie, a helpful lie, such lies would not be against God, he would accept them.
~ Martin Luther (1483-11-10 1546-02-18 age:62)
I for one do not read and spend the time necessary to properly make a defense for the Bible…; If I spent as much time researching and defending what I believe as much as you… I would be a whole lot better person… So I’m not going to try to dazzle you with Biblical verses that will unharden you heart and beat you over the head with my Holy Bible… But I will make a plea… Without any prejudice, malice, preconceived belief, or content… Open a bible… read with your own eyes… your own heart…
I have read it; you haven’t; so you have some cheek to lecture me on what is in it. Please! read it yourself, cover to cover. You will see what I mean. If you have not that much time, at least read the sections highlighted by the bible study guide.
Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.
~ Isaac Asimov (1920-01-02 1992-03-06 age:72) Russian-born American scientist and prolific writer
My high school teacher said, that completely apart from any religious significance, you have to read and know the bible simply to understand the many references in English literature. I decided to read it cover to cover and was amazed at what crap it was. There are some sublime bits, which we are all familiar with, but most of it is mindless noodling and padding. It so inept it could not possibly have been authored by the designer of the universe. The quality is nowhere near up to snuff.
I hope I don’t come across self righteous… but I am worried… I am truly worried about you Roedy… If we die tomorrow and you are right… The only thing I have lost is the time I’ve spent trying to live for God… But, if I’m right… You will spend an eternity suffering… for what cause? I hope you are right…
Had you been born at a different spot on the globe, there is almost no chance you would be a Christian today. You might be a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew and even atheist had you been born in China. Even your choice of which Christian denomination you chose is strongly limited by an accident of geography.
Man is certainly stark mad. He can’t make a flea, but makes gods by the dozen.
~ Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533 1592 age:59)
Mankind has created over 60,000 gods. Had you been born prior to about 25 AD, Christianity would not even have been an option, even had you lived in Bethlehem. I find utterly absurd the notion that God punishes people for being born at the wrong place and time to be indoctrinated into Christianity during childhood.
Even the bible says that belief won’t get you a ticket to heaven. You have to do the right thing. You can do that with or without a belief in the supernatural. Baptism, being born again, calling out Jesus name, professing faith etc. will do you no good.
Not eveyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
~ Ezekiel 16:49
Using those criteria, I think I am in safer from hypothetical hellfire than any Christian I have met. What Christian since St. Francis sold all their belongings including a fully paid for 4-bedroom house to help the people starving to death in Africa? What Christian since Dr. Martin Luther King braved thousands of death threats to defend the weak and persecuted?
If judgement is true, most Americans will be in a million times deeper doodoo than me, vainly explaining to St. Peter why they approved and paid for torture, rape and murder of Afghan and Iraqi children who were no threat to them. They will also have a heck of a time explaining why they were the stingiest country on the planet while simultaneously the richest.
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