Reminder: The Evils of Christianity
It seems that every few months I have to remind people of the evils of Christianity. I guess I could always just recount the long and bloody history of torture, wars, and miscellaneous cruelty, which has taken place specifically because Christians believed that was what the God of the Bible wanted them to do. I could talk about the Inquisition, the Crusades, the convert or die mentality which only in the last few hundred years have Christians abandoned in large part due to the brave contributions made by people of reason.
But most Christians would be quick to point out that none of those atrocities are current. And for the most part that is true. Although it could be argued that our current “War on Terror” is religiously motivated on all sides and that torture is still going on today by the US Government. However, in many cases that torture has become less of a physical torture and more mental torture, but both are still being used. Let’s for the sake of argument, give Christianity a pass on all those things (which is quite a considerable pass, I must say). How is Christianity evil today? Well, I could talk about the Religious Right and how they are actively pushing to take away women’s right to choose what happens to their own body, the prop 8 situation and similar legal attacks on gays around the nation, or how the Religious Right are trying to restrict scientific and medical research dealing with stem cells, evolution, and global climate change, or I could talk about how they are trying to restrict condoms and sexual education in AIDS infested Africa. But that is just the actions and attitudes of 54% of Christians and not necessarily Christianity as a system (despite the fact that these positions have been taken specifically due to what is written in the Christian Bible).
But where is the evils caused by Christianity as a system of belief? Surely the system which preys on the weak and uses indoctrination, ignorance, fear, grief, guilt, and a number of other emotions to convert more followers and swindle their money couldn’t possibly be dishonest or evil in any way, shape, or form, right? Any read of the Old Testament would not be complete without the mention of the jealous, wrathful, war-mongering deity calling for blood. In some cases like in Numbers, Yahweh even gives his reason (worshipping another deity) for the mass murder and rape he orders. But at least the Old Testament God ended his divine tyranny of people with death.
Enter the God of the New Testament who not only brings about eternal damnation in a lake of fire and brimstone for all disbelievers and sinners (talk about intolerance), but also steps up his blood lust for sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the way to be forgiven for sin was to murder an INNOCENT lamb as a blood sacrifice. Let me repeat that because it bears repeating: the way to be forgiven for sin was to murder an INNOCENT lamb as a blood sacrifice. Now, in the New Testament, God wants more blood! Now God wants the blood of a human or in the case of the character of Jesus, God himself in human form. Humans are apparently so evil, that sacrificing innocent lambs just won’t cut it any more. Jesus represents the ultimate innocent lamb to be sacrificed for all humanities evils.
I think I have a bit of a problem with that. First, sure human beings aren’t perfect and sure we make mistakes, but I don’t think of humanity is evil nor do I think that people as individuals are evil. In fact, most people try to do the right thing given the right choices. Most people see themselves as the hero in their own story but get sidetracked by other factors. And I don’t appreciate a religion, which calls every one evil and then has the audacity to call anyone who disagrees, mean and intolerant. Second, how does murdering an INNOCENT lamb as a sacrifice absolve someone from the responsibilities of the wrongs that they have done? And if it doesn’t, and two wrongs don’t make a right, than what the fuck was the point of Jesus? I will also point out that according to the Bible, Jesus didn’t even die. According to the Bible he came back to life and he knew that he would. So where was the sacrifice? There is no heaven for lambs, so when they were slaughtered for sin, they were actually dead. But the Bible says that Jesus lives forever in paradise. So what kind of sacrifice was that?
But getting back to the point, any religion that sets up a problem and then claims to offer the only solution is quite frankly extortion. Not only does Christianity extort money, but it extorts lives and livelihoods. Like a virus, Christianity preaches that all must be converted and that the “good news” as they say must be shouted from the rooftops.
And I haven’t even covered the evils which Christianity perpetrates on parenting and on young people nor did I talk about all the really horrible morals, laws, rules, and directives from the God of the Old and New Testaments or how Jesus came to bring violence (by his own admission) or how he wanted you to hate your family or how he supported tribalism. Nor did I talk about the horrible guilt and End of the World hysteria that the Bible propagates. But all that is another blog all together. The fact is that as long as this blog is, it barely scratches the surface of the evils of the Christians system. And I didn’t even really talk about how faith dumbs down society and is an attack on critical thinking and curiosity either.
Filed under: Evils of Christianity, Religion
