\nIn Reason,
\nYour Friendly Neighborhood Atheist
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<\/a>Today, I am continuing this series with an e-mail using the carpet bombing strategy on the Christians for a change. My bet is that most Christians won\u2019t even attempt to address these issues and will simply reply with a \u201cJesus loves you\u201d or a \u201cI\u2019m praying for you\u201d type of response.<\/p>\n
Dear Christian,
\nI am an atheist because Christians have not made the case for their deity of choice. Arguments like the First Cause, the Argument by Design, etc. are poor arguments and don\u2019t even attempt to prove your deity, just a deity. Your deity (as described in the Bible) is quite simply ridiculous to me.<\/p>\n
For starters, that deity has evolved from the Canaanite pantheon of deities by taking successful characteristics from other deities in that region of the world. Even the Bible has changed over time to reflect the ever changing political landscape. If you don\u2019t believe this, then tell me where in the Bible does it say that slavery is immoral. The fact is that during the civil war, the southern pro-slave Christians had the Biblical high ground and yet today every Christian insists that the Bible stands firm against slavery.<\/p>\n
The Bible also is far from inerrant. Even some of the so called historical narratives in the Bible were in fact not historical. The Jews were never slaves in Egypt and there was never an Exodus. The Tower of Babel was never built much less destroyed. But that story does talk about how Heaven in up in the sky. Interesting, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n
The so called prophecies in the Old Testament are nothing of the sort. They are a mix of verses taken out of context with the intent to call people to immediate action. Rabbi Michael Skobac debunks these so called prophecies in a series of videos on youtube. Oh, and the Miracles? Please, Sri Sathya Sai Baba performs many of the same miracles on youtube for all to see. Besides, doesn\u2019t the Bible also say that Satan can do miracles too?<\/p>\n
You may have had some sort of emotional personal experience which you feel is particularly compelling, but such experiences are usually don\u2019t prove your particular deity and tend to be vague. You probably haven\u2019t really tried to explain your experience through natural means, but rather have probably jumped to the religious conclusion.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, your religious beliefs will rest on faith alone. The thing about faith is that it can justify any religious belief or any belief at all. The Muslim, the Hindu, and even the Scientologist all have the same faith-based arguments. All these religions are asking people to believe on insufficient evidence some pretty extraordinary claims. Faith is really the only thing one can use to get someone to believe in the ridiculous.<\/p>\n
Oh, and don\u2019t you think that the God of the Bible is a pretty immoral being? He defines morality as his whim in a pretty relativistic way. If God decided that rape was now moral, I don\u2019t think it would be the case. He is always smiting people for some pretty petty things like working on Saturdays, being gay, and eating shell fish. And Jesus goes around telling people to hate their families and to cut off their hands and pluck out their eyes or they\u2019ll go to Hell to be tortured for all eternity. I think he just needs to get laid. What do you think?
\nIn Reason,
\nYour Friendly Neighborhood Atheist
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\n<\/a>