the author Christopher Hitchens is often challenged to defend the subtitle "How Religion Poisons Everything" to his excellent bestseller "God Is Not Great". One questioner, during the Q&A following a speech by Hitchens, clearly enjoying his moment in the spotlight pushed the point to the extreme, "Religion poison's everything? Everything? Even chess?"
Now there is nothing particularly surprising about this extrusion of a serious point to the ridiculous as (notwithstanding the King and Queen advancing to battle flanked by a pair of bishops) but this got me thinking.
One of the most insidious poisonings of religion is mans' attitude towards our fellow inhabitants of planet earth. We as a species ride roughshod over other life. Habitats are destroyed, forests are clearcut and animals are 'produced' in factory farms like a commodity for profit. Some disgusting nations think it is OK to catch sharks, cut off their fins and throw them back to bleed to death, and for what? Bogus, superstition. Some think it OK to fish indiscriminately and keep only a small percentage of the catch for food, the unprofitable majority of the catch thrown back, dead. Some continue the despicable practice of whaling, killing these magnificent, intelligent and social mammals to make cosmetics and other essentials. Chickens are raised in the most shameful conditions, pigs are raised in massive metal sheds, a half million at a time and killed after a few months of miserable life without ever seeing the sun.
Whatever gave us the idea that it is OK to do these things?
Until we realize that we are just a part of the ecology of our planet and start to respect all life (including one another) we cannot begin to call ourselves civilized. We are not made in the image of a god, indeed it is the gods that we made in our image.
The poisoning begins almost on page one.
Genisis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
Psalm 8:6-8
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
2 Samuel 8:4
4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Yes, imagine!
This advert for a Catholic school was photographed in Trail, British Columbia. Someone should point out to them that faith can't move a matchstick let alone a mountain.
I weep for the future generation.
I weep for the future generation.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Why does it matter anyway?
The choice of whether or not to believe in a God as the creator of the universe and everything in it, as a protector who we can talk to and who answers our prayers, as a designer who planned our birth and death and everything that ever happens on the planet is surely the single most important decision that anyone can ever make.
The decision whether or not to believe in a God defines you as a human being. Totally. It is shameful that so many people never confront the thorny issue of their mortality, preferring to take solace in the promise of everlasting life. Even more shameful are those who deep down know that this is a ridiculous notion but who cower behind self proclaimed agnosticism unable or unwilling to come to terms with the greatest question ever to face mankind.
It influences your outlook on the value of our short lives on the earth by placing them (or not) in the context of an eternity in paradise. It governs your understanding of the world and how it works. We have all seen the lives wasted directly as a result of such belief in the everlasting. However it doesn't take a terrorist to cause lives to be wasted by such beliefs. Consider for a moment that God does not exist at all. Doesn't that make the billions of dollars spent building churches, mosques, pyramids, temples seem like a waste? Doesn't it make the billions of hours spent by people kneeling in prayer seem like a waste? What about the millions who have died in wars? Another waste? A crime?
To not even consider such a possibility is inexcusable.
Religion thrives on unthinking, uncritical, ignorance. This terrible condition is held up as a virtue by the churches and given a name: Faith.
By embracing all that is faith is to surely waste our very humanity. It is to render ourselves bovine-like, trundling along with heads bowed to the tune of the herder. The willingness to sacrifice so much of this short life to ensure our place in the afterlife is surely a waste perhaps more tragic than even premature death for it is the willing entry into a state of living-death.
There is of course the antithesis to faith and that is evidence. It is by examining evidence, critically and rigorously that the scientific method is developed. It is the key to understanding the nature of our lives and the physical world in which we live.
It is hoped that by reading this blog and visiting the sites linked to below can help raise self esteem through the courageous process of coming to terms with this important issue and being able to proudly discover who we are and our role in the cycle of life.
The decision whether or not to believe in a God defines you as a human being. Totally. It is shameful that so many people never confront the thorny issue of their mortality, preferring to take solace in the promise of everlasting life. Even more shameful are those who deep down know that this is a ridiculous notion but who cower behind self proclaimed agnosticism unable or unwilling to come to terms with the greatest question ever to face mankind.
It influences your outlook on the value of our short lives on the earth by placing them (or not) in the context of an eternity in paradise. It governs your understanding of the world and how it works. We have all seen the lives wasted directly as a result of such belief in the everlasting. However it doesn't take a terrorist to cause lives to be wasted by such beliefs. Consider for a moment that God does not exist at all. Doesn't that make the billions of dollars spent building churches, mosques, pyramids, temples seem like a waste? Doesn't it make the billions of hours spent by people kneeling in prayer seem like a waste? What about the millions who have died in wars? Another waste? A crime?
To not even consider such a possibility is inexcusable.
Religion thrives on unthinking, uncritical, ignorance. This terrible condition is held up as a virtue by the churches and given a name: Faith.
By embracing all that is faith is to surely waste our very humanity. It is to render ourselves bovine-like, trundling along with heads bowed to the tune of the herder. The willingness to sacrifice so much of this short life to ensure our place in the afterlife is surely a waste perhaps more tragic than even premature death for it is the willing entry into a state of living-death.
There is of course the antithesis to faith and that is evidence. It is by examining evidence, critically and rigorously that the scientific method is developed. It is the key to understanding the nature of our lives and the physical world in which we live.
It is hoped that by reading this blog and visiting the sites linked to below can help raise self esteem through the courageous process of coming to terms with this important issue and being able to proudly discover who we are and our role in the cycle of life.
Is The Bible really the word of God?
This is a crucial question. Really it should be simple. Around 1500 to 2000 years ago a book came into existence. Believers hold that it is the true word of God to be followed to the letter, skeptics believe it is the work of primitive, nasty, misogynist men cleverly designed to entrap the gullible into slavery and submission. A third grouping of individuals hold that it is the word of God interspersed with man-made additions (the nasty bits). This stance is convenient as it allows for picking and choosing between what is and what isn't the word of God on an ad-hoc basis. This is the basis for the term 'Religious Apologist'.
I use the term 'grouping of individuals' to describe the apologists because there is absolutely no agreement among them. What you will never see from any Christian religious authority is a clear publication identifying what is and what isn't the word of God. When the Pope or any other Priest, Pastor, Bishop, Curate or Vicar holds the Bible in his hand and prays he holds the entire Bible. I think it is safe to assume that he hasn't gone through it striking out the parts he doesn't believe are the word of God. In order to deal with all the advocacy of murder, rape, oppression of women and slavery found all over the bible a new term has been invented by the apologists: 'Bible literalist'. By creating a segregation of people who believe the Bible to be the word of God to the letter they cleverly create a new mainstream position out of thin air that assumes that everyone knows which bits are and which bits aren't the word of God.
This is plainly just trying to create rationalizations and excuses to get around the problem of a book that appears to have been written by those primative mysoginist men.
So we are left with only two real possibilities:
1) The Bible, as promoted by all the worlds religions that are based on it is the true word of God, perfect and absolute. To be sure it was written by primitive men but only as a conduit for the words of God.
or
2) The Bible was written by primitive men without any divine input.
I think that most people would agree that if the Bible is the word of God, the creator of the universe and everything in it then we should make sure that it is followed to the letter, right now, without delay. If on the other hand the Bible was written by primitive men in order to further their own selfish agendas then it should be discarded out of hand as possibly the first documented case of human fraud and deception.
Of course some might argue that even if the Bible was just written by man without any divine input we should still hold it up as a model of morality because of all the goodness it contains. If anyone would put that case then they have either not read the Bible or if they have they haven't understood it.
If however we start with the premise that the Bible is the word of God then we can, by reading the Bible gain some insight into the nature of that God. That insight may well be quite shocking to many due to the abundance of repulsive content, advocacy of murder, human sacrifice, rape, slavery, animal brutality and more.
In Psalm 19:7 the Bible says:
The law of the Lord is perfect.
So where do you stand at this point in the discussion? Any suggestions for what the BS might stand for?
I use the term 'grouping of individuals' to describe the apologists because there is absolutely no agreement among them. What you will never see from any Christian religious authority is a clear publication identifying what is and what isn't the word of God. When the Pope or any other Priest, Pastor, Bishop, Curate or Vicar holds the Bible in his hand and prays he holds the entire Bible. I think it is safe to assume that he hasn't gone through it striking out the parts he doesn't believe are the word of God. In order to deal with all the advocacy of murder, rape, oppression of women and slavery found all over the bible a new term has been invented by the apologists: 'Bible literalist'. By creating a segregation of people who believe the Bible to be the word of God to the letter they cleverly create a new mainstream position out of thin air that assumes that everyone knows which bits are and which bits aren't the word of God.
This is plainly just trying to create rationalizations and excuses to get around the problem of a book that appears to have been written by those primative mysoginist men.
So we are left with only two real possibilities:
1) The Bible, as promoted by all the worlds religions that are based on it is the true word of God, perfect and absolute. To be sure it was written by primitive men but only as a conduit for the words of God.
or
2) The Bible was written by primitive men without any divine input.
I think that most people would agree that if the Bible is the word of God, the creator of the universe and everything in it then we should make sure that it is followed to the letter, right now, without delay. If on the other hand the Bible was written by primitive men in order to further their own selfish agendas then it should be discarded out of hand as possibly the first documented case of human fraud and deception.
Of course some might argue that even if the Bible was just written by man without any divine input we should still hold it up as a model of morality because of all the goodness it contains. If anyone would put that case then they have either not read the Bible or if they have they haven't understood it.
If however we start with the premise that the Bible is the word of God then we can, by reading the Bible gain some insight into the nature of that God. That insight may well be quite shocking to many due to the abundance of repulsive content, advocacy of murder, human sacrifice, rape, slavery, animal brutality and more.
In Psalm 19:7 the Bible says:
The law of the Lord is perfect.
So where do you stand at this point in the discussion? Any suggestions for what the BS might stand for?
Welcome to Bible BS!
This is the first ever blog where you Dear Reader get to decide what the title is!
Before I go any further let me explain what I mean. It's really quite simple, in the title, Bible BS, the "BS" stands for whatever you want it to. My sole aim is to promote some reading and understanding of what the bible actually says. Perhaps for you it will stand for Brilliant Scripture, maybe Breathtaking Sham, possibly it will stand for something else entirely I don't know. That is completely up to you. I have no interest in showing people what to think, I only wish to encourage them to think.
Please visit back and feel free to leave comments. Also check the links to other sites. I shall try to add as many amusing photos and videos as I can to spice up what is really a pretty serious issue.
Anyway, on to the crux of the matter, the great book itself....
The Bible is, like it or loath it, given a place of great importance in the USA and to a lesser extent Canada along with most European countries, and many more from Africa and Australasia. It is used in courts of law, and government. It is cited in constitutions and on bank notes. It is taught to children as being an absolute good. It is the foundation for a religion which consumes billions of dollars and billions of man hours of worship and activity every year. The Bible is frequently used as a basis for charities and goodworks around the world. It has also over the ages been the cause of division, persecution, fraud, crusades, inquisitions, wars, terrorism the list is endless. This book is responsible for much of the way the world is, the way many people think and behave. Yet amazingly most people who have absolute faith that this is the true word of God have never actually read the Bible.
I hope that this blog can help to change that situation. So with your help we shall begin a our examination of the Bible a small piece at a time and hopefully we will be able to replace the letters BS in the title with something more a little more descriptive.
Let the journey begin! Don't forget to add your own suggestions for the BS in the title!
Before I go any further let me explain what I mean. It's really quite simple, in the title, Bible BS, the "BS" stands for whatever you want it to. My sole aim is to promote some reading and understanding of what the bible actually says. Perhaps for you it will stand for Brilliant Scripture, maybe Breathtaking Sham, possibly it will stand for something else entirely I don't know. That is completely up to you. I have no interest in showing people what to think, I only wish to encourage them to think.
Please visit back and feel free to leave comments. Also check the links to other sites. I shall try to add as many amusing photos and videos as I can to spice up what is really a pretty serious issue.
Anyway, on to the crux of the matter, the great book itself....
The Bible is, like it or loath it, given a place of great importance in the USA and to a lesser extent Canada along with most European countries, and many more from Africa and Australasia. It is used in courts of law, and government. It is cited in constitutions and on bank notes. It is taught to children as being an absolute good. It is the foundation for a religion which consumes billions of dollars and billions of man hours of worship and activity every year. The Bible is frequently used as a basis for charities and goodworks around the world. It has also over the ages been the cause of division, persecution, fraud, crusades, inquisitions, wars, terrorism the list is endless. This book is responsible for much of the way the world is, the way many people think and behave. Yet amazingly most people who have absolute faith that this is the true word of God have never actually read the Bible.
I hope that this blog can help to change that situation. So with your help we shall begin a our examination of the Bible a small piece at a time and hopefully we will be able to replace the letters BS in the title with something more a little more descriptive.
Let the journey begin! Don't forget to add your own suggestions for the BS in the title!
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