Some Disturbing [Preconciliar] Catholic Art:

Figure 1: Some disturbing Preconciliar Roman Catholic art that I discovered on Pinterest. ‘Passiōnis Īnstrūmenta’, ‘The Instruments of the Passion’.

Bad News About Christianity has some excellent posts about Christianity’s obsession with death. We have ‘[Christianity and] Necrophilia’, for example. Bad News About Christianity’s post: ‘[Christianity and] Sadomasochism’ is also pertinent to our discussion.

In the above image, we have the Instruments of the Passion portrayed. We have the cockerel that crowed when Peter denied him. We have the basin of water wherewith Pontius Pilate washed his hands of the death of Jesus. We have the seamless garment for which the soldiers involved in the Crucifixion threw dice. We have the torches that the soldiers used when arresting Christ in the Garden of Olives. The portrait of Christ is itself an instrument of the passion; it is Veronica’s veil containing the miraculous imprint of the Holy Face of Jesus.

The Latin captions that go along with this image are interesting:

‘Respice mē! Mē conde animō! Mē pectore servā!’

‘Arma vidēs: hīs mortem peccāta daemōna vīcī.’

‘Haec animō memorī sacra trophaea tenē!’

I would idiomatically translate the above Latin captions into Biblical English as:

‘Look thou at me! Bury thou me in thine heart! Serve thou me with thy soul!’

‘Thou seest the weapons: with these I conquered sin [and] the Devil.’

‘Keep thou these sacred trophies[, mementos of the defeats suffered by death and the Devil by means of my Passion,] in mind!’

I would idiomatically translate the above Latin captions into Modern English as:

‘Look at me! Bury me in your heart! Serve me with your soul!’

‘You see the weapons: with these I conquered sin [and] the Devil.’

‘Keep these sacred trophies[, mementos of the defeats suffered by death and the Devil by means of my Passion,] in mind!’

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Ciarán Aodh Mac Ardghail (Ciarán Mc Ardle) is a digital creator from Ireland. Here is his linktree. Here is his YouTube Channel. Here is his LinkedIn. Here is his Instagram.

Horrendous Suffering Cannot Be Ignored in Guessing about God

Religious delusions no longer serve the needs of humanity

In my article here last week, I described three brick walls that Christian theology collides with, and which, in fact, demonstrate that it faces insurmountable problems: 1. Horrendous suffering, 2. Catastrophic superstition, and 3. The vicious god depicted in the Bible. Devout believers fail to detect the superstitions because these bizarre beliefs were imbedded in their brains at a very early age. When I was a kid, attending a Methodist church in rural Indiana, every quarter we had communion Sunday: we pretended to eat the body of Jesus (little chunks of Wonderbread) and drink his blood (thimble-sized cups of grape juice). Nobody was there to tell me, “That’s pretty gross, you know.” On the other side of town, Catholics did this every Sunday and truly believed that, by the miracle of the mass, they were eating and drinking the real Jesus. This is what I mean by catastrophic superstition. In no way does this improve our understanding of reality.

1. Horrendous Suffering 2. Catastrophic Superstitions 3. A Vicious God

Christian theology is shattered by these three factors

For centuries, the devout—determined to preserve and protect their faith—have ignored reality. They have turned off curiosity and critical thinking. That just doesn’t work anymore. 

 

There are major brick walls that Christian theology smacks into—and these should put a stop to belief in the god it claims to adore, follow, and worship. Let’s consider three of these brick walls.

The 2nd edition of "God and Horrendous Suffering" is now available as PAPERBACK book!!!

That's right, finally! The 2nd edition of "God and Horrendous Suffering" is now available as a PAPERBACK book!!! Be one the very first readers to get it. JUST CLICK HERE. If you want a Kindle ebook instead, CLICK HERE. If you want to see the Preface, Blurbs, Contents, Introduction, and read about the contributors, CLICK HERE. I'm very excited. Please spread the word! I thank everyone that helped make this happen, especially the expert contributors to this anthology!!

Honest Sermons about the Gospel of Mark: Chapter 14

There is more bragging here about the holy hero’s colossal ego  

At 72 verses, Mark 14 is the longest chapter in this gospel. It also gives an account of many conversations, and this should prompt curiosity. How did the author of Mark’s gospel find out about these conversations? Any curious reader today would ask, “Was someone on hand to take notes—and were these notes preserved in an archive that the author of Mark, decades later—would have access to? There is major consensus in Christian academia that this gospel was composed after the disastrous war fought between the Jews and the Romans, during which, in 70 C.E. the Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed (as depicted in Mark 13). Would archives have survived, would detailed documentation have survived? Scholars have no idea, moreover, where this gospel was written, or by whom.

Announcing the 2nd Edition of "God and Horrendous Suffering"!!

The 2nd edition of "God and Horrendous Suffering" is now available as a Kindle book!!! CLICK Here!!

If you want to see the Preface, Blurbs, Contents, Introduction, and learn about the contributors, CLICK HERE !!

I'm very excited. Please spread the word! I thank everyone that helped make this happen, especially the expert contributors to this anthology!!

Richard Carrier On Why There Is No Free-Will

Edouard Tahmizian had an interesting discussion with Richard Carrier about the metaphysical impossibility of libertarian free will. Our actions are aimed at fulfilling our desires; but where did our desires come from? Did we choose our desires, or simply discover that we had them? I offer two considerations below.

A Few Suggestions: New Year Resolutions for Christians

Let curiosity and a desire for knowledge seize the day

Many years ago, when I was the pastor of two Methodist churches in Massachusetts, the clergy in town—across several denominations—were fond of occasionally having “ecumenical” services. That is, all of the clergy would take part, I guess to make the point that we all worshipped Jesus Christ. But as we gathered to take part in these events, one thing we didn’t do was discuss theology, because we knew we didn’t agree. On one such occasion, when we were “backstage” at a Catholic church, I noticed a tiny sink. The priest explained that it drained, not into the city sewer, but it had a small pipe that went through the wall, and emptied into the grass outside. This was the sink into which left-over wine from the mass was poured. Since it had been converted—through the miracle of the mass—into the real blood of Jesus, it would be a sacrilege to have it flow into the sewer. I could hardly imagine a better example of magical thinking, on a par with the fairy-god-mother in Cinderella turning a pumpkin into a coach. It would have been pointless to argue about such theological nonsense.

Announcing the First Draft of the Cover To My Last Book:

As I said it's just the first draft. I love the concept. You can read the Preface, Blurbs, Contents and Introduction to "God and Horrendous Suffering" 2nd Edition RIGHT HERE.

Christians: Please Read the Gospels, Think, Ponder—Non-Stop

Which is precisely what the clergy don’t want you to do

It is especially important to study the origins of the Christian faith, and—above all—the origins of Jesus. It doesn’t take all that much effort to discover that the four gospel authors didn’t agree about where Jesus came from. At the opening of the first gospel to be written, Mark, Jesus of Nazareth of Galilee shows up to be baptized by John the Baptist, a ritual that John has announced is for “the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus is soon identified—by a voice booming from the sky—as god’s beloved son, with whom he is well pleased. The author of John, the final gospel, who specialized in theology inflation, tells his readers right up front, that Jesus was present at creation:

 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.”

The Christian Faith Makes No Sense At All

My latest article at the Secular Web. You're welcome. Please share! The Christian Faith Makes No Sense At All.

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay No. 7

Big problems with the apostle Paul: please stop calling him a saint

Just how did the apostle Paul become convinced that Jesus was the key to salvation? He assured one of his congregations that he heard this news directly from Jesus himself, in a heavenly vision: 

 

“For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin, for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12)

Honest Sermons on the Gospel of Mark: Chapter 13

How can devout Christians take this ancient superstition

seriously?

If Mark 13 were printed alone as a pamphlet—with the names changed—and handed out by goofy cult fanatics on street corners, churchgoers would be horrified by the cruelty, the promised violence and suffering we find in this chapter. Yet, there it is in the Christian Bible, in the first gospel to be written. 

 

In fact, chapter 13 gives us a major clue as to when this gospel was composed. The chapter opens with Jesus leaving the Jerusalem temple with his disciples. They are impressed with the temple complex, but Jesus makes a prediction: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another: all will be thrown down.” (v. 2)

The Case for Jesus as a Real Historical Person Continues to Erode

“But I feel Jesus in my heart” is evidence for what you’re feeling

In my most recent articles here I explained why we no longer need to pay much attention to the Sermon on the Mount and the Ten Commandments. Most devout churchgoers seem unaware of the many problems presented by these Bible texts. But there’s an even more gigantic problem that is outside the horizon of awareness of those who persist in their devotion to Jesus. There has been turmoil in Jesus-studies for quite some time now, because historians are having a tough time locating reliable, verifiable, objective evidence that Jesus really did exist. The laity would not be able to grasp the problem, because—well, because… “Aren’t the gospels all the proof we need?” 

 

There is little awareness of the major problems presented by the gospels. How thoroughly do devout folks actually study the gospels? The clergy, from their pulpits, share Jesus-script that gives a boost to his reputation, but are careful not to mention the chilling, horrible Jesus-script that is also in the gospels. Real study of the gospels means reading them each carefully, pondering the many troubling aspects of them, comparing these four different versions of Jesus. The next level of study would be reading books written by scholars about the gospels—both devout and secular scholars. Here the laity would be entering that world of turmoil in Jesus-studies I mentioned above.

Should We Really Pay Attention to the Latest Research?

Well it depends. When evangelical apologists/theologians claim liberals, agnostics, and atheists should pay attention to their latest research, they really mean we should pay attention to their latest obfuscations, special pleadings, and theological gerrymandering.

Why We Shouldn’t Pay Much Attention to the Ten Commandments

Among other reasons, it’s a very defective list

Not too long ago I saw a funny comment on social media, in the wake of recent pressures to have the Ten Commandments displayed in school classrooms: “The adultery rate among teenage boys and girls has fallen dramatically since these holy commandments have been put back in schools.” Never mind, I suppose, that the violation of church/state separation has increased. But the devout champions of this ancient law code seem not to notice that it is crippled with defects. It is so hard to take it seriously.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm happy to share this interview of me on YouTube. Happy Thanksgiving! LINK.

The Problem of Evil Will Pulverize Theism into Oblivion Thanks To James Sterba, Paul Draper, and My New Book On Horrendous Suffering!

This latest book by Paul Draper should be very good! This should lead to a triple thumping to take place against Christian theism! It's coming from books by Sterba, Draper, and Loftus! The 2nd edition of mine comes out in about two weeks!

Why We Shouldn’t Pay Much Attention to the Sermon on the Mount

Do the devout read it much anyway—and take it seriously? 

When we hear the words, Sermon on the Mount, we might be tempted to think it’s the pinnacle of moral teaching. Well, that’s been the church hype for centuries, but this doesn’t quite match reality. And does anybody ask the daring question: “Are these really the words of Jesus?” Since the gospel of Mark, by widespread scholarly consensus, was the first written, it’s a major puzzle indeed that the author was unaware of these supposed words of Jesus. The major thrust of Mark’s gospel is the expected arrival—very soon! —of the kingdom of god on earth. At Jesus’ trial, described in Mark 14, he promises those attending that they would see him coming on the clouds of heaven (v. 62). The author was dead wrong about this, which was his obsession—hence his gospel is lacking in moral teachings.

Honest Sermons about the Gospel of Mark: Chapter 12

An argumentative holy hero promotes the Jesus-cult 

Many religions insist that their spiritual truths derive from divine inspiration. Christianity especially. The Bible is revered, indeed worshipped, because of its supposed origin. In many churches, a splendid copy of the Bible is on the altar, to remind the devout that cherishing, venerating it is the right thing to do.

 

Hence it is difficult for the laity to grasp that, for the gospels especially, none of the words and deeds of Jesus can be verified. The gospel authors didn’t identify their sources, never reveal from whence their supposed information about Jesus came. Since they were written decades after the death of Jesus—Mark being the first, some forty years later—careful, critical readers should be suspicious, indeed skeptical. Whoever reads the gospel of Mark several times can see that the author based the story on theology-inflamed imagination: he was not a historian. The lack of cited sources is a dead giveaway. The author of this gospel was focused on defending and promoting the Jesus-cult.