The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay Number 9

The gospels don’t show a holy hero who was a superior moral

teacher

Mark Twain is commonly credited with saying that the best cure for Christianity is reading the Bible, but no matter who said it, the devout should be warned that their faith is jeopardized by a careful reading of their scripture. Cherry-picking of feel-good texts by the clergy is done on purpose, to divert attention from Jesus-script that is mediocre and alarming. In my article posted here on 30 January 2026, I discussed ten such supposed “quotes”—today let’s look at ten more.

My Debate Notes: "God Probably Doesn't Exist Given the Existence of Horrendous Suffering, by John W. Loftus

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I had mentioned this debate yesterday. Here is my planned opening statement: 

My focus is on heinous, hideous, horrific levels of horrendous suffering given the belief in a theistic God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfect good. Unless we focus on that kind of suffering, the kind that seems needless and absolutely inexplicable, we’ll fail to see this problem for what it is. Instead of focusing on bruises, sprained ankles, slaps on the cheek, a clump of hair being pulled out, or sicknesses like colds and the flu, let’s focus instead on people who have been burned alive, boiled alive, and buried alive.

God may well have good reasons to allow for a modest amount of pain since we have physical bodies and we will all die. So we can set aside that kind of suffering as largely uninteresting in this discussion. Horrendous suffering, by contrast, should be our focus. My perspective is a “minimal facts” approach to the problem of suffering. I’m arguing that God should not allow a specific kind of suffering, horrendous suffering. Failing to focus on it is a failure to honestly search for the truth, for when horrendous suffering is our focus, the standard theodicies don’t work.

My contention is that the theistic God probably doesn't exist given the existence of horrendous suffering. Just ask what we would expect to find if we woke up one morning for the very first time. Would we expect to find so much horrendous suffering on this planet? I submit that people would never guess there would be as much horrendous suffering as there is in our world if such a God existed. For it’s clear that God should never allow it. We wouldn’t expect the existence of God since he could prevent it, should prevent it, yet doesn’t prevent it.

The 1941 Babi Yar Massacre vs. God-Is-Good Theology

Horrendous suffering can never be ignored in guessing about god(s)

Please be aware that a primary role of the clergy is always to promote their own cherished version of the faith, despite the fact that there are thousands of competing denominations, brands, sects, divisions into which Christianity has shattered. Promoting their versions of faith commonly means discouraging curiosity. An elderly Catholic woman once told me that the priests warned children not to think about what they’d learned in catechism. Which is a way of claiming that the priests alone possess Christian truth—in other words, they are paid propagandists for their brand. 

It would be so refreshing if devout folks could grasp this reality.

Convincing Evidence for a Real Jesus Still Can’t Be Found

Close study of the Bible and other ancient texts isn’t helping

My very devout mother was born in southern Indiana in 1905. It was always a puzzle to me that she was not a fundamentalist. I recall vividly that she never watched Billy Graham on TV—she was put off by his dramatic waving of the Bible above his head. She never attended college, but she read voraciously. While my father and I watched TV, she would go to another room in the house to read—especially history, biography. I remember so many books in the house. I’m grateful that her influence had more impact on me than my father’s devotion to TV.

 

When I was a teenager, she bought the 12-volume Interpreter’s Bible, a product of Protestant theology. I read it too and thought there was nothing unusual about this purchase. She once asked a new pastor at our church about something she’d read in one of the volumes—and he was stunned: “You have the Interpreter’s Bible?” Her non-fundamentalist piety rubbed off on me, and she allowed me to take those 12 hefty volumes with me when I went away to college.

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay Number 8

There is far too much mediocre, alarming Jesus-script in the gospels

                                                                                                

On social media especially, there is a lot of criticism of Christianity. That is, people who claim to be Christians are accused of not following the teaching of Jesus—who is idealized, credited with a reputation that is not based on what we find in the gospels. Reading the gospels carefully, with critical thinking fully engaged, is not a common practice of the devout. If it were, there would be a lot of alarm and panic. 

 

Ironically, the alarm and panic can be reduced by a stark truth:  There is no way whatever to verify any of the sayings attributed to Jesus in the gospels, which is why the term Jesus-script should be used instead of Jesus quotes. As is all too obvious from comparing the four gospels, their authors had different agendas. Claiming that they were all divinely inspired is a phony diversion. The authors created Jesus-script out of their imaginations. And so much of it reflects their obsession with promoting the Jesus cult. There is a list of 292 bad, mediocre, alarming examples of Jesus-script at this website.

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.

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.

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)

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.

As Belief in God(s) Fades, Does Morality Diminish As Well?

John Loftus and Russell Blackford make the case for atheist morality

Many years ago I knew a devout Catholic woman who would tolerate no questioning of her faith, because—full stop—she was eager to see her mother again in heaven. I recently was told that she visits psychics to communicate with her mom. Of course, the hope of gaining eternal life has fueled many religions, Christianity especially. In the case of this woman, catechism had shaped her mind so thoroughly, so rigidly, that “thinking outside the Catholic box” was never an option for her later in life. I have no doubt whatever that she is a good person, but fanatically holding on to ancient superstitions is not a great benefit for humanity.

One of the Most Dangerous Cults in the World

The Catholic church thrives on make-believe and

authoritarianism 

Okay, I admit it: I was raised in a small town in rural Indiana, which had three Protestant Church—I belonged to the Methodist brand—and one Catholic Church. We got used to being taunted by the Catholic kids: we were going to hell because we weren’t members of their one true church. But mind you, it was a peaceful community; many true friendships developed despite the religious divides. Of course, on our Protestant side of the divide, we believed in our share of nonsense, but the older I got, the more I came to see that the Vatican is a champion at pushing nonsense.

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay No. 6

Bad theology in the Old Testament

Not too long ago I saw a video: a conservative woman being interviewed by a man who wanted to know her opinion about what should be taught in public schools. She was adamant that the Bible should be included in the curriculum, but that books that advocated immoral or radical ideas must be banned. The man mentioned that he knew of a book that described a sordid family story: a man had two daughters who got him drunk on two successive nights, took turns having sex with him—and got pregnant. The woman didn’t hesitate: of course that book should be banned. The fellow then pointed out that this story is in the Bible, Genesis 19:30-38, about Lot and his daughters. The woman was shocked…that the interviewer could tell such a lie.

A Major Gimmick of Religions: The Promise of Eternal Life

But how to get it? New Testament authors didn’t agree

I recall how stunned I was, many years ago, when a devout Catholic women told me about sitting with her dying mother—who had drifted off to sleep, but was still breathing. The daughter was talking loudly to her, giving her messages to deliver to deceased relatives in heaven. I found this troubling on three levels: (1) Many devout people are sure that deceased relatives are “looking down on them”—monitoring their behavior. If so, why would they need messages from a new arrival? (2) Wasn’t this a breach of protocol? How would the god-in-charge feel about sneaking messages into heaven this way? (3) How could this pious daughter know for sure that deceased relatives had indeed made it to heaven? Isn’t that an unverifiable assumption? Was she totally unaware of the conflicting opinions in the New Testament about how to gain eternal life?

Honest Sermons on the Gospel of Mark: Chapter 10

Another mix of flimsy theology and cult propaganda

There are several different topics in this chapter, but the author’s agenda of cult promotion is transparent.
 
Condemning divorce 
 
At the outset (verses 2-12), Mark’s holy hero Jesus makes pronouncements about divorce, positioning his decree as superior to that of Moses. Pay careful attention to two Jesus-scripts in this section:
 
1.     “…from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (vv. 6-9)
 
2.     “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (vv. 11-12)

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay No. 4

Matthew 7: A good start, then cult severity and bragging

It might be a good idea to compile a list of the Top Ten Bible Texts that Christians Ignore—and, no surprise, these can be found in the gospels, especially in the Jesus-script. The final section of the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7, includes a classic example of ignored text:
 
“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)

Oh the Irony: Religion Is Shooting Itself in the Foot

Disbelief and atheism are on the rise

 
A few years ago I had the misfortune of attending a First Communion service at a suburban Rhode Island Catholic Church. The place was packed, parents and relatives eager to see the children going through this important ritual of the faith. I was not at all surprised to see that the clergy had mastered show business—performing the meticulous ceremonies in their impressive costumes. And the interior of the church was of unexpected grandeur for its suburban setting. Yet I found myself wondering two things: 
 
(1)  What percentage of the hundreds of adults who showed up actually believed the idea that the priests were pushing? Namely, that through the miracle of the Mass, the kids were getting to eat Jesus for the first time. These adults live, work, and survive in the modern world. Do they really accept the superstitions/magical thinking that the Catholic hierarchy still pushes? 
 
(2)  Why was anybody bothering to attend? Why isn’t membership in the Catholic Church down to zero by now? Why do people still show up, in the wake of the world-wide scandal of priests raping children; the most recent figure I have seen is that the church has paid more than three billion dollars in damages.

Honest Sermons on the Gospel of Mark: Chapter 9

A sorry mix of superstition, cult bragging, and bad theology

Baptist preacher William Miller predicted that Jesus would return on October 22, 1844. Thousands of people were psyched for this dramatic event, which turned into what became known as The Great Disappointment, since Jesus didn’t show up. Miller had calculated the date based on data—what he assumed was data—that he found in the Bible. He should have grasped that some Bible data is just plain wrong. Such as the opening verse of Mark 9: “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” 

 
We are entitled to wonder what was going on in the head of the author of Mark’s gospel—whoever that was. There is consensus among mainstream New Testament scholars that this gospel was written in the wake of the destructive First Jewish-Roman War (67-70 CE), during which Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. This horror is reflected in Mark 13. The Jesus-script in Mark 9:1 might reflect this gap of four decades between supposed Jesus events and the writing of the gospel: “some standing here who will not taste death” until they see the arrival of the kingdom. Some maybe, likely very few.

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay No. 2

Matthew 5: Highly prized, but deeply flawed, Jesus-script 

 
Christian clergy and theologians—drawn to their profession by devotion to Jesus—are committed to the idea that the gospel accounts of their lord must be true. Hence they have no trouble claiming that the words of Jesus in the gospels were based on eye-witness accounts and/or reliable oral tradition. Yet there is no evidence—reliable, verifiable, objective evidence—to back up this claim.