Just How Human Was Jesus?, by J.M. Green
Now I suppose that Professor Moore’s musings might seem edgy and possibly even blasphemous to the average evangelical fundamentalist, but I would like to suggest that he is playing it way too safe.
A Challenge to Christian Apologists, by J.M. Green
Does Morality Come From God?
Since becoming an atheist, one of things that I hear over and over from Christians is that I now have no basis for morality because morality only comes from their god and their Bible. They claim ownership of true, unchanging morality and yet the Bible they revere sends conflicting messages. Consider these examples:
A Brief Thought: Dennis Rodman, Kim Jong-un, and Yahweh
I guess for Christians, the perceived benefits of being buddies with a powerful psychopath outweigh the negatives.
Written by J. M. Green
Labels: j. m. green, Kim Jong-un, psychopath, worship
Wedding Pastor Disaster
“This is not about the photography, this is about God.”Uhhh, no Reverend Douchebag. This is about the couple getting married, and their happiness. They hired the photographers that you are trying to run off, to capture memories of what should have been one of the happiest moments of their lives.
Labels: j. m. green
Dear Christian, Doubt is not Your Enemy (Part 2)
Silly Sayings of Jesus: God Decides, Sparrows Die.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)Nice try Jesus*. I suppose you meant this little ‘gem’ to be comforting, but I have to say it fails badly. This is just the sort of ridiculous, crappy platitudes that many of your followers spout whenever bad things happen.
Labels: j. m. green, Jesus, Silly Sayings of Jesus
Mind Games Christians Play: Healing Prayer
Here is a one-minute video clip in which a viewer asks Hagee a question about praying for healing. Watch his answer, and then we’ll dissect the mind games which he employs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8gJTCbVv2GA
Labels: j. m. green, Mind Games Christians Play
Atheism Sighting: HBO's True Detective.
Labels: atheism sighting, j. m. green
Scriptural Nonsense: Why Jesus Is Running Late On His Return Trip To Planet Earth.
The pseudonymous author of 2 Peter (writing decades after the crucifixion) was acutely aware of the problem of the absentee Jesus, and helpfully offered this biblical nonsense as an explanation:
Labels: j. m. green
Life Support: Why Does Fundamentalist Christianity Need So Much Propping Up?
Believers claim to have the spirit of the all-powerful creator of the universe indwelling and empowering them as “new creations in Christ.” Purportedly, the Bible is the living, powerful word of God – “sharper than any two-edged sword.” The believer’s faith is said to be a shield, able to “quench all the fiery darts of the enemy.” And yet…
Labels: j. m. green
Halloween Special: All About Satan!
It's that special time of year when the forces of darkness and sugary excess are unleashed upon the U.S. and other countries which celebrate Halloween. Although this holiday's pagan roots run deep, it also has direct ties to the Christian feast of All Hallow's Day, and I must say that I am a bit disappointed that my Christian Facebook friends are not busily posting "Keep Christ in Halloween" memes on their status updates.
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind our Christian friends (and enemies) that the fact that we do not believe in their imaginary god also means we do not believe in - or worship - his fictional arch-enemy.
For those who have never delved into how the Satan character evolves in the biblical writings (and how Christianity borrows from other religions to build its concept of Satan), I am linking to several videos. I would also recommend the book The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots by T. J. Wray and Gregory Moberly. It is a fast read, entertaining, and gives a good popular-level coverage of the topic.
Labels: Devil, Halloween, j. m. green, Satan
Silly Sayings of Jesus: Like Little Children
And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3Well Jesus, this was silly because you revealed too much (kind of like a magician telling how he does his tricks). A childlike mentality, and childhood conversions are the fuel on which Christianity runs.
Kids are trusting, uninformed about life, and unskilled in the art of reason. The line between fantasy and reality is blurred for children. It’s not unusual for them to have invisible friends, which makes them perfect victims for spiritual salesmen!
Labels: j. m. green, Silly Sayings of Jesus
Ken Ham’s ‘Creation Science’ Sham.
Labels: creation science, j. m. green, Ken Ham
Identifying Barriers to Unbelief
“First, what does it mean to win or lose an argument? There is an unspoken belief in some quarters that the point of an argument is to gain social status by utterly demolishing your opponent's position, thus proving yourself the better thinker. That can be fun sometimes, and if it's really all you want, go for it. But the most important reason to argue with someone is to change his mind. If you want a world without fundamentalist religion, you're never going to get there just by making cutting and incisive critiques of fundamentalism that all your friends agree sound really smart. You've got to deconvert some actual fundamentalists. In the absence of changing someone's mind, you can at least get them to see your point of view. Getting fundamentalists to understand the real reasons people find atheism attractive is a nice consolation prize.”
“If you believe morality is impossible without God, you have a strong disincentive to become an atheist. Even after you've realized which way the evidence points, you'll activate every possible defense mechanism for your religious beliefs. If all the defense mechanisms fail, you'll take God on utter faith or just believe in belief, rather than surrender to the unbearable position of an immoral universe.
Labels: belief, j. m. green, unbelief
Why Do Christians Pray After a Disaster?
Yesterday, as the devastating tornado ripped a path of destruction through Moore, Oklahoma, I watched the storm play out through the Facebook status updates of a friend who lived in the area. This friend is a Christian, and her response is similar to that of many believers in the face of such an event. Earlier in the day she posted:
“Praying the storms won’t hit.”Then, as it became evident that this prayer was unanswered,
“Hang on, my friends.”Followed by a Bible verse:
"Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7”Next status:
“We are in a safe shelter. Praying for all those in the path in the storm. Jesus, protect us!”Then:
“Lord, we beg your mercies upon us. Praying for the two schools that were hit. Please keep the children & teachers safe.”
Labels: j. m. green, Moore Oklahoma tornado
Southern Baptists Continue Their Tradition of Bigotry.
The irony in all of this? The Southern Baptist denomination formed as a pro-slavery breakaway from American Baptists, in 1845. In 2012, they tried to atone for their racist past by electing Fred Luter - a black man - as their leader. And now, under his leadership, they vote overwhelmingly to support bigotry against gays. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up!
Written by J. M. Green
Labels: j. m. green
Belief in God: What’s the Harm? (Rush Limbaugh Edition)
Right Wing radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh likes to refer to himself a “talent on loan from God”. He will be today’s exhibit of how beliefs have consequences, and how religious beliefs can cause harm
.
"If you believe in God, then intellectually you cannot believe in man-made global warming. You must be agnostic or atheistic to believe that man controls something he can't create. It’s always been one of the reasons for my anti man-made global warming stance."
Labels: j. m. green, Rush Limbaugh, what's the harm
A Modest Proposal for Comprehensive Traditional Marriage™ Reform.
Labels: gay marriage, j. m. green