Monday, July 16, 2012

An Atypical Challenge to Typical Christians

Here's the challenge: Live by your book.

Seriously, go ahead.

Here's the thing: Despite my impassioned Atheism, I do see some validity to your bible's Jesus (arguably one of the main characters in the story). Remember this fellow? There's this one scene in the story that is actually pretty good. It's called the sermon on the mount. There's this one part in Matthew 5:22 where the hero says,
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
 UH OH! Looks like you Christians that so enjoy telling me how foolish I am and how I'm going to burn in hell forever might be in danger of the same fate! Good thing I don't believe this crap... plus one for the Atheist. According to this verse here, YOU are in danger of going to hell. Many of you seem to forget... I don't hate you. I don't respect the belief system, but that in no way means that I don't respect you as a person. Looks like in this situation, I seem to be acting more in accordance with your humble hero's teaching than you are (pure coincidence, I assure you). I invite you to share your opinions, and debate, and discourse all you wish with me... but respectfully. Don't insist that your beliefs are fact, and I am wrong no matter what I say. That's arrogant. You're also going to want to avoid all the name calling, and nastiness, and insisting that I'm going to the bad place, and you're going to the good place, because that's judgement, no matter how you want to construe it, and as the ancient world's version of Bruce Willis says in Matthew 7:1 and 2,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
I know this a little scary for you, because here again, the Atheist is winning (for those keeping score), but fear not! According to your tome here, you still have hope. All you have to do is actually live by these words here, and according to your faith, you will be magically whisked away to the clouds where you can have a ringside seat to watch all the suffering of those dirty, nasty people that didn't agree with you.

Then there's that whole Matthew 7:12 thing,
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Oh, shit! That's 3-0 for the nonbeliever! See, I wouldn't mind at all if you approached me with genuine inquiry regarding my views. I welcome it. When you approach, however, with hostility, disdain, and vitriol, it only seems fair (and it's justified, mind you, by our main character here) that I respond in kind.

The last point I'll make here will involve Matthew 7:24-27:

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Let's break it down, shall we? According to 7:24, your magical carpenter wants you to live by these teachings, and if you do, you're solid. He then illustrates his point by way of analogy with rain and floods. In 26, he further hammers home the point by saying that if you warp, complicate, ignore, or otherwise don't abide these teachings, you're fucked. Seems pretty simple to me.

Now, as a non-believer, I DO respect philosophy, and these are some pretty sound philosophical musings. You know who else was a great philosopher? Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee said:

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

Well, no wonder our views don't match! According to your philosopher, I'm the bane of your existence. I'm the water that is washing away your house built on sand, but guess what?

 It's actually YOUR fault. My challenge is simple: Live by your book. pay attention to your philosopher, and actually meditate on the words.

Instead of being arrogant, and screaming and yelling about how I'm going to hell because I don't agree with you, try respectful discourse. If I can come to a respectful debate and avoid fallacies, name calling, and only rely on proven facts and theories that are backed up by verifiable evidence, why can't you?

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