"I was hoping that something would happen different. Maybe it would affect my religon. Nope, im still agnostic. Damn. I really wanted to believe (like Fox Mulder) but i still found some major flaws in it. Here are my grievances:
- God is wrathful, jealous, hateful, and kills nations of people like it is a bodily function. He is certainly not just or “holy” in nature.
- The act of throwing people into infinite torture and punishment for not believing a Jewish guy from 2,000 years ago was God’s son, or unknowingly worshiping the wrong god, is extremely cruel and sadistic.
- The statements, “God works in mysterious ways,” or “It will all make sense in heaven,” are little more than irrational cop outs. This God allows horrible atrocities to be committed against innocent men, women and children every day.
- Bloody animal and human sacrifices are illogical demands by a divine god as payment for petty wrong doings. These actions are no different than the rituals of archaic pagan religions. Not to mention the bizarre ritual of symbolically drinking human blood and eating human flesh.
- If God loves us and wants us to know and believe in him, why be so completely invisible? What is the purpose of being so illusive to those who believe and worship him?
- God never manifests himself or performs miracles as he regularly did for the Israelites in Old Testament stories.
- Prayers are never answered. Certainly not in the way Jesus described. Prayer has absolutely no affect on the world around us.
- Jesus did not fulfill major Old Testament prophesies or even fulfill his own promises and predictions.
- The authors of much of the Bible are unknown. And of these unknown authors, the men who wrote the gospels likely never even met Jesus considering they were written 40-70 years after his death. A far cry from reliable testimony.
- The Bible is repeatedly contradictory with itself, reality, and the laws of morality. Couldn’t God inspire a less poorly written book?
- The Bible is open to interpretation. Everyone interprets it in the way that suits them best or serves their purposes.
- Throughout history, Christians have justified horrific actions by the Bible and its teaching.
- The Bible promotes hate and persecution against women, homosexuals and those who worship other gods or no god at all.
- According to the Bible, nearly 70% percent of the people in the world will burn in hell because they don’t believe Jesus was the son of God.
- The only reason I was a Christian was because I was indoctrinated into the religion as a child as a result of the culture and region of the world in which I was born.
- Christianity has no more rational or factual foundation than any other religion on earth that I openly reject.
- The Christian church is disjointed and can’t even agree with one another.
- Christians are not at all ethically or morally different from non-Christians.
- Today, powerful church leaders steal, lie and molest young children. The church repeatedly attempts to cover up these atrocities, only to reluctantly apologize as a last resort.
- It is absolutely irrational to continue to believe archaic teaching with the amount of knowledge we’ve gained through science and technology. The Bible reads like a book of primitive folklore, not divinely inspired insight into our true reason for existence.
Feel free to retort. I like talking about religion. I really want something to believe in. Something to turn to when things go wrong."
- Jacob
story behind this: random email while discussing religion. he got bored one day and found this old King James Bible that his grandparents left him in hopes that he would find God. i lost the discussion and stumbled on my tongue with many an "um..."
he is still searching.
i have given up.
