What I would say to a theist

I stood up as best I could to their disgusting stupidity and brutality, but I did not, of course, manage to beat them at their own game. It was a fight to the bitter end, one in which I was not defending ideals or beliefs but simply my own self.

George Grosz

In this address, let it be known, I have been unable to find a label that would fit me. I hold no pretensions to knowing anything about or believing the supernatural. I find all such claims to be a load of bullshit unbelievable. Any claim, religious or otherwise, that relies on being divinely revealed has no tract with me whatsoever. If, you feel, what will follow this intro might offend your sensibilities, this is the time to stop.

It is ambitious on the part of the christian to expect me to not judge their religion based on their conduct but on, what is at best, anonymous writings of 1st to 2nd century Jews. And if the question is just about relationship with Jesus, one wonders why it has not, in most of the believers, effected any marked difference between them and those not part of this relationship.

I do not pretend to know what happens after we die. Experience, however, shows me that bodies rot. I don’t know of minds without bodies and I don’t know of any existence after death. I will not live my life on the hope that there is a future where all will be all rosy. I see no reason you should believe a god who, in this world, was unable to give you gold to give it to you in a future existence where, as far as I can tell, from all the writings of the divines charlatans, you will have no use for it.

Human reason is sufficient to arrive at the most rational ideals to live by. There is no need for a god or sun of gods to tell you to respect your mother, help your poor neighbour. It is, to me, an indictment on your humanity to claim, without shame, your inability, through reason, to arrive at modes of behaviour that are beneficial to you and society at large.

And if, as you so imply, that Christianity is a private belief, let it remain so. Do not insist to have laws made according to your books and expect them to apply to everyone else. They are your books. Ask for dispensation to apply them in your lives only and you bet, there will be little opposition or criticism of your affairs. But the moment you oppose science education because it contradicts Genesis, I will use everything, excluding violence to oppose you. I will ridicule your beliefs. I will criticize your beliefs. And I will stand in opposition to your wanting them imposed on those who disagree with you.

I will, for as long as I can, ridicule the belief that it is possible to curse a tree out of season, that a dead man walks, that people can miraculously speak languages they understand not, that fishes can be used for transport, that virgins give birth and stay perpetual virgins, that donkeys talk. Your sensibilities maybe hurt, but that, I promise you, is the least of my worries.

My rejection of your beliefs, your Jesus and your god, is not out of a disdain for love. I reject your religion because it is silly. It is incredible. It is baseless. It stands on a foundation built upon ignorance. It is based on heresy. That a person believed that some dead guy had come back to life and was doing visitations eating fish and bread when the occasion to identify himself showed up. I can’t believe it.

Since, I have no John to quote, I will end by telling you, it is a waste of human reason and intellect to hold some book as special because you have been told so. It is evidence of a degenerate mind to assent belief to so incredulous propositions and to proudly express them.

This post was in response to what I would say to an atheist