Monthly Archives: April 2012

Dear Skeptic Community

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Repost from April 30, 2012

(note: in this post I use gross generalities and paint with a wide brush. I realize there are exceptions and that not everything I say here applies to all skeptics everywhere. I use the word skeptic to encompass atheists, agnostics, humanists, and none of the above)

In recent weeks I surveyed the various enclaves within the skeptic community and have come to some sobering conclusions. I am a blue-collar kind of person, having grown up in poverty and lived in areas dominated by manufacturing. “My people” are what is commonly called the working class. Most of “my people” do not have a college education. They are white and poor or middle class people. They are overwhelmingly Christian.

In my survey of the various groups that make up the skeptic community this is what I found. The skeptic community is overwhelmingly:

  • White
  • Male
  • College educated
  • Dominated by scholars, professors, scientists and people with white-collar jobs
  • Middle and upper middle class
  • Regionally centered on the East and West coast or in major cities.

The Skeptic community is dominated by the educated, scholarly class. The books they write reflect their education and place in life. The conferences they hold reflect their upper middle class lifestyle, complete with expensive conference fees, hotels, and meals.

Now, this is not a criticism of skeptic community demographic. Skepticism naturally demands that people be educated and informed about matters of importance. Who better to turn to than the scholars,professors, and scientists?

I am thinking about “my people”, the high school educated, Christian, blue-collar worker. Why does the skeptic community find it so difficult to reach “my people?” Why are so many of my fellow working class people turned off by the skeptic community? Why are there few working class people found among the skeptic community?

Let me try to answer these questions….I answer these questions as a skeptic but also as a life-long member of the blue-collar working class. The skeptic community has failed miserably at making inroads with working class people. Why is that?

Working class people generally have a mistrust of educated people. Sometimes, their mistrust is quite irrational but, at times, their mistrust is quite justified. Working class people, especially poor working class people, generally feel they are without a voice. Politics are dominated by the educated élite, the rich. Working class people go to work just to make ends meet. They likely will never amass large sums of money. Owning a home and driving a late-model car is a sign of success. Life is one of simplicity and struggle.

Their distrust of educated people comes from the fact that educated people often talk down to them and treat them like an unwashed mass. Every four years the political class asks for their vote and then spend the next 4 or 6 years trying to demolish the working class and their attempt to hold their head above water.

Educated people tell them to “trust us.” They are the experts. They speak of double dip recessions and anthropogenic global warming, while all the working class person wants to do is get to tomorrow. They want to go to work, pay their bills, and enjoy the weekend.  All this talk of this or that, in complex terms, falls on deaf ears. Why can’t the experts present their facts in the language of the commoner?

They go to their doctor and he speaks to them in Latin and with words having lots of syllables. They leave the doctor’s office confused and uncertain about what is really wrong with them.  Why can’t the doctor speak to patient in way that can be understood?

The working class person has, or most likely had, friends who went off to college and got an education. They don’t interact with each other like they used to. Education has brought a distance between them. The blue-collar worker laughs when he hears the educated, white-collar person complain about how hard they have to work. The blue-collar worker knows what so many educated, white-collar workers have forgotten…that the hardest jobs, the jobs that require the most effort and labor, pay the least. They find a perverse satisfaction when one of the white-collar workers are demoted to the floor or when they find out that so and so they work with on the line has a college degree. See, what did all that education get them?

They laugh at Mitt Romney and his wife’s talk of doing hard work, yet they will likely vote for him in the upcoming presidential election. Inconsistency exists in the working class world just like it does everywhere else. Most working class people routinely vote against their economic interests and religion is the reason they do so.

With religion, the working class person finds certainty, comfort, and support. They want to hear of a life that matters. They want to know that there is a better life that awaits them beyond the grave.

In the church house they feel they are as good as anyone else, that social status doesn’t matter. (even though churches are often governed and controlled by educated, moneyed, white-collar people) With Jesus they find someone who is their friend, a friend who promised to never leave them or forsake them. The Bible, regardless of how inconsistently they interpret it, is their source of strength, comfort, and hope. In the Bible, the poor, the working class are exalted and often are portrayed as those closest to God and this message resonates with working class people.

Along comes the educated, middle/upper middle class, white-collar skeptic ever ready to rob the commoner of those things they hold dear. With big words, lengthy books, and the like, the skeptic pronounces Christianity a great evil and suggest only stupid, poorly educated people still believe in superstitions like God, Jesus, Satan, and a divine Bible.

On cable news, in the newspapers, and at gatherings like the Reason Rally, the uneducated, working class person hears their beliefs and lifestyle routinely denounced by the luminaries of the skeptic community. In their mind they think skeptics view them as stupid, ignorant, hillbillies. (and more than a few skeptics do)

If the skeptic community hopes this approach will increase their ranks they are sadly mistaken. Yes, more white, educated, white-collar people, people less likely to be religious, will be drawn to them. But, what about blue-collar working class people? What about people who have only a high school education? The group of people, by the way, that make up the majority in the United States. (and most everywhere else in the world) Is the skeptic community effectively making inroads with them?

If the goal is for skeptics to move the United States towards becoming a true secular society where science, reason, and rationality are the norms, then they MUST change their approach.

Let me say at this juncture that I am not suggesting that educated, economically flush, white collar people deny who they are. To suggest they be anything other than what they are is bigotry. However, I would like to suggest that a change of approach is in order.

First, the skeptic community must change how it is perceived. As long as they are perceived as arrogant, argumentative, educated god-haters, the people who make up the majority in the United States will turn a deaf ear and blind eye to them. They must come down out of the ivory towers and walk among the uneducated. They must be seen as normal, every day folk, as people who understand the plight of the uneducated, working class community.

Second, the skeptic community must simplify their language. Again, if the goal is the greater good of the United States then the skeptic community must learn to talk in the language of the commoner. They must develop relational skills that help them understand the people they are trying to reach. Their books, blogs, and the like must be written in a way that a high school educated person can understand their arguments. Regardless of what one may think of Bart Ehrman, he has mastered the ability to take complex arguments and make them accessible and understandable to the uneducated. Neil Degrasse Tyson is another person who has a unique ability to make complex matters of science accessible to those lacking a science education.

Third, the skeptic community must stop its bombastic, over the top, rhetoric about Christianity. Deny it all we might, we are far too often viewed as angry, argumentative, mean-spirited assholes. The very kind of people that many of us left behind when we deconverted. I don’t intend to get into the whole accommodation vs. confrontational debate. I know that accommodating religion is rarely the answer BUT I also know that the confrontational approach rarely works. Oh it might stir the faithful and make them think what people of power we are but back in the hinterlands of America such an approach is viewed as offensive and does little to change anyone’s mind.

Fourth, the skeptic community must make their events more accessible to working class people. In my survey of the skeptic community and their annual events and conferences I found that the conference fees and associated costs were quite expensive. Lowering these costs would allow more people to attend and result in more people being reached with the gospel of skepticism. The skeptic community could learn a few lessons from Evangelicals on how to effectively have conferences and events that are priced right and reach a lot of people. As long as conference costs are high, working class people will not be able to attend.

Fifth, the skeptic community must realize that there is a part of the Unites States called the Midwest. Rarely are conferences and events held in the Midwest. The skeptic community seems to love the coasts, and while I understand this, I must point out that a vast number of people are being ignored by  continually holding conferences and events only on the East and West coast.

Sixth, the skeptic community must become more diverse. Where are the Hispanic, Asian, and African-American skeptics? Yes, I know the few that are……and that’s the problem…they are so few every skeptic knows of them.

The skeptic community has fallen into a trap that I often saw in my days as a pastor. There are those speakers that seem to speak at every event. They become the royalty of the community and far too often their words are treated as god-like. In E.F. Hutton like fashion, when Richard Dawkins speaks everyone listens. Again, this reinforces the notion that the skeptic community is for a certain class of people.

How about mixing it up and inviting speakers that don’t fit the typical skeptic profile? How about inviting speakers that no one knows? Some of the best preachers I ever heard were men who pastored 50 people at a church on the backside of some hill in West Virginia. One preacher’s conference I attended made sure it balanced the program with big-name and no-name speakers.  This sends an important message to the public……everyone has a voice that matters. Right now, in the skeptic community, it seems the voice of a handful of people matter. The rest of us? Sit down, listen, buy our books, see ya at the next gig, or so it seems.

Seventh, one the most effective means of outreach is the printed page, be it magazine or books. Every author or publisher wants their material read by as many people as possible. As a blogger, I want my writing to be read everywhere by as many people as possible.  If the skeptic community really wants to reach out beyond the faithful then they are going to have to make their materials more affordable, even if this means less profit. Again, what is our objective as skeptics? Magazine subscriptions that cost 30-50 dollars a years are beyond the reach of working class people. I know it is expensive to publish a magazine, but somehow, some way, the subscription cost must become affordable for people who do not have the means to pay 35 dollars for a magazine published 5 or 6 times a year. Again, religious publishers have this figured out and they make their subscription costs quite affordable for everyone.  The skeptic community must find a way to do the same.

Books must also be priced in a way that everyone can afford them. I went to Amazon today to order a book I read a review on in a skeptic magazine. The book, 300 or so pages long, was almost 40 dollars. Only the devoted skeptic will shell out this kind of money. If the objective is to have a book read by as many people as possible then the book must be priced accordingly.

In recent months, I have read several articles written by skeptics that suggest that religion is dying or becoming irrelevant, and that skepticism is rapidly gaining ground. While this kind of thinking reinforces what skeptics really, really, really want, reality, something we skeptics supposedly consider important, is far different.

Yes, the Reason Rally was a wonderful event. Yes, the census says more people are nontheists. Yes, books are flying off the shelf. All these things are good, great in fact, but let’s not deceive ourselves into thinking we have reached critical mass and the grand principles of skepticism will be embraced by all. The majority of Americans remain unreached by the good news of skepticism. We are still a Christian nation dominated by the Christian Bible. Recent polls suggest that the creationists and climate-change deniers are holding or gaining ground. For all our blustering against the Christian God, most Christians remain unconvinced. Maybe it is time to rethink our approach.

I am not suggesting we lie down and let Christians walk all over us. There is a time and place for standing up and fighting back. However, if we hope to reach our long-term goal of the Unites States becoming a true secular state where science, reason, and rationality are the norm, we must carefully consider our image, approach, and methodology. Above all, we must find ways to accommodate both the educated and uneducated. If we are unwilling to do this we will remain outliers, cranks, and critics, who have little voice in the affairs of our country.

My Atheist Rebellion Against Cultural Expectations

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Sometimes, it is the small things that matter.

Since 9-11, attendees at Major League Baseball games have been subjected to the singing of God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch. People are often asked to give proper reverence to the US Military as God Bless America is sung.

Not me. I will not do it. I find the singing of God Bless America quite offensive and, as a pacifist, I find the continued glorification of US militarism inappropriate.

When the National Anthem is sung, I remove my hat, place my hand over my heart, and sing. I am proud to be an American. Again, I do find the overt homage given to the US Military might quite offensive, with the jet flyover, honor guards, and the like, but I realize that most Americans do not share my pacifistic inclinations, so I do not show my disapproval of the militaristic show.

The same goes for LimaLand Motorsports Park, a local dirt track I frequent during racing season. They begin the racing program with a prayer. They ask everyone to stand and remove their hats. I refuse to do so. When they sing the National Anthem after the prayer I stand, remove my hat, place my hand over my heart, and sing. Again, I am proud to be an American but I refuse to give a Christian prayer one moment of respect.

The United States is a secular state and I proudly pay respect to the American flag and the I proudly sing the Star Spangled Banner. However, I will not show respect to overt displays of Christianity in public spaces. I think the song God Bless America and Christian prayers have no place at sporting events. When I go to a sporting event I am there to watch the sport and I have no desire to show fealty to the cultural religion the United States.

Small things? To be sure, but it is in the small things that our character is tested and strengthened.

How Do You Rebuild Your Marriage After Leaving Christianity?

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A reader asked:

How do you rebuild your marriage after leaving Christianity?

Depends.

One of the most difficult places to be in is when one marriage partner leaves Christianity and the other doesn’t.  A mixed marriage is difficult and more than a few couples end up divorced, unable to find a common ground for a successful relationship. For this reason it is not surprising that some new atheists keep their godlessness to themselves, contenting themselves with living in the closet for the sake of their marriage and family.

In my case, my wife and I came out of the Promised Land together. We journeyed back to Egypt  hand-in-hand. My wife is an agnostic and I am an atheist. This, in and of itself, is amazing. As Christians  we had no diversity, no place for disagreement.  Now, we are free to be whatever we want to be.   There are no rules, no strictures that force either of us to believe certain things.  We are free…

It is wonderful that we can be in agreement on many of the changes that have come our way. It makes life a lot easier when the person you sleep with agrees with you.

For Polly and I the past 3 years have been a time of reflection and beginning anew.  Without God and the Bible as our rule and guide we have been forced to rethink what we believe about morality and ethics. The fact the we are both political liberals helps a lot. (though we disagree on some issues)  Long-held beliefs are now up for reexamination. It is not easy to take a hard look at things you have believed for most of your adult life.

Instead of talking about sin we talk about good or bad. Our list of things we think are bad is much smaller these days.  We now have the freedom to accept people for who and what they are. (though we still have biases and prejudices that show up now and again) No more Bible judgments of the lifestyles and beliefs of others.

If you are a married couple considering leaving Christianity or have already left Christianity:

  • Don’t be in a hurry.
  • Don’t flame everyone or everything in your past. (easier said than done , but when you are more settled in a few years later you will be glad you didn’t flame everyone in your past)
  • Talk, Talk, Talk.
  • Read, Read, Read.
  • Talk, Talk, Talk.
  • Respect one another and allow for differences of belief. Not everyone comes to the same place at the same time.
  • Always allow for open and frank discussion. Learn the difference between arguing and discussing.
  • Now that Jesus, the church, and the ministry is no longer the tail that wags the dog, take time to learn what the other person likes to do.  Who are they?
  • Remember the Church often sucks the life out of people, out of marriages. Self is often lost in  religious communities that promote the denial of self.  Both marriage partners  have to  become reacquainted with who they really are. This can be a difficult process and it might result in a marriage partner that is very different from the person you married.  Be patient……
  • Rekindle the flames of love. Many times Christian marriages suffer because Christians are taught to love Jesus first. (and that gets translated by pastors into a long list of things to do) Now that Jesus is no longer your lover you are free to rekindle your love for your marriage partner.
  • Don’t be afraid to seek out help from others who have walked this path before you. Don’t be afraid to seek out a competent (non-Christian) counselor to talk to if you need to.  Talking to someone is NOT an admission of failure.

The above mentioned thoughts are just that…..thoughts. No seven steps to a happy marriage. These things helped my wife and I and continue to do so as our marriage continues to evolve.

I know both Polly and I can say we love where we are now. Despite the difficulties we face due to my health problems our marriage continue to grow and mature. Is our marriage perfect? Nope. Not even close. But it is, for a flawed human relationship pretty awesome.

Help! My Spouse is a Believer and I am Not

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You have finally come out of the closet.

You have declared to your family and friends that you are an unbeliever, that you no longer are a Christian.

You feel good. You feel clean.  Finally the burden has been lifted.

Everyone knows.

Now what?

If you are married your new found freedom of unbelief comes with a new marital dynamic, especially if your spouse is still a  believer, still a Christian.

When I left the ministry, left the Christian Church, and finally left the faith altogether, my wife was right there by my side.  At first, I was concerned she was just following along. After all, that’s what Baptist women are taught to do, follow their husband. Don’t think, just obey. Submit.

Over time it became clear that my wife was staking out her own ground. I asked her awhile back if she wanted to go to church. Her response was a quick and sharp NO. She has no interest in going to Church.

I am blessed to have a partner  that embraces many of the same things I do. I am grateful she is a fellow unbeliever. (and according to some we will roast in hell together) Our affinity for  the same beliefs makes life much easier to navigate.

I know that some of the readers of this blog are not so fortunate.   Their marriages are mixed marriages, where one partner is a believer and the other is not.

I can’t imagine a more difficult circumstance than to have one partner committed to a belief system like Christianity and the other partner believing that the Christian God does not exist or does not exist in the form put forth by the modern Christian Church.

A mixed marriage is fraught with danger. The threat of conflict and dissolution are real. Many marriages do not survive the conflict and end in separation or divorce.

Then there is the whole matter of children.

It is likely that the unbeliever does not want their children educated in the superstitions or doctrines of Christianity. The believer adamantly believes that the children should go to church. How are the children going to learn good moral  and ethical values if they don’t go to church?

Baptisms. Dedications. Confirmations. Weddings. Funerals. Christmas. Easter.

The opportunities for conflict are many . What should the unbeliever do?  I wish there was a magical Unbeliever’s Bible to turn to in hopes of finding an answer but there is not. The unbeliever is left to their own reasoning to determine how to engage and live with their believing partner.

The remainder of this post is more of a “what would Bruce do”  rather than the rules for navigating the believer/unbeliever road. I don’t want anyone to turn my words into a how-to manual for couples trying to make their marriage work in light of one partner’s unbelief.

Communication

It is important for couples to communicate with each other, even more so when one partner does not believe. Religion, by nature, brings conflict into a mixed marriage. Religion is an attempt to answer the great questions of life: why I am here, what is the purpose of life, how should I live my life, what happens when I die.

Both the believer and the unbeliever should have the freedom to express their feelings and beliefs. Openness and honesty is very important.

In an open and honest relationship there will be times when  one partner verbalizes a belief that is 180 degrees opposite from what the other partner believes. Hopefully the couple will be able to talk about their differences. The goal is understanding not acquiescence.

Discussions can, and should be, passionate, however they should never turn into abusive diatribes where one partner beats the other over the head with the Bible or the other partner mocks the mythical sky God. Respect your partner’s beliefs even if you think their beliefs are foolish or contrary to reason. Believers and unbelievers alike must learn to respect those who hold to different beliefs than theirs.  I know this is not easy.  Sometimes we have to swallow our pride and sense of rightness.

Proselytizing is never acceptable, Sicking the pastor, church members, or deacons on the unbelieving partner is sure to cause conflict and could ultimately destroy your marriage. Think twice about requesting at church prayer for your unbelieving partner. How will they respond when a filled with the Holy Ghost, loose lipped church member sees your partner at the mall and proceeds to let them know how the WHOLE church is praying  for them in the hope that they will become a Christian.

Children

Children are a lightening rod for conflict in a mixed marriage. It is likely that the believing partner will want the children to attend church. After all, where will the children learn morals and ethics?

I think it is proper for the unbeliever to  lovingly confront the believing partner’s assumption about the value of church in teaching morals and ethics. Personally, I think children learn ethics and morals from those they interact with the most. Two hours a week in church pales in comparison to the time parents spend with their children.

Church “may” benefit children but it also has the potential to harm them. Churches can be, and are, dens of intolerance. Anytime a church  groups people into classes (saved ,lost,heterosexual, sodomite) there is a risk the children will be taught to be intolerant.  (whole generations of racists received their racist training compliments of the Christian church)

What will the children be exposed to at church? Will they be pressured to make a “decision” for Jesus, asking Jesus into their heart?  Will they be  encouraged to develop critical thinking skills or will they be taught dogma and encouraged to view unbelievers as heathen, unsaved, or people headed to hell?

Children should never be used to coerce the unbelieving partner into going to church. More than one spouse has used their children as a tool for evangelism. “Why don’t you go ask daddy/mommy if they want to go to church with us.” Such a tactic usually results in marital conflict. Children should never be put between the believing and unbelieving parent.

Moments of intense conflict often come when the believing partner wants one of the children baptized or confirmed.  The unbeliever most likely thinks religious rituals are a waste of time.  However the believer, if they are serious about their religion, believes the rituals have great meaning and significance. Baptism washes away original sin, is a sign of the covenant, an outward sign of an inward act, etc ,etc. (churches have varied views on what baptism signifies and whether or not it is a means of grace)

Recently, I attended the baptism of my granddaughter Emma. Her mother and father attend the Catholic church. To be honest I didn’t want to go to the baptism. I didn’t want to step foot in a church building, not for fear that it would fall in, but because of the anger I still have towards organized religion. I have a special place of anger for the Catholic church. I do not understand why anyone would want to be a part of a church that has such a bloody history as the Catholic church. (and add to to that the sex scandal the church is currently embroiled in)

But Emma’s baptism is not about me and my views. Her parents wanted her baptized and I respect their beliefs. As long as I did not have to participate in the baptism and I wasn’t required to affirm any religious dogma  I thought I could attend the baptism without fear of conflict. I did have a “I want to shout bullshit” moment  when the priest exorcised the devil out of my granddaughter but I held my tongue.

A mixed marriage with children is fraught with danger and there will be many places where the marriage can be shipwrecked unless both partners work very hard to avoid conflict .

In general I will attend religious rituals, ceremonies as long as I am not required to participate in the ritual or ceremony. In the case of my granddaughters baptism I attended  the ritual to support my son and daughter-in-law. 

At the start of my unbelief I found it impossible to attend any religious  rituals or ceremonies.  I was too angry  and I feared making a scene. Over time I have mellowed out and now I am comfortable attending rituals and ceremonies in support of my children and grandchildren.

Holidays

Holidays are special times when the risk of believer/unbeliever conflict is especially high. Christmas and Easter are two holidays that offer any number of points of conflict. Avoiding conflicts requires everyone to be willing to compromise. (remember the overall objective is to have a home free of animosity and conflict)

Christians believe that Christmas is a high holy day, the birth of their savior Jesus Christ. The unbeliever doesn’t believe the Christmas story. They likely know that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th and no doubt they have read about the similarities between the Christian religion and other pagan religions. (I consider all religions pagan)

Easter is very similar to Christmas. Easter celebrates the the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Easter is THE day in the Christian Church. As a pastor I often said that a lot of people are like a flower that blooms twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.  The unbeliever likely knows the history behind the church co-opting the Easter holiday from the pagans. The unbeliever probably doesn’t believe in the supernatural and they likely consider Christ’s resurrection, along with the virgin birth and the miracles Jesus did, as nothing more than superstitions.

When I first left the Christian faith I did not want anything religious uttered in my home. “Keep that shit to yourself” was my approach. Over time I realized I was being unfair to family members who were religious. Life is not all about me.

When the family gathers in our home I ask my father-in-law (a retired pastor) to say a prayer over the meal. I allow this for the benefit of others. I am of the opinion that prayer accomplishes nothing since there is no God that answers prayer. (there “may” be a god but I am quite certain that god does not answer the prayers of the faithful)

Once again, as long as I am not put in a position that requires me to participate in a ritual or affirm religious dogma I am indifferent to those who want to do differently. Several years ago one family member wanted us to go around the dinner table and say what we were thankful for. (the implication is thankful to GOD for) I asked that it not be done because it put everyone on the spot to come up with something they are thankful to God for. Needless to say the meal was quite tense. I was thankful when the meal was over.

Conclusion

Any relationship that brings believers and unbelievers together will have conflict.  They key is to manage the conflict in such a way that allows  each person to maintain their dignity and self-respect. This is not easy to do when one partner thinks the other is a potential salvation prospect or the unbelieving partner thinks the beliefs the believing partner are bat-shit crazy.

This is a two-way street. Unfortunately, it seems that believers most always want the unbeliever to back down. After all they are one with the new unbelief belief. The family has always been Christian and the unbeliever should not expect them to change.

The unbeliever does not  (or should not) expect believers to deny their belief in God, Jesus, the Bible, etc. All the unbeliever asks for is respect.  My wife and I have stopped going the her family’s Christmas get-together because the level of religious and political intolerance is so high that it makes impossible for us to have a good time. (and raises the risk of me having a stroke) The family expects us, the only unbelievers, to go along with whatever is done, yet they find offense when  they come into our unbelieving home, a home where religion has no place. At times, it seems this gulf is almost impossible to bridge.

Sometimes couples have to decide that religious discussions (and often political) are off limits. This is not ideal because of the many areas of life religion touches,  but, for the sake of the marriage, it might be better not to discuss issues relating to the believing/unbelieving divide. This requires both partners to compartmentalize their lives.

Neither partner should demand or force the other to participate in things that violate their conscience. Share the 90% of life you have in common with each other and realize that many people would love to be 90% compatible with their partner. ( 2 out of 3 ain’t bad)

No couple is 100% compatible. My wife and I tolerate each other rather well, We can talk about most anything. However there is one thing we can’t talk about, suicide. When depressed and racked with pain head to toe I will talk about taking a ride on the .357 train. My dear wife freaks out about this and it is one area where we can not seem to have open, honest discussion.  I could be bitter about this but that would hurt our marriage. So, my counselor has the privilege of parsing “Bruce’s suicide talk.”

I could focus on the one thing Polly and I can not talk about OR I can focus on the wonderful, open, loving marriage we have 99% of the time. It is easy to become fixated on the 1% and totally miss the wonderful 99% you share with your partner.

Some marriages will end in separation or divorce. The believer/unbeliever divide is too wide and one or both partners find it impossible to find ways to close the divide.  Perhaps the believer/unbeliever conflict exacerbates problems that were under the surface long before the conflict over religion began. The conflict over religion only brought light to matters that have been lurking in the shadows for years.

Before dissolving your marriage I would encourage you to see a marriage counselor. Make sure the counselor is a secular counselor.  A religious (one who believes the Bible is truth) counselor can not be objective.  The secular counselor is able to see  the issues more clearly since their view is not clouded by dogma and presuppositions about family, marriage, etc. I know that some Christians will find my advice offensive but if they think about it for a moment they will know I am right. A conscientious Christian counselor most likely has views about human nature, sin, marriage and divorce that would only muddle the problems the couple is having.  When Jesus is the ultimate answer for every problem an unbeliever will find such counseling a waste of time.

Above all, talk to each other. Be open and honest with each other. Be passionate without resorting to  temperamental outbursts and ill advised  pronouncements. For those of us who have been married a long time, consider the investment you have made in your marriage over the years. When someone suddenly professes faith in Christ or professes they no longer believe in God  it can cause turmoil in the best of marriages. Move slowly and carefully. Consider the other person, the person you love and the person you have spent a lifetime with, facing everything life can throw your way. Facing this latest battle will not be easy but most likely you can face it together and find a way to live in peace with each other, leaving thoughts about eternity to that day when we all will  know whether or not our beliefs were right.

Drawing Your Last Breath Without God

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Death lurks in the shadows for every one of us.  Some days death seems closer than other days. Older people think more about death than younger people. Sick people think more about death than well people. But regardless of  age or physical condition we all of think about death. Whether it is just a passing thought now and again or a morbid fixation on it, death is the one thing that the atheist and the Christian have in common.

The great hope of Christianity is that, through the merit and work of Jesus Christ, every follower of Jesus Christ will enjoy a life after death in the presence of God. Atheists often underestimate the power of a promise of life after death. Regardless of the truth of it, immortality is powerful motivator. Remove the promise of eternal life from the Christian message and all that will be left are empty houses of worship. This promise is the glue that holds the Christian faith together.

When a Christian is dying those around him encourage him to be faithful to the end. He is encouraged to hold on to Jesus, to trust the promise that Jesus gives to all those who follow Him.  Bible verses are read,songs are sung, prayers are said, and stories of those who have gone before are told, all to encourage the Christian as he faces death.

After the Christian dies his funeral service is used as an opportunity to not only praise the faith of the departed but to also remind the living of the importance of keeping the faith. Death is coming for us all, are you ready to go?

I am not afraid to say that Christianity offers people something that atheism can’t. Christianity offers hope for life beyond the grave. It offers the follower of Christ comfort and peace at the time of death. It offers hope to those left behind. Yes, grandpa died and went to heaven and yes you miss him but remember someday you will die too and then you and grandpa will be reunited again, says the preacher.

It doesn’t matter whether or not Christianity is true. In fact, there is no way to prove the truth of Christianity. Atheists are on a fool’s errand to spend very much time trying to disprove Christianity. Christianity is a faith-based religion that rests outside the realm of proof. Christians are just as foolish when they try to prove to non-believers that Christianity is true. When they try to prove their faith they make themselves easy targets for atheists who live in a world dominated by what can be proved, rather than what is believed.

Christian commenters on this blog spend significant time trying to prove that Christianity is true, that their faith is true, and that Jesus is the only sure hope for humanity. What they fail to understand is that Christianity is a religion of faith and not provable facts. Either a person believes the Christian message or they don’t. Faith is required of all those who embrace Christianity. As I have said many times I do not have the requisite faith to believe. I don’t have the faith necessary to believe the Bible is truth. I don’t have the faith necessary to believe in a god who became man through a virgin birth, who worked miracles,and who was killed and came back from the dead three days later. As skeptic I want evidence that these things are true. Of course there is no proof, there is no evidence for these things ,and that’s why faith is required.

I am quite willing to grant that Christianity suits people well when it comes time to die. Too bad most Christians don’t live like they are dying. While their bodies are strong and full of vim and vigor Christians don’t live much differently than unbelievers do. But, when it comes time to die Christianity offers a hope that atheism can not offer. At the moment of death truth doesn’t matter to the Christian. His hope is that his faith will soon become sight. His hope is that his faith will soon be reality. If the truth is that there is no life after death he will be none the wiser because he won’t know that his Christian faith was a lie. He will be dead, end of story.

What about the atheist? How does an atheist face death? Atheists face death just like every human being does. Every human fears death. When a person tells me they don’t fear death they are either 20 years old or a liar. Fear of death is a normal feeling regardless of what a person believes about life after death. Death usually brings people to a place where they reconcile their life. Expressions of regret are common. Often, when death is looming,  the dying person reaches out to those he is estranged from. He doesn’t want to die before setting his affairs in order. Once again, regardless of what he believes about  life after death the dying person desires to leave the world at peace with others.

The atheist has no faith in a life after death.  I have no doubt that many atheists, when confronted with a death soon to come, will struggle with the certainty of their atheism. For those of us who were Christians for many years I am sure thoughts of hell might cross our dying minds. Let’s face it, if the God of the Bible truly exists the dying atheist is going to draw his final breath on this side of eternity and draw his next breath in hell on the other side of eternity.

The dying atheist also has to deal with Christian family members who are heart-broken that the atheist is soon to die without knowing Jesus and will spend eternity in hell. Some family members or friends will try one last time to “reach” the atheist. They will plead and beg the atheist to just pray the sinner’s prayer. Recant atheism and embrace Jesus. I have no doubt that some atheists do indeed recant, perhaps out of fear or a desire for their friends and family to be at peace. I am not inclined to judge harshly atheists who take this path.

I can not speak for other atheists. Who knows how each of us will face death. I have appreciated the Vanity Fair articles that Christopher Hitchens has written about facing death. If you have not read these articles I would encourage you to do so.

As a person who suffers with an illness that sucks the life out of me day by day I have frequent thoughts about death. I don’t morbidly dwell on death but I realize that death is a reality that I will face some day, sooner rather than later. Believe me, I want to live until I am 90 years old but I know that is not going to happen. I am smart enough to read the physical signs that my body  displays, so I know that death is not going to wait for me very long. (very long in the sense of 90 years as opposed to 70, which is only 16 years away) There is no cure for what I have, and please no emails about this or that latest cure, drug, or treatment. Trust me, I already know. I have embraced the fact that I am going to die and sometimes, when my body is screaming in pain, I say TODAY.  But tomorrow comes and I am grateful for another day.

Who knows how they will face their last days of life. I can only write about how I hope I will face death. I want to be surrounded by family and my friends. I want to be surrounded by those who love me for who I am, not what I was, who they hope I would be, but who I am.  I want to spend my dying days reflecting on the life we shared. The good, the bad ,the ugly. When a person is dying there is no time left to put off business to another day.  The accounts must be settled.  I want to leave this life at peace with those I love and, in True Bruce form, giving the finger to those who will claim my death is the judgment of God for my atheism. I know many former Christian friends will wail over my passing because they fear that my atheism secured me a berth in hell. There is nothing I can say to them that will ease their grief.

Many Christians think that a life lived without Jesus is a meaningless life. They are quite certain that the meaninglessness of it all become quite evident when it comes time to die. What they  fail to realize is that the atheist finds purpose in life as it is lived. There is no need of a promise of a life to come for the present to have value.

It matters that I love. It matters that I help others. It matters that I invest my time and money in making life on this earth better for others, especially those of my own household.  While I live I have an opportunity to shape the lives of my children and grandchildren. I have an opportunity to make a mark on the world I live in. Life matters as long as I am alive. Live matters as long as there are people to love.

When it comes time to draw my last breath I hope I am surrounded by the greatest expression of the fact that life matters: Polly, Jason, Nathan, Jaime, Bethany, Laura, Josiah, Sarah, Cristina, Jamie Lynn, Victoria, Karah, Levi, Emma. Gwen, and a few grandkids that are yet to be born.

If there is one thing that atheism has taught me is that family is what matters the most. Living life by loving others is enough for me.

Liberals and the Bible

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I understand where Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians are coming from when it comes to their belief about the Bible. It is liberal Christians I have a hard time understanding. While I certainly wish every Evangelical would become a liberal, that doesn’t mean I think the liberal Christian belief system is rational and logical. In fact, I find liberal beliefs quite confusing and often contradictory. As I have often said, liberal religious beliefs are like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.

Every Christian sect believes that Jesus Christ is God. Every Christian sect believes that Jesus became a human, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead three days later. Every Christian sect believes that Jesus, while on earth, was God in the human flesh. He came to earth to become the atonement for humankind’s sin. He was buried and rose again from the dead three days later securing life everlasting for all who will follow him. Every Christian sect believes that Jesus ascended to heaven and some day will return to earth again to usher in his eternal kingdom.

Most sects would also say they believe Jesus was born of a virgin, healed the sick, and raised the dead. The bottom line is this…….Jesus was a supernatural being who came to earth to do a supernatural work. From start to finish, Jesus’s life was anything but ordinary human.

Where do we find the story the Jesus? The Bible. This story is found nowhere else. Surely we all would agree that Jesus Christ is the alpha and omega of the Christian religion and all that every Christian sect knows about Jesus comes from the Bible. Without the Bible there would be no discussion going on about the historicity of Jesus.

On what basis do Christian sects believe what the Bible says about Jesus? Is the Bible just another work of literature? That’s what liberal Christians would have us believe. The Bible is just another work of literature and should be treated like any other text from antiquity.

If this is so then why have doctrinal statements or for that matter have churches at all? If the Bible is just an old book then why invest so much time and money in believing and living out its story? Quite frankly Harry Potter would be a much more interesting God and I suspect children would LOVE going to the First Church of Harry.

At this point……liberals start stammering and steaming….

You see, the Bible really is MORE than just another work of literature. Every Christian sect believes that the Bible is revelatory, that God, through the text of the Bible speaks to humanity. We can fuss and fight over words like inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility but the fact remains ALL Christians give the Bible weight and authority that they give no other text. Without an authoritative text there is no Jesus and without Jesus there is no such thing as Christianity.

We can argue endlessly about the various critical methods and hermeneutics but sooner or later every Christian must say, THIS I BELIEVE. And when they do this they are saying, I believe the Bible, to some degree or another, to be true/factual/correct.

Liberals and Evangelicals alike continue to shed beliefs like lovers and their clothes on a hot, steamy summer night. Science continues to challenge and attack Christian beliefs and Christians back up and retrench. The Christian Church has gone from a doctrinal sumo wrestler to a wasting away anorexic model. Doctrine after doctrine is abandoned or reinterpreted and it seems only Jesus is safe from discard. And even with Jesus, we now have liberals who are quite willing to jettison the virgin birth, Jesus’s bodily resurrection from the dead, and his bodily ascension back to heaven. At the rate they are going the only thing left will be Jesus’s image on a piece of toast.

Atheism is not Christianity’s biggest problem. Atheism will not bring the Christian house down. Christians will do that all on their own. When people realize that NOTHING matters they will conclude that NOTHING matters and they will stop attending church and stop giving their money. The beast will die a slow, agonizing death, a death brought on by their unwillingness to have beliefs that matter.

Currently, there is a battle raging over the historicity of Jesus. Christianity finds a strange champion in Bart Ehrman. He has done much to hasten the death of Christianity, yet here he is, defending their man. I suspect any day now there will be a liberal theologian or pastor somewhere that will say, “Well, we don’t really need to believe Jesus was real to be a Christian.” Game over.

As an atheist, I think Christianity is false. I reject any, and all, claims made by the various Christian sects. I don’t think Jesus was anything that the Bible says he was. While I believe Jesus the man was a real historical figure, I reject any supernatural claim made for Jesus. At best, the Bible is an admixture of fact and error and it is almost impossible to tell one from the other. That said, I have great respect for people who have beliefs they are willing to stand up for and defend. There is something about a person’s willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter the cost….I admire such boldness, such conviction.

I know someone will be sure to suggest that I still think like a fundamentalist. Believe what you will. While I am most certainly not a fundamentalist, I do admire people who have courage and conviction. I respect people who believe something enough that they are willing to give their lives to it.

Can Anyone Really Know They Are Saved?

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Yes.

No.

Maybe.

What do I mean by the word saved? Delivered. Redeemed. Set free. Bought by the blood. Justified.(looked at by God just as if I never sinned)

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.(Romans 10:9, 10)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8.9)

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3,4)

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9)

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16

oops. Scratch that last one. Don’t want to start a war between the Baptists and the Campbellites. (Church of Christ)

Let me set aside, for a moment, the fact that these verses teach several different salvations. Most Christians interpret these verses, and others, in a very basic, generic way.

I am a sinner. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. Three days later he resurrected from  the dead. Believing this message I admit I am a sinner, I repent of my sins and by faith I trust Jesus to forgive me of my sins and save me. I am trusting Jesus to save me and keep me until I die. By putting my faith and trust in Jesus I know I will go to heaven when I die. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

There are three basic schools of thought when it comes to salvation. (and yes I know there are shades of all of these. Please, spare me the emails and comments that I didn’t properly describe YOUR tribe)

There is the “once saved, always saved” school. According to this school of thought once a person is saved they can never be un-saved. No matter what the person does, no matter how the person lives, they are saved forever. A person can stop attending Church, stop doing ANYTHING that remotely suggests that they are saved, yet “once saved, always saved.” One noted writer even said that a person could go to the altar and be saved and then leave the Church, curse God, and live like a heathen the remainder of their life…it matters not, “once saved, always saved.”

This is the belief of most Baptists and many Evangelicals and Fundamentalists. Salvation becomes a form of “fire insurance.” People don’t want to go to hell, so they get saved. Whew, that’s over. Next!

Coupled with this belief is the notion that the believer will be rewarded some day for doing the right things in this life. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. So, a person might be “once saved always saved” but if they don’t live right they will lose their rewards in heaven. What this loss of rewards is is never clearly defined. Maybe their mansion won’t have indoor plumbing? (John 14:1-6)

Some “once saved always saved” believers realize that their version of salvation really looks bad. They know their brand of salvation looks like it is preaching a “live like hell, still go to heaven” message.

To counter this they teach that Christians who live carnally will be chastised (corrected) by God in this life. If a carnal Christian is not chastised it is proof that they were never “really” saved. After all the Bible says in Hebrews 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Arminian groups  hold to a conditional salvation. They believe a person is saved by grace but kept by works. (works they do by the power of God so it is really all of grace) In this school of thought a person can only know they are saved in the present moment. Their future salvation is conditioned on them doing the right things. This is the belief of groups like the Free-Will Baptists, Methodists, Wesleyans, etc.(groups who trace back their heritage to John and Charles Wesley and Jacobus Arminius)

A believer can do certain things that will result in the loss of salvation. Some Arminian groups believe you can only lose your salvation one time. In other word, “once saved, one lost, always lost.” The Bible says in Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Other Arminian groups believe a person can repeatedly saved, lost, saved, lost, saved. They often talk about a line that is crossed, when a person goes from a state of grace to being lost again. I have asked repeatedly over the years exactly where that line is and no one can tell me. I have been told by more than one Arminian preacher, “You just KNOW when you have crossed the line.”

The final school of thought is the Calvinistic school. Calvinist groups, like the Presbyterians, some Baptists, Episcopalians,etc adhere to what is commonly called the five points of Calvinism. (which were actually articulated as a reply to the Arminians) Point number five is the Perseverance of the saints or the Preservation of the saints.

Perseverance of the saints is  “once saved, always saved” with a twist.  Calvinists believe that salvation is a work done totally by God. From start to finish it is God who does it all. A person can not believe, exercise faith, or anything apart from God giving them the power to do so. Those whom God saves, God keeps. Now, God only saves a certain number of people. God knows exactly how many he will save. They are the elect. They have been predestined to salvation.

The God who saves is the God who causes the believer to persevere to the end. If a person doesn’t persevere to the end then that is proof that they were never saved to start with. For this reason the Calvinistic commenters on this blog consider me unsaved, never having been saved. I didn’t persevere. I have received common grace but not God’s special, saving grace. In other words, God toyed with me and then said fuck you.

No Calvinist can know for sure they are saved. They can HOPE they are. They can constantly examine their lives to see if they are availing themselves to the means of grace, but until they die they can not know for sure they are saved. They MUST persevere to the end to be sure. They are hoping God comes through for them but they won’t know for sure until the end. After all they TOO could be deluded. They TOO could be following a false Christ.

Imagine a person going Church to Church trying to find out the true Christian message of salvation.  You would think Christians could agree on the most basic of truths…salvation.

But they don’t.

I am convinced that Christians better hope that God is a universalist. If not…hell is going to be filled with Christians.

Are Catholics Christians?

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(quote from the Trail of Blood)

Protestant Christianity, particularly in its fundamentalist and evangelical strains, has always hated Catholicism.

The 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith says:

(Speaking of the  Church) There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God

The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith says:

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

I was taught in the Baptist Church,(Trail of Blood) from an early age, that Roman Catholics were not Christians. I was taught the Catholic Church and the Pope were the tools of Satan  used to deceive the masses. Rarely did a week go by that one preacher or another did not make a disparaging comment about the Catholic Church from the pulpit. (and I did it many years later as a pastor)

One of the favorite proof texts was Revelation 17:1-18

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Fundamentalist David Hunt writes this about Revelation 17 (this is condensed from over 6000 words):

A City on Seven Hills

A woman rides the beast, and that woman is a city built on seven hills that reigns over the kings of the earth! Was ever in all of history such a statement made? John immediately equates the readers’ acceptance of this revelation with “wisdom.” We dare not pass over such a disclosure casually. It merits our careful and prayerful attention.

Here is no mystical or allegorical language but an unambiguous statement in plain words: “The woman … is that great city.” There is no justification for seeking some other hidden meaning. Yet books have been written and sermons preached insisting that “Mystery Babylon” is the United States. That is clearly not the case, for the United States is a country, not a city. One might justifiably refer to the United States as Sodom, considering the honor now given to homosexuals, but it is definitely not the Babylon that John sees in this vision. The woman is a city.

Furthermore, she is a city built on seven hills. That specification eliminates ancient Babylon. Only one city has for more than 2000 years been known as the city on seven hills. That city is Rome. The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now confined.”….

Even Catholic apologist Karl Keating admits that Rome has long been known as Babylon. Keating claims that Peter’s statement “The church here in Babylon … sends you her greeting” (from I Peter 5:13) proves that Peter was writing from Rome. He explains further:

“Babylon is a code word for Rome. It is used that way six times in the last book of the Bible [four of the six are in chapters 17 and 18 and in extrabiblical works such as Sibylling Oracles (5, 159f.), the Apocalypse of Baruch (ii, 1), and 4 Esdras (3:1). Eusebius Pamphilius, writing about 303, noted that “it is said that Peter’s first epistle… was composed at Rome itself; and that he himself indicates this, referring to the city figuratively as Babylon.”

As for “Mystery,” that name imprinted on the woman’s forehead is the perfect designation for Vatican City. Mystery is at the very heart of Roman Catholicism, from the words “Mysterium fide” pronounced at the alleged transformation of the bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Christ to the enigmatic apparitions of Mary around the world. Every sacrament, from baptism to extreme unction, manifests the mysterious power which the faithful must believe the priests wield, but for which there is no visible evidence. Rome’s new Catechism explains that liturgy “aims to initiate souls into the mystery of Christ (It is ‘mystagogy.’)” and that all of the Church’s liturgy is “mystery.”

Who Is the Whore?

….Against only one other city in history could a charge of fornication be leveled. That city is Rome, and more specifically Vatican City. She claims to have been the worldwide headquarters of Christianity since its beginning and maintains that claim to this day. Her pope enthroned in Rome claims to be the exclusive representative of God, the vicar of Christ. Rome is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and in that too she is unique….

In Bed with the Rulers

Not only does Rome’s pope call himself the vicar of Christ, but the Church he heads claims to be the one true Church and the bride of Christ. Christ’s bride, whose hope is to join her Bridegroom in heaven, is to have no earthly ambitions. Yet the Vatican is obsessed with earthly enterprise, as history proves; and in furtherance of these goals it has been, exactly as John foresaw in his vision, engaged in adulterous relationships with the kings of the earth. That fact is acknowledged even by Catholic historians….

… Claiming to be the bride of Christ, the Roman Catholic Church has been in bed with godless rulers down through history, and these adulterous relationships continue to this day…..

Rome Equals Vatican

…Some may object that it is Rome, and not that small part of it known as Vatican City, which is built on seven hills, and that the Vatican can hardly be called a “great city.” Though both objections are true, the words “Vatican” and “Rome” are universally used interchangeably. Just as one would refer to Washington and mean the government that runs the United States, so one refers to Rome and means the hierarchy that rules the Roman Catholic Church….

Wealth from III-Gotten Gain

…The incredible wealth of this woman caught John’s attention next. She was dressed “in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (Revelation 17:4). The colors of purple and scarlet once again identify the woman with both pagan and Christian Rome. These were the colors of the Roman caesars with which the soldiers mockingly robed Christ as “King” (see Matthew 27:28 and John 19:2,5), which the Vatican took to itself. The woman’s colors are literally still the colors of the Catholic clergy!…

The Mother of Harlots and Abominations

….The more deeply one probes into the history of the Roman Catholic Church and its current practices, the more impressed one becomes with the amazing accuracy of the vision John received centuries before it would all be lamentable reality. John’s attention is drawn to the inscription boldly emblazoned upon the woman’s forehead: “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:5). Sadly enough, the Roman Catholic Church fits the description “mother of harlots and abominations” as precisely as she fits the others. Much of the cause can be traced to the unbiblical demand that her priests be celibates….

….As for abominations, even Catholic historians admit that among the popes were some of the most degenerate and unconscionable ogres in all of history. Their numerous outrageous crimes, many of which are almost beyond belief, have been recited by many historians from preserved documents that reveal the depths of papal depravity, some of which we will cover in later chapters. To call any of these men “His Holiness, Vicar of Christ” makes a mockery of holiness and of Christ. Yet the name of each one of these unbelievably wicked popes, mass murderers, fornicators, robbers, warmongers, some guilty of the massacre of thousands – is emblazoned in honor on the Church’s official list of popes….

Drunk with the Martyrs’ Blood

….One thinks immediately of the Inquisitions (Roman, Medieval, and Spanish) which for centuries held Europe in their terrible grip. In his History of the Inquisition, Canon Llorente, who was the Secretary to the Inquisition in Madrid from 1790-92 and had access to the archives of all the tribunals, estimated that in Spain alone the number of condemned exceeded 3 million, with about 300,000 burned at the stake….

….To wring out confessions from these poor creatures, the Roman Catholic Church devised ingenious tortures so excruciating and barbarous that one is sickened by their recital. Church historian Bishop William Shaw Kerr writes: The most ghastly abomination of all was the system of torture. The accounts of its cold-blooded operations make one shudder at the capacity of human beings for cruelty. And it was decreed and regulated by the popes who claim to represent Christ on earth….

More Blood Than the Pagans

….Pagan Rome made sport of throwing to the lions, burning and otherwise killing thousands of Christians and not a few Jews. Yet “Christian” Rome slaughtered many times that number of both Christians and Jews. Beside those victims of the Inquisition, there were Huguenots, Albigenses, Waldenses, and other Christians who were massacred, tortured, and burned at the stake by the hundreds of thousands simply because they refused to align themselves with the Roman Catholic Church and its corruption and heretical dogmas and practices. Out of conscience they tried to follow the teachings of Christ and the apostles independent of Rome, and for that crime they were maligned, hunted, imprisoned, tortured, and slain.

Why would Rome ever apologize for or even admit this holocaust? No one calls her to account today. Protestants have now forgotten the hundreds of thousands of people burned at the stake for embracing the simple gospel of Christ and refusing to bow to papal authority. Amazingly, Protestants are now embracing Rome as Christian while she insists that the “separated brethren” be reconciled to her on her unchangeable terms!

Many evangelical leaders are intent upon working with Roman Catholics to evangelize the world by the year 2000. They don’t want to hear any “negative” reminders of the millions of people tortured and slain by the Church to which they now pay homage, or the fact that Rome has a false gospel of sacramental works…..

Reigning over the Kings of the Earth

….Finally, the angel reveals to John that the woman “is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18). Is there such a city? Yes, and again only one: Vatican City. Popes crowned and deposed kings and emperors, exacting obedience by threatening them with excommunication.

….Though John Paul II lacks the power to enforce such brutal claims today, his Church still retains the dogmas which authorize him to do so. And the practical effects of his power are no less than those of his predecessors, though exercised quietly behind the scenes. The Vatican is the only city which exchanges ambassadors with nations, and she does so with every major country on earth. Ambassadors come to the Vatican from every major country, including the United States, not out of mere courtesy but because the pope is the most powerful ruler on earth today. Even President Clinton journeyed to Denver in August 1993 to greet the pope. He addressed him as “Holy Father” and “Your Holiness.”

Yes, ambassadors of nations come to Washington D.C, to Paris, or to London, but only because the national government has its capital there. Nor does Washington, Paris, London, or any other city send ambassadors to other countries. Only Vatican City does so. Unlike any other city on earth, the Vatican is acknowledged as a sovereign state in its own right, separate and distinct from the nation of Italy surrounding it. There is no other city in history of which this has been true, and such is still the case today….

Only of the Vatican could it be said that a city reigns over the kings of the earth.

Welcome to the viewpoint of millions of American Christians. Fortunately this kind of thinking about Catholics is becoming harder and harder to sell these days. Pastors, caught up in preaching about the latest self-help principle from the Bible, have little time to rail against the Whore of Babylon.

In fact it has become almost fashionable to be accepting of Catholics. (and I consider this a good thing) Protestants accepting Catholics. Who would have thought such a thing possible? Evidently if you water your beliefs down far enough anything is possible. (since the hard line Protestant view of Catholicism IS more consistent Biblically)

As Protestants become more accepting of Catholics does that necessarily mean the Catholic hierarchy has become more accepting of Protestants? Not in the least. The Pope still views Protestants as disobedient children that need to return to the fold of the one true Church. According to Catholic dogma there still is only ONE true Church and ONE true head of that Church on earth.(and it ain’t Rick Warren or Billy Graham)

Catholics might want to think twice the next time their new found Protestant friends embrace them. Are they truly accepting you as a full-blood relative or are they just accepting you because you have the same name?

Of course some Protestants will have none of this. (search) They still believe Catholics are the children of the devil.

My take on all is this is quite simple. Anything movement towards a religious center where dogma is not important is a good one. The less dogma, the less strife the world has and far fewer people die.

A Few Thoughts on Mental Illness and Depression

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At the age of 54 my mom put a gun to her chest and pulled the trigger. The bullet tore a hole in her heart and in a few moments she was dead.

Mom tried to kill herself many times before.

One day my dad had to call for an emergency squad. Mom had taken several bottles of prescription drugs.They pumped her stomach at the emergency room and she survived to die another day.

When I was 11 my mom slit her wrists. When I came home from school I found her unconscious, lying in a pool of blood. Once again, the emergency squad came, and her life was saved.

My mom had mental problems her entire life. She was a bright, witty , well-read woman who could, in a moment, lapse into angry, incoherent tirades. She spent time in the State Mental Hospital, undergoing shock therapy numerous times.

During my mom’s last stay in the State Mental Hospital my dad got wind that my siblings and I were living alone so he packed up his 1960 Dodge truck and drove from Arizona to Ohio to get us. When my mom got out of the hospital she came home to an empty house. I can only imagine what effect this had on her. (my dad had taken all her food stamps too)

In the early 1960’s my parents found Jesus. Jesus may have healed the mentally ill in the Bible but he didn’t heal m mom. Now she was a saved lunatic.

Mom was quite talented.  She played the piano and loved to do ceramics. Her real passion was reading, a habit she passed on to me. She was active in politics, working for the Ohio George Wallace campaign. (my parents were members of the John Birch Society)

My parents divorced when I was 14 . Not long after the divorce my mother married her first cousin. He later died of a drug overdose. She would marry two more times before she died. Mom was quite passionate about anything she fixed her mind on, a trait that for good or ill I share. In the early 1970’s mom was an aide at Winebrenner Nursing Home. Winebrenner’s paid men more than they paid women for the same work. She sued Winebrenner’s under the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act. The Federal Court decided in her favor. My mom the crusader.

We moved quite often and I have no doubt this contributed greatly to my mom’s mental illness. She never knew what it was to have a place to call home.Our family lived in one rental after another. As far as I know neither of my parents ever owned their own home. I lived in 16 different houses by the time I left for college at the age of 19.

I have always wondered if my parents were ever happily married. My mom married my dad in 1957. She was 18 and pregnant. (there is some doubt about whether or not  my Dad is my biological father)  My parents were well-meaning but the instability of their marriage, coupled with us moving all the time, caused my siblings and I great harm. Dad thought moving all the time was a great experience. Little did he know I hated him for moving us around. New schools. New friends.

From the time I was 6 until I was 14 my parents were faithful members of a Baptist Church in whatever community we lived in. We went to Church 3 times a week. My mother would play the piano from time to time though this stressed her out and I remember her, more than once, having a mental meltdown in front of the whole church. For a time my Dad was a deacon, but after awhile he felt guilty about being a deacon while still smoking so he quit the deaconate.

No matter where we lived, no matter what church we went to, one thing was certain, my Mom was mentally ill and everyone pretended her illness didn’t exist. Churches have their fair share of people with mental illness  but , for the most part, people who are sick in the head are ignored or marginalized.

I pastored a church in San Antonio, Texas in 1994. One day we were at a Church fellowship and my wife came around  the corner just in time to hear one of the esteemed ladies of the church say to her daughter, “ you stay away from that girl, she is mentally retarded.” That girl was was our 5 year old Down Syndrome daughter. This outstanding church member’s words pretty well sums up how many churches treat those with mental handicaps or illness. STAY AWAY from them.

There are Christians in every church who think mental illness is a sign of demonic oppression or possession. Any quick search of the internet will find plenty of God fearing, God loving Christians who believe this . No need for doctors, drugs, or hospitals, just come to Jesus, the great physician and he will heal you. After all, the Bible says God gives his people a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

I have suffered with depression most of my adult life. I am on the mountaintop one moment and in the valley the next. Plagued with a Type A personality and being a consummate work-a-holic often drove me to despair. Work. Work Work. Go. Go. Go. Do. Do. Do. I have no doubt the way I lived my life as a Christian contributed to the health problems that now plague me. While I was busy burning the candle on both ends for Jesus, my body was screaming STOP! But I didn’t listen. No time for family, no time for rest, no time for pleasure. Work for the night is coming. Better to burn out for Jesus than rust out.

I hid my depression. (to the outside world. My wife and children saw my depression first hand) Several years ago,  I told a pastor friend that I was really depressed. Instead of lending me a helping hand or encouraging me, he rebuked me for giving in to the attack of Satan. He told me I needed to confess my sin and get the victory over it immediately. A lot of Christians think like this (former) pastor friend of mine.  Depression is a sign of weakness and God wants warriors and winners.

Going to see a counselor was the single most important thing I have done in the last 10 years. It took me leaving the ministry and leaving Christianity before I was willing to find someone to talk to.Over the years I made appointment with counselors several times only to cancel the appointments at the last minute.  I feared someone would see me going into the counselor’s office or they would drive by and see my car in the parking lot.  I thought, My God, I am a pastor. I am supposed to have my life together.

It took leaving the church , the pastorate, and God to find any semblance of mental peace. I have no doubt some readers will object to the connection I make between religion and mental wellness but, for me, there was indeed a connection.

Depression still haunts me, but with regular counseling and a slower pace of life I am confident that I can live a meaningful life. As many of you know I suffer from a neurological condition that keeps me in pain all the time. I have not had a pain free day in years.The constant pain and debility certainly leads me to depression from time to time. My counselor says he would be surprised if I wasn’t depressed from time to time. It is a normal human response. Embracing my  depression and coming to grips with my pain and debility is absolutely essential to my mental wellbeing. My life is what it is. There is no God that is going to deliver me. No miracle drugs or treatments. This is my life. I am who I am.

To my Christian friends…….sitting near you in Church this Sunday there will be people who are suffering with mental illness. Maybe they are depressed. They hide it because they think they have to. Jesus only wants winners, remember? Pay attention to other people. The signs are there. Listen to them. Embrace them in the midst of their psychosis. I don’t think Jesus is going to heal them but I do think that loving, understanding humans can be just the salvation the mentally ill need.

It is not easy being around those who are mentally ill. Let’s face it, depressed people are not fun to be with. When I am in the midst of a period of depression I am not the kind of person most people want to be around. I become withdrawn, cynical, and dark. When coupled with the physical pain I endure I can be unbearable to be around. Far too often, when I need help the most, people pull away from me.. I understand WHY they do so, I really do. I tend to do the same when confronted with people who are mentally ill. Who wants to be around a nut case?

How do you respond to those who are mentally ill? How do you respond to those who are depressed?  Perhaps you suffer with mental illness or depression.Do you hide it? How are you treated by others? If you are a Christian, how are you treated  by the Church and your pastor?

You Must Believe in A God Before You Can Choose THE God

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I  am a Christian.

I  am a follower of Jesus.

I KNOW Jesus died on the cross for my sins and I KNOW he has forgiven me for my sins.

I KNOW Jesus resurrected from the dead and by and through the power of his resurrection I have a home in heaven awaiting me after I die.

I KNOW that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

I KNOW there is only one, true, living God and that God is the Christian God.

I KNOW all other Gods are false Gods.

The statements above are standard statements of belief fact most Christians utter at one time or the other. If Christians are anything, they are certain of their their personal relationship with the Christian God. They say, with the Apostle Paul :

for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Peter 1:12b)

In the book of First John we repeatedly find the phrase I KNOW:

  • And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
  • But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
  • But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
  • I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
  • If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
  • Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
  • And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
  • We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
  • And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
  • And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
  • Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
  • We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
  • Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
  • By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
  • These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
  • And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
  • We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
  • And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

These verses speak of certainty, of KNOWING.(1) There is no place for doubting, for questioning. In many churches and denominations doubt is considered a tool of Satan used to deceive and destroy the lives of the followers of Jesus. Since every pastor and denomination is sure of the truth, questions are not only discouraged but often rebuked. More than a few Christians have found themselves under church discipline for asking the wrong questions. (or daring to suggest an alternative answer)

One question that is rarely asked is whether or not the Christian God is God at all. Very few Christians ever go through the process of choosing a God to believe in. They are born in a Christian nation, raised by parents influenced by Christianity, and live as adults in a nation permeated by the teachings of the Christian Bible. They are Christian because that is what Americans are.

Few Christians will admit the cultural influence on their “choice” to be a Christian. What else could they have become?  Rarely do they ever ask themselves why it is in EVERY country heavily influenced by a religion that most of the citizens of that country profess the dominate religion.

I realize the Christian will tell me:

  • I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
  • I asked Jesus into my heart when I was six.
  • I remember when I came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and I repented of my sin and asked Jesus to save me.
  • I remember the day I was saved. I was baptized for the remission of sins, filled with the Holy Ghost, and I spoke in tongues.
  • I remember when I was confirmed.
  • I was baptized as an infant and my parents raised me up in faith once delivered to the saints. One Lord. One Faith. One Baptism.

I could go on and on with the variations of HOW a person becomes a Christian. What is rarely, if ever considered, is WHY a person becomes a Christian.

The WHY question should be a matter of evidence. I believe in the Christian God because _______________________. But how can this question be answered until a person first seriously considers all the other Gods available for worship? Should not a person first answer the question of A GOD before answering the question of THE GOD?

Most Christians go at this backwards. They FIRST decide that the Christian God is the only, true and living God and, without any consideration, reject all other Gods.

With most every other decision in life we would reject this kind of thinking, calling it shallow and uniformed. If believing in the Christian God is the single most important decision a person makes in life it seems reasonable to expect that this decision be made with full knowledge of all the God possibilities. When pastors, churches, and denominations discourage the study of other gods and religions I have to wonder what they are trying to hide. What are they are afraid of?  Surely the Christian God can hold his own in the panoply of Gods.

Until a Christian is willing to investigate the gods and religions of the world I am not willing to give their KNOWING much credence. Until they put their God and Bible aside for a time and consider the other gods and religions of the world I am  not willing to think of them any different than any other cultural religionist. (be it Christian, Hindu, Muslim,etal)

Not only do most Christians not know anything about other gods and religions they don’t know very much about their own God. They are CERTAIN of who the true God is but they can’t rationally explain why this is so. They believe, well, because they believe.

Evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity, in particular, is built on a foundation of certainty and ignorance. They know what they know and tune everything else out. This is why almost half of Americans believe the Genesis story of creation to be an accurate account of how the universe and earth came into existence. Anything that conflicts with the approved storyline is roundly rejected as an attempt by Satan to lead them astray.

It is very hard to reach people like this. Their minds are like a closed bear trap, almost impossible to open. Note I said, almost. Thousands of former Christians read this blog. There was a time that they had a closed bear trap mind. But, unlike their brethren, they couldn’t assuage their doubts and questions. When the church or the pastor couldn’t or wouldn’t answer their questions they began to look elsewhere. Result? Every day large numbers of people walk away from Christianity. Not everyone becomes an atheist or agnostic. Many people seek out Christian sects that are comfortable with a person having doubts and questions. Some turn to the earth religions, philosophical religions, or some form of spiritualism.

Where they end up is of no concern to me. I am an atheist because this is where the evidence led me. I know that most people, at least in the present world environment, are not going to become an atheist. (there are other factors besides evidence that keeps this from happening) All that is important is that they become whatever they become because they, with full knowledge and understanding, make a choice. (2)

(1) Christians LOVE to quote the verses from 1 John. What they seem to ignore,and their pastors neglect to tell them, is that most of these KNOWING statements are conditional. The writer of First John is quite clear that salvation is conditional, that it requires a certain way of living.

(2) I know that many Christians will dismiss this post out-of-hand because they reject the notion that a person chooses God. According to their interpretation of the Christian Bible it is God who chooses us, not we who choose God. A person’s salvation solely depends on God choosing them. Since they KNOW they are a Christian it is self-evident that the Christian God chose them.   That’s why I know of no Calvinist who thinks they are NOT one of the elect.