Patsy

Why I Am Not a Chrisitian           

I am not aware of any god. Darwin’s theory of evolution made it abundantly clear God
and any god is a myth. To be consumed about whether or not there is a heaven or
hell, is merely superstition.

Mythology, as it is today, was the central part of everyday life in ancient Greece.
Greeks continue to embrace mythology as a part of their colorful history. Ancient
Greeks used myth to explain natural phenomena (as do our current religious leaders),
cultural variations (as do our current religious leaders), traditional enmities (as do our
current religious leaders), and friendships (as do our current religious leaders). But the
Greeks and the world let go of the twelve immortal gods on Mount Olympus …
Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera,
Hermes, Poseidon, and Zeus. We know these gods are myths. What causes you to
grasp so tightly a mythical Judeo-Christian god?

Obviously by now you have guessed it. I am atheist. While it is your choice to lead a
theistic or a deistic life, it’s important to understand what I believe is based on
scientific evidence and intellectual reason. Your beliefs are based on faith; faith is piffle.

I believe Christians rationalize evil presented in the Bible. Statements such as “God
acts in mysterious ways” or “it’s a mystery” are irrational thoughts. I believe Christians
are irrational when they blame Tsunami’s, Hurricanes or famine on gays, sex and
atheists.

I believe man created God, not the other way around.

I believe the bible is fabricated, useless and outdated. A ‘revealing’ bible as it claims
to be, would have foretold us of fossils, bacteria and dinosaurs. A loving god would
have written down how to solve disease and set up an effective communication
network. Instead the bible is nothing more than legerdemain. We cannot rely on it to
contain any facts.

I believe in evolution. Science may not have all the answers, but science has
answers. There are millions of facts to support evolution. I don’t need to understand
Evolution or the Theory of Relativity because I know there are scientists who do
understand it. No scientific research has ever turned up any evidence of a holy ghost,
a god, or Jesus. None!

I believe in myself. When I die, I am gone. I believe it’s important to do good here
on earth, while I am here. I don’t pray. I leave prayer to the Pope. And, yet with his
heavenly connection, the Pope’s prayers have not been answered and have not
stopped suffering for one day or one moment.

I believe Freud is correct when he deduced religion is too clearly derived from our
own desire to escape from or survive death.

I believe Mother Theresa was a lovely, well-intending person, but nevertheless a
fraud. I don’t believe her miracles could withstand rigid scientific verification.

I believe you do not know what God or Jesus wants. You do not have some special
connection to something that does not and cannot exist. I believe you are arrogant
and delusional if you think or feel otherwise.

I believe the Bible and other religious literature is full of meanness, fables and
historical inaccuracies. I believe Jesus did not exist. He is merely the central character
in a fable.

I believe it is religions intent to control the poor and the ignorant rather than relieve
human suffering.

I believe the only explanation for the miraculous birth is that Mary, Joseph, the
prophets and the entire living community at the time did not understand human
reproduction. A miraculous birth is not unique to Christianity, it is common for the
world of folklore, and more especially for fairy-tales.

I believe a child should not be psychologically tortured by being told “if you don’t
believe you will go to Hell”, “God is watching you”, “sex is bad”, “if you are gay you will go to
Hell”. What kind of twisted brainwashing is that? In Christopher Hitchens latest
book, god is not Great, he observed “Religion has always hoped to practice upon the
unformed and undefended minds of the young.”

I believe J. Craig Venter is on the verge of creating synthetic life.

I believe in assisted suicide for the terminally ill.

I believe there will be another religious war.

I believe every religion has degraded women.

I believe as long as religious dogma exists, we will not see peace.

I believe Billy Graham, Pat Robertson and any American religious icons are every bit
as menacing as any Muslim religious leader.

I believe the chronically ill suffering with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and paralysis will
continue to suffer because Christians will not embrace stem cell research.

I believe Christians will continue to offer false hope through prayer.

I believe we can teach morals at home, in schools, and by respected people in the
community. Anyone can grasp The Golden Rule. I believe our own conscience will
guide us on what is morally right. I don’t believe morals need to be learned at Church.
Christopher Hitchens, in his recent book, god is not Great said “Human decency is
not derived from religion. It precedes it.”

I believe Christians will continue to manipulate the bible to justify and rationalize
their own personal needs. Priests and their pedophile urges are the sickest
demonstration of this very thought. How far will religion go?

I believe Christians will continue to mislead people for their own financial gain.

I believe Christians are wrong when they promote Pro-Life. This approach only
continues to perpetuate the suffering of young, vulnerable, naïve girls and their
offspring.

I believe Christians will continue to feed off the uneducated, naïve and vulnerable.

I believe Christians are naïve.

I believe Christians are anti-intellectual.

I believe children should be vaccinated and protected to the extent we can protect
them from HPV viruses. I believe Christians act irrationally when they teach
abstinence to teens and expect abstinence to override natural hormonal desires. I
believe teens should be taught responsible sex.

I believe gays and lesbians should be permitted to marry and share in all the benefits
awarded to heterosexual partners.

I believe Christians will continue to believe in the efficacy of prayer to end suffering.
These prayers, like the prayers before them, will change nothing.

I believe the separation of Church and State should be maintained as it was originally
written in our Constitution. I believe the words “In God We Trust” should be
removed from all American currency and public buildings.

I believe all religious dogma is evil.

I believe the big bang theory. I don’t believe a deity initiated the Big Bang.

I believe if you look at the image of a portion of the universe below, you won’t be able
to identify earth or any planet. Nor can you explain how a god can manage the
universe as well as observe, listen to and answer the prayers of 6 billion humans. We
now know there are over a trillion stars and planets a trillion miles from earth. I can’t
fathom what a trillion means. Yet Christians think the Judeo-Christian god burns out
stars, makes new planets, moves asteroids, makes worm holes, births new species, kills
off species, arranges weather systems to kill gays, heathens and atheists, keeps track of
all humans, and their thoughts etc. etc. If he’s so damn all-knowing and ever-present
why are gays born? Why is there suffering?

“Is [God] willing to prevent evil but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God? ”
-- Epicurus (341 BC, Samos -- 270 BC, Athens)

In the image below you won’t be able to find any portion of space identified as
Heaven or even spot an angel. And yet, any astronomer could tell us enough scientific
facts about what’s in this image to last a lifetime. Reliable, testable facts! When you
look at the image, think about how vast the universe is and insignificant we are. In the
grand scheme of things humans as a whole are less significant than the tiniest ant we
crush. And yet you want me to believe God knows where I left my car keys?

I believe there is life on other planets. I don’t believe life on other planets evolved to
look like earth. I don’t believe aliens have visited earth.

I believe liberal Christians are as misinformed and as delusional as evangelicals. They
are equally proficient in rationalizing, adapting, and twisting the bible to suit any
situation.

I believe the only place God exists is in your imagination.

I believe you and others like you would be more effective if you were willing to promote
good without relying on fables and superstition.

I believe science is right, intellectual reason is right and you are wrong. I have faith
this will make an impact on you.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"An Atheist loves his fellow man instead of god. An Atheist believes that heaven is
something for which we should work now--here on earth for all men together to
enjoy. An Atheist believes that he can get no help through prayer but that he must
find in himself the inner conviction, and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to
subdue it, and enjoy it. An Atheist believes that only in a knowledge of himself and a
knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help to a life of
fulfillment. He seeks to know himself and his fellow man rather than to know a god.
An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An Atheist
believes that deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An Atheist strives for
involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty
vanished, war eliminated.

No, atheism is a very positive affirmation of man's ability to think for himself, to do for
himself, to find answers to his own problems. I'm thrilled to feel that I can rely on
myself totally and absolutely."
-- Madalyn Murray O’Hair

"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however
satisfying and reassuring.”
-- Carl Sagan

"In dark ages people are best guided by religion, as in a pitch-black night a blind man
is the best guide; he knows the roads and paths better than a man who can see. When
daylight comes, however, it is foolish to use blind old men as guides. Henrich Heine
Most people believe in God because they have been taught from early infancy to do it,
and that is the main reason."
-- Bertrand Russell, 1927

"You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress of humane
feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every step toward the diminution of
war, every step toward better treatment of the colored races, or every mitigation of
slavery, every moral progress that there has been in the world, has been consistently
opposed by the organized churches of the world. I say quite deliberately that the
Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of
moral progress in the world."
-- Bertrand Russell, 1927

I encourage you to develop your intellectual self and read books written by the world’s
elite intellectual minds. Learn why religion has existed through the ages and how it
trapped you. It’s time you grow and stop giving people false hope prayer will work.
Presented by one of 48,000,000 (and thankfully growing) rational American thinkers.

Recommended Reading:
Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
Christopher Hitchens, God is not Great
Daniel Dennett, Breaking the Spell
Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation
Susan Jacoby, The Age of American UnReason
George H. Smith, Atheism: The Case Against God
Bertrand Russell, Why I am Not a Christian

You won’t find these in a Christian bookstore. Should you choose to read any of these
there won’t be a miracle but you will be enlightened.

Revised 4/27/2008

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