IS THE OLD TESTAMENT INSPIRED ?

IS THE OLD TESTAMENT INSPIRED?

If it is, it should be a book that no man — no number of men — could produce.

It should contain the perfection of philosophy.

It should perfectly accord with every fact in nature.

There should be no mistakes in astronomy, geology, or as to any subject or science.

Its morality should be the highest, the purest.

Its laws and regulations for the control of conduct should be just, wise, perfect, and perfectly adapted to the accomplishment of the ends desired.

It should contain nothing calculated to make man cruel, revengeful, vindictive or infamous.

It should be filled with intelligence, justice, purity, honesty, mercy and the spirit of liberty.

It should be opposed to strife and war, to slavery and lust, to ignorance, credulity and superstition.

It should develop the brain and civilize the heart.

It should satisfy the heart and brain of the best and wisest.

It should be true.

Does the Old Testament satisfy this standard?

Robert G. Ingersoll, 1894

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DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE ANY OF THIS?

The Bible has the following either implied or stated as fact:

Our universe was spoken into existence out of nothing…by a floaty thing  in the sky
Plants were created before the sun was.
The first man was created from dust.
The first woman was made from a rib taken from the first man. (we both have the same number of ribs however)
They are in a garden that has ‘magic’ fruit, to make people live forever and be smart.
There is a talking snake.  (did it have legs I wonder)
Incest was used to jump start the population.
There are Angels…good and bad…and demons.
There are giants and Unicorns.
There are witches, wizards and magicians.
There are bad Angels that rape human women.
Human pregnancy/reproduction is possible with no human father. (just like some of the other gods around the time of Jesus).
People can rise from the grave and walk the streets. (Zombies anyone?)
People live as long as 900+ years.
Dinosaurs and people lived together.
God commits genocide by flooding the earth and only saving 8 humans. (apparently the thought of just starting completely over never occurred to Him)
God makes the Sun stay in the sky so a human battle can be completed.
There is a talking, burning bush somewhere in the mountains of the Sinai desert .
There is a talking donkey.
People (other than Moses) can change wooden staffs into live snakes
A man sees Jesus in a beam of light…and all of Jesus’ thoughts and wishes are downloaded to him. (Hollywood Blvd. anybody?)
There is a man that lives inside a fish for 3 days.
Insects are said to have 4 legs (would a God REALLY be this stupid??)
The cure for leprosy is dove blood sprinkled on the toes (REALLY??)
If you position mating livestock in front of a stripped stick, they will produce stripped offspring.

Today we can actually disprove most of these Biblical assertions/stories.

Do mainline Christians really believe any of this is true?  Or is it just the fundamentalists wackos among us.

GOOGLE IS GOD

And here is the evidence:

http://www.thechurchofgoogle.org/Scripture/Proof_Google_Is_God.html

All hail Google.com

Somebody’s Gonna Be Disappointed

There are 200 countries in the world now.
Do those people honestly think that God is sitting around picking out his favorite?
Why would He do that?
Why would God have a favorite country?
And why would it be America out of all the countries?
Because you have the most money?
Because He likes our National Anthem?
Maybe it’s because He heard we have 18 delicious flavors of Classic Rice-A-Roni!
Its delusional thinking!
And America is not alone with this sort of delusions.
Military cemeteries around the world are packed with brainwashed dead soldiers who were convinced God was on their side.
America prays for God to destroy our enemies.
Our enemies pray for God to destroy us.
Somebody’s gonna be disappointed.
Somebody’s wasting their fuc_ing time.
Could it be everyone?

George Carlin

If And When Those Preachers Get Control

Mark my word; if and when those preachers get control of the (Republican) party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem.  Frankly those people frighten me.  Politics and governing demand compromise.  But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise.  I know. I’ve tried to deal with them.
……………..

Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed.

Arizona Republican Senator Barry Goldwater (1909-1998)

Young People Less Religious

One in three young Americans doubts the existence of God.

The Pew Research Center says 31 % of Americans under 30 have real doubts.  Compared to only 9 % of those over 65.

CNN news pointed out that these new numbers constitute a 15% drop in the numbers since 2007 when 83 % of the millennial generation said they believed in God.

This means that young people are expressing doubts about a God now more than ever before.

Worldwide, the Catholic Church is facing a shortage of priests, which the Vatican recently blamed on secularism, sexual abuse scandals, and parents’ ambition for their children.

It has also been reported that American Muslims are facing a shortage in the number of Imams needed.

Pew Research Center

Hopefully this trend will continue and perhaps defuse some of the religious conflicts, not only among the religions  themselves, but the  clashes between those who want freedom from the age-old evil intrusions into their brains, lives, and bedrooms.

The Jesus Myth

.Christopher Hitchens on Jesus and the Exodus
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The Oppression of Religion…?

“If you think that it would be impossible to improve upon the Ten Commandments as a statement of morality, you really owe it to yourself to read some other scriptures. Once again, we need look no further than the Jains: Mahavira, the Jain patriarch, surpassed the morality of the Bible with a single sentence: “Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being.” Imagine how different our world might be if the Bible contained this as its central precept. Christians have abused, oppressed, enslaved, insulted, tormented, tortured, and killed people in the name of God for centuries, on the basis of a theologically defensible reading of the Bible.”  Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation  My bold emphasis

Homo-sapiens and God

Christopher Hitchens– “Hitch”– Thankfully his words live on…

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Of course the ‘Creationists’ get around this by swearing that our ability to age-date artifact, rocks, and other items is faulty and the earth has only been around for 6,000 years, but we know they are mislead and very very wrong.

Muslims Kill Even More Christians

Nigeria, Africa will probably end up being a Muslim controlled country before long.  They have a group of Muslims who call themselves Boko Haram, and they’re out to kill any and all opposition to their wants…they started with the Christians.

 “Nigeria has been hit by a fresh wave of violence apparently targeting the country’s Christian communities. At least 17 people were killed in Mubi in Adamawa state as gunmen opened fire in a town hall where members of the Christian Igbo group were meeting.

There were also reports of a deadly attack in Adamawa’s capital, Yola.”  BBC Africa Here

I guess they figure if they get rid of the Christians there won’t be anyone left to stop their power grab.  Notice because they are Muslim’s they just kill instead of trying a democratic solutions…trying to win the hearts and minds maybe…instead of terror.

“Gunmen who are, from all indications, members of Boko Haram came in large numbers and have encircled police headquarters. They chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ [God is Great] and fired indiscriminately,” a resident told AFP.

Boko Haram, whose name means ‘Western education is forbidden’, is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.”

You know if atheism ruled there wouldn’t be any of this crap going on….:-)