I'd like to introduce you to a species of human: the Idiot (homo ignoramus). Now, the Idiot is quite an inflexible creature, unable to cope with certain things. If the Idiot asks you for something, and you don't want to give it, my advice is to only say "yes" only if you're very desperate for a "friend". Saying "no" to the Idiot results in the same question being asked again. And again. So you say to them, "No means no." And they ask again.
Sometimes they'll come up with words like "pretty please" and, most dominant, "I'll be your friend." This is called the friendly Idiot (homo ignoramus prettipleasus), often a fan of the guilt trip.
Other times, they won't even ask, instead they'll say something like "give it here you fucking retard." Often they won't request anything. They'll call you anything listed in the Idiot manual; as for anything else, they won't bother. This is called the stupid Idiot (homo ignoramus retardus). The best antidote for these is to imagine them writing "your a retard", or "your gae" (something I actually have seen written somewhere - if you've been in D11 at my school, you would probably have seen this one).
Then there's the ones who think they're cool. They're the crowd Idiots (homo ignoramus imgunnasmashyoubro-us). If you correct them, they'll say something like the following: "what? what? you wanna fight? i'll smash you, cunt." If you end up grabbing their arm and being like an assertively-speaking brick wall instead, then this type of Idiot can be quite amusing.
I may have not covered all types of the humble* Idiot. But they have this one thing in common: nothing seems to get into their head, unless, of course, it's all about them, or puts them in the spotlight. That, my dear friend**, is what an Idiot is all about.
* Which of course is bullshit. This is the problem with this writing style. Some idioms really suck.
** This could also be bullshit. You have been warned.
So, there's a nice introduction to the Idiot.
Now, if you are an Idiot, and also an Atheist, then this post is definitely about you. Yes, you are in the spotlight. I have several tins of tomatoes here, and depending on the way you act, I may or may not open them beforehand. Yes, there are Idiots out there who are also Christians, but someone should be able to set them straight, and then they might actually follow the book.
If you're not an Idiot, but an Atheist nonetheless, then this post is still about you, but I'll refrain from using those tomatoes.
I have several arguments I want to attack. Let's make a list, shall we?
1. "There is no God. There just isn't."
You suck. You just do.
2. "There is no God, because Darwin said so."
Or anyone else. Oddly enough, in his later years, Darwin became an Agnostic. Unfortunately, he was an anything-but-Christianity Agnostic. That probably gives away his intention: to write some gibberish just to counteract Christianity. Kinda like this guy...
3. "There is no God, because Richard Dawkins said so."
The problem behind your reasoning is simple: Richard Dawkins is full of shit. In his TV special, "The root of all evil?", he attempted to link the Islamic terrorists behind the London bombings with Christianity, which is something you don't do. Why? Because Christianity and Islam are different religions. Forget what they say about Allah being the Christian god; it's just a scam. The Christian god's name is Yahweh.
Here's a much more complete article on the matter, and I will quote from it:
"[H]ow does this 'intellectual laziness' come across on TV? It is seen in the large number of unsubstantiated allegations that he made in both segments, which must have had the more-honest atheist evolutionists cringing with embarrassment." I personally have not seen this show, and by the look of it, I personally don't want to waste 90 minutes of my life watching it.
Heck, even Wikipedia makes him look stupid. "Dawkins rounds off this episode with a presentation of Bertrand Russell's celestial teapot analogy. He argues that just because science has not yet answered every conceivable question about the universe, there is no need to turn to faith, which has never answered anything of significance."
How the fuck do you know that it has never answered anything of significance? You don't fucking know.
4. "The Bible is full of contradictions!"
A lot of the ones with an unobvious answer have been debunked. Have a look at this. While some appear to hold water, some certainly don't. For example, "The bat is not a bird." Hang on - aren't you looking for contradictions within the Bible, and not your personal beliefs? Also, some aren't contradictions at all:
What was Jesus' prediction regarding Peter's denial?
- Before the cock crow - MAT 26:34
- Before the cock crow twice - MAR 14:30
And the author of this list has some responses for people "correcting" him. I am going to say something for every response.
- "That is to be taken metaphorically." - I find it ironic that a joke can be used to debunk your comeback... Here's the snippet (full version): " When Jesus broke the bread at the last supper, he said, 'Take this and eat it, for it is my body.' He did not say 'Eat me'." If Jesus had the nature of God, and Jesus was metaphorical here, couldn't God be metaphorical? And if we are derived from God, and we can be poetic, doesn't that mean that God can be poetic? Heck, there's a part I'm thinking of where God is being sarcastic. (It's something like "Go on, sin with all your might", when Israel is being unfaithful and seemingly oblivious to God)
- "There was more there than...." - I have no fucking idea what you're talking about. Also, a good Christian will not add to verses.
- "It has to be understood in context." - Two wrongs don't make a right.
- "There was just a copying/writing error." - The only thing that God explicitly wrote was the Ten Commandments, and that was on a couple of stone tablets. Well, he wrote them twice, as the first pair were broken.
- "That is a miracle." - Miracles don't have to be "physically possible".
- "God works in mysterious ways." - God doesn't do the same shit every time.
Bullshit. Also, what about Agnosticism? (Hopefully I have the right "video" there.) Heck, you could even look into Bhuddism; I hear they teach religious tolerance. Which is something you quite clearly don't have.
6. "The Bible is out of date."
That's what Israel must have thought before God sent them into exile, as they were worshipping idols ("This stick is your god"), but some were also making a half-assed effort towards God. Which, ironically, was very retrospective. While there are old laws in there which serve no purpose in today's society, they aren't the main point of the Bible.
I'll tell you what's out of date. Darwin's "The Origin of the Species" is out of date.
7. "Christianity is basically saying, 'Follow me or you will be damned.'"
No, it's saying, "Follow me and you will be saved." If Hell is a metaphor for nothingness, then this is supplying an alternative.
8. "Well, the Bible can be interpreted in so many ways."
Some bits can, some bits can't. This is more of a comeback when someone brings something like this up. Well...
"Circumcision on the eighth day is ideal (Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3; Luke 1:59). Medical science has discovered that the blood clotting chemical prothrombin peaks in a newborn on the eighth day. This is therefore the safest day to circumcise a baby. How did Moses know?!"
This is a custom. It's not a matter of interpretation. It's a matter of association.
9. "Evolution has survived the test of time."
150 years. While being changed, of course. DNA, as we know it today, was discovered in 1953 [citation given], which would make that about 55 years. And how long has the Bible lasted? Thousands. Yet people still believe it.
10. "<INSERT CANNED RESPONSE HERE>"
"You will find yourself wrong on some things and right on some things, but, please, in the process, don’t be arrogant." -- Ted Haggard, whilist having to suffer the terrible fate of being in the same room as Richard Dawkins.
11. "You should be nice to Atheists, and encourage them."
No, I should not. See point #5, and harden the fuck up.
12. "Don't mix religion with science."
Is this your half-assed way of attempting to disintegrate religion? Christianity, according to the Bible, should be commonplace. Also, what if all your science points to God? Then what are you going to do?
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I deliberately decided not to elaborate on point #1, just like the people who fit under this category deliberately decided not to elaborate on why they think there is no God.
Now, I will propose my argument.
What do you benefit from Atheism? The only "benefit" is the "assurance" that you can do whatever the fuck you like.
Sorry, but life doesn't work that way, sweetie. You're actually going to have to work with others, people who you may or may not agree with. My advice is, for at least one day, stop reading blogs and actually go for a ride on your bike. Don't have one? Take a walk instead. They're both good for you.
Yes, of course you're familiar with the concept of "you". But what about the concept of "other people"? How far are you willing to go for others?
Of course, I'm not saying that you should try to please everyone - you can't.
With a moral code, everything works a lot better, unlike what Richard bloody Dawkins says. Richard "I know everything" Dawkins claims that you can have an Atheistic moral code. But where is the "religious" base for it? The answer: there is no base. Atheism is bland. This breed of Atheism is based around the idea that there was not, is not, and can not be a god, which in my opinion is a pretty pathetic base. Yeah, sure, most Atheists do have a moral code, but it's not a common code, and there's not really a lot behind it.
Everyone has some form of "god". Be it money, be it work, be it friends (that sounds creepy). If you can't think of a god, then chances are it's probably yourself.
If you say that your "god" is "defending Atheism", you're a liar. That's merely a task for defending your selfish lifestyle.
Strangely enough, I am aware of three Atheists' lifestyles and living conditions. In each case, I think, "man, that guy really needs God's help."
Here's a little thing to close the lid on this case. Most of the religious attacks I've come across are about Christianity (although there are quite a few against Islam these days). The way that the other parties attack Christianity seem to lead towards the idea that there is a Devil. And my duty as a Christian is not only to follow God, but to disappoint the Devil in doing so. The Devil wants us to believe that there is no God, so I'm going to disappoint the Devil by saying that if there is a Devil, then there is a God.
Here's my logic:
- My duty as a Christian is to follow God.
- The Devil is the enemy of God.
- Therefore, I must work against the Devil.
- In doing so, the Devil is wanting me to turn away from God.
- One of the methods that the Devil uses is to make us think that there is no God.
- Therefore, to deadlock the Devil's argument, I am willing to say that if there is a Devil, then there is a God.
And that's my message.
If you would like to object to the profanity I have used, then I may have no choice but to work on one of the drafts I have, entitled: "dont sware: I'm so fucking sorry.