AM I
ANTI-CHRISTIAN?

Its been suggested to me that I am, so I decided to take a look at a few of the views I have and see what you think.

ANTI-CHRISTIAN?

1. I don't believe in a god or heaven….but I also don't blieve in a devil or hell. I believe the 'supreme', omnipotent and omniscient concepts behind them are not possible.

2. It upsets me that churches ask (and in some cases, insist) that you give them money. What's the money for (other than the priest's pocket)? Do you really think 'god' cares about how pretty the stained glass windows are, or how many seats there are or how big the building is???? Is this 'god' that materialistic and superficial…or is it just us humans?

3. I don't believe a 'church' has anything to do with size….prayer is prayer no matter if done in a temple alongside 300 other people, or in your closet by yourself.

4. When I enter religion chat rooms, the Christian rooms tend to call me an Atheist…..but then the Atheist rooms call me Christian. Go figure. LOL

5. On that same note, I enter Christian chats in order to share ideas and find out why they believe what they do. Yet, the minute I question anything, I am automatically attacked and ridiculed by them. When that happens, I get sarcastic. (Anti-Christian?)

6. Because I am a non-believer, some believers feel I am 'mad at the church, god or JC'. It never seems to occur to them that I may have legitimate reasons for NOT believing, and when I explain those reasons, they accuse me of bashing Christianity. That's funny considering I don't accuse them of bashing non-believing. Also, it's a LITTLE hard to be mad or angry at something you don't believe in to begin with.

7. When at a funeral or having Thanksgiving/X-mas dinner, I naturally don't bow my head in prayer. Regarding a funeral (and aside from not believing in a heaven or hell), I simply see it as if the person has a soul, whatever happens to it at that point, wherever it may go, our 'prayers' have no affect whatsoever. Think about it…..if the person was a 'good' person, then why are ya praying for them? They're already going to your heaven. If they were 'bad', then why waste your time?

8. "One nation under god" from the pledge offends me. It should be "One nation under FREEDOM". The same goes for the dollar bill…instead of "In god we trust", it should be 'Freedom'.

9. The bible is a book that was thought up by and written by man. Christians believe it was inspired by god or is the 'word of god'. Says who? The bible? In that case, its like I just said…..it was written by MAN. Therefore, because those men CLAIMED to be writing the words of a god, I'm expected to take their word for it? Or maybe its because there are 'so many' incidences in the bible where history was accurately predicted. In that case, why aren't we all praying to Nostrodamus????

10. If I believed in prayer, I would be praying to my favorite philosopher, Socrates. There was no person in history that made more sense. (and get this….he was Christian).

11. I don't care if you're Christian, Atheist, Agnostic or a Satanist. I simply want to know WHY.

12. If there IS a such thing as a 'sin', then why can't we ALL agree on what the hell it is? And if you believe something to be a sin, but I disagree with you…..WHO'S the sinner? If you then claim that its "up to god", then you have NO place to be calling me a sinner.

13. There are actually people who believe that the bible ISN'T subject to interpretation. If that was true, we wouldn't have so many varieties of religions, beliefs and bibles, let alone HOLY WARS.

14. How many Atheist wars can you think of happening throughout history?

15. Who's to say that this planet, man and other forms of life weren't made by a form of Alien? And I'm not talking about our Hollywood aliens from "Independence Day" or "ET". Who's to say that theory is any less legitimate than both creation and evolution?

16. I strongly believe we have created a god and a heaven out of our basic fear of death and 'beyond'. Whether you admit it or not, death scares the crap out of us, so we've created an all wonderful and loving place for your soul to go to afterwards. We refuse to believe that this life is IT (especially when the person you loved was brutually murdered or suffered through a disease). However, if you DON'T believe in this heavenly theory, then you're going to a hell…..a place of eternal damnation, fire and brimstone, suffering. If nothing else, it makes for a damn good premise for a movie. <wink>

17. If I have murdered, raped, maimed, etc., and am heading to the electric chair, why is there a priest accompanying me in my cell or on my short trip down the green mile? What's the point of him being there? If he's trying to give me 'one more chance to accept Jesus as my savior'…..what happens if I DO? Does that mean I will get to go to heaven now? If so, that meant that I was able to commit every crime in the book throughout my life, yet STILL make it to heaven. In that case, that kindof nullifies the idea behind 'sinning'.

18. If the phrases "Goddamn" and "Jesus Christ" are considering using the lord's name in vain and are sinful, then what happens to me when I happen upon some people setting fire to a church and I say "Goddam you! What are you doing?! Stop that!!!!" ? Did I sin?

19. If god is the one who does the 'judging', then who are you to judge me? Who are you to claim that what I am doing is wrong or sinful? Perhaps my actions were due to MY interpretation of the bible, Koran, etc.

20. If killing is a 'sin', then why do we have a military? Why do we allow ourselves to involve in war? Some say that war is different because it's us killing the enemy and protecting our country. Well, who's to say those 'enemy' countries weren't doing the same thing?

21. Many Christians believe that 'Judgement Day' is coming at some point. My question is, what do you think it'll 'Look' like? How do you invision the actual experience? I mean, are we talking about something subtle (in which case we'd probably lable it a plague or freak of nature if people started disappearing or dropping dead), or is it something more pronouced and spectacular (and loaded with f/x from ILM)?

22. Is god like Santa Clause? "He's making his list, he's checking it twice, he's gonna decide who's a sinner or nice"? You'd think that a supreme being, creator of all would have more important things to do.

23. What's with the term "A god-fearing man"? Isn't that a contradiction? Shouldn't it instead be a "Devil-fearing man"? And if I don't FEAR god and he sends me to hell, doesn't that contradict the whole 'god is all-loving' theory? I guess he's only all-loving IF you believe in him. THERE'S a contradiction for ya.

24. Apparently, if I am a good person and believe in god, I'm going to heaven. BUT, if I am good person who DOESN'T believe in god, I'm going to hell. HUH????

25. When I was younger, a Mormon friend of mine informed me that anyone who wasn't Mormon couldn't get into heaven. I then told her about my parents, how they are 2 of the most sweet, caring and generous people on the planet, yet they aren't Mormon. Therefore, can they go to heaven anyway? She said "Nope".

Now, before you all start knocking the Mormon religion, look at my little story with an Atheist in mind. <wink>

26. In my opinion, the general Christian theory of god sure does resemble that of the schoolyard bully: "If you don't believe in god, you're going to hell" sounds an awful lot like "If you don't give me your tweenkies, I'll beat the hell out of you!". Makes you wonder if we EVER grow up.

27. A 'true' Atheist generally believes that this life is IT; when you die, there is no soul or any form of an afterlife. They also tend to not believe in life outside of this planet. I find that terribly arrogant and close-minded. On the other hand, Christians seem to generally believe that we have 2 options after death- heaven or hell. That's not much better.

28. If its acceptable for Christians to be die-hard in their beliefs, to be SO sure that there IS a god, then why are non-believers considered close-minded?

29. If god is ALL-POWERFUL, why did he need to rest on the 7th day?

30. Why is god a 'HE'? If it weren't for the SHEs', there wouldn't BE any HE's.

31. If we're all born sinners, then I guess babies and children who die before they know any differently are going straight to hell.

32. If certain religions require their priests to remain celibate, then why do those priests preach to FAMILIES? Do they tell the families they're going to hell for having kids (SEX!)?

33. In confession, what does the priest say to someone who confesses to being a murderer or rapist?

34. If a homeless person comes up to you and claims they are Jesus Christ, why won't you believe them? Did you need to witness them come down from the sky? Do they need to work a miracle for you? Do they need wings? I was under the impression that "god works in mysterious ways". <wink>

35. If "things happen for a reason", then why do we knock, ridicule and punish the 'bad' things that happen?

36. If your personal religion believes that dating or marriage outside of your religion is a sin, then why do it? Doesn't that mean you are also sinning? And if you and your religion believe your (outside of religion) mate is going to hell, does that mean you are also going there due to dating, sleeping with or marrying them?

37. Lastly…..In my opinion, it all comes down to this: "All that matters is what works for the individual".

38. Why is it that believers assume I am seeking 'answers' or the 'truth' when I enter Christian chat rooms? Could it be that I am more intrigued by others who disagree w/ me?

39. If constantly discussing non-belief is considered 'obsessive', than doesn't that make missionaries and attending church the epitome of it?

40. Why are the Sunday morning church sermons on TV acceptable, yet an Atheist program would be considered unnacceptable and controversial? If believers are so convinced they are right, then what harm would a non-belief hour do?

41. When it comes to life after death, will the Christian who goes to church every Sunday end up on a 'higher plane of heaven' than the Christian who DOESN'T attend church?

42. Why can't believers accept or understand that non-believers don't believe in the theory of "It's better to be safe than sorry"? And what is it that we will be sorry about? I thought the god the believers believed is was all-loving. And even if this god weren't all-loving, surely he/she/it would understand why a person wouldn't believe in him/her/it.

43. Believers like to remind us that roughly 90% of the world's population believes in some form of a supreme being, therefore suggesting that non-belief is invalid and ludicrious. Yet, of that 90%, its intriguing the amount of different religions and views there are. Its even more intriguing the problems those varied views cause in the form of holy wars and terrorism. Therefore, before believers ridicule non-believers, do some self-reflection.

44. I had planned to avoid this particular subject, but it's very relevant. Molestation in the Catholic church. Yes, it's very typical of non-believers to use this subject in their favor, but before you go using that excuse, consider and accept how long the molestation has been happening within that church. It just happened to be revealed NOW.

And get this…..according to the media, the Catholic church decided on a lenient punishment for these priests. One of their reasons: "Catholic priests are scarce. We need all we can get.".

So much for the phrase "It's the QUALITY, NOT the quantity".

45. I believe that 'Faith' is a defense mechanism against the fear of the unknown.

46. If god is all-knowing, omnipotent and omniscient, then he/she/it already knows what my actions and thoughts will be. Therefore, why pray?

47. If god works in mysterious ways, then why be anti-abortion, gay, death penalty, gun control, non-believer, etc.? Perhaps those aspects ARE god's will.

48. Several years ago on a Saturday morning, a Jehovah's Witness came by. My mom invited her in and she proceeded to discuss her religion and display all of her pamphlets and brochures. She talked for 1-2 hours. Afterwards, she asked if my mom had any questions. Well, my mom is very intelligent and paid much attention to everything the lady had said. It was now my mom's turn as she pointed various contradictions and discrepancies within the words of the lady. Within just 10 minutes, the lady left, frustrated. Hehe.

49. I have often received brochures from churches, offering that I join them. These brochures included very impressive drawings, which displayed heaven as a place that is enclosed in a bubble, filled with light, jewels, riches and happy people. Maybe it's just me but that seems to be a profound contradiction.

50. If god wants us to give money to the churches so they can apply it to charities, the homeless, etc., what if those homeless people are criminals and drug users? And what if the charities include AIDS centers whose attendees include homosexuals?

51. If its god's job to pass judgement, and we decide that the punishment for a criminal will be execution, what happens if god doesn't agree with our decision? Will he now consider the 'executioners' to be sinners/murderers and send them to hell? Afterall, god is supposedly all-knowing, therefore he knows who is the actual criminal and who is innocent.

52. Believers often tell non-believers that it's "better to be safe than to be sorry". In that case, if some religions believe premarital sex, alcohol and smoking to be a sin, but others don't…..isn't it "better to be safe than sorry"?

53. If god is all-loving, then isn't it a contradiction that he/she/it would concern themself with people who sin or don't believe?

54. ….and if the above is true, then wouldn't the theory behind 'freewill' be irrelevant? Doesn't freewill suggest that we are free to decide to believe or not? Well, according to the above statement, it shouldn't matter.

55. If, during our limited human existance, we have the opportunity to choose between good and bad, why wouldn't we have the same opportunity AFTER death? Why is our soul limited to that decision during our brief life existance, but our 'afterlife' results with being damned and suffering throughout eternity? If we are able to change our minds or find faith in a god during our human life, why wouldn't the same be possible after death?

56. If the theory behind a god is incomprehensible by man, then how could we possibly claim to know about god? This thinking would nullify the bible.

57. If believers insist on clinging to the bible and its words, how would they react if a book was discovered which contradicted the bible? Why would that be any less legitimate? There have been non-believers as long as there have been believers. Why choose one over the other?

58. If I was a non-believer and I had a fatal disease, and towards the end of my short life I began reading the bible and attending church but hadn't quite made up my mind yet, then I died….am I going to heaven or hell?

59. If god created man, he/she/it was also fully aware of the emotions, decisions and actions that would come with human nature.Therefore, by god putting freewill standards on man, isn't that a cruel thing to do? It's as if god is toying w/ us. Then again, god is supposedly a 'supreme being', so god already knows what our emotions, decisions and feelings will be, so what's the point of me changing my ways? God's already aware of it. He/she/it is already aware of my heart and thoughts.

60. Why would god care if we pray to him/she/it? God is SUPREME. Surely the prayers of such miniscule humans wouldn't mean a thing. But if our thoughts and opinions DO matter, then god has one heck of an ego.

61. Why do believers feel there will be a 'judgement day'? Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years are all man-made. Why do you feel god is preparing for some particular day to pass judgement? And if it does exist, what are the factors that are required for it? Why would it happen on 'that' day as opposed to any other day throughout time? It didn't happen in the drug filled 60's. It didn't happen during any of the world wars. It didn't happen during Hitler's executions. What are we waiting for?

Did you ever stop to think that maybe 'judgement' happens when you DIE?

Perhaps there won't be a significant 'judgement day' that ruins the party for sinners and non-believers.

62. Regarding the film "Left Behind"….I have many issues with it, but I'll keep it at one aspect. Let's say you're on a plane for a vacation to see loved ones. You have your family with you and they are comprised of both believers and non, and the family you're visiting is comprised of the same. All of a sudden, BAM, judgement day happens and you're taken away to heaven, yet your non-believing family members are left behind.

Does that not piss you off? Does that not sadden you? Your son, whom you love with all of your heart, isn't joining you in heaven. He is either remaining on Earth or going to hell because of his non-belief. Either way, he's not with you. Do you accept that?

And why are you going to heaven when you loved someone(s) who was considered a sinner, who was going to hell?

Is it possible to truly love someone you feel is going to hell?

According to believers, hell is the absolute worst place to be. It defines all evil and damnation for eternity. Yet, you were able to love this person who is going there.

HUH??????

63. Why WAS the bible written? Why are there other books written which differ, such as the Koran, the Book of Mormon, etc.? Who's right?

64. Why is there an Old and New Testament? If an even 'newer' testament included and validified beliefs of Atheism, would you accept it?

65. If 'god' is the creator of everything, do you believe he only judges HUMANS? And if so, why? What about other life forms such as animals, insects, underwater life, plants and trees? Does he judge spiders? Whales? Algea? Life is life, is it not?

66. If god is against killing, then what are his/her/it's thoughts on HUNTING? FISHING? Knocking down forests for cities and malls? Would your answer be "That is for survival"? If so, really?

67. When we think of heaven, we generally envision a place of eternal happiness. But isn't our vision human-based? In that case, how can we can we possibly conceive of a place that is spirit/soul-based?

68. Why would our eternal SOUL be judged based on what our mortal HUMAN form does? That seems a bit unbalanced.

69. Here's an idea….if, as humans, we are sent to prison with a possibility of parole (a 2nd chance) based on our behavior in the slammer, then how about god sending us to hell with the same opportunity to get into heaven?

70. We base the tortures of hell on what we consider torturous to HUMANS. Can we really accurately claim the same tortures apply to the soul?

71. After a boxing match, the winner often says he'd like to "Thank the lord for his victory". My question is, then does that mean that the lord didn't like the loser? What if, during the pre-boxing show, they did backgrounds on each boxer and the loser was a guy who was a devout Christian? Hmmmm……

72. This is something that was sent to me..

">Remember God doesn't think as we thnk. It's possible for God to see and

> know ALL the choices and all the consequences in an infinite view. Humans

Ø simply can't do that."

Am I the only one who sees the massive contradictions in this??

73. Why is it that we can read the bible from front to back, over and over, preach like we KNOW it, make comments on all its 'accuracies', claim that we know 'THE TRUTH', claim that we know exactly what god wants and doesn't…..yet, we have NO idea when a JUDGEMENT DAY is????

74. Let's say that some of your loved ones are non-believers who won't be going to heaven. Which would you prefer for yourself:

A. Going to heaven without those non-believer loved ones….or

B. Going to a different place with ALL of your loved ones?

If you chose A, isn't that rather selfish?

75. If god is all-loving, why would he/she/it even ALLOW a hell to exist?

76. If god already knows the decisions and path I will take, doesn't that cross out the idea of 'freewill'?

77. If killing is a sin, and one day I am playing with my dad's gun with my little brother and I accidentally shoot him dead, am I going to hell?

78. If my interpretation of the bible is that all gays, jews and African Americans are sinful or unnatural people, amd I going to heaven for being destructive towards them?

79. If the murderers' of Lincoln, JFK, Martin Luther King and John Lennon killed those men because they believed that was what god wanted, are they going to hell?

80. If Anton Levay (author of the "Satanic Bible") was on his deathbed and accepted jesus, is he going to hell?

81. They say "There are no Atheists in foxholes". If so, is it possible those Atheists are out there on the battlefield FIGHTING for our country? If so, are they going hell?

82. Oswald murdered JFK. Jack Ruby murdered Oswald. Is Ruby going to hell?

83. To many, the Ouija Board is considered a gate to hell, or the Devil's doorway. Therefore, if I use it to ask if I will find romance or if my Grandmother is in heaven, am I going to hell?

84. A close friend of mine is Christian. He was dating a girl who was Southern baptist and she strongly believed anyone who didn't share HER beliefs were going tohell.

HUH?????

85. I love Christmas. I see it as a time to gather with loved ones and give.

86. I love Christmas music. My favorites are "Silent Night" & "O Holy Night". Not for the words…for the melodies.

87. If 90% of the world can imagine there is a god, then things would become REAL interesting if we were to discover a planet that was 90% non-believers.

88. The funny thing is, regardless of all the research we may do over time and any of the findings we may make in regards to the origin of man, believers in evolution and believers in creation will NEVER agree. They will never settle or give in to the other's side.

89. Tell me what's the difference b/t these 2 scenerios:

A. Your boss tells you "Do as I say or I'm firing you."

B. God tells you "Do as I say or I'm sending you to hell."

If we seem to hate our boss and think he/she is an asshole when they say that, why not god?

90. If a person practices Satanism and enjoys torture, and their idea of heaven IS hell and vice versa, where is god sending them when they die?

91. If a person spent their life in some tribe in a remote jungle and they never had any knowledge in a god, devil, heaven or hell, where are they going after death?

92. If while in confession, we are told to say a certain amount of prayers and verses in order to have our sin forgiven, but we end up doing less than told….is our sin not forgiven?

93. What happens to people with mental disabilities after they die?

94. If it turned out that your local/personal preacher was actually a non-believer 'in the closet', would that have an effect on the fate of the people he preached to? Afterall, his preachings weren't legitimate to his heart and actual thinking.

95. Since the bible is subject to interpretation, that means that there may be parts of it a believer doesn't agree with. Yet, the bible is supposed to be the word of god. Therefore, if I don't agree with some of god's word, am I going to hell? Are there certain verses that are more important than others? What if I didn't agree with one of them or I interpreted it differently than what god meant?

96. Believers always want to "help" non-believers "see the truth" and accept jesus. This includes non-believers asking various questions. Believers usually see these questions as non-believers searching for truth and answers, not that they are 'Anti-Christian'. Many of these questions are the SAME questions which I have stated in this list. Therefore, why is it that one particular Christian friend of mine claims that I AM Anti-Christian based on these general questions? Is this not a double standard?

97. A few believers have insisted that I read the bible front cover to cover, and then I will supposedly understand it all (or much of it) and they will THEN take me seriously. Ok, so let's say I do that, and then I pick out all of the contradictions I find and then send those to my believing friends. What will they THEN say? Would they then listen to ME, or just say "Well, the bible is subject to interpretation"?

Well, if they state the later, then here are my responses:

A. True, and it was YOUR interpretation that I needed to read it, therefore it was unneccesary.

B. Therefore you're not going to validate my opinions any more than had I NOT read it. So then, why the hell should I listen to YOURS?

C. Now its YOUR turn to read the "Atheist Bible".

98. Many believers tend to forget that there are many non-believers who started out as BELIEVERS, but changed. Those people DID read the bible and attend church, yet they changed.

99. I feel like Obi-won in Star Wars when Darth Vader is about to strike him down. Obi says "Vader, if you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you ever imagined." That would be me after reading the bible and it lending to my non-beliefs.

<wink>

100. Well now, wasn't this fun???? Beer anyone?

PS……some of you will consider what I've written to be controversial.

                                                                                      WHY?

RESPONSES & MY COMMENTS ON THEM

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