The essay below is taken from an English web site. The author
name is not given, but what he writes has
been on my mind the past several years. I too have found email exchanges with
Christians to oft times be like dealing with the braindead. Read what he says.
Maybe if you're a Christian, maybe, just maybe, something might seep thru one of
your many cracks. If you're an Atheist, you'll catch yourself saying "Been
there, done that" as you read.
-----Mark Smith
It should be noted that I no longer reply to, or even read emails written by Christians. The simple reason for this is that after four years of running this website, I have gained the unmistakable impression that Christians are unable to produce anything which resembles a meaningful, objective and factual exegesis.
Samples of the emails received from Christians can be read through pages Christian apologetics, and Discussions with theists. These show, only too clearly, that those Christians who write are ignorant of their own faith and scripture, although, ironically, they are only too ready to accuse their opponents of 'ignorance'.
I seem to have spent much of my time correcting them of errors which presumably only exist through their refusal to undertake proper study of the subject and if they do undertake any study, this is confined to fundamentalist literature and their preacher's ravings.
No less relevant is the fact that many are unable to engage in dialogue without personal and slanderous remarks which of course demonstrates their desperation and the lack of any basis to their myths-beliefs.
In addition to the ignorance displayed of the subject, it is also evident that these Christians cannot be bothered to even read the content of the website which reveals either an extraordinary arrogance and/or ignorance. This becomes evident when, despite the fact that I have supplied more than sufficient information to corroborate a point made, this is ignored and the Christian will send an email raising issues which have been fully dealt with on the website.
Two examples of this are: in Discussion 8 where I have detailed how Jesus did not fulfill his prediction of being buried for '3 days and 3 nights' and yet Christians still write and say I am 'ignorant' of the fact that a part-day can be treated as a day and the Jewish reckoning of time is different. However, if they bothered to look at the website, they would see this is dealt with and, if anything, their suggestions make their own position even less plausible. This again confirms they have simply accepted what they have been told without bothering to analyze this.
In respect of contradictions, it has been necessary to point out the obvious, i.e., to show that the Bible is inerrant each and every contradiction has to be resolved: there is no logic in trying to 'explain away' the contradictions in just a few texts. Despite saying this countless times, I still receive puerile attempts by Christians to resolve the contradictions of a few Biblical texts. No less relevant is the fact that (a)in most cases their 'solution' is by simply rewriting the text to provide another meaning altogether, and/or (b)quoting large chunks of drivel from fundamentalist writings.I have said this so many times but because Christians appear to be so doltish it seems that I have to repeat it yet again:
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At
this stage it is also worth noting that many Christians take it upon
themselves to try and show there are no contradictions in the Bible.
They do this by selecting a small number listed on this website (NB.
this listing is not exhaustive anyway) and then, by virtually
rewriting the text, adding various meanings and/or omitting the
pertinent wording, they seek to show that no contradiction arises.
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A classic example of Christian ignorance and hypocrisy was provided by an email in December 2002. In this a Christian wrote saying that I 'couldn't read' as there is no contradiction between Genesis 1 and 2. However, if as the Christian argues, the contradiction is not there, this also means a large number of academics have also made precisely the same error. As shown in the latter part of Discussion 7, Professor Ringgren, one such academic, who is also a Christian, concedes the presence of the contradiction. The only difference here is that Ringgren is an academic who undertakes objective research and study whereas the Christian is disinterested in anything factual and accurate.
Presumably, as so often happens, the Christian did not bother to read this page before sending his puerile email, or considered himself better educated than a professor of theology. Interestingly, the Christian entered 'What the F*ck' as the subject title of his email (the '*' was however a 'u') indicating he, as other Christians, has customized his faith and ignores any Biblical injunctions which he does not like. In this case, Col 3:8.
The problem is also exacerbated by the fact that many of the writers appear wholly incapable of producing succinct statements, but chose to submit a long, rambling, disjointed tirade, lacking any empirical evidence and having little which is directly relevant, but expect the recipient to read this: secondly, many appear unable to write without the inclusion of numerous misspellings and grammatical errors.
Christian writers also demonstrate their gullibility and lack of reading by some of the arguments that they offer. For example one writer referred to how a Christian worker had been financially supported in his work which indicated miraculous intervention by God. In fact this type of claim was shown to be absurd nearly three hundred years ago by the philosopher David Hume who pointed out that miracles are claimed by adherents of all the religions. Therefore, unless one adopts radical pluralism, i.e., God works equally through all the different religions and belief-structures, the argument that Christian belief is shown to be valid by God performing a miracle in a Christian context, is clearly absurd. A minimal amount of thought and consideration would make this evident but Christians seem to be incapable of such activity.
It is noteworthy and significant that none of these Christians are able to invalidate the view expressed on this website that the Jesus, as depicted in the New Testament, never existed as a historical being: a viewpoint, which if correct, invalidates the entire Christian belief in one stroke. As noted, early Christian canonical writings (e.g. Paul's) say nothing about the life of Jesus as depicted in the Gospels; furthermore, there are no non-canonical writings, contemporary with the period in which Jesus is supposed to have lived, which make any mention of him whatsoever and this is despite there being historians active at the time. Consequently, any faith which is dependent upon the New Testament Jesus is therefore both wholly absurd and fanciful. This point, made elsewhere, is repeated here in the hope that some Christians may at least take the time to actually read and consider what is being asserted:
| We are expected to believe that Jesus was entirely ignored by all secular writers at the time that he supposedly lived even though:
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As also stated elsewhere:
| As far as I know, every person who runs a website that challenges Christian belief receives emails from Christians which have the following characteristics:
The Christian also cites the Bible, or rather, gives his/her interpretation from those particular carefully-selected parts of the Bible that suit his/her thinking but cannot show why the text should be considered as authoritative. If I cited the Upanishads or the Koran or Das Kapital to assert a point, I am sure the Christian would want evidence or sound reason for why these writings are to be deemed authoritative and he/she cannot do this with their citations. |
Consequently, I have come to the inevitable conclusion that Christians are simply incapable of analyzing the subject; it is of course bizarre that they
(a) Search out websites that challenge their faith
(b) Yet they do not bother to consider the content, but
(c) Send emails which fail to resolve anything of the challenges made.
As Christians repeatedly assert that the reason for
their faith is that 'Jesus saves them from their sin', this can only be
recognized as an admission that their faith is not based on empirical
evidence, or logic, or common sense, but it fulfils an emotion need or
resolves a feeling of inadequacy. In view of this it is hardly surprising
that Christians are incapable of reasoned debate.
Frequently I have been warned by Christian emailers
that when I die, I will be 'in
The Christian belief in hell is well-defined by
George H. Smith in Atheism: The Case Against God:
'Hellstands as a constant reminder of the essence of Christianity: God is to be obeyed because, in the final analysis, he is bigger and stronger than we are. And in addition, he is incomparably more vicious. With the warning of 'Obey God or burn in hell', we have a...revealing glimpse into the core of Christianity' (p.301). Finally, as a excellent example of the hypocrisy that pervades Christianity, I find it remarkable that these people who consider themselves Christians and are so confident of themselves that they seek out atheistic websites to argue against atheism, and yet they do not even satisfy the very conditions laid down in the Bible for Christian life. As stated elsewhere:
| Why do so many Christians fail to comply with Biblical statements? For example, Christ is said to have raised the dead, walked on water, fed many thousands with morsels of food, cured all manner of illnesses, and in John 14:12, he is reported to have said:
Despite the frantic attempts by Christians to give this a 'symbolic' or 'allegorical' meaning, the statement is absolutely clear: the 'rich' cannot enter heaven. 'Rich' in first century Palestine would have normally been understood to refer to having wealth which far exceeded basic day-to-day needs (Luke 16:19-23 which tells the story of the rich man and the beggar emphasizes this point. The faith or lack of faith of either man is not even mentioned: all we are told is that the rich man went to hell and the poor man/beggar to paradise).
And yet I have not
encountered a Christian who does this. All of this of course demonstrates that Christians 'customize' their faith, i.e., modify, amend and manipulate it so it suits their own preferred lifestyle. It is deemed to be fine if it resolves personal unresolved feelings of guilt, inadequacy and isolation but at the same time, it does not cause too much inconvenience and upset the desired lifestyle. And yet surely it is only reasonable to expect Christians to comply with all the scriptural instructions which apply to them before they begin preaching to others? |
'He who believes in me
will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he
do...'.
After writing this, I know that Christians will
continue to send inane emails simply because Christian belief requires
ignorance, narrow-mindedness and a complete inability to consider a differing
viewpoint. Any Christians who do send emails will simply be referred here.
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Email: bibleanalysis@yahoo.co.uk |