WWJD? Here's the Answers Jesus Offered

What I Would Do
By: Jesus

    I saw the funniest thing the other day while shopping in a gag gifts shop. Are you familiar with the little eight-ball thingies that give you answers when you ask them questions and then turn them upside down? I saw one of those, but instead of being set in an eight-ball it was set in a little pink statue of me. The answers the little pink me offered were “I Would”, “Hell No”, “Maybe”, “It Is Possible”, “I Wouldn’t”, and “Only If No One Is Watching”.
 
     Since so many people are so interested in what I would do in various situations and what my opinions and thoughts are on various issues, I will now make such things known. I will do this by presenting some of the correspondences people have sent to me asking questions, as well as the answers I gave to each questioning individual. Please keep in mind that these letters have no particular order and I number them for simplicity’s  sake.
 
     Letter 1
    “Dear Jesus, my car has recently been impounded again. What should I do?”
    John Harper, Topeka, Kansas 
    “Dear John, stop driving without insurance, you ninny!”
   
    Letter 2
    “Deer Geezus, Gas is got real ‘spensive, an I cain’t nary afford to take the brats tuh skool. Whut shold I do?”
    Thad Pickens, Vail, Arkansas
    “Dear Thad, buy a horse, because if your road sign reading skills are as bad as your writing skills you should not be driving.”

    Letter 3
    “Dear Jesus, I think the cops in my area are trying to harass me. I have received sixteen speeding tickets this week alone. What should I do?”
    Stephanie Glenn, Los Angeles, California
    “Dear Steph, slow the freak down!”

    Letter 4
    “Dear Jesus, I have stopped smoking crack but things are not progressing like I hoped they would. What do you recommend I do?”
    Barron Rickson, Los Banos, California
    “Dear Barron, I recommend you stop popping the pills. You did stop the crack and I am proud of you for that. But, then you replaced the crack with valium. You cannot replace one bad habit for another and expect good results.”

    Letter 5
    “Dear Jesus, I am very frustrated with the programming on cable television. Whenever I don’t have cable all the good shows and movies are on. Whenever I do have cable the silver screen suddenly loses all concepts of reasonable and interesting shows. What the heck would you do?”
    Russell Speelock, Providence, Rhode Island
    “Dear Russell, if you know that every time you subscribe to cable that the programming takes a nose-dive then don’t subscribe to the freaking cable. Get one of those special little ‘black boxes’ that hawk the cable signal for free. You won’t be paying for cable then and it stands to reason that the programming will still be great.”

    Letter 6
    “Dear Jesus, I don’t know exactly what my problem is. What I do know is I have a real problem finishing projects or various activities that I start. Sometimes I do get really, really close to finishing a project…and then I crap out. Am I stupid or what? What do you recommend?”
    Worried and Anxious, Passamahquaddy, North Dakota
    “Dear Worried, you’re stupid. First you say you don’t know what your problem is. Then you say you have a problem finishing the projects you start. I recommend lithium at high doses.”

    Letter 7
    “Dear Big Man, my seventeen year old son is considering joining the military. This scares the hell out of me considering that as years go by it seems like America is fighting a whole bunch of other peoples’ wars. My son is so young and so smart. I am scared to my very core for him. What can be done?”
    Gorsky Spvotnik, Boise, Idaho
    “Dear Gorsky, I know how you feel, I really do. I know it is difficult to watch your children grow and start making their own choices. In the end, we must allow our children to make their own choices. Sometimes what we think is good for them isn’t good for them, much less something they want. If that answer doesn’t help, well, break your son’s legs. Both of them. He won’t be going anywhere for a while then. Plus, if he is somehow permanently maimed the military will not allow him in. Think about that one.”

    Letter 8
    “Dear Jesus, I was gambling the other day at one of the local Native American gambling establishments where I live. I like playing cards and so I set up shop at one of the Paigow tables. I changed in five hundred dollars and prepared to enjoy a night of gambling. Within eight minutes I burned through the five hundred and had to go to the ATM to get more money. I lost a whopping sixteen thousand dollars that night. How could this happen? I’ll tell you how…the dealers cheat! I know they change the cards when I look away, that their shuffle machine purposely stacks the cards in favor of the dealer, and that if the dealer does not like a certain player that player will consistently lose. I do not know who to contact about this serious problem. Do I go to the casino security, casino Human Resources, or the casino Gaming Commission? What would you do?”
    Jose Delgado-Cruz, Sacramento, California
    “Dear Jose, if I were you I think I would hang myself, you moron. Do you really think the gambling business was built on winners? Tell you what, why don’t you go and sell a kidney, triple mortgage your home, and then blow all the money in five minutes of play at a Casino War table to make your circle of stupidity complete.”

    Letter 9
    “Dear Jesus, I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine concerning who people should vote for in the upcoming elections. I said I was not going to vote for any of the good-for-nothing, shit-for-brains politicians. My friend said that not voting was a cop out and that if I do not vote I have zero right to complain. In my personal opinion I would rather abstain from voting rather than cast a ballot for people I never wish to be in charge. I told my friend I did not care to vote for such terrible politicians. What would you do in my position?”
    Reanna Wilson, San Antonio, Texas
    “Dear Reanna, I would bitch-slap your friend and then remind them that people who thought they were voting for the lesser evil in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Elections are now kicking themselves. The spawn of number forty-one sure as hell screwed things up now, didn’t he?”

    Letter 10
    “Dear Jesus, my kids and I were trying to count how many times the ‘f’ word is said in the movie Scarface. We keep losing count at about forty-three. What would you do?”
    Jerry Nolan, Anaconda, Florida
    “Dear Jerry, I would give up trying to count how many times the ‘f’ word is said in that movie. Time and again I myself have tried to count how many times it is said. I almost always lose count at about thirty-three. So, you have done better than me, actually. Be happy with that and move on.”

    Letter 11
    “Dear Jesus, I love playing Blackjack, but sometimes I get confused about the rules. If you had a pair of eights and the dealer is showing a six what would you do?”
    Devin Merrick, Lebanon, Missouri
    “Dear Devin, eights and aces are the only pairs in Blackjack that always split. Keep in mind this goes for single deck, double deck, four deck, and six deck Blackjack games.”

    Letter 12
    “Dear Jesus, I am always a dollar short and a day late. If you were in my shoes what would you do?”
    Kellen Walch, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
    “Dear Kellen, first I would take off your shoes and change your socks. They smell like rancid cheese. Then, I would sent out an extra payment a day early.”

    Letter 13
    “Dear Jesus, I have had this itching for three straight weeks now. It is driving me up the friggin’ wall! What should I do?”
    Bobby Locke, Candlewick, Oregon
    “Dear Bobby, I recommend you get something stronger than penicillin to take.”

    Letter 14
    “Dear Jesus, would you have dropped the atom bombs on Japan?”
    Matt Gable, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    “Dear Matt, shah! Of course not! But, since you were stupid enough to actually ask me that question I will happily drop one on you!”

    Letter 15
    “Dear Jesus, what would you do about steroid use in professional sports?”
    Frank Brinkley, San Diego, California
    “Dear Frank, I would kick the pansy asses of the offending athletes permanently out of sports. In addition, any and all statistical data or individual accomplishments of the offending athletes would be automatically negated for all time. And I wouldn’t have any of this ‘game suspension’ crap that so many sports nowadays employ. Heck no. If they test positive BAM! They’re out!”

    Letter 16
    “Dear Jesus, this morning I returned home from my trip to Las Vegas. While there I admit I drank huge quantities of alcohol. So much so that even right now I have a savage hangover. But that is not the worst of it. I noticed I was wearing a wedding band. I have zero recollection of the last few days of my trip, let alone getting married. I am so up the creek when my fiancé finds out. What should I do?”
    Franklin Menthe, Provo, Utah
    “Dear Franklin, wow! So much for what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Well, let’s see…what to do, what to do. If you do not live with your fiancé you’ll be alright. Just make sure your home insurance is paid up; you see, your fiancé has a vengeful streak you don’t know about. If you DO live with her, I can’t help you, pal. You’re screwed.”

    Letter 17
    “Dear Jesus, I know my teenage son is smoking cigarettes, but try as I may I just can’t find where he is hiding his stash. What would you do?”
    Annette Grogan, De Moines, Iowa
    “Dear Annette, look in his sock drawer inside the balls of rolled-up socks. By the way, he hides his doobies on the top of the door frame to his closet.”

    Letter 18
    “Dear Jesus, I am having problems trying to beat the video game where you’ve got to commit crimes and find weapons and kill rival gangs and such. A lot of the ‘jobs’ that are supposed to be accomplished in order to go to the next level are ridiculously hard, or I get really, really close to finishing the job and then my guy dies. What would you do?”
    Chad Hawke, La Mesa, Arizona
    “Dear Chad, I am surprised you haven’t figured out how to use cheat codes. You have got to use cheat codes, because you don’t know what you’re missing! I have the exact same game you have and I love it! Did you know there are cheat codes for samurai swords, military tanks that can fly, jet-packs, grenade launchers, Kalashnikov rifles with never-ending ammunition, and even chainsaws? Did you know you can even put in a code where you will get your very own Harrier jet? Dude, use the cheat codes!”

    Letter 19
    “Dear Jesus, what would you do for a Klondike Bar?”
    Amy Wren, Bismuth, North Dakota
    “Dear Amy, absolutely nothing. I do not like chocolate.”

    Letter 20
    “Dear Jesus, I just found out that my husband of nineteen years has been cheating on me. I am crushed and don’t know what to do. What would you do?”
    Georgia Atherton, Orlando, Florida
    “Dear Georgia, I am so sorry you are going through such a hard time. I know how faithful you were to your husband and how much you loved him. Here’s what you do, hon. First, do not let on that you know what he’s been doing. Second, immediately empty all bank accounts you share with him and cash in all money market accounts, retirement accounts, and anything of the like. Put all of that money into a bank account somewhere in Jamaica or another Caribbean Isle banking institution. Thirdly, book yourself a flight to wherever it is you opened your account. Fourthly, empty the house of everything and sell it, put it in storage, or take it with you to your new home in the Caribbean Isles. Don’t forget to take the ice trays. Last, but certainly not least, get on that plane and don’t look back. Remember, if they cheat on you they’re not worth the tears.”

    Letter 21
    “Dear Jesus, my brat of a teenager kid won’t stop taking the car without my permission. The little turd doesn’t listen to anything I say and I swear I’m about to go ballistic. I try hiding my car keys, but that spawn of mine must have made a bunch of copies ‘cause he still drives off. What would you do?”
    Bob Stebbins, Sallisaw, Oklahoma
    “Dear Bob, put a potato or a banana in the tailpipe and he won’t get far. Other things you can do if you don’t even want him to make it out of the driveway are remove the battery, unplug the sparkplug wires (just remember which order they go back in so if you need to go somewhere you can hook it back up and it will start), remove various relays, remove necessary fuses, or remove one of the tires, leaving the vehicle on a jack (my personal favorite!).”

    Letter 22
    “Dear Jesus, is it possible for freewill to be reconciled with predestination?”
    Tabitha Winslow, Tampico, Washington
    “Dear Tabitha, absolutely not! If a final decision and outcome are known beforehand then out of logical necessity freewill cannot exist. Now, what can be known beforehand is what the available choices are…but that is all. The final outcome is never known beforehand. The only thing that can be said to be known beforehand is that there are CHOICES, and that if one stays a particular path then a particular result is bound to or very likely to happen. I find the attempted reconciliation of these two concepts fascinating.
    Here is another way with which to view this particular issue. If the principle is that a given situation or individual is predestined to specific outcomes, choices, or expressions and nothing else and not by the express choices of the prime factors but by outside influence, then it follows out of necessity that there is no freewill within or experienced by the prime factors. For example, if there is some great power ‘out there’ that dictates that something will or will not happen to X, Y, or Z, regardless of what decisions and actions X, Y, and Z make or take, then there cannot exist freewill for X, Y, or Z. In order for X, Y, and Z to have freewill there must not exist known and irrevocable set outcomes and consequences. Each individual must create their own set of outcomes and consequences, and even these can change by simply choosing a different set of actions.
    There are many people who mistakenly believe that knowing the possibilities, probabilities, or eventualities is the same thing as predestination. It is not. Existence is of it’s own self freewill. Therefore predestination as an ideal of absolutism does not exist. Think about that one.”

    Letter 23
    “Dear Jesus, what is your favorite offensive play in college football?”
    Kevin Hartson, St. Louis, Missouri
    “Dear Kevin, my favorite offensive play in college football is the Flea Flicker.”

    Letter 24
    “Dear Jesus, what is your favorite television show involving cops or law enforcement?”
    Jennifer Sampson, Juneau, Alaska
    “Dear Jennifer, my favorite television show having to do with cops or law enforcement is Columbo. Hands down! Not only is the main character, played by Peter Faulk, smart like a fox, but he takes being irritating to a whole new level of aggravation. He is always telling the people he is investigating, “Uh, just one more thing!” I’m telling you, for my money it doesn’t get better than Columbo.”

    Letter 25
    “Dear Jesus, what in the world do people mean when they are talking about ‘counting cards’ in Blackjack?”
    Debora Zane, Tallywood, North Carolina
    “Dear Debora, what ‘counting cards’ in Blackjack means is to keep track of a negative or positive score (also known as ‘the count’) based upon the cards that have been dealt. It takes considerable practice, but it can definitely be learned and utilized to help an individual fare better while playing Blackjack. How you do it is something like this: Cards one (also known as the ace) through six all have a value of plus one. Cards seven, eight, and nine have a value of zero and are considered neutral. Ten cards and face cards (also known as court cards) have a value of negative one.
     For all of the cards that you see as the dealer reveals them (or deals them) you keep a mental score. For example, say the first hand in a shoe has three aces, two fours, a seven, and a ten. Each ace is a plus as are the fours. This makes a score of plus five. Remember the seven card has a value of zero so the score of plus five does not change. The ten card has a value of negative one so the score goes from plus five to plus four. Whenever ‘the count’ is a high positive count, like plus five and higher, you definitely want to raise your bet. Whenever the count is even or a negative count you want to make sure you have the absolute minimum bet out.
    Now, I might be a tad bit off on the card values by a tad, to be honest. It might be that the ace through the five cards are the positive counts, the six through the eight are the neutral or zero counts, and the nine, ten, and court cards are the negative counts. I very rarely play this card game as I actually prefer Texas Hold ‘Em. So, to make sure just go to a card counting website and double check. Oh, and, if you decide to use the card counting technique don’t make it obvious by betting mega money every time you get a high positive count. Trust me, be conservative and patient. The dealers as well as the floor supervisors and pit managers know what to look for to spot card counters, and consistent mega money bets on high counts will get your butt tossed off the game or out of the casino. Don’t get greedy and want big money fast. Even though card counting is not against the law you will be asked to leave the gambling establishment you are in if you are suspected.”

    Letter 26
    “Dear Jesus, I want to buy a new car. Unfortunately, I am having trouble deciding between a BMW and a Mercedes Benz. What would you do?”
    Alan Boyd, San Francisco, California
    “Dear Alan, I would pick the car I feel and look sexier in.”

    Letter 27
    “Dear Jesus, I just got married yesterday and already this woman who I thought I knew is making me CRAZY! Is it going to get better? What would you do?”
    Brian Somes, Emmerson, Colorado
    “Dear Brian, if she is this crazy this soon you can safely bet it will not get better. In fact, it will probably get worse, much worse. Screw getting divorced. Get your marriage annulled…immediately.”

    Letter 28
    “Dear Jesus, I was playing baccarat and the bank went on a 13 and 0 run. I stopped betting the bank on the tenth hand and probably lost out on five hundred dollars I could have won. What would you have done?”
    Baccarat Man, Las Vegas, Nevada
    “Dear Baccarat, ride the pony till it stops.”
   
    Letter 29
    “Dear Jesus, my fiancé wants me to sign a prenuptial agreement. This actually surprises me a little and upsets me a lot. What would you do?”
    Helen Edison, Dover, Delaware
    “Dear Helen, it sounds to me like your man has some trust issues. Why should you pay for his insecurities? Keep the ring and tell him to kiss your ass.”

    Letter 30
    “Dear Jesus, I just can’t seem to find a good man. Most of the men that seem to have potential turn out to be dorks, intellectually embarrassing, lazy, or are simply nowhere near the people that they initially presented themselves to be. I lose interest in the men around me so quickly. Am I asking for too much in a man? Are my standards too high? What is my problem and what would you do?”
    Laurel Griffin, Atlanta, Georgia
    “Dear Laurel, you’re a lesbian, you silly girl! Stop trying to hook up with a man, find a woman you love, and be happy!”

    Letter 31
    “Dear Jesus, my wife and I divorced three years ago. Since that time my ex-wife asks me for money every month. She says it is for helping her take care of our twin boys of whom she has custody, and to help pay bills. I need her to stop asking me for money. She is the one with the good job and the custody of our boys; that in and of itself ought to be good enough. What would you do?”
    Paul Smith, Juneau, Alaska
    “Dear Paul, dial ‘0’ for assistance since you seem to be confused about what your responsibilities and obligations are in respect to your family.”

    Letter 32
    “Dear J-Man, my boss wrote me up for being an hour late to work even though I told him my alarm clock did not go off. He just would not listen to me. Then, he gave me a warning for eating at my desk. To make things even worse he only gives me two half hour breaks every six hour workday, made me pay for the office microwave I accidentally blew up when I put a burrito in for fifty minutes instead of five, and even put me back on employee probation. This guy obviously has it out for me. What should I do?”
    Markus Lozenger, Helena, Montana
    “Dear Markus, your letter made no goddamn sense whatsoever. Are you always like this or do you take stupid pills? Know that there is help available. Seek it.”

    Letter 33
    “Dear Jesus, why were the three mice blind?”
    Joshua Miller, Jefferson City, Missouri
    “Dear Joshua, they played with firecrackers.”

    Letter 34
    “Dear Jesus, what is the point of the children’s poem ‘Hey Diddle, Diddle the Cat and the Fiddle’, because I can’t figure out what the hell it is supposed to mean.”
    Francis Shears, Columbus, Ohio
    “Dear Francis, the point is to never do psychedelic drugs.”

    Letter 35
    “Dear Jesus, I thought that I was in the process of developing a relationship with this really beautiful girl where I worked a while back. I mean, nothing ever happened, but there were all the signs, you know? Flirting, lingering glances, purposely walking close or passing close so that we would touch…well, that was what it was like everyday that we worked together, and even seemed to be increasing in frequency as time went on.
    Well, I tried a couple of times to broach the idea of maybe going out, but she was very non-responsive to that, almost to the point of avoidance on that particular issue. I tried stopping the flirting and it did cool down a little I suppose. Then this girl says to me, “What happened to us?” I was completely confused. She said, “We were so close and then we just seemed to go different ways. What happened?”
    I was very confused for a couple of days as I thought about what to do. I finally decided to approach her and speak very plainly about how I felt about her. As soon as I became direct and indicated I would like to pursue a possible relationship with her she started getting all weird again. I stopped the flirting and all of that kind of behavior toward her. That became harder to do, though, as she began to flirt with me again. I am not the kind of person who plays emotional games with people and this was beginning to make me very angry. I didn’t want any problems. I quit the job. I tried to talk to her three separate times since then to find out what her deal was, but she will not acknowledge me. Not even a peep through e-mail. What the hell was her deal? Was I reading way too much into simple flirtation? Am I stupid? Help me on this, Jesus, because I feel totally lost on this issue.”
    Lawrence Frederick, Atlanta, Georgia
    “Dear Lawrence, you are not seeing this situation for what it is. That does not make you stupid, it just means you are quite naïve and somewhat ignorant…though not in a particularly bad way. You did not notice what she was doing because you are a nice guy. Nice guys figure they would never attract such a person and oftentimes errantly believe they could see that type of girl coming from a good distance and would very easily avoid her. Trust me, Lawrence, this girl is by no means whatsoever a stupid person. She knew damn well you had a thing for her and tried to use that to her own gain. She saw the kind of person you are and thought she could take advantage of you. All she wanted was an affair and your money. You left just in time. Don’t worry about her, because she sure as hell does not worry about you. She’s done this a million times. Don’t fret, Lawrence. True love is already headed in your direction.”

    Letter 36
    “Dear Jesus, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”
    Brandon Sainz, Indianapolis, Indiana
    “Dear Brandon, as you know woodchucks cannot chuck wood. You just wasted paper, an envelope, ink, a stamp, and three minutes of your life to ask me a pointless and nonsensical question. If this question you asked me is anything close to an example of your normal thinking patterns you should consider psycho therapy.”


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Fantasy in the Bible: Leviticus

Leviticus. Wow...what can I say? Leviticus is one long Biblical book about sacrifice and where the blood from said sacrifices should be sprinkled...a little bit of blood here on the alter, a little bit of blood there on the horn of the alter, and a little blood on the temple curtain or floor for good measure. NICE.

See, the problems here with Leviticus are not just the very, very detailed descriptions of the sacrifices (wring the head from the neck of the turtle dove, kill the lamb at the door of the temple before the Lord, and all that craziness; please go to this link to read Leviticus: http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/KjvLevi.html)...but WHY are these people having to kill all these animals just to be forgiven of their sins?

There are plenty of people who like to try to pass of this vicious book in the Holy Bible as a book of worship. You know what, with all the killing of the different animals and all the sacrifice it sounds like some damned demonic cult that just likes killing things to atone for crap. Yep. All of you holy-schmoley poo-bahs out there listen up, alright? Your God is a sicko. He is not any better than the slime so-called Satanic religions from now-a-days that hurt animals or people in an effort to scare the rest of the people on the planet. Losers.

Seriously! WHAT is the justification for killing something totally innocent in order that something or someone that is guilty of something may be forgiven? This is an incredibly STUPID line of reasoning! There is no true absolution of any wrong doing just because something INNOCENT has been killed. There isn't ANY absolution at all. You IDIOTS! The problems get BIGGER by doing things like that. Don't you know this?

 So, in Leviticus the supposedly loving God of the Universe instructs people (explicitly so) that the best way to fix their problems is to kill innocent things. Yes. I keep repeating this. Why? Well, maybe you will finally get a grip as to how stupid it is if you hear it several times. Doesn't that sound like a fine God, hum? Dear God, I fucked up and sinned. Dear sinner, say you are sorry to your neighbor for stealing his cow, return the cow, and then kill a couple of doves or maybe a goat without blemish.

That there is a smooth God. Then there are Christians/Religious Folk who say that none of that matters anymore since the NEW covenant with man happened when Jesus died on the cross...the biggest, baddest, most blemish-free sacrifice of all time. That made it so people didn't have to kill all the animals anymore. You know, that line of explanation is not really helping God out in the claim that He is all-knowing. Why didn't He do that to begin with? Wouldn't He have known how things were going to go?

STILL we come back to the interesting question of why anything or anyone has to die in order to pay for 'sin' or wrong-doing? This is stupid. Death...something or someone dying...does not make the consequences of something terrible that someone has done any better. What DON'T people get about this? What is SO GODDAMN hard to understand?

Any God or being that demands death as restitution for wrong-doing on a spiritual/religious level is a fraud. All of humanity has 'sinned' so therefore they need Jesus' blood from the cross as the sacrifice of the unblemished lamb? What the freaky-doo is wrong with this picture? Death IS NOT an appropriate salvation, hope, faith, spiritual/religious end product...whatever you want to call it.

And don't even try selling people on this sacrifice absurdity by saying that they just don't understand God. I don't understand your God? I understand your God just fine, pal. He's a killer who seems to look for reasons to kill something. Everything with the Christian God has to do with death. Think about it. In the Old Testament this God demands regular blood sacrifice. In the New Testament this God supposedly allows/sends His only son to die for the sins of humanity..as a blood sacrifice on the Cross. Nowadays, loads of Holy Bible/Christianity/God pushers will tell you that if you do not believe in their God, in their Holy Bible, live in the manner their God and Bible says...that you will die.

What a load of crap.

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Fantasy in the Bible: Exodus

The book of Exodus in the Holy Bible chronicles the suffering of the Children of Israel at the hands of Pharaoh, who eventually did let the Children of Israel go. Of course, maybe the Pharaoh would have let the Children of Israel go a whole hell of a lot sooner if God had not hardened his (Pharaoh's) heart so many dag-gone times: Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:14, 22; Exodus 8:15, 19, 32; Exodus 9:7, 12, 34; Exodus 10:1, 20, 27; Exodus 11:10. That is a lot, isn't it? So, did God really want to let His people go or did He just want to dish out some divine justice onto Pharaoh...again and again and again by purposely making Pharaoh's heart hard? If you need a copy of the book of Exodus: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+1&version=NIV  and: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/exodus-rsv.asp  and: http://www.readbookonline.net/read/989/11148/

And of course there are all the plagues brought upon the Egyptians by God, to include the worst plague of killing all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: Exodus 12:29.

It is the ultimate story of deliverance...or is it? There is interesting historical evidence that definitively points to the solid mythology of the Exodus story and lends absolutely ZERO TRUTH to the story of Moses leading the Children of Israel out from the bondage of the Egyptians. Please go to these links: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4191  and: http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/egypt.htm  and: http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/41055/egypt-unveils-more-proof-that-jews-did-not-build-pyramids/  and: http://www.skeptically.org/oldtestament/id5.html

There is no truth in the story of Exodus. Just like its predecessor, Genesis, Exodus is a fairytale.

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Fantasy in the Bible: Genesis

The Holy Bible is perhaps one the grandest entertainment stories ever told...as truth. Never mind that inconsistencies and absurdities abound in every book of the Holy Bible, but...it MUST be the truth, right?

In the book of Genesis there is the wonderful story of Creation. God says it...and 'it' is so. And so many people who are Christian are against the Big Bang theory...in favor of their very own version of such a theory, right? Because the Big Bang theory does NOT make any sense? How can that be? The Big Bang theory says about 15 billion years ago there was this massive explosion and all the beginning particles of the universe spread out everywhere...well, just go to this site to read up on it: http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/bigbang.htm Anyways, according to the Big Bang theory there was still time involved in the formation of galaxies and planets and all that fun stuff. In Genesis, in the Holy Bible, it says that God said it and it was so. Instant. No need to add anything, no need to allow time to adjust for the formation of anything, no need to shake and stir. God said it, so it was.

Hum. Big Bang theory takes time. Hum. God says POOF! And so it is.

Christians really think their story makes more sense? And don't forget all the plants and animals that God not only POOFED! into existence, but that Adam managed to name. Quite the imaginative guy there, that Adam. Evolution says these things (the plants and animals) took time to develop. Really, check out Evolution here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/

Hum. Time to develop. Hum. God says POOF! And so it is.

Christians really think their story makes more sense? And don't forget about all of the people of the world who were supposedly all created from two single individuals: Adam and Eve. That is an awful lot of incest. Say, do you think that all Christians are aware of the genetic issues involved with incest? No? Okay. Here is a link that may help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inbreeding  Wait. I heard that some people do not trust Wikipedia. Okay. Here is another link: http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=113  And how about one more link: http://ed5015.tripod.com/BAdamCreationStoriesOrigins109.htm  Oh, hell! Here is another one just in case you don't like that one either: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2080450/

We won't discuss the silliness of Noah's Flood, but if you so desire here are some websites on the MANY flood stories (myths): http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/flood-myths.html  and: http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/titania.htm  and: http://library.thinkquest.org/C005854/text/mythfarworld_f.htm

So, shall we now go to the part where God promises the land that OTHER people live on to His so-called "chosen" people? Genesis 17:8 "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Ca'naan, for an everlasting possession: and I will be their God." Genesis 15:7, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 28:4, and Genesis 48:3-4 are only a few of the other verses in Genesis that mention this giving God who gives the land already inhabited by one people to another people of his special choosing. What do you know? It is a Biblical version of...MANIFEST DESTINY!

Hum. (Singing) "This land was their land...but now its your land...from the great Euphrates...through the lands of Ca'naan...and I will bless you...and I will hate them...this land was given to you after taken by Me!" Yaaay, God!!

Ah! But if GOD says it...and the Holy Bible says it...that makes it okay...right?

Oh, but Lucy! Doesn't it get even juicier? There are some crazy-ass stories in Genesis, matey. Let me mention just a few of them:

1) So, God (Who by the way is SUPPOSED to be all-knowing) decides to tempt Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son Issac, Genesis 22:1-13. In Genesis 22:12 God supposedly says, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." Didn't God know this before hand? If He is all-knowing He would have already known Abraham's heart, right? So, why in the freaky-doo do such a damn crappy thing as ask someone to sacrifice their son...just to see if they will?

2) After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his daughters are living in a cave in the mountains, Genesis 19:30. Anyways, Lot's daughters are worried that they will not be able to find a man to procreate with, Genesis 19:31. So, what do they do? They conspire to get their father drunk so that they might have sex with him so that they can "preserve the seed" of their father, Genesis 19:32-36. Both women become pregnant by their father. Eeewww! So, their father, Lot, is the father, the grandfather, the brother-in-law, and the uncle...all at once. So damn disgusting.

3) In Genesis 30:14-17, Rachel (one of the wives of Jacob) trades the husbandly services (sex) of Jacob to Leah (another wife of Jacob who also happens to be Rachel's sister) for some mandrakes. Incidentally, Leah becomes pregnant with another of Jacob's sons.

4) In Genesis 32:24-31 Jacob wrestles with a 'man' who turns out to be some kind of angel, or something. Apparently, Jacob thinks he has seen God face to face...and survived, Genesis 32:30.

There are some very interesting (and in some cases disgusting) stories in the book of Genesis. Check it out! It makes zero sense to take any of it as truth. In case you don't have a Holy Bible here are some links for the book of Genesis: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1&version=NIV  and: http://www.bartleby.com/108/01/1.html#S1  and: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/genesis-rsv.asp

And these are just tidbits from the book of Genesis. Don't worry. Exodus is soon to come.

For more information on the ridiculousness of Christianity/Religion: https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

Pat Robertson and the Misinterpretation of the Facts

Mr. Robertson, there are so very many problems with much of what you claim, but for the time being let us discuss the comments you made in regards to New York approving gay and lesbian marriage, shall we? By the way, folks, here is the link to watch and listen to Mr. Robertson's comments for yourself: http://www.nerve.com/news/politics/watch-pat-robertson-thinks-gay-marriage-means-the-end-of-civilization

Now then, Mr. Robertson, you make the statement that there has never been a nation/society/culture that has survived that has openly embraced homosexuality. This is a very interesting claim, Mr. Robertson. By the same historical information that you used to make such a statement another person could claim that at no time in history has any nation/society/culture survived that has demanded religious following or worship of a single deity. In fact, the United States of America was NOT founded by Christian men as so many would like (and DO) believe. The United States of America was founded by deists. For more information on this please go to the following link: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/farrell_till/myth.html . And yes, there are more links for and against this topic. Feel free to look them up.

Mr. Robertson, start at the beginning of recorded history and follow everything up to this point where we currently are (historically speaking). Nations rise and nations fall, Mr. Robertson. This is a fact of life. Many different religious beliefs have been birthed throughout the ages, and it is true that sometimes nations are founded on religious belief. But regardless of what a nation is founded on, this is no guarantee that such a nation will last. It is the condition of man to fight, change his beliefs, establish new rules and belief systems, create new nations, fight some more, change his beliefs again, create more nations...and so on and so forth.

Whether a nation was founded on specific political notions or religious beliefs, follow history Mr. Robertson. Nations rise and nations fall. Surely you are not so glib as to think we (the United States of America) are an exception. We are here now, yes. I hope we are here for many centuries yet to come. That remains for the individuals of the future generations to see, is that not correct? Our problems as a nation have jack to do with whether or not our political system pisses off your God, making Him enact some sort of vengeance.

You seem to forget, Mr. Robertson (or maybe you just do not wish to admit such) that there is not one nation founded on any religion that has withstood the test of time and now stands just as stoic in present history as it did when it first burst upon the scene. Sure, there are still many religions and groups of people and belief systems that have existed for centuries and even thousands of years...but nations? Read your history books, Mr. Robertson...and try not to put only your special interpretation and religious spin on things, hum?

And of course, there are some nations that have lasted longer than others, but I must remind you that those who have lasted the longest are generally NOT those that have forced religious belief upon the people it governs. In many instances, nations fall and new nations are formed when political systems or religious beliefs are pressed upon people who do not desire to participate in such things. Don't you remember part of the reason why the Colonists came to the New World? They wanted religious freedom...the freedom to practice their faith as they desired; they were tired and frustrated at being told who and when and how to worship.

Do you really and truly think, Mr. Robertson, that the decline or fall of any nation has had anything to do with a nations political systems extending equal rights to those individuals of a society that are Gay or Lesbian? Don't you know that if a nation refuses to extend equal rights to ANY group within the society it governs that THAT particular action can and will lead to political unrest and the possible fall of a nation?

You say, Mr. Robertson, that there has never been a nation that has openly embraced homosexuality and that has lasted. You know what? Neither has there been a nation that has willfully refused rights to specific groups within the people it governs that has lasted. There is not one nation that has lasted that has forced its people (or tried to force its people) to believe in a specific manner. You are good to go to believe whatever it is you wish to believe. However, you have zero right, rhyme, or reason to take your beliefs and force them on anyone else. Your God, Mr. Robertson, is prejudiced, cruel, unjust, unworthy, and totally false. What do you know...false. Just like every other deity man has created.

For more information on such an assertion: https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

End Time Delusion

It is absolutely amazing how people will misinterpret information or events in an obvious effort to prove their crackpot religious scriptures and scare tactics. I went onto a website that stated it had twelve reasons (examples) that proved that the world was indeed coming to an end soon. This is that website: http://www.bibleplus.org/12signs.htm

I would like to discuss some of their so-called proof that the world is just about over.

The first proof that is submitted is the fact that knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds. The authors of the article would have you believe that previous to this time in history knowledge grew slowly. That is an ambiguous statement. There are all kinds of knowledge, and sure sometimes we learn more about one thing and less about another, but to cheapen the efforts of man by making it sound like his intellect is lacking is preposterous. The ancient Romans and Greeks and Phoenicians and Sumerian and Egyptians are only a few of the cultures from long ago that made amazing strides in studying and becoming knowledgeable in many areas. Knowledge is not new to man, neither is his quest for more knowledge.

The article offers a verse from the Old Testament book of Daniel 12:4 that mentions in the last days men will be knowledgeable and run to and fro. Humph. You would think that man has been without the ability to travel great distances until recently. Sure, horses and camels aren't that fast, but they can go at a pretty good clip. And what about chariots, wagons, canoes, kayaks, boats, ships...I mean, come on. Man is not as slow as the author would have you believe, and of course those things are far slower than planes and trains, but the point is man has had the capability to travel quite some time.

Another proof offered is that the Gospel has been preached in every nation of the world, spreading the 'Word of God' into nearly every language on earth. The gospel preached in every nation, huh? Did the author stop to think about those nations and cultures who did not welcome those preaching the Gospel, who did not wish to have their lives overturned by someone else's God or faith? Christianity is a severely destructive faith in so many ways, and if you doubt that get some history books about the Natives of North, Central, and South America. Lot of good that so-called 'good news' Gospel did to them. Not everyone wants to hear the lunatic ravings of people who truly believe their make-believe deity pal is better than anyone else's.

Yet another proof offered is the economic collapse of many countries. As we speak right now there are countries in severe economic/monetary crisis...including the United States, Spain, and Greece just to name a few. But this is something that happens regularly in history. It is nothing new, not even for the United States. Surely the author remembers hearing about the Great Depression? Or how about economic issues following the American Civil War? Or what about after the Revolutionary War? You think the U.S. has money problems now? Read about the situation after the Revolutionary War, alright? We were flat on our asses, destitute broke...big time. Every single time there is economic unrest there are plenty of religious worry-warts who jump on the end of the world band wagon. Morons.

The fourth proof offered is the decline in morality. This one is particularly funny, because Christians seem to have some very serious issues when it comes to Gays and Lesbians, I mean, who doesn't know that, right? And every time the Gay Rights movement acquires another victory there is always someone somewhere who will be all to happy to label such as a sign of the end of the world. This is stupid. First of all, love is for everyone. Being Gay or Lesbian has nothing to do with the goodness of a person and does not make them immoral. And for things that are immoral (i.e. thievery, murder, cruelty) such things have been around since the beginning of man. They are nothing new, and the only reason it seems like so many bad things are happening nowadays is because of the news available through the media. With the media we now have access to news from all over the world, so now we know everyone's business. It was not like that centuries ago. People didn't know what everyone else was doing all the time.

Then of course there are the claims of the Mark of the Beast and all of that fun crappy-doo. Well, that and the claim that the Roman Catholic Church is the Beast mentioned in Revelations. What retards. Rounding out the claims of proof are the supposed re-discovery of the Ark of the Covenant, Noah's Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, the real Mount Sinai, and the supposed real site of the Red Sea Crossing.

The article closes with a really twisted version of Biblical mathematics that is probably supposed to dazzle or strike fear into people. It doesn't. Just some nutters sitting around trying to make the numbers fit, and if they do not fit finding a way to MAKE them fit.

The authors of the article claim that all of these things are proof as to the impending end of the world. They also believe that special messengers have been selected by God to relay this end time message. Stupid. So incredibly stupid.


https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

Religious Charlatan Peter Popoff

This morning as I was flipping through the television channels I happened upon a program with Peter Popoff. Just like he has been known to do he was peddling useless spiritual items. One item was something called Miracle Spring Water and the other thing was the Anointed Faith Tool. The stupidity did not stop there, though.

Popoff was spouting off about how God/Jesus was making amazing 'divine transfers' of large amounts of money into the bank accounts of all kinds of people. Some people claimed to have received a few thousand dollars, and some claimed to have received astronomical amounts to the likes of a half million dollars. And how did these 'divine transfers' happen?

Miracle Spring Water. Isn't that a hoot? Miracle Spring Water. Popoff looked into the cameras and told those in T.V. land that if they wanted huge sums of money transferred into their accounts they should call and request the FREE packet of Miracle Spring Water and the Anointed Faith Tool. Perhaps by announcing that these items were indeed free Popoff figured his chances of people believing him would greatly improve.

As he walked to and fro in between the audience members Popoff had various people give their little story of how they anointed themselves with the little packet of spring water and miraculously loads of money came their way. He kept saying over and over and over for people to be absolutely sure that they read and followed the instructions of the Miracle Spring Water. Now, Popoff implies that failure to follow the directions to the last letter will interfere with the potency of the Miracle Spring Water.

However, if people actually follow the instructions to the finest detail they will discover that their Miracle Spring Water is not so free after all. But should anyone be surprised? Go to the link provided to view a copy of some of the Miracle Spring Water literature:  http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/popoffback.html

If you know of anyone who is considering in buying into or who has already bought into this televangelist's particular scam do what you can to get them to stop and take their heads out of their asses.

For more info: https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

Divine Pish-Posh Part I: The Creation Myth

The Christian Holy Bible's story of Creation is probably one of the most well known of such stories. In only six days the universe and everything in it is created by God. Reference these Holy Bible verses so that you may read this for yourself: Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-3. Psalms 8:3; 33:6-7, 9. There are many, many verses that directly concern Creation, but listing all of them is counter-productive. If you wish to find more Creation verses simply Google it.

Creation myths all lack the very same things: a scientific approach, a common sense approach, a real and true search for cause and effect.

Creation myths also all share some very interesting qualities: zero proof of said story, absurd claims, impossible or improbable sequences of events.

Why have so many cultures nurtured such myths? Perhaps some of the reasons for this is to maintain certain aspects of heritage and culture, to learn about the consequences of good and evil deeds by stories of gods and heroes and villains, to establish some type of spiritual foundation and respect, to help explain all facets of existence (to include all things supernatural) that humans do not understand, and even to serve as a unifying and longevity factor for some cultures.

And of course there is the entertainment factor. What better way to spread the favorite stories of one's culture with individuals of neighboring cultures and nations than to weave colorful, amazing, and captivating stories that each hold fast to specific beliefs held dear by the storytellers? I encourage you to go and research the creation myths of as many different cultures as possible. You will find an amazing array of fantastic acts of heroism, numerous stories of selfish and self-less gods alike, stories of slavery and freedom, of life and death and rebirth.

Many biblical historians date the written creation of the Pentateuch by Moses to be around 1400 B.C.E. to 1280 B.C.E. Creation myths with Enuma Elis, or with Marduk over Tiamat have been suggested to date around 1800 B.C.E. to 1100 B.C.E. Some Sumerian myths have been dated to be around 2150 B.C.E. Egyptian myths from the 5th and 6th dynasties date to around 2375 B.C.E. to 2184 B.C.E.

People can squabble over whose myth is the oldest and therefore the most viable. Yet, perhaps the specific approach of trying to pinpoint the oldest of such writings (in order to establish ONE specific myth as THE truth) is contrary to the purpose of the creation of the myths in the first place.

I think that maybe the myths just share different viewpoints and associations and perceptions of what is thought to be man's progression through existence, to include all things supernatural. And maybe myth is also about remembering what and who man has been in order that he better understand how far he has come and who he is now.

And who he may be in the future.

These myths are not intended to be taken as truth. This is what atheists, at least some of them, are trying to say. This is precisely what some atheists are trying to prove as they go point by point over the ridiculousness of Christianity, trying to show the severe inconsistencies and the sheer lunacy of accepting mythology as ultimate truth. It is about opening the eyes of the deluded. These stories are not meant to be taken literally, to be used as tools of separation, to be used as tools of subjugation, or to be used as tools of fear. They are ALL PRETEND.

This is why I write what I write. Remove the blindfold, all ye immersed in swallowing what Christianity crams into your mouth. Remove the blindfold.

For more information go to this link: https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

Nature and Religion: Part IV

Such is the true condition of Christianity/Religion: Christianity/Religion is a school of belief (yes, a school of belief and NOT a school of thought) that is built on the lack of knowledge and lack of understanding of man. It does not matter if the lack of knowledge/understanding is in the nature of this planet and the universe, or in the physical and emotional nature of man, or in those things man considers to be supernatural, or in the positive and negative situations that occur every moment in every facet of life, or in the amazing things that are all around us (to include ourselves).

Consider that the very term 'lack' is indicative of an absence of something. The lack of the ability of an atheist to explain everything in the universe is repeatedly utilized by Christianity/Religion to prove God/Creator. Now, understand that to prove God/Creator fact must be presented; substance must be present. In fact (no pun intended), in order to prove anything as truth a fact must be presented. I know I keep saying this over and over, but it is essential that you understand.

A deficit cannot be used to bolster proof of another deficit. Look at it this way: A hole in the ground cannot be filled with another hole in the ground.

Would you agree that understanding is a consequence of the acknowledgement of proof and evidence? For example, man once believed that what made a harvest a good harvest was the blessings of gods of harvest. Man now understands that honey bees, bats, moths, and a wide variety of creatures in nature are responsible for the pollination/cross-pollination that is essential to the good harvest of many crops.

How does man know this? Man knows this because he has watched and studied and witnessed and recorded these creatures and how they help to pollinate. By acknowledging the facts, the truth, the proof man now understands that the harvest gods have crappy-doo to do with a good harvest.

Say for the sake of argument that two ancient farmers are celebrating a good harvest. One farmer offers a sacrifice of thanks to the harvest gods, and the other farmer does not.

"Why haven't you made a sacrifice of thanks to the harvest gods?" asks the one farmer.
"Because I do not believe that the harvest gods exist, much less that they have anything to do with this good harvest," answers the other farmer.
 "Then what or who is responsible for the good harvest?"
"I do not know."
"See! You cannot explain it, can you? You have no other explanation! It is because of the harvest gods. You know it but simply do not wish to admit such."

How stupid is this argument? Pretty stupid. This is the same argument used by Christianity:

Believer: "God created everything."
Atheist: "That is not true."
Believer: "Oh, yeah? Where did that tree come from?"
Atheist: "From a seed in the ground."
Believer: ""Where did the first trees on earth come from? How were they formed? Who made them?"
Atheist: "I do not know."
Believer: "See! You cannot explain it, can you? You have no other explanation than God put the first trees here on earth. You know this! You just will not admit to this."

This is an argument that cannot hold water. Here is why:
1) A belief needs fact in order to be justifiably be labeled as truth.
2) Truth is substance.
3) Some people believe that God/Creator is the reason for everything.
4) Atheists do not believe God/Creator is responsible for anything.
5) To prove God exists evidence, fact must be presented.
6) Believers do not have proof God/Creator exists. Therefore, God/Creator lacks fact/substance and is not true.
7) The atheist does not know the reason for existence/First Cause, and the inability to explain such is indicative of a lack of substance.
8) Believers insist that the atheist's inability to answer or explain everything/First Cause is evidence or proof that God/Creator exists. According to Christianity/Religion, the atheist's lacking of an explanation provides the proof Christianity needs.
9) Lacking infers deficit. Proof infers a positive. Therefore, positive proof must be used to remove any element of lacking in order to participate in truth and fact.
10) Christians/Religion cannot prove God. Therefore, God is lacking and a deficit.
11) When Christians/Believers try to use the atheist's lacking as proof of the truth of God it is the same thing as trying to use a 'nothing' to prove that another 'nothing' actually IS something.
12) Lacking cannot be used to validate (remove) lacking. Deficit cannot be used to remove deficit.
13) Therefore, the Christian/Religious attempt to use the atheist's lacking to prove God/Creator, or to fill what Christians themselves lack makes no goddamn sense whatsoever.
14) Debt is not lowered with more debt. Hate does not diminish with more hate. Ignorance does not transform ignorance.

You cannot fill a hole in the ground with another hole in the ground.

Visit this website for more information: https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

Nature and Religion: Part III

For everything that man does not have an immediate answer for, many religious quacks, charlatans, and salesmen of salvation interpret this as valid proof of the existence of God. This is completely and totally bogus.

He is a thought exercise in regards to this subject:

     Two men are fishing for their meal. They are fishing in what looks like a decent sized river, but in actuality it is really a swollen creek. The reason it is so much bigger is a recent storm caused an actual near-by river to overflow and send water and fish to the much smaller creek. The men knew this would happen, because it happens every year at the same time for the same reasons. It is part of the seasonal processes.
     One man asks the other, "Do you believe in God?" The other man says, "No."
     The first man asks, "Why not? Can you prove there is no God? Can you prove my faith to be incorrect? Where do you think the fish for your meal came from?"
     "The river."
     "Where did the river come from?"
      "Well, this river is actually a creek that has been flooded by a mighty storm."
     "Where did the storm come from?"
     "They come every spring."
     "Why do they come?"
     "Well, the clouds become heavy with water."
      "And why are the clouds heavy with water?"
     "The clouds are heavy with water because of the processes involving water vapor, condensation, evaporation, and the like."
     "And why do such things occur?"
     "Because they are part of what weather patterns are."
     "Where did weather come from?"
     "All parts of this planet have some form of weather. It is the natural process of this planet."
     "Where did the planet come from?"
     "Our planet is part of a solar system found in the Milky Way."
     "Where did the Milky Way come from?"
     "It is part of our universe."
     "Where did the universe come from?"
     "I do not know. Scientists are still trying to figure that out."
     "God made the universe and everything in it."
     "No he didn't. Like I said, we just have not figured that out yet."
     "No. You can't explain it and simply don't want to admit God did it."
     "No. God did not make anything, and just because I cannot explain why or what something is or where it came from that does not mean God did it. Every time I cannot explain something you try to use that as proof of your God being responsible for creating everything."
     "That is because he did."
     "No. Before people knew what made clouds many claimed they were created by God. Well, science proved such things as evaporation and condensation and all that good stuff that contributes to cloud formations. It is called weather. Then when people did not understand weather they said God did it. When weather patterns and such were discovered the God endorsers moved on to explain that God made the planet that held the weather. Science proved that earth was part of a solar system in the Milky Way which itself is part of an impressively enormous universe. Then, the Bible-thumping, openly condemning, religious creeps of Christianity/Religion moved onto the next thing that man could not and has not yet been able to understand...the universe and its origin. And THAT brings us right back to square one where you try to use my lack of understanding as proof of the existence of your God."

Visit this website for more information: https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

Nature and Religion: Part II

How long has man occupied planet earth? Is man so foolish as to think that his presence on this planet and his technological accomplishments and achievements and his little satchel of religious beliefs can or will change the natural processes of this planet? Processes that occurred before man, occur now WITH man, and will continue in the future without man?

There are so many examples of major natural disasters. I will list a few of them:
     1) In 1138 A.D. a massive earthquake killed approximately 230,000 people.
     2) In 1202 A.D. in Egypt and Syria, a mega, mega earthquake killed more than one million people.
     3) Between 1347 and 1350 A.D. the "Black Death", which is also known as the bubonic plague, killed approximately 25 million people in Europe, and millions more in Asia and Africa.
     4) In 1769 in India, a famine killed approximately ten million people.
     5) In 1883 in Java and Sumatra, the volcano Krakatoa erupted and caused a tsunami that killed 50,000 people.
     6) Geologists theorize that around 1700 B.C. the ancient Minoan civilization was wiped out by a massive earthquake. However, some historians have pointed out that the well preserved Minoan frescoes and the lack of preserved bodies may point to the possibility that the Minoans may have known/suspected such a disaster and so vacated their cities.
     7) In 373 B.C. an enormous quake and subsequent tsunami wiped out the Greek city of Helike.

The list goes on forever. If you desire more proof of these natural disaster events I encourage you to take advantage of your curiosity (or, in some cases disbelief) and initiate some research.

When these natural events occurred they sometimes triggered extinction of living organisms on earth. Planetary shifts, seasons and seasonal changes, all ebbs and flows of tides and glaciers, tectonic shifts, volcanic activity, extreme weather, and any other related themes are all part of the natural process of this planet.

Through the ages, through the history of man many religious claims have been made as to the reason these events occur. And, through the ages and the history of man science has been able to provide more and more proof as to why things happen and how they happen. As a result, the more science proves and explains things, the more many religious individuals and groups change their beliefs accordingly. Why? They do it in order to continue their own absurd explanations and assertions.

Visit this website for more information: https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

Nature and Religion: Part I

Every time some kind of grand natural disaster takes place there are plenty of religious representatives who pop up and declare to the rest of the world that the end is near or that God is showing his displeasure with man or that some prophecy or other is being fulfilled.

For example, and I encourage you to look this up, less than two weeks had gone by after Katrina had devastated New Orleans when televangelist Pat Robertson hinted on a 700 Club broadcast that the horrifically destructive storm was a punishment by God on America for America's abortion policies. When Disney World in Orlando hosted a gay/lesbian event Robertson hinted that Orlando might expect punishment from God, perhaps in the form of a hurricane.

Hurricanes have a way of crossing over Florida and other states in the region to include Louisiana. However, this has absolutely squat to do with any human action and everything to do with geographic locations that fall within the boundaries where hurricanes may occur. During some hurricane seasons other contributing factors may cause the increase or decrease in the number of hurricanes, or may even vary the intensity of the hurricanes, or may cause development of hurricanes in areas where they are rarely experienced. Hurricanes have absolutely crappy-doo to do with punishment by God for human decisions.

What happens when hurricanes are unusually fierce or occur in areas where they normally do not occur? What happens when severe floods and tsunamis wash away cities and people in droves? What happens when ferocious earthquakes strike, major sinkholes appear, or devastating volcanic eruptions or massive snowstorms occur? You can take such information and interpret it in two very distinct ways:
     1) God is trying to tell people something, teach people a lesson, punish people, or show his displeasure.
     2) Just another example of the natural processes of the living planet we inhabit.


Visit this website for more information: https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/

Belief is Not Truth: Part II

Now, consider that God is not fact, but rather is only belief. And it does not matter whether the argument is for the existence of God as an actual personality or being, or as the descriptive term for everything that humans do not understand inasmuch as First Cause is concerned. The belief in God as an actual personality or being is born from the ideology that someone intelligent must be responsible for all of existence. Yet, it does not stop there, does it? Not only is this God Personality/God Being said to exist, but it is also given emotional and personality traits, given a gender, given needs and desires, assigned responsibility of specific actions, and even given the power of reasoning.

In order to sustain the belief of God as an actual personality and being a history is devised. This history has two purposes:
     1) To continue the cause of belief in God
     2) To provide substance for the claims based on the belief of the existence of God
The more dramatic this history is the longer it will be believed and the more fiercely it will be defended and fought over.

For some individuals and groups God is not necessarily a personality, but rather is the descriptive term for everything that is not understood about existence and the cause of such. Then as discoveries are made whatever was discovered is given a name, a cause, and a place. It is no longer considered to be part of God. Let us use volcanoes as an example. Early man thought that the reason volcanoes erupted was because the gods were angry with man. Now we know differently. Through the growth of geological sciences we now know that the eruption of volcanoes has absolutely zilch to do with God or any concept of such. Volcanoes, much like weather patterns, are a part of the health of this living planet we inhabit.

This can be said of every natural disaster. Such things have nothing to do with any God or divine personality wreaking havoc and punishment upon mankind. Natural disasters are not proof of God. Natural disasters are not strengthening fuel for the argument in favor of God. Natural disasters give no credibility to religion.

Such things are simply natural...and disastrous.

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Belief is Not Truth: Part I

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There are many individuals and groups who wholeheartedly believe in everything the Bible and Christianity have to say. Is this a problem? Not in and of its own. The problems start arising when these same individuals and groups try to pass off their belief as truth and demand that other people either acknowledge the God of Christianity and the Holy Bible as truth, or burn in hell forever.

Isn't that nice? Believe this way or die. I would like to hear some Christians explain this absurdity away and actually make sense. They say their belief is faith. Faith is believing in something or someone or an idea without evidence or proof. Faith is taking something at face value, making a choice of taking something at face value. There is no arm-twisting or coercion involved on any level. As several Christians have told me, "We believe it to be true in our hearts. We believe because we know it is the right thing and the truth."

Really? Press a Christian a little harder for deeper answers and they will tell you that they believe what they believe in because they don't want to go to hell and experience horrific terrors at the hands of Satan. In the end analysis, Christianity is not about having faith in God and everything that the Holy Bible says. It is about saving one's ass from a supposed horrible fate. Believing in something to save yourself is not faith. It is coercion by means of instilling fear, by insinuating that if what the Holy Bible has to say is not believed, if the Christian God is not believed then definite terrors and horrors will take place upon those who do not believe.

There are many wonderful things to believe in. There are many terrible things to believe in. However, those who believe in anything must realize that belief is not equal with, not synonymous with truth. In order for something to be actual truth there must exist within it FACT. There is zero fact in belief. That is part of why it is called belief. It cannot be proven with fact, with substance. And the moment something is proven, the moment a fact is presented about something it is no longer belief and moves into the realm of Truth and Fact.

When it comes to truth and everything that truth encompasses it does not matter whether or not an individual or group of individuals choose to acknowledge such truth. Truth does not need any acknowledgement of any being (reasoning or otherwise) in order to exist. Truth exists regardless of what an individual or group believes or practices or wants or aims for.

Not all that long ago many people believed that the earth was flat, was the center of the universe, and that the sun revolved around the earth. However, the belief in such things did not change the fact or change the truth one iota, did not change the fact that the earth is a sphere, is not the center of the universe, and revolves around the sun and not the other way around.

Belief can never be truth because belief in its very essence and every expression contains zero fact. Conversely, the truth MUST consist of fact. Therefore, belief is devoid of truth for it does not possess the consistency and substance of fact. And there are no half-truths. Something either is or is not the truth. Belief is the mental action of supposition and should never be confused with the physical action of fact. Fact is truth for no matter what is believed, it simply is. Truth does not need believers in order to exist.

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Trying to Point Out the Obvious

Curious as to what people have to say in defense of the Holy Bible and Christianity, I have recently been reviewing and posting on the Yahoo! Message Boards. I must say I did come across some individuals who were actually quite agitated with the atheist questions posed to them.

Right out of the gate the most common believer response when being asked for proof of God/Creator is the believer turns around and responds with a statement and question of their own: Can any atheist prove there is no God? How absurd this question is! Atheists do not believe in God, so following that line of reasoning it is impossible for an atheist to surrender proof of the fact they do not believe in God. How can an atheist provide proof for that which they hold to be non-existent?

Then, as usual, many believers point to the fact that atheists have no proof that God does not exist. Then believers use this 'inability' for atheists to prove what is not there in the first place as strong evidence for the validity of their delusional, violent, divisive Christian faith.

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