WTF?
by dan newberry
February 2011
Religious belief is a deeply personal thing. My religion has a congregation of one as far as I know.
It is dynamic, ever changing and I will never preach about it to you. Been there. Done
that many times in previous iterations of my conversions. Repented. Moved on. I have no desire for
you to believe or disbelieve the same things I do. I don't have any answers for myself or you. And
neither do any of the other people walking this earth.
Throughout history the evil done to mankind in the name of a myriad of religions is mind boggling.
In the U.S., politicians claim certain moral ideologies based on being christian. Then these same
politicians conduct awful immoral unjust wars where hundreds of thousands of innocent people are
brutally tortured and killed. This isn't a new phoenomena. Europeans brought christianity to the
natives of America and in the process exterminated probably 90% of them. That is millions of people
killed up close and personal with stones, spears, clubs, whips, swords, elaborate tools of torture
and execution, some single shot black powder guns and even some cannons. Most who were not killed
were enslaved. All this so these "christians" could plunder the gold, jewels, spices and labor of the new world.
"Love god or die!" wasn't new even then. The christian crusades were the same. The imperial
activities of Great Britain in Africa, India and elsewhere were the same. Many countries, cultures
and religions of the world have conquered others in the name of their religion.
Tell me. How does one in all good conscience fight the good fight against abortion and for the rights
of helpless unborn babies... Then support the doctrine of "collatoral damage" as justifiable when bombs
and bullets rip unborn babies from the wombs of their mothers by the thousands. If in the warrooms and
newspapers of the U.S. we determined and discussed the number of innocent mothers, babies,
fetuses and children who died from authorized missions, the conduct of war would take on a different
face entirely. Our president should demand that this daily number be provided at his morning briefings
along with circumstances. I say, "Get out of those other countries! Goddamn it!" Field whatever military
is necessary to defend our homeland. If the criminal/s who masterminded the attack can be identified
and located make them pay. Don't kill any [innocent] people let alone hundreds of thousands of [innocent] people to
avenge our victims of terrorist attacks.
Food for thought: It's only collateral damage if it's someone else's hometown that gets bombed. What
is it when your hometown gets bombed? Terrorism? I submit that America has been conducting terrorism
in our name. That makes me ill.
The bible says "by their fruits ye shall know them." Yes Lucy, there is some truth in the bible. But
really, pay closer attention to their fruits. You know them by their fruits. You don't know them
by their religion. Separation of church and state is needed in the U.S. today even more than 200
years ago. Christians! Look around you. How many christian sects do you disagree with? Don't you
think it's irresponsible to assume a person is good and honorable simply because he "claims" to be
christian? Jim Jone's christian sect did not start off as your average mind-controlling cult. It
initially gained much respect as an interracial mission for the sick, homeless and jobless. Jim
Jones did not manifest his darker side until near the end. In many cases if you corner a politician
he'll admit which specific christian sect he participates in but he would much rather avoid being
cornered. The generic term christian is much more powerful and can get more votes than a single
specific sect within christianity.
Most active christians realize that even within their own local church the understanding of the bible
and christianity varies from person to person. Even within yourself there is turmoil about some
doctrines or claims. We struggle for understanding within ourselves yet we vote for a person simply
because he/she claims to be a christian. In politics truth and honor are not an issue. Only winning
the election counts. Money and power follow and beyond that any accomplishment which benefits the
constituents is gravy but not an essential outcome. More essential would be making the deep pocket
special interest groups happy. There's always another election to be funded.
I cannot believe in prophecy, supernatural miracles, nor the need for organized religion. I don't
believe that a supreme being demands my faith in order that I receive some imagined reward. If he
truly wanted this he would make it crystal clear to me. He wouldn't leave my conversion up to men
who are clearly lying whenever their mouths are moving.
The bible, within the same cover contains the most elequent and beautiful utterances known to man as
well as the insane ravings of several lunatics. The author of this entire text cannot be the same mind,
be it supernatural or otherwise.
I don't believe that a supreme being intervenes in the human affairs of man nor does he suspend the
natural laws of the universe on behalf of man. Do miraculous things happen? Yes, but only in the
context that mathematics allows for unimaginably rare happenings to occur without supernatural
interference.
Do I believe in god? For sure I do not believe in the supernatural gods that are created by religious
leaders and apologists for the purpose of gaining money and power over the affairs of mankind. When a
mouth is opened to proclaim "God declares, God commands, etc, etc"... without god personally delivering
the message to us we can be sure that said flapping, yapping mouth is spewing lies. An honest person
would never make extraordinary claims about who, what and how god is without very real knowledge.
So, who do I trust to tell me the truth about god? The proclaimed attributes of god by various religious
leaders and texts (even within the same church) are so contradictory as to make it impossible to refine
them to a believable result. I am open to the possibility that there is a supreme being but my standards
for determining my belief in a specific god are set way above the claims being made about the "one true
yak yak yak".
Am I an atheist? No. But that is another very very long discussion.
If god really was interested in our discerning "the truth" don't you think he'd fire the incompetent
horde of knumbskulls who are supposedly doing his work? Or turn them to stone? Feed them koolaid? Would
this all powerful supernatural god create us with sub-standard skills of discernment and then from our
lot pick a few to deliver us to their individual varying flavors of truth about god. And would this
all-knowing god then threaten us with eternal burning hell and damnation if we are unable to find the
correct path to truth and then endure to the end. Would he really invoke the "Thou shalt be a hypocrit"
commandment? You know... the one that says I have to believe in him based on faith alone and must
proclaim that belief with my lips, etc etc. Even though we really don't know and have doubts, we hide
our frailties from the other members of our good old boy club (church) by making that hypocritical
proclamation: I believe . . . . . .
I stand in awe of the incredible majesty and complexity of the universe and our planet. I understand
that mankind has not advanced enough to truly understand the world in which we live. I accept that
we may never know. I speculate on what might be. Perhaps there is a supernatural being that created
the elements that set in play the beginning of the universe and all that has happened and will happen.
Perhaps this. Perhaps that. I suspect he's not concerned with controlling any of it. But I don't know.
If he's concerned about us as individuals, concerned about our behavior, our beliefs, I don't see any
evidence of that. But understand this. If you aren't "the" god then don't presume to be able to convince
me of something that I know you don't know.
Should you hear me utter a prayer at some future family gathering don't run out and buy a dose of
christianity because of my obvious faith and belief. I'll merely be practicing a culteral and social
activity that gives some people a measure of peace. If you hear me utter a prayer in a fox hole with
bombs flashing in the distance... even I understand the concept of insurance.
For me the jury is out. What I do believe is that this struggle is of minor importance. I give it
the same importance that god has apparently given it.