Increase Jesus, Diminish Self

What this message wants to say:

No man is above God at any point in his life, but it is easy to be tempted to think so. Daily, when a person has their fair share of successes, they may feel the desire to attribute their success to their own strength. Too often, humanity falls into the trap of thinking that strength comes from personal ability or accomplishment. Without realizing that God is the one that gives us this strength, we are truly lost, but when we stop to think about the sacrifice that Jesus gave us, we are able to push aside our pride and accept that God gives humanity the strength to press on. We simply must ask for it, therefore, we must humble ourselves before almighty God and thank him daily for the strength that he gives us to press on. In that, Jesus must always be held above us, for he gave his very life to save ours.


The truth behind it all:

Religion has always had a sick fantasy of reducing humanity to its knees in deference to a god. Truly, to worship a god is to decrease one's own potential to promote a fantasy, and as a result, humanity has been held back as a species. Somewhere in the book of Romans, it is written that all of humanity deserves eternal punishment, for we are nothing more than evil, sin-ridden creations that have fallen short of the glory of God. This teaching is one of the main ways a church clergy can easily cut down its listeners and worshipers in order to turn them into obedient slaves to religion.

Human beings are only as evil as they are allowed to be. For centuries, we have tried to set moral standards for one another; to set boundaries between right and wrong, whatever we define them to be. Killing someone is immoral, yet the bible makes excuses for the deaths of millions within its pages. Rape is certainly a morally reprehensible act, yet there are several instances in the bible where it is sanctioned. Still yet is another issue within the bible: slavery. Owning another human being was common in biblical times, and God himself gave instructions on how to own another human being including how much to pay for one, how long you can own one, how to marry them, how hard and/or often you can beat them, and how to pass them down to your descendants. When religion makes way for these atrocities, one truly must wonder if it's religion that's responsible for making allowances for the evil that lies waiting in people's hearts.

To conclude, this message simply states that one must promote Jesus as their lord and savior, but by doing so that person diminishes their humanity, their self-respect, their dignity, and their decency to an absurd degree. God himself called for human sacrifices on more than one occasion, and several nameable people actually obeyed this order; they sacrificed their humanity, the only valuable thing they would ever have, in order to satisfy the ravenous hunger for blood of their god. Even to this day, many people who worship God act as though they are mindless, repeating to themselves, "Praise Jesus, for he is lord." Only human beings would think to sink to such a low point, and the bad part is, things can only get worse before they get better. Do the right thing, preserve your humanity and enjoy the only life you'll have, because once it's over, it's over for good.

The Devil Doesn't HAVE to be an Atheist.

In another fictitious world, yes, the devil is no atheist. In my fictional world, a Ranger, Bard, Paladin, and Sorcerer do battle with a legendary dragon with the aid of four different gods. The point? It doesn't matter how you say it, devils and gods are figments of the imagination. We live in reality, but some people don't seem to recognize the difference between what's real and what's fantasy. Reality is the most difficult part of life, so it comes as no surprise that people invent ways to make it easier. Unfortunately, the recliner in your living room isn't what I'm talking about.

Many people often wonder, 'Why doesn't God do the things that he used to do, such as raining fire from heaven and turning water into blood or wine?' Well, the answer is simple; he didn't, because he never existed, and neither did the thousands of other gods before and after him. Christianity has been around for a very long time and is the oldest religion because it's mainstay in human society has been mostly political. Why does this matter? Well, think about it. Worshiping God (let's say this for the sake of argument, by the way) is engaging in a monotheistic religion, which is the worship of a single god. All that is required at this point is to gather up about a hundred of your closest friends (a lot of which should be in very high places, pardon the pun) and spread the word that you've found the one true god. Oh, and do make it sound very convincing, like... 'If you don't believe me, here's his book. And if you still don't believe me, we'll torture or kill you.'

Polytheistic religions had next to no chance of establishing a political position in society. Imagine having to worship a bunch of different gods, and what if someone didn't want to worship a particular god? More problems than necessary would arise, so it's no surprise that a 'one true god' was conceived, then spread around like a disease until it had infected nearly every corner of the globe. Let's not also forget the issue of money, which religion has no problem with. Slap the two together and suddenly you have a god that demands 10% of your weekly income for whatever reason in addition to a human sacrifice every now and again. We won't get into any of the other requirements you have to meet to be a 'good' person.

Another big problem is that the Christian religion is divided into several denominations who obviously can't agree on the same thing. For example, some of them believe that the doctrine regarding the Holy Trinity is correct, while others believe that God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ are separate entities with different purposes. Still others regard the Abrahamic teachings to be accurate, while a couple (that I'm aware of) don't teach from the bible at all! You'd think that if God wanted his word taught right, he'd either have taught it himself or had a single book written in a language that EVERYONE could understand.

In conclusion, the devil is no atheist because he exists in a fictional world where the god he corresponds with exists. Unfortunately, that world is outside of the bounds of reality, something that was conjured up in someone's head. In reality, things are far more different and operate on a predictable basis where science and the people who understand it can logically pursue an end that all of humanity can comprehend. I honestly wouldn't want to live any other way, especially if that way deluded my sense of logic.

Choose: Jesus or the Flamethrower!

Yet another instance where the Christian masses attempt to threaten humanity with the false promise of an impossible afterlife. Here, yet again, another message is conveyed from the forked Christian tongue stating that unless we (humanity) accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior, we shall all die our second death in the lake of fire. What's ironic is that I myself even received this threat from my own grandmother, the one individual that is supposed to love and understand me the most. Threatening someone with eternal damnation is not the best way to get someone to believe, unless the person is dimwitted beyond all reason.

Directing a threat at someone to get them to do what you want them to is one of man's most primitive methods of control. This is a cheap tactic that is used in times of war, as well as love. Yes, even in relationships, a thinly veiled threat can be issued to bend the other person to a specified command, and how appropriate, because God's 'loving' relationship with us is one of violence, destruction, and coercion. All through the bible, one can find passages where God used his prophets to issue threats against humanity in an attempt to get them to submit to worshiping him. Despite all this, there are many strong individuals in this world who refuse to bow to such cowardice, preferring not to worship such a tyrant.

God is no better than the people who convey his message; the bible proves this. Using the assumption that he exists (for the sake of argument, of course), it would seem that this almighty being has managed to convey the wrong message in a time where the correct message is needed the most. A fatal error like this can only be explained as God being fallible, full of flaws, and ultimately a fake. Much of the content in the bible describes human behavior, not godly behavior; even George Carlin himself stated that 'our DNA has not changed significantly even over the course of one hundred-thousand years!' If that statement is true, then the bible is just the ultimate, 'epic fail' attempt at brainwashing a society that could otherwise be secular and free from tyranny.

To conclude, I'd like to add that when I was a child, I was told not to believe in fairy tales, yet I was taught about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and other fictional characters. Believing or not believing in these fictional characters brings no benefit or harm to anyone, yet somehow, not believing in the Christian god can bring eternal damnation to a person. Mind you, this is the same god that exists in a book that also mentions (and describes) satyrs, unicorns, angels, demons, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. We have zero evidence to support the existence of any of the aforementioned entities, least of all a god. Thus, threatening humanity with a fairy tale is quite possibly the most humorous idea ever conceived. The only problem is, nobody seems to be laughing.

What I -really- mean when I say 'fight against atheism'...

Atheism is not a fight, and it's not a battle to prove anything. When I say that Christianity is losing the fight against atheism, it simply means that Christians are providing weaker and weaker arguments for their religion in an ongoing struggle to keep said religion alive. Atheism, for the most part, is not a fight to uphold any beliefs, but rather it is a stance on disbelieving theistic beliefs. More information can be found at this blog.

God Is Back-Asswords

The message on this sign has got to be one of the biggest lies ever told. Aside from the fact that God has never been anyone's best friend, whoever came up with the idea for this message is clearly trying to compare a genocidal maniac with a loving, loyal companion. Modern-day Christians try to inform the world daily that God loves each and every one of us and wants to have a personal relationship with his children. The big problem with this approach is that it's extremely hard for me (and millions of other people) to believe this kind of garbage when God has the bloodiest history known in any book in existence.

Dogs, although capable of being savage animals, can be trained with affection and devotion to become guards, loyal companions, guides for the crippled or blind, and even hunters. God, on the other hand, is supposedly beyond human control and can do whatever he wants. According to the bible, however, there's no compassion to be had in this being whatsoever. He has punished the human race for being true to their nature on more than one occasion, slaughtered his creations many times over for crimes as huge as disobedience or as slight as forgetfulness, cursed many people with diseases, misfortune or what-have-you, and all for what? This so-called 'best friend' even condoned the death of infants by allowing them to be dashed against stones (Psalm 137:9)! What kind of madman do these brainwashed fools worship anyway?

Compared even to a mistreated pit bull, God is the furthest thing on the visible spectrum from being anyone's best friend. I'd rather have the seat torn out of my pants by a dog anyday than for anything this God could dish out to happen to me. One only needs to look at the many stories in the bible to see how much of a pissing contest God has had with himself just to prove his power: Job, Pharaoh, Adam and Eve, Noah, David, and even his own son, Jesus Christ. Dogs don't do this; if someone who owns a dog is being threatened, chances are that dog is going to jump to his master's defense in any way it can. God, on the other hand, is quick to judge and condemn which is unfortunately excused by Christians by them claiming that he's the ultimate authority and shouldn't be questioned. I've already gone into some detail about what I think about authority being questioned.

In short, it doesn't matter how 'God' is spelled, he's still going to carry with him the same bloodstained past and the same immoral actions that he's always had, making him the most ass-backwards creation most people have ever heard of. Apologizing and making excuses for this deity don't make a difference for what he did, even if he is the ultimate authority. I, for one, will never worship a being that sees fit to kill someone for simply disobeying a command, even out of forgetfulness. Now, if you'll excuse me, my dog needs a walk.

God's Not-So-Enduring Word.

I've gotten into a trend of thinking lately, and the trend goes something along the lines of people saying the most outrageous things. Here, we have the perfect representation of that trend. On the outside, the message seems to be trying to give comfort to Christians, informing them that God's word is unchanging and forever steadfast in its ability to convey the life-giving message that has been constant in the pages of the holy book that represents it. On the inside, however, things are different; as with most things, surprising to say the least.

One need only google how the bible came into existence to find many different theories on how the process went about, which is my overall point. If God is constant, and his word the same, there would be no need to debate it; it would be enduring and steadfast, able to stand up to the most relentless of attacks. As it stands, philosophers and theologists go back and forth trying to prove one way or another that their theories are the right ones or that they know exactly what happened. It's a constant battle on a single subject that has been ongoing for centuries with no end in sight, and even worse, innocent bystanders with different or a lack of beliefs find themselves caught in the crossfire, most of the time unintentionally.

The English dictionary (pick one up at your local store) has many definitions on the word 'endure', but all of them seem to point to the conclusion that it means to continue forward without giving in. It is true that the bible has been under attack for centuries, but has it really stood the test of time? There are many different versions of the bible, all of which have a plethora of differences. If we included the Christian argument that God is completely unchanging and so is his word, then reality would very quickly disagree. It would seem then, that the bible has indeed stood up to the test of time, but it has been bent, twisted, and changed in order to allow it to do so.

To endure something means to last through, and with the way things are going in the world today, God's word will eventually need a new translation to regain its footing. Each and every day, churches around the world lose another member, and the ones that remain are desperate to refill their ranks with people who have been indoctrinated into the Christian faith. I'd like to reiterate that if God and his word were both constant and unchanging, there would be no need to debate it, much less to discuss an endurance issue. As it is, both God and his word have been, are, and always will be subject to debate and theories. Will his word endure forever? Time will tell.

Wishful Thinking.

This is a very interesting message that caught my attention, and was a bit tricky. Obviously, what the message wants to convey to the Christian fellowship is that wishing and praying are two different things. Wishing is merely hoping for something to happen, while praying to God is what will set things right. In a fictitious world, this manner of logic would make perfect sense. But in a world where reality disagrees with the existence of any gods, this message would likely raise a few questions.

Wishing and praying, both in a secular society (and even world), both rely on a single element: hope. When engaging in either practice of praying to a god or making a wish upon a star, one is hoping that something beneficial will happen (or in the former, disastrous, mainly towards the opposition). The sad fact is, hope is very easily crushed. When someone wishes or prays for something, there's a high chance that whatever it is they are hoping for won't come to fruition. The same can also be said for someone who prays or wishes for something and someone in another part of the world is praying or wishing for the exact opposite; SOMEONE is going to be very disappointed. My point? Prayer and wishes are not mutually exclusive, but hope is when combined with either of the two.

There is another difference between the two, however. Prayer can be used to calm a person, and helps them feel as if they're really talking to another human being. Wishing, as I've experienced, can sometimes get a person unraveled and excited. But then again, so can prayer. It's all about how you approach the situation, I suppose. Different people do different things. I, for example, don't pray. I try not to wish, but on occasion, I do. Hope is what drives me to wish for things, and it also drives me to carry out the actions I need to fulfill on my part to help the wish come true. What do I do when I get stressed out, though? Instead of praying, I count to ten.

In conclusion, in a world where gods exist, this message would be perfectly correct. However, we live in the real world where fairy tales are just that: fairy tales. It's nice to think that we might have a father in the heavens who watches over us, but it's just wishful thinking, the substance of things hoped for: faith, which is something I won't go into at this time. The bottom line is that wishes and prayers both require hope to fuel them, regardless of how you go about engaging in either practice. The real question is, which of these is the REAL substitute?

Satan's Inches and God's Smelly Feet

Now, I have to admit, I've seen this message on over a dozen church signs and it hasn't changed. Simply put, this message means that if you yield even slightly to the devil, he will give no mercy in his conquest to rule over humanity. What most people don't know is that aside from Satan being a part of the greatest fictitious story ever told, this message applies in many different areas of life. I'll explain.

Addictions, temptations, lustful urges; these all fall into one giant melting pot of things that, if allowed to very slightly inch into one's life, can overtake a person before they're even aware of it. Before the person knows it, they're doing things that their original moral standards wouldn't even consider. The truth is, all of these things are of their own natural origin; no devil or demon uses these as tools to overcome any human being, although on the contrary many fictitious stories use these creatures and situations to give examples, not just the bible. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 45:7, the original translation of the verse states that God creates evil. The original word 'evil' in Hebrew includes moral evil, even though Christian apologists will caution against assuming that the type of calamity that God can create should include moral evil. Then again, apologists will say almost anything to keep their religion alive.

The point is that if God can create the evil and temptations in the world then there is no devil, much less a need for one. But what better way to make God look like the good guy and absolve him of any suspicion of evil than to create a villain, namely Lucifer? Human beings have a major character flaw in that they love to blame other people for their shortcomings, and you can observe nearly anyone to find this flaw, children included. It makes you wonder; if God does exist and does create evil, how do we know that he didn't simply create an alter-ego to blame all of his own shortcomings on? That is assuming that the bible is actually true. Since the Christian religion was created, all humanity had to do was to force their way into the door just an inch, and once the populace gave in, their God became their ruler.

In summary, who is it truly that we need to be cautious of? In the bible, God caused more catastrophic events, more evil, and more sorrow than any other character in the book. In fact, if the bible is true, then God is to be blamed for the state that this world is in today. On the other hand, perhaps I'm just blaming the shield that the cowardly populace is hiding behind. Yes, religion is a shield, but it is an ever crumbling one. Eventually, people will no longer have the shield of religion to hide behind. Then, what will save them from the secularism and sanity that will hopefully creep into their minds inch by inch? It's a thought... just a playful thought.

Why yes, actually, I do.

Well, it seems we have a double whammy today because I'm in a writing mood. Yes sirree, my creative juices are flowing today and just nearly everyday, unlike the day when God decided he wanted a mudball filled with several billion zombies headbanging on a church floor speaking gibberish while eating burned cracker crumbs and imbibing week-old grape juice (try saying all that with a lungful of air and a mouthful of marbles). Indeed, my creative juices are so good today that I was able to interpret what this sign is trying to tell us. The Christian tongue would ask us if we think it's hot here (on this earth) as opposed to the lake of fire, mentioned (as I immediately recall) in the book of Revelations on four separate occasions. Well, my answer to that would be...

Yes. Yes, I rather do think it's hot here. But it's not due to any prophecy that was supposedly told by some bearded cripple or his guide dog. Global warming has been a problem for years and will continue to be until human beings can get a grip on their resources and figure out a way to slowly end the process. The lake of fire, on the other hand, won't come to an end until the fanatical clergy who have hijacked the religion shut their mouths and move on in life or this world becomes secular and sane. Whichever comes first, don't hold your breath for either one. Regardless, it's obvious that none of this lunacy will end until people get a grip on reality and stop believing in fairy tails. In other words, global warming is a reality. The lake of fire is fiction.

A completely perfect god or creative force of any kind with any form of benevolence would have simply created us and left us alone. Permanently. Why? I cannot imagine a perfect being that rewards and punishes the objects of its creation for the nature of being curious. I also cannot imagine a perfect being (of only one presumably exists) that becomes jealous from watching its creations turn to fake gods. If this assclown had been real in the first place, he'd have found another way to let his creations know that he was in fact very real and all-powerful aside from engaging in mass genocide and condoning slavery. And for those of you who have the spine to think that God never did condone slavery, look up the word 'condone'. You'll be amazed at what you can learn when you open up books aside from the bible.

In short, I have to say that this world does feel hot and it's getting hotter by the day, at least for me. People who believe that the words in the bible are truth boil my blood faster than people who piss in my cheerios on a daily basis.

God said it. I believe it. That settles... nothing.

"GOD SAID IT. I BELIEVE IT. THAT SETTLES IT."


Yes, that's what this sign says. Unfortunately, it was dark out when I landed this snapshot and as one can see, the flash feature on the camera didn't do this photo any manner of justice. But that's beside the point; enough with the excuses and onto the cold, snarky comments.

Just because someone says something doesn't make it right. Human beings have for years been the most gullible lunatics on the face of this planet and it's all because of the bullshit we can dream up. How ironic it is then that probably more than half of said bullshit is actually believed as truth, despite how poorly fabricated it may be. The counter argument to this is, 'Well, it's God. So that makes it right.' And to that I say, 'No, it doesn't.' And here's why.

In the Old Testament, God gave explicit instructions on how to own a slave despite their background or their ethnicity. Hundreds of years later on modern-day Earth, we sinful human beings have abolished slavery due to how heinous it truly is. We as human beings morally and decisively concluded that placing ownership over another human being is morally reprehensible and threw the whole idea out the window. Now, according to my calculations, that gives us humans one up over God. In fact, most secular and sane human beings would probably agree with me that over 90% of the 613 Old Testament commandments are ignored due to their savagery, stupidity, primitive background, or moral bankruptcy. Or even, all of the above; and this is just ONE example!

I reiterate, just because someone says something doesn't make it right. Yes, this includes God, as shown in the last paragraph. According to the bible, God ordered the mass murder of many millions of people, and he ordered his favorite tribe to do it. An all-powerful god would not have to put itself down on its own creations' level to prove a point, in fact, he wouldn't have to use his own creations to get a point across to anyone at all, assuming of course that he actually was the only one in existence. Human parents can reason with their own children intelligently as to why things are good or bad ideas without the use of violence or fits of rage, but the almighty God of the Bible deemed it necessary to destroy the children of his that disobeyed him or even breathed wrong, proving that just because he says something doesn't make it right. But according to most Christians, God is the ultimate authority and shouldn't be questioned, a fact and idea rolled into one that teaches otherwise intelligent children not to question authority, even though said authority might be wrong. Is God wrong? I think he is. But some Christians do not. What's the difference? I ask questions, the Christians don't. What's that quote... "The only stupid question is the one not asked." I couldn't have said it better.

To sum this up, human beings are curious by nature, and being punished for our innate nature is wrong. We didn't ask to be created to worship something, and if something only created us to worship and love it, then he did it wrong. Do we punish a dog for peeing on the carpet? Yes, but by default we don't kill it. Do we kill our cat for wandering away from the house at late hours? No. While Christians may attempt to point out that we didn't create dogs or cats, we rule and lord over them just the same. The idea that God says something and people believe it and thus makes it right is inconceivable. But if one digs deeply into history, one would find that the Bible is not the word of God, thus he really said nothing at all. And if people are to believe the word of God, then which word should they believe? The Bible? The Quran? The truth is that people will believe anything if it's good, even if it's too good to be true. The people who question what they believe are the only ones who stand a chance at settling anything, and not just because some random cosmic creator said so.

"Believe only half of what you see and nothing of what you hear." - Anonymous

Chaos Control!

Most people that ignore God have a decent reason for doing so, albeit not so decent to the good ole Christian folks. The type of chaos that reigns freely in this world today is mostly a direct result of religion (not simply from ignorance), though not in all cases is it mutually exclusive. People seem to think that because many people ignore God, this results in chaos because of a devil roaming around tempting us. Although there are many reasons for the different types of chaos that are laced through the world today, I'm going to cover the chaos that is religion.

In almost all religious groups, there have been great attempts to establish control, and what better way to gain control of the masses by telling the populace that a priest hears direct orders and ideas from their patron (or matron) god? Throughout Christian history, it has been thought that God came down and gave instructions on how to live life properly, which is laughable at best. Assuming that God is indeed all-powerful, I'm not so sure he actually involved himself directly with his own creations at all. Animals and insects have their own way of life and they got along just fine without God. Dolphins and monkeys did as well, and those two types of animals are considered 'higher intellects'. The argument I've gotten for this is, 'Well, God made us in his image.' This doesn't make a bit of difference, but it -does- explain the chaos that governs our lives.

If we are indeed made in God's image, then it clearly explains why we have a thirst for destruction. God's attitude in the Old Testament was that of a malevolent bully, constantly dishing out punishment to the objects of his creation with little pity or remorse, mostly for acts they did against him. Many of these acts included worshiping other gods (which supposedly didn't exist), disobeying a direct order from him, acting according to our curious human nature, and so on. It purely exhibits how we as humans act today in regards to our fellow man, how children behave in accordance to authority from their parents, and how adults regard other authority figures: at one point or another, any one of these individuals will challenge the other's authority. The result is not to strike the other person dead, though a few passages in the Old Testament condone this behavior.

Being made in God's image does not give us any reason or merit to worship a figment of the imagination. Submission to this 'authority figure' is actually submission to the human beings who created him for that purpose. What better way to get the attention of a bunch of primitive animals than to threaten them with violence that they know very well? Humans are no different, and many of us clearly understand what violence results in: pain. How odd is it that most human beings do their best to avoid physical pain, but allow themselves to become subjects of brainwashing and death threats from a hypocritical god that lives by a famous double standard 'Do as I say, not as I do'?

In short, the chaos in this world is not the result of ignoring God, it's the result of condoning and tolerating the religion that supports him. Religion has always tried to control humanity for its own ends, and it won't ever give up that cause. Each time science or secularism debunks another myth about God, another version of the bible is printed, or another apologist attempts to falsify the claim, or whatever needs to be done to protect their precious death cult. Christianity is losing the battle against atheism, and as a result, chaos is going to grow exponentially due to Christians trying to restore their religion in many acts of desperation. The question is, are we going to ignore the real problem?

Time Will Tell...

Just in case either of my two followers were wondering, I've been on a slight hiatus due to lack of writing material. Worry not, for soon material will be provided!

The Anchor has been stowed, Captain!

Even taken figuratively, this sign's message is lacking in something, and that something is common sense. In the christian tongue, this simply means that one can find comfort simply by opening the bible to find enlightenment within its many pages. I've found a lot of enlightenment of my own within the bible, but it wasn't pretty. Starting with the Old Testament, one can find a lot of bloodshed, moral bankruptcy, and more human error than could be found in the first draft of one of Stephen King's novels. Okay, so I'm kidding about that last part, the part about Stephen King, at least. But truthfully, the bible does have a lot of enlightenment, if one can find where it is. For example, the bible's definition of faith is 'the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen'. If the bible is an anchor, it's catching a bed full of sand.

It's very interesting to note that many people can indeed turn to the bible for moral comfort and support based off of how they are taught to look at things, and one of those ways is not to question God's actions; that he as an omniscient being does things for a reason. For me, that's not good enough. If someone does something that I am opposed to and I know will affect me one way or the other, I demand a reason, and not simply the most 'FAIL' reason of them all, which is, 'because I said so'. Trying to lure people into the trap of 'because he's god' is one of the weakest ways to reassure people that things will be okay. Being taught not to question god's motives is the exact same as telling people not to question authority, just on a different level. Children challenge the authority of their parents constantly, just as we have the right to question god's authority over us, except in this example, our parents are very real and provide us with choices and consequences for our actions, whereas god provides an ultimatum; an eternal reward for submission to his will, or eternal punishment in the lake of fire, the perfect symbol of torture and grief.

The bible is -not- an anchor of any sort and has not yet been able to grapple onto anything solid. As long as people continue to debate its origin and legitimacy, the unholy book will always remain one of the least sturdy foundations on which to base one's life. Proof is evident that the bible isn't trusted, as it has been debated, twisted, rewritten, re-translated, debunked, and recreated so many times that no two versions are the exact same. What's worse is that now people are so desperate to defend it that they claim that some words in the book don't mean what they actually do. The bible is not the anchor in the storm, it is not the word of any god, and it will continue to be the subject of debate for many years to come.

In short, if ever there was any storm to overcome the strength of an anchor and its chain, one need only look on the internet for religious debates. An anchor is a sturdy object, capable of grounding an entire ship and everything it contains. The bible has failed to do this, as mankind still argues over how legitimate it really is. How long until it finally loses hold on humanity and we are finally free of its 'virtuous' shackles? Only time will tell.

Bible + GPS = Bottom of a Lake

If the believer's GPS is the bible, then they really are up shit creek without a paddle, and that means they're paddling through the shit with their hands. Why is this an issue for me? Think about it; GPS units sometimes have the tendency to instruct you to turn left into an open field, thus misdirecting the person using it. This obviously leads to problems.

The main argument I have gotten from this so far is, 'Oh, but a GPS unit is a man-made device, so...-' This is an extremely weak argument because the bible is also a man-made device, and it was NOT god-inspired. Many people who have picked up the unholy book and believed its contents have also committed crimes and used the words within as an excuse. If you find that hard to believe, look up the story of Andrea Yates. You'll shit yourself.

The bible, for the GPS it is, has been the subject of debate for centuries in the fact that many people talk about the direction they want their lives to go, or which way the bible leads them, or the direction that god has planned for them. For some people, this GPS has provided some relief in the form of not going completely batshit crazy. For others... check out the story of John List.

In conclusion, I can only say that humans are trying to improve GPS systems each and every day, so that eventually the electronic devices won't misguide us into a lake. As for the bible, well, the improvements that are made are pushing it and its laughable religion further and further towards mythology, which is where it needs to be. A secular world is a sane world, and one without the dominant control of religion leaves it free to roam in whatever direction it so pleases.

Death is Certain, But Eternity is Not.

I cannot even begin to describe how many annoying signs I've seen that have to deal with eternity. We all know that death is certain, after all we can't put it off forever. Eventually the grim reaper is gonna come-a knockin' and we'll have to face the facts, but one of those facts won't be eternity. However, to those who don't believe me, I'm going to make a comparison just for you. I hope you loathe it.

Take the one thing in this mortal life that you enjoy doing the most. For me, it's programming and writing script for video games; a simple job, but it can get tedious in the times that I have to figure out where an error in the coding is located. Now, take that thing that you enjoy doing and try to imagine performing that task over and over for the rest of eternity. Non-stop. Scared yet? I sure am, my hobby would drive me batshit nuts. So why in the world do Christians seem to think that worshiping and praising God for all of eternity is supposed to be the best thing to happen to us? Could you imagine having sex for eternity? I know I couldn't.

The thing that gets me the most is that heaven is supposed to be a place where light shines constantly; there is no sunset, nobody sleeps or feels any form of negativity at all. Everything is peaceful and full of people singing their asses off for God. I'd have a problem with this right off the bat. Say again that perhaps you have fallen in love with the most beautiful person you could ever hope to meet, but perhaps they don't share your faith. According to the bible, apostasy is the one unforgivable sin that can send a person to hell. Now suppose you both perish at the same time, with you going to heaven, and your true love cursed to damnation. If one is forced to be happy in heaven, I'm suggesting that the person who went to heaven won't remember anything about his mortal love. This kind of thinking would drive me insane. I'd sooner offer my soul to the devil himself to spend eternity with my true love than to be separated from her. This isn't suggesting that I believe in such things, however. It's merely an example.

The point is that nobody can give a reason why eternity should be taken seriously. The idea of eternity cheapens the experience of life for a lot of people. As an atheist, I view my life as the only one I'll ever have, and in a way, that makes it much more precious and valuable. As a result, I'm going to do my best to do good to others, help the needy when I can, and generally make every attempt to be a good person. Am I planning for eternity? In a way, I am; in the effect that I hope I make the future for the people around me that much brighter and more pleasant. But what I'm not planning on is meeting the fictitious asshole that condones mass genocide of innocents. Why? Because he doesn't exist.

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it, petty, unjust, unforgiving, pathologically insecure, a control freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty, ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully. Those of us schooled from infancy in his ways can become desensitized to their horror".

-- Richard Dawkins, Pg. 51 [The God Delusion]

Do Your Knees Hurt?

It's also hard to prevent your cell mate from shagging you when in such a position. There are too many perverse comments I could offer to the message being given here, but will not give them. Instead, I will offer my usual snarky logic on what dark truths this message is trying to give us.

I am -very- well aware of what this sign is intended to mean. The intended meaning behind this is that when one stoops to his knees to humble himself and pray before god, he is given the strength to overcome the trials and obstacles that lay upon his path. This is the christian meaning behind this.

The dark truth? It is extremely difficult for one to defend himself when down on his knees. The christian dogma for centuries has put the idea into many a person's head that they are unworthy subjects of god's love and compassion, and that only by asking for his forgiveness and acknowledging his only son will they be given clemency. Just what is it that we're supposed to be forgiven for? The sin of being human? If so, I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. Religion has always been and always will be the greatest stumbling block for human beings and it is the -one thing- that holds us back as a species.

So, while it is hard to stumble when you're on your knees, it is also difficult to make forward progression of any sort. Ever tried walking on your knees? It sucks. But by standing up [for yourself], opening your eyes, and taking careful steps to avoid obstacles, you can overcome your own trials without requiring much help. Sure, you may need help eventually when you don't know what to do, but turning to the bible isn't going to help you. Try asking your neighbor, or one of your friends.

Think about it.

The Problem I Have With Homosexuals

In recent events, I've been busy writing other things, so apologies ahead of time for not writing anything in this arena. One of my interesting finds as of late is all of the hate against homosexuals and anything to do with gay people. I'm aware that this hate has been going on for awhile, after all, homophobia is old news. What's the problem I have with homosexuals, you may ask? It's simple. I don't have a problem with them; what I do have a problem with is all the flak they get for being who they are. Humanity is so quick to judge someone based off of what they claim to be, the color of their skin, how they speak, etc. I treat everyone the same way until they give me reason to do otherwise.

In other words, I regard homosexuals with the same disposition as I regard anyone else; we're all human beings. You have 1 chance with my trust, and if you mess that up, I treat you like an outsider. Gays, blacks, indians, whites, heterosexuals, etc. are all the same. We're all human beings, but you want to know what else is astonishing? Animals are also known to naturally engage in homosexual activity, yet most animals base their actions purely off of instinct. What does that tell you?

On top of what has already been said, scientific research has proven that homosexuality is in fact a natural occurrence in animals, insects, and human beings. All that has to happen is before birth, a single hormone gets switched around and viola! You've got yourself a genuine homosexual. So why do we hate them so much if they're natural? I'm betting for two reasons; because they're different and most people don't understand them (humanity fears and despises what it does not understand), but mostly due to the plague known as religion. Religion has always been and always will be the one thing that holds human beings back as a species. Even more ironic is the horrid truth that only human beings seem to need religion; everything else doesn't. They get along just fine without it. Why? That's for another post.

I've been away...

But the world hasn't. My weekend has been fairly bland with the exception of a church-goer that decided it would be a good idea to knock on my door not once, but THREE separate occasions in order to get my attention. While the person in question was clever to think that someone was home because a vehicle was in the driveway, he apparently didn't prepare his brain for the atheistic onslaught that undeniably rushed from my mouth into the atmosphere surrounding his ears (okay, so that may be an exaggeration; he obviously wasn't prepared for resistance of any sort or a debate). I think it would be wise to say that if he had virgin ears before meeting me, he doesn't anymore.

This gentleman, who shall remain nameless, is a member of the Rutherford County Baptist Church, "The Friendliest Church Around". In a twist of irony, a week prior to this one, a woman and her twelve year old knocked on my door while a friend was over, leaving behind a pamphlet after receiving no answer. This man was not so lucky to get away spiritually unscathed. He asked me many probing questions, such as, "What is your relationship with Jesus Christ?" and the classic, "Do you realize that we're all sinners?" He asked me 4 questions and left me with a statement, each of which I clearly remember my answer to, and for your reading enjoyment, I shall post them here. Do enjoy, and God Bless Atheism!


Him - "What's your relationship with Jesus Christ?"
Me - "Who?"

Him - "Do you realize that we're all sinners?"
Me - "Yes, to the extent that we're all guilty of the sin of being human, at which point I draw the line between myself and your fallible, intellectually bankrupt god."

Him - "I can assure you that your heavenly father loves you, how can you not see that?"
Me - "How can you not see the terrible condition that this world is in today? Religions of 'peace' are at each others' throats and you're on my doorstep trying to proclaim god's love for me. If he's so powerless that he has to send people like you to speak his mind, he obviously has little love for anyone, least of all me.

Him - "What do you mean 'people like me'?"
Me - "I mean the brainwashed, bible-thumping crazies that are incapable of critical thinking and see fit to place themselves on my doorstep and preach scripture at me."

Him - "I'll keep you in my prayers, sir. I hope you find God."
Me - "I hope you're wrong."

I Give YOU A New Commandment... STFU!

So that's what now, 614 commandments? Who the hell do you think you are? God? Well, could have fooled me. Of course you're God, or some ignorant fool pretending to speak for God. Bad attitude aside, this sign's message comes from John 13:34, in which Jesus is telling the listeners (and readers in this unfortunate case) to love their fellow man as he has loved them. Implications from Christians point out that Jesus (God), in his benevolence, loves his children dearly and wants us to love each other in the same fashion. In case anyone is completely unaware, this guy had to take his Prozac in order to prevent himself from engaging in any further religious mass-murder, which is one of the furthest things from tender loving of any sort.

Yes, that last part was a bit of sarcastic analogizing. What's serious is that God, in his complete holiness and benevolence thought that in order to purge evil from this world, he would have to set his people on fire, drown them in a great flood, rain hailstones upon them, strike them dead, disease them with plagues, and even send an angel of death to strike down the firstborn children of guilty people. The irony? God actually created this evil, and actually repented of it several times. Reality check: a perfect god would NEVER have to repent of anything that he's done, and to go even further, would not have had to engage in these hideous acts of religious slaughter to prove any point that he may have had. Some individuals that were killed in the bible didn't have a violent streak in them, but were still put to death just so that God could have a pissing contest with himself. See the story of Job for more details.

Yep, God is perfect. So perfect in fact, that he constantly treated the symptom and not the actual problem: himself.



Edit: Some people have tried to point out that the word 'repent' does not carry with it the modern meaning within the bible. Repent defined is:


As an intransitive verb:

a: to feel regret or contrition b: to change one's mind

As a transitive verb:

1 : to cause to feel regret or contrition
2 : to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition for

With that being said, I'd like to point out that the definition for 'repent' has not changed at all significantly since its first use. It had the same meaning then as it does now. Several apologists have also tried to use this tactic with other words in the bible, such as 'hate', with the same results; words that reputedly don't mean what they mean do in fact mean what they mean. It just goes to show that people will make any excuse for their crippled religion.

Don't Tell Me What To Do!

You know, I would, except Facebook doesn't tell me to dash my little ones against rocks, and doesn't tell me to stone my child to death when he rebels against me. In fact, Facebook is where I get most of my sanity and is a place that I can go to communicate with REAL friends and REAL people, unlike your fictitious clusterfuck of violence, bigotry, and promises of an impossible afterlife.

- Demarlos

Prayer, Praise, and Worship Equal EPIC FAIL

The rotten core from which this stank bullshit stems from is in its mentality. The very idea that anyone would think that any of these three things would lead to victory is laughable. The sign is trying to tell us that by engaging in these three practices, one can overcome the devil and his temptations and bring themselves even closer to a victorious relationship with the Lord. But let's talk about this so-called relationship.

I wouldn't call these three acts prayer, or praise, or even worship so much as I would begging, groveling, and mindless garble. When one takes the time to look back on god's history, they can see a bloodstained past and acts that would baffle even the most degenerate of minds. Just the idea that this being would engage in mass murder as he did is sickening, but to praise him for it leads me to believe that this world contains a lot of mentally ill people. One of the main excuses is that this god had people butchered due to their evil and wicked nature. Many of the individuals in the bible who were slain by the zealous, murdering tribes of god wanted nothing to do with violence and were a relatively peaceful group of people. Many were killed on the grounds that they worshiped different gods, despite the fact that they weren't hurting anything. Who would worship such a being that would authorize and condone such behavior? Oh, wait... yeah.

Christians want to strengthen their relationship with god through the 3 practices mentioned above, but I would hardly begin to call this a relationship. When christians pray to their god and get satisfying results, they are happy as can be, but when the results are not quite to their satisfaction, they immediately fire off with, 'Oh, it's just god's will.' Really? What do you call it when a man is seconds away from proposing to his future wife, when suddenly a bolt of lightning tears out of the sky and strikes the woman dead and leaves the man all alone? Is that god's will? It's honestly no different than what he would have done in the bible. People rarely ever stop to think about sorrowful consequences and what they would do if they were suddenly put in a position that left them feeling great loss, and if it happens that they do, they continue to stoop even lower for a god that has them on strings by thinking that he has a plan for their life. If his plan involves toying with my emotions, then I want nothing to do with him.

In conclusion, prayer, praise, and worship soaks up more time in a person's life when they could be out in the world doing what they -really- want to do. Whether people want to acknowledge it or not, we are all born into atheism, and indoctrination is what eats up peoples' lives. When we promote the idea of a god whose pastime used to be genocide, we are destroying mentality that could otherwise be used for something more productive, such as looking out for each other.

Eternity Has Only Two Choices!

I'm quite sure that any levelheaded human being realizes that this life is full of choices to make (or not to make), but when it comes to eternity, we're supposed to believe that we have only two options to pick from. This is not a choice, obviously, and for those of you who disagree, keep reading. The basic idea that this message is attempting to deliver to us is that eternity is a choice, as there are only two possible outcomes for your eternal existence, and while some people may argue that 'yes' and 'no' are choices, this type of decision making goes beyond that, to the point where it threatens humanity almost to a satirical level.

Heaven is our 'yes' choice and Hell is our 'no' choice, with the latter being eternal damnation and torture within the lake of fire known as Hell. Now, I'm very well aware that all choices have consequences, but the decision of where to spend your eternity in this case is not a choice; it's an ultimatum. Unfortunately for many people, this is not obvious and still isn't even after you've explained the situation to them. A choice implies an end or purpose which requires the exercise of judgement. Obviously in this situation to many narrow-minded individuals, not very much judgement is required in this decision. Predictably, you're going to say 'yes' to Heaven.

Or are you? Those who are no stranger to god's atrocities are very likely going to reject his idea of salvation and refuse to worship such a monster. A being that would commit genocide over and over again, then have the nerve to provide us with the ultimate slap to the face is worthy of no reverence whatsoever and should be treated like a disease. Terrorizing the human race and then providing it with an offer it supposedly cannot refuse is extremely similar to some tactics that we as human beings still employ to this day. Most religions use this tactic to intimidate intellectual insects into believing that their eternal life is going to be complete with agony and torment if they reject this tyrant's salvation, when in reality, if this god was as benevolent as his followers make him out to be, he would neither employ this method, nor would he have resorted to the religious mass murder of so many people in his blood-stained history. Unfortunately, many people lack common sense and any moral fiber associated with it, so they're just as likely to believe that the boogieman exists in addition to this murderous swine.

An ultimatum is defined as a final proposition, condition, or demand, especially one whose rejection will end all negotiations and cause a resort to force or other direct action. How more obvious does this have to be for people to realize that their god is a tyrannical, murderous, intellectually and morally bankrupt individual with no more love for us than the dirt he supposedly made us with? It's time for us to wake up and realize that god did not create us; we created him, and we conceived him with the idea of using such foolishness to intimidate, bully, and coerce our way to the top. Well, I have news; bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

We Must Really Hate God!

Oh really? All 10 of them, or all 613? Well, if we kept all 613, this world really would be in deep shit up to its upper lip, now wouldn't it? So let's take a look at the traditional Ten Commandments, taken from orthodox standards.

1. I am the lord your god, you shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol.
3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your god.
4. You shall remember the sabbath and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or anything that is your neighbor's.

Now that we have the commandments listed, let's take another look at the message: "Whoever loves god keeps his commandments."

This message basically states that if one loves god, then that one keeps -all- of the commandments, meaning he never breaks them. So who in this world truly loves god? Hardly a soul, seeing as how nearly every last one of these commandments is broken in one way or another. Hell, even god himself has taken the liberty of breaking a couple of his own commandments. Imagine that. But let's talk about us.

Commandment #1 is broken in many ways. Many different religions exist in this world, all with their own respective deities (with the exception of Buddhism), all of which have their own members and worshipers. Some of these religions have former christians in their ranks, which indicates that either god didn't try hard enough to win these peoples' affections, or just doesn't care. I'm voting the latter. At least this justifies him being wrathful.

Commandment #2 is broken constantly, even by christians. How? Well, the basic form of the commandment is 'Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.' How many christians do you see wearing images of Jesus hanging on the cross or something similar to 'any thing that is in heaven above', such as an angel? Yeah, go figure. While I'm not trying to point fingers at christians specifically, nearly every religion has this problem, not just christianity. You're not alone, guys.

Commandment #3 is broken constantly, even by me. Yes, I take pride in it. Almost anyone will say, 'Oh my god' when they are surprised, and to most christians, this is misusing the lord's name. Expressing Jesus' name in anger or surprise is also taking the lord's name in vain. Everyone has done it at one point. Go figure.

Commandment #4 is no longer kept by anyone, to my knowledge. Then again, I haven't done my research on this one, and I honestly don't care enough to. Too many people work on Sunday now, so it's not like it really matters. Oh well.

Commandment #5 is, in my opinion, the most important commandment. Your mother and father, assuming they care for and love you, are the main reason you exist today, and eventually, you will become part of that equation. But there are some mothers and fathers who are completely ignoramus and unworthy of any manner of honor. These are the people that let their children grow up and act like complete fools, leading them to break this commandment as well. These are also the same people that manage to get a few heads shaking or a few calls made to the nearest Child Services center. For me, it's a source of entertainment.

Commandment #6 is quite possibly the one that a majority of people in this world are most familiar with. I'm surprised it's still in the bible, seeing as how so much leniency is given for its function. The definition of murder is too complex to post here when involved with human law, but in its basic form, it is the taking of a human life in a malicious fashion, which helps define the word 'killing' or 'kill', plain and simple; and wouldn't you know it, more people have been killed in the name of god than for any other reason. This is also the commandment most broken by god himself. How's that for a reality check?

Commandment #7 is broken constantly. Adultery defined is literally the act of sexual intercourse between a married individual and another whom they are not married to. Many christians state that adultery can be committed in the mind, but what manner of sense does that make? What fun is there in being married for 50 years and not being able to imagine doing the horizontal monster mash with a woman 40 years younger (or man, for the female readers)? Adultery is committed by many people, even during the act of legal separation, which is how so many people get away with it. Yep, even we find reasons to get away with breaking the commandments. Who does that sound like?

Commandment #8 is broken every single day. Stealing occurs frequently, but to be fair, some people do it because they have no other alternative. I could easily forgive someone who broke into my home to steal a loaf of bread or a can of soda from my fridge just so he could live another day. But there are people who try to make a living out of it, and it's the one broken commandment that can lead frequently to the breaking of commandment #6. However, the ultimate question is; would you condemn a man to death for stealing to feed his family, even if he had to shoot and kill someone to succeed? This is a moral question, but I am willing to bet god would condemn this man in a heartbeat.

Commandment #9 is broken daily, every second of the day and I'm highly convinced that this commandment is the most broken. This commandment in its basic form means 'you shall not tell lies'. Lying in this day and age is mostly destructive, but there are temporary benefits, such as lying to someone to protect someone else's life, for example. In its basic form, a lie is a blatant 'fuck you' to someone who has placed their trust in you, and should not be done. Period.

Commandment #10 is broken every day, by everyone. Why shouldn't we be allowed to break #10? It's what creates competition, our economy, and money flow. To cease the breaking of this commandment would destroy many a country's economy and place us close to primitive times. But what I'm describing highlights only the items that belong to your neighbor, not his wife, though in some translations the wife is included. Even so, why not covet your neighbor's wife? If that were strictly forbidden, what else would a single guy think about on a saturday night when he's waxing his dolphin?

In a nutshell, all I can really say is that nobody in this world loves god, as nobody can truly keep all of the 10 commandments. Where does that leave us, dear reader?

Getting Started

Once again, I've changed my profile into something of a project, but this time it was due to some words of encouragement from a person who is so dear to me, it's frightening. You know, it's a very odd thing that a person who is very real and tangible can mean a lot to another person, especially an atheist, yet a god that I have yet to lay eyes on can mean so little. Especially after he created this earth with all of his intelligent design. How arrogant of me to place another human life over the worship of such a holy being.

I'm prepared to say, however, that this being is in no way worthy of my respect. I would like to point out that not only did we not ask for or make any request or inquiry on our own creation, we are supposedly demanded to worship a being that has so little respect for us, he's willing to allow anything to happen to us, with the excuse that it brings us closer to him. Unfortunately for this omniscient being, that's not how most intelligent humans operate. Last I checked, most human beings (and animals in this respect) tend to put as much distance between themselves and the person or thing that is bringing harm to them and refuse to give reverence to such a monstrosity. Wow... who'd have thought it?

Though it pains me to admit it, many human beings find it necessary to revere the god of the Christian bible, and they do so in a fanatical way sometimes, even to the point of putting their own interpretations into words on signs outside their big, luxurious buildings where they and their friends can go once a week to compare clothing. While I'm prohibited from going into these buildings to ask probing questions about their fictitious god or any of the war stories in their unholy book, I can at the very least post some of these interpretations within this blog for all to laugh at. Well, maybe not all, but at least the levelheaded people. Now, of course, these are my own interpretations of these signs, which means that I could possibly be incorrect in the long run, just like the bible and all the thumpers that are associated with it, but I'll at least try to go out with a bang for your entertainment. Please enjoy, and try to refrain from sending me hate mail or scripture, I could really do without it.