Do you know your commandments?

This posting is a follow up to my previous blog “Your god is a moral adolescent”.

I did not specifically call out the “Ten Commandments” simply because there are questions regarding their origin and what other cultures influenced them. A majority of people in the US would claim to know the Christian Ten Commandments. And, based on my experience and reading, it appears that most of them are wrong.

I’m always amused by people who stand up and claim that our society was founded on the Christian belief system and that our founding fathers constructed our constitution around the Christian commandments.

Point No. 1 –

First amendment battles continue to rage across the US over the posting of the Ten Commandments in public places. Christians argue that they are a part of our western heritage that should be displayed as ubiquitously as traffic signs.

Congressman Bob suggest that the Columbine massacre wouldn’t have happened if the Ten commandments (also called the Decalogue) had been posted in the high school, (this guy is an elected official?) and some government officials have directly and purposely disobeyed court rulings against the display of these ten directives supposedly handed down from on high.

Every Decalogue you see, from the 5,000 pound granite behemoth inside the Alabama State Judicial Building to the little wallet cards sold in Christian book stores, is wrong. You might say, “Really?” Yep you can look it up for yourself. Get out your King James Version, turn to Exodus 20:2-17. You will see the familiar list of rules about having no other gods, honoring your parents, not killing or coveting and so on. At this point, though, Moses is just repeating to the people what God told him on Mount Si’nai. These are not written down in any form (as described by the King James Bible. The other Christian versions are the essentially the same with some wording variations.).

Later, Moses goes back to the Mount, where “God” gives him the “tablets of stone” with rules written on them (Exodus 31:18). But when Moses comes down from the mountain lugging his load, he sees the people worshiping a statue of a calf, causing him to throw a tantrum and smash the tablets on the ground (Exodus 32:19).

In neither of these cases does the bible refer to “commandments”. In the first instance, they are “works” which “God spake,” while the tablets contain “testimony”. It is only when Moses goes back for the new tablets that we see the phrase “ten commandments” (Exodus 34:28)

Personal side note here – When you give your child something important and he/she pitches a fit and breaks said important thing do you turn around and give them another one?

In an interesting turn of events, the commandments on these tablets are significantly different than the ten rules Moses recited for the people, which would lead one to believe that either Moses’ memory is faulty or his “god” changed its mind.

So you may say “what are the commandments given to Moses by his lord”? In case you don’t want to look this up in Exodus 34:13-28, they are;

I. Thou shalt worship no other gods.

II. Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

III. The feast of unleavened bread thou shall keep.

IV. Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest.

V. Thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the first fruits of wheat harvest and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

VI. Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God.

VII. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven

VIII. Neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passover be left unto the morning.

IX. The first of the first fruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the lord thy god.

X. Thou shalt not seethe (churn or boil) a kid (i.e. young goat) in his mother’s milk.

Now the question that immediately comes to mind is;

The so called creator of the universe is speaking directly to his creations and giving them the 10 most important things they should know to live their lives and this is the list? Seriously! This list is a joke, and oh by the way, there is nothing there about killing, adultery, stealing, or being honest. So the “real” Ten Commandments don’t even offer any socially redeemable advice either - in my opinion, of course.

It appears that the guys who wrote the bible really should have thought this through a bit more. And yes we know they were guys because we have evidence of their social structure of that time period and of that culture.

Reference Notes:

· Point one reference www.disinfo.com publishing 100 things you’re not supposed to know.

· King James Version of the Christian Bible

· My blog; http://positiveatheist.blogspot.com/2009/04/your-god-is-moral-adolescent.html

Point No. 2 –

There are other, and much older, social rules by which to live your life. AND, they actually give guidance on how one should interact with his / her fellow human beings.

I offer the example of the Samurai moral code, the Bushido code of conduct, the wisdom and serenity of Confucianism or Buddhism, or the ten commandments of Solon. All of these are older than Christianity and seem to have a much better grasp on the things that should be important to one leading a “good” life.

Personal Note – You cannot mandate morality or “clean living” - these virtues are only relevant to the person or social code of conduct as guidelines. I do not wish to pick up the debate here, but there are levels or degrees of all codes of conduct and only the individual can decide what is appropriate for them. (Yes, there are social orders that must be obeyed for a society to flourish and mature. In this case I am speaking only of one’s own personal growth or maturity.)

In case you aren’t familiar with any of the previous mentioned “commandments” or codes of conduct, I offer you a sampling for your review.

Ten Commandments of Solon;

1. Trust good character more than promises.

2. Do not speak falsely.

3. Do good things.

4. Do not be hasty in making friends, but do not abandon them once made.

5. Learn to obey before you command.

6. When giving advice, do not recommend what is most pleasing, but what is most useful.

7. Make reason your supreme commander.

8. Do not associate with people who do bad things.

9. Honor the gods.

10. Have regard for your parents.

The Seven Virtues of a Samurai;

1. Rectitude (義, gi)

2. Courage (勇, yū)

3. Benevolence (仁, jin)

4. Respect (礼, rei)

5. Honesty (誠 makoto, or 信 shin)

6. Honor, Glory (名誉, meiyo)

7. Loyalty (忠義, chūgi)

In conclusion;

My point is that the Christian’s bible versions of the social commandments is at best a list of things that will ensure one celebrates the changing of the seasons and, at worst, was a poor list of items that is useless to anyone after the invention of pasteurized milk and modern farming techniques.

Lastly, if you are going to call for the inclusion of the biblical Ten Commandments in anything you need to, at least, know what you are talking about. The list that everyone is so excited about being in our public buildings is not the commandments that the Christian god carved in stone for Moses.

Now if you are going to defend the “commonly known” commandments and disregard the list that was supposedly presented to Moses in stone, then I would ask you;

1. Where does your god inform you that you can pick and chose what parts of the bible to abide by, and

2. Which ones you can discard as irrelevant?

OR one of my favorite defenses of the apologist,

3. That it was a written in a different time and social structure than our own and thus is not relevant.

The Christian bible will offer an occasional stone of wisdom. The fact is that this wisdom in every instance I am aware of, was already concluded, refined and practiced, or can be taken independent of its source. In both instances the bible serves no purpose.

While Thomas Jefferson’s version of the bible managed to strip away a lot of the nonsense contained in the King James Bible, I would argue that the Christian bible’s sadistic, barbaric and grotesque representation of the human condition and its god, in and of itself should disqualify it from any further use.

Love thy Atheist?

In a story published in the Manchester Evening news, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor instructs everyone…

"Love thy atheist neighbor"

Well thank you father for being so… Christian???

I had a discussion not too long ago with a friend who commented; “look what good work all the Christians are doing, building play grounds for kids, helping the homeless, giving to shelters…” The big issue I have always had with putting a label on kindness is just that, you are putting your label on something that doesn’t require a label.

We all have good intentions, thoughts and desires. We all have some really ugly ones too. The difference is that some humans listen to one side and some to the other. The theist is always quick to point out that this is simply their God or their Satan. I maintain it is even more simple than that. It is simply human nature. There really are good people and bad people. Sometime circumstances drive the nature; sometimes the human overcomes the circumstances. The bottom line is, you are either good at heart or you are not. (I believe most people are, but a bit misguided)

People who build playgrounds and give generously of their time are generally doing it because they are good people. They don’t need a label to show why they are good. I know many atheists who are much more generous than I and they do all the things you would associate with a kind hearted person. The difference is the Christians have good PR people. They gather all their friends together (I suspect a few atheists are in there as well) and then tell everyone to “smile for the picture”. Now to be perfectly fair...it should be pointed out that Atheist are quick to point out how they too are helpful. Atheist Volunteers

So what happens if you take away the label? In the perfect world; when there are no religions, what would all the children be left to play in the dirt? Would the homeless be left to fend for themselves? The obvious answer is “NO”. All of the same kind hearted people would do the same things they are doing now.

In a discussion between and atheist and a theist I heard the atheist ask “if you have irrefutable evidence today that god absolutely did not exist, would you start rapping, pillaging and killing.” The theist answered “Well sure, why not?” So for this person his religion was the only thing making him a “good person”. At the conclusion of the conversation the atheist told the theist, “I hope you stay in church for the rest of your life!” I agree. Not only was the theist psychotic but obviously an idiot.

Bottom line…
Be kind to everyone PERIOD! Because you are the guardian of your kind heart and you don’t have to be a god, or worship one, to offer a helping hand.

Watered Down Religion

There are two things about the “religious type” that have always bothered me. Besides the fact that a large majority think they have the answers and you just need to be enlightened.

1. Nowhere in any religious text, that I can find, does it tell a practitioner they are free to pick and choose which laws, rules or commandments they wish follow.
2. Nowhere in any religious text, that I can find, does it tell the practitioner they are free to modify, adapt or change any laws, rules or commandments for any reason.

This includes the common excuse that there was a different social structure when the holy scriptures were written. If their god was so powerful and omnipotent wouldn’t he / she have taken that into consideration before allowing someone to put it in a book with this God’s name on it?

So some of my biggest questions are;
1. Why do people water down, thin out or dilute their religious doctrine when they are so forceful in beating up others with it?
2. Why do people not see the hypocrisy in this practice?
3. How do people read two guiding principles, one placed right after the other, and they follow one but not the other?

I can only hypothesize. My current thinking is most people simply cannot follow every single rule outlined in the religious text. Thus they pick and choose which ones THEY deem to be the most important. This selection process then allows them to build their arguments (e.g. With the exception of some sects of Hinduism, homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of God.) while ignoring all the other directives outlined on the very same page from which they selected this one.

Another hypothesis / observation is some people simply cannot bear it. They see a lot of inconsistencies within the text, they do not have answers as to why, but they simply want to carry on in their faith. (Regardless of how irrational that sounds.)


Now let us add a different spin; “Relief – A Quarterly Christian Expression”. In their self-described words they even admit to what I have always seen as the biggest faults within religion.

“Relief: The amazing truth in life--there is a place outside of desperate pain,
anxiety, and self-loathing. “Peace that passes understanding” has become
cliché, but we can’t deny the truth of it.”

It is the religion itself that causes the desperate pain, anxiety, and self-loathing. In my opinion the peace only comes after you realize that the whole thing is a bunch of bunk. As an old saying goes, “if you are carrying a heavy load, just set it down.”

I have seen some comments or write ups about the site and how they are accepting and publishing letters and articles from all walks of life. (Not just Christian) Some see this as progress and progressive. I can’t say I agree with this perspective simply because of the two big issues I have. So not only are the people of the “Relief” publication watering down their religion, they are still absolutely 100% wrong.

This does not mean we cannot or should not communicate and have discussions. Communication is always a good thing. It simply needs to be understood that the approach to their version of religion is still just another approach and they still have not obeyed the directives of their God.

In closing – Every single religion I have found is domineering and oppressive to its followers and creates the perfect space in the human psyche for self-loathing and destructive thoughts or addictions. No matter how you slice it, there still is nothing peaceful, wonderful or good in any religion.

Walking with an Atheist

This is an outline I started as part of discussions with theists and the conversations I have with them. This information provides what I believe to be my viewpoint of both atheism and the answers to common questions theists have regarding why I do not believe there is an Existential Being.

Part One - Truth, Facts, Gnosticism and Post Modern Philosophy
Truth has been the subject of debate throughout the history of philosophy. As long as there have been thinkers there have been opinions about what constitutes truth, the definition and rules used to identify truth when you run into it etc. The questions have always been; is truth subjective, objective, absolute, or even relative.

One of my biggest pet peeves with Christian “catch phrases” is when they say, Jesus is the truth the light and the way. I’ll give you the light and the way part. I don’t necessarily agree with it, I can see how a "believer" may make that statement. But TRUTH?

So hang on a minute there Mr. / Mrs. Theologian. While I do subscribe to the post modern philosophical definition of truth, the underlying definition is that truth is based on facts. Theology is based on faith. Faith and fact to not mix and never shall they meet. While some may claim that Jesus is THEIR truth, my issue is they still have not provided facts on which to base that statement.

For more information on truth and how we think please see the following;

1. Truth – A Guide by Simon Blackburn. It is a short read but will give you plenty to ponder if you are of a mind to do so.

2. Epistemology: A Contemporary Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge by Robert Audi. This one may take a bit longer to read but gives a good foundation for further discussions on philosophy.

As a naturalist in both science and philosophy I do base my perception of the world on reason and logic. In doing so I also work very hard to build arguments that support this process and are free of fallacies and faulty reasoning. As such the knowledge that I do consider myself to hold, I do so because it is reasonable and logical to do so.

I do not go to the woods and poke a bear with a stick because it is not reasonable or logical. Unless being mauled to death is your objective. It is this same reason I do not search for a god. It simply is not reasonable. Theology offers no logic or reason for practical use or explanation.

“Atheist are arrogant because if they say there is no god then they are claiming to know everything.”

I have always loved this statement by theist. First I have always seen it as an emotional response to a position or statement. It reminds me of someone’s little sister or brother being told to do something and them responding with, “Well you just think you know everything don’t you Mr. Smarty pants!”

Who claims what
For the purpose of clarification let’s get the ball in the right court when it comes to claims of knowledge.

A theist is an individual who accepts that the claim of a god is true (Any claim for any god).
Atheism or an Atheist literally means “one without theism”.

So with regard to theism there is only one position. “A god exists”. From the standpoint of belief there are two positions. I ether accept (believe) the statement is true. Or I reject (do not believe) the statement to be true. By rejecting the statement it does not put me in a position to offer a different statement, I simply do not accept the theist statement to be true.

Assuming we can agree on what the definition of what a God is, a logical conclusion must fall on one of the two clams to be true. (You accept or reject the claim that a God exists) But just because someone does not hold a belief to be true does not mean that they must hold the opposite to be true. I simply say I do not believe you when you tell me that a God exists. This is the reason why the theist’s claim that atheism requires “more faith” than theism is a false statement.

I would also assume a theist claim to “know” there is a God puts the theist in the position to overcome an additional claim of arrogance.

1. First you state that you know a god exists. (Regardless if you claim to know this through faith or carnal knowledge.)

2. By saying that your God is the correct God you have asserted that all the other theologies of the world are wrong. Which says you have knowledge of all the other theologies both past and present.

So it is the Theist who is arrogant.

As an Atheist not only is it a complete LACK of arrogance, it is the complete and total opposite. Because I do not except your explanations of “God did it” it leaves me free to continue to ask questions without making any claims of knowledge.

If you ask me “how did we all get here?” I can point to a lot of scientific evidence we have collected throughout the history of mankind that provides some explanations and builds more questions, but the honest answer is “I do not know”. Thus I will keep searching for the answer and if scientific history is any guide, someday we will know.

And just for the record…
I am by definition a Strong or Gnostic Atheist. Based on the facts presented by philosophical, logical, empirical and mathematical arguments, I believe not only is there not an existential being but there is no reasonable argument to even entertain the idea of one possibly existing. This does not stop me from examining evidence that someone brings; it does, however, mean that I believe I have heard, read, or have knowledge of every possible argument an apologist has offered thus far.

I would also offer that there is no reasonable evidence why anyone should even consider the Christian God to be true, just as there is no reasonable evidence to go looking for the Locke Ness Monster, or hunting for trolls under bridges. I would not stop you if you wanted to look under every bridge in the world to prove the point, but it is not reasonable to do so because there is no evidence to support the proposition in the first place.

My contention is with anyone who wishes to intrude or mandate others also believe in their God and follow rules that they think are relevant because their God dictates. As I said you are free to go look for trolls under bridges, but the minute you tell everyone that all bridges must be closed on Sunday because everyone should be looking for trolls, we have a problem.

Obeying Gods Laws
I do hear from many Christians who say they witness or share “the good news of Jesus” because their bible instructs them to do so.

1. I have two fundamental issues with these type theologians.If you are doing something because your religious text tells you to, shouldn’t you be doing everything your religious text is telling you to do?

The reasonable answer is yes they should. In all of the major theologies of the world, I have yet to find any instruction in any book that tells the follower they are free to pick and choose which rules and laws they want to follow and which ones they do not. AND I am not aware of any instruction or passage that allows for any of the rules to be modified or changed because they do not coincide with modern social concepts or beliefs.

2. In the top three major religions of the world not one is a positive message. Most Christians or Muslims will tell you that the positive message is eternal salvation. Well first of all there is no such thing, second their text and theology is both repressive and discriminatory, not to mention violent and destructive. Not only is there no good news, it is destructive and misleading and manipulative. It serves no purpose other than to control and give power to those who claim that they are simply leading people into the fold of God’s flock.

Ray Comfort and Other open mouth idiots
Honestly I have to laugh when I see or hear people like Pat Robertson, Ray Comfort, Jerry Falwell and the likes. I don’t even have to build arguments against them; they do it for all of us. You say “Now TK that isn’t a very positive thing to say.” My response is, well they make it hard for me to say anything positive about them. Would you care for some examples?

Jerry Falwell

• If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being.
  
• I had a student ask me, "Could the savior you believe in save Osama bin Laden?" Of course, we know the blood of Jesus Christ can save him, and then he must be executed.


• I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!

Scary huh… oh but wait it gets better!

Pat Robertson

• We have enough votes to run the country. And when the people say, "We've had enough," we are going to take over.
  
• We at the Christian Coalition are raising an army who cares. We are training people to be effective -- to be elected to school boards, to city councils, to state legislatures, and to key positions in political parties.... By the end of this decade, if we work and give and organize and train, THE CHRISTIAN COALITION WILL BE THE MOST POWERFUL POLITICAL ORGANIZATION IN AMERICA
  
• There is no such thing as separation of church and state in the Constitution. It is a lie of the Left and we are not going to take it anymore.
  
• The Constitution of the United States, for instance, is a marvelous document for self-government by the Christian people. But the minute you turn the document into the hands of non-Christian people and atheistic people they can use it to destroy the very foundation of our society. And that's what's been happening.
  

And just for fun… Ray Comfort

• Bananas – The Atheist Nightmare. (Ray comfort claims that bananas are the perfect design and because they are a perfect design, atheist can’t refute that they were of an intelligent design and therefore there must be a god.) My response… BLAH HA HA HA HA HA!
  
• Ray Comfort has published something called the Evidence Bible – Irrefutable evidence for the thinking mind. I have yet to get my hands on a copy of this, but just the title alone makes me laugh. IN my opinion this guy is nothing but a charlatan and swindler.
  
• I see Ray Comfort to be extremely ignorant, ill-informed, or dishonest. For the life of me I cannot figure out why anyone would listen to a word this man says.

If you seriously believe that any of these people, or anyone else who trying to tell you how you should live your life, are trying to help you, you need a serious wake up call and start engaging your brain to recognize reality and a little bit of common sense.

And No, Atheist are not trying to tell you how to live your life. We are advocating that people use their brains and engage in a little bit of critical thinking. Logic and reason will show you how to live your life.

More to come…
Peace
TK