Owner: The Jesus Myth URL:http://www.thejesusmyth.com Join Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:42:18 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Blog style discussion site centered on atheism vs theism. Add your 2 cents and join the fray! Site statistics:Click here
Atheist and Christian Spouses 2007-08-04 23:49:20 Can it ever be?
This post is not so informative as it is a simple question. It is a question that has dogged me for some time. The two philosophies, on opposing sides, can they allow love between them?
I’ve heard stories of success, of an atheist and a Christian
able to set aside their differences and love each other. They’ve been able to raise their children successfully. How do they do it?
I’ve also heard of how difficult it is, to do this. Be it from the Christian being told to hate the atheist, and their families and companions shunning the atheist. Or from the atheist being incapable of tolerating the folly of the Christian, or something of that nature.
Or perhaps it is little details of religion that separate them. Such as death/the afterlife, issues like abortion, even some details of politics.
What can be done?
Read more:Atheist
Christians dont understand Atheist Quotes 2007-08-04 16:53:14
I had a discussion with a Christian yesterday and our conversation moved on to a topic that ended in me trying to explain a quote that I really love.
She had many questions about Atheism but she was more curious about an Atheist
Quote that I randomly used.
I contend that we are both atheists. I just go one god further than you. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.
Stephen Robert
I gave her only the first half of this quote since I wasn’t trying to disprove her God. I was expecting her show signs of discomfort for calling her an Atheist but to my surprise, Her immediate response to it was that she does not understand what it means to say “I just go one god further than you“.
That was when it hit me. I see Atheist quotes & phrases on bumper stickers, T-shits and graffiti all the time and always thought that It was also read and understood by the Theists who walk the same path. But it never occurre Read more:Christians
, Quotes
Islamic Light, Bahrain & Me. 2007-08-17 17:29:53
As-salamu alaykum,
In the younger years of my life, I grew up in an Island Kingdom in the Middle East. Bahrain; A few miles off the coast of Saudi Arabia, in all the rich & vast beauty of the pristine blue waters of the Persian Gulf; Bahrain, simply hearing her name brings joy to my heart. I was born and raised in Al Bahrain; The land of the beautiful, the land of pearls.
I was raised a Roman Catholic by religious parents, but I loved Islam more than my religion. But it never even occurred to me that I will end up in neither of them. Life took me to a state of skepticism, of reason & of science; it took me, to Atheism.
In Islamic
thought, pearls symbolize (more…)
Call Me What You Want 2007-08-16 15:49:40 According to Merriam-Webster, the word “militant” is defined as the following:
Engaged in warfare or combat: fighting
Aggressively active (as in a cause): combative
With those definitions in mind, I have to ask a simple question. Why in the world would you ever call an atheist “militant?” In reality, the two top fundamentalist movements (fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist Muslims) certainly fit the term far better than most atheists or agnostics. (more…)
Nichole Smalkowski- UPDATE 2007-08-20 20:53:17 For those of you that have been waiting patiently and wondering when Niki would be posting…soon. Unfortunately, she has been been dealing with a LOT lately. (And her pending federal court case is only the beginning.
TJM does not have all of the facts involved yet, but we have received word from her that her family was the victim of arson recently. Someone tried to torch their house recently. I know that she does stop by the blog often, so any words of encouragement left here would be appreciated.
Read more:Nichole
Veggie Tales: What the Hell!? 2007-08-26 22:23:37 Friday night I was baby sitting for the “Perfect Couple”. We’ll call them the Cleavers. (more…)
Read more:Veggie
, Tales
Religion: An Absolute Problem 2007-08-26 15:09:44 One of the main problems that I have had with most fundamentalist religions is the need for absolutes. The claim of absolute knowledge or absolute guidelines is troubling and problematic on several levels. (more…)
Read more:Religion
, Absolute
, Problem
Under the Bus 2007-08-23 13:59:03 In response to some of the comments left on “Would the Real Christians Please Stand Up,” I have decided to throw some people under the bus. Yes, the examples in that post are somewhat blatant and high profile, so let’s focus on the average Joe out there who “practices” Christianity. (Or, at least, professes to.) This will be a rather personal post, as it will deal with some family members and friends. Out of respect for them and the situations involved, their names will be changed here. (more…)
Islamic Light, Bahrain & Me. 2007-08-17 17:29:53
As-salamu alaykum,
In the younger years of my life, I grew up in an Island Kingdom in the Middle East. Bahrain; A few miles off the coast of Saudi Arabia, in all the rich & vast beauty of the pristine blue waters of the Persian Gulf; Bahrain, simply hearing her name brings joy to my heart. I was born and raised in Al Bahrain; The land of the beautiful, the land of pearls.
I was raised a Roman Catholic by religious parents, but I loved Islam more than my religion. But it never even occurred to me that I will end up in neither of them. Life took me to a state of skepticism, of reason & of science; it took me, to Atheism.
In Islamic
thought, pearls symbolize (more…)
Call Me What You Want 2007-08-16 15:49:40 According to Merriam-Webster, the word “militant” is defined as the following:
Engaged in warfare or combat: fighting
Aggressively active (as in a cause): combative
With those definitions in mind, I have to ask a simple question. Why in the world would you ever call an atheist “militant?” In reality, the two top fundamentalist movements (fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist Muslims) certainly fit the term far better than most atheists or agnostics. (more…)
Indian Independence from Religion. 2007-08-14 15:23:23
Namaste Everyone!
I’m a proud Indian Atheist. Today, India is celebrating her 60th year of freedom. India was founded as a Secular nation. meaning, no religion is favored over another. BUT, this is not what we see everyday. (more…)
Read more:Religion
, Independence
Is atheism a religion? 2007-08-10 13:48:26 Is atheism a religion? It’s a question that has been bounced back and forth ever since modern atheism started gaining momentum in the mid-twentieth century. Most atheists agree that in no way can atheism be called a religion. Theists often prefer to call atheism a religion, perhaps because they fallaciously think that we would then be as susceptible to attack as they are. But are we really content to be “Other” in every religious context, or is there something to our belief?
(more…)
Scientology 2007-08-09 22:41:26 Scientology makes some grandiose claims: “Scientology is the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life. The Scientology religion comprises a body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths. ” - from the official Scientology website.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? They go on to claim that you don’t have to accept ANYTHING on faith, it will ALL be conclusively proven to you.
What they neglect to tell you is that you are not capable of understanding those “fundamental truths” until you have gone through extensive brainwashing training, spent a small fortune on “auditing” and alienated any of your family members who challenge the cult of Scientology.
This article should serve as a jumping-off point for the outsider to take a real look at Scientology. Before you get started, I recommend you check out this video (Not for the faint hearted - there are posthumous photos of some of Scientology’
Why do I care about Religion? 2007-08-28 10:25:28 The story behind, “Why do Atheists care about Religion
?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4fQA9mt-Mg
I wasn’t always an atheist. I was loosely raised Catholic. My family would go to church when we were visiting our much more devout extended family, during Easter and Christmas, but otherwise, religion just wasn’t a major factor in my life. (more…)
Religion: An Absolute Problem 2007-08-26 15:09:44 One of the main problems that I have had with most fundamentalist religions is the need for absolutes. The claim of absolute knowledge or absolute guidelines is troubling and problematic on several levels. (more…)
Read more:Religion
, Absolute
, Problem
There’s a part of me that wants to start a religion 2007-09-02 23:11:10 There’s a part of me that wants
to start a religion. I’m serious. I want to create a memeplex of ideas to rival Scientology, Raelianism, and a host of others. I want people to worship me. I want women to adore and wash my feet with their hair (as long as they use a lot of conditioner that is). I want money and power.
I’ve thought quite a bit about this. It wouldn’t be too hard. In fact, when I had decided on a possible action plan, I found that others had already done the same thing. Check out “self-help cults”. When I was in Vegas, I found one was already operating there. Incredible. They even subcontracted their motivational speakers from another self-help cult.
Now, how would I do it?
I think that people are so lonely in our culture, that they will be willing to worship ANYONE who sits down with them and just LISTENS to what they are saying. Try this out: For the next few days, when you see strangers… like a cashier at a super
Breaking the Shackles of Sin 2007-08-31 23:08:53 When Jesus was asked what the most unforgivable sin is, he replied that it was to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. He could not have been more wrong if he tried. (more…)
Read more:Breaking
Atheist Toolbox 2007-08-30 12:10:45 The Jesus Myth is proud to announce that we have joined forces with AtheistToolbox
. They will be helping us out by taking care of the forum aspect of TJM. They currently have 522 members and have posted a whopping 27,197 articles in their first year. I will be working with them to move the old threads that were active in TJM Forums to their forum so that the discussions can continue. Please feel free to register on the new forum and we will look forward to seeing you there!
There is Nothing I Dislike Worse Than… 2007-09-26 22:05:32 There is nothing I dislike worse than:
• Knowing that Osama bin Laden has not been captured, due to apathy of the Bush Administration and Congress. There is no excuse for this lack of action. We can find Saddam Hussein in a little hole in Iraq, but yet Osama bin Laden cannot be found?
• Some Christian conservatives spewing condescending messages like “God hates fags”, “God is Pro Life”, “Evolution is about how humans came from monkeys”, “You’re going to Hell for…”, “God told me…”, or “This is a Christian nation”. They act as if they have “the market cornered” on God. I suppose every other religion is godless according to their rhetoric. Why would some of these folks be teaching their children that the world is only 6,000 years old?
• Islamic paranoia. This is so similar to the old “Red Scare” days co-created by Joe McCarthy. People were deemed unnecessarily as “Commies”. Although “communism” may not be best form of government, we are Read more:Nothing
From Banana to Penis in 1 Minute 2007-09-25 20:24:53 Someone emailed this to me and I thought that I would just have some fun with it, so here goes!
The banana-the atheist’s nightmare.
Note that the banana:
Is shaped for human hand
Has non-slip surface
Has outward indicators of inward content:
Green-too early,
Yellow-just right,
Black-too late.
Has a tab for removal of wrapper
Is perforated on wrapper
Bio-degradable wrapper
Is shaped for human mouth
Has a point at top for ease of entry
Is pleasing to taste buds
Is curved towards the face to make eating process easy
To say that the banana happened by accident is even more unintelligent than to say that no one designed the Coca Cola can.
My Reply:
The Penis
- Proof That God Wants You To Use It
Please note that the penis:
Is shaped for the human hand
Has a non-slip surface (which is why KY was invented)
Has outward indicators for use: when soft too early, when hard just right, when limp too late
(For the uncircumcised) Has an easily removable and reusable wrapper
It is shaped for t Read more:Minute
I Want Your Input! 2007-09-25 15:48:39 The day that I decided to start this site, I intended to make a site that was simply about my experiences with Christianity and what led me to atheism. Basically, I wanted to have a site that simply cataloged the knowledge that I had acquired (and continue to acquire) on the subject. The name of the site, The Jesus Myth, was never intended to convey or support the idea that Jesus (although that was not his name) never existed. It was meant to convey the mythical nature of the claim that he was the son of God sent as the world’s savior.
Since the site went live, it has undergone massive changes. It is now a multi-author, open dialog blog with several contributers. I am grateful to all of our contributers as they have made it the site that it is today. That is precisely why I need your input about the next phase for TJM.
I have received several emails wondering why we are mostly taking on Christianity. Well, mainly because it is the religion which most of us have had the most expos
My Condolences 2007-09-24 22:38:35 Death is a curious tradition for humans. Not for the dead, of course, but for those left behind. Here in America, and in much of the Westernized world, we conduct funerals, vigils, wakes, and a handful of other ceremonies that do little to honor the dead - but are essential tools to help the grieving process of the survivors. Being such a momentous occasion, and the very moment at which all of the promises of religion are meant to be fulfilled, it is virtually always a heavily religious event.
Now, before we get to knocking on religion for all its many flaws, I’ll be the first to point this out: religious ceremonies do a great deal to help the mourning relatives and friends of the recently deceased. There are certainly false promises and empty words, but those words are carefully chosen to start the necessary and very secular process of moving on with life.
“In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend Read more:Condolences
The Homophobic Right In America 2007-09-24 19:30:35
Homophobia is still considered an acceptable prejudice in many parts of this country. Our kids use terms like “fag” and “homo” to put down people they dislike or consider odd or weird. Winking jokes about being gay are still regular elements of mainstream television and movies. Homophobia is a “family values” prejudice.
In an era when most people would not consider making a racial slur, and ethnic bigotry is all but banished from the media, why are anti-gay comments and stereotypes still thriving?
Evangelical and conservative Christians can be counted on to exhibit outrage and dismay over just about any attempts to treat gays like equal citizens. I’m talking about something much more basic: whether or not gays should be protected from discrimination when it comes to things like hiring, firing, housing, and financial transactions. Gays pay taxes and are God’s children also!
Here’s quote from a conservative Christian writer/author Hal L Read more:Right
, America
The Jesus Myth and Video 2007-09-23 15:40:31 TJM will be launching the video portion of our site VERY shortly. This is a request to all of you that have spent some time in front of a camera and would like to place your videos on the site. Please send all requests to videos-at-thejesusmyth.com (replace at with @). We will review the video submissions and place them into queue. Thank you!
Related PostsWARNING: Disturbing Video, Graphic NatureWhile I do not agree with the opening sequence of this video, I do believe that the majority of the ...The Jesus
Myth Email Is Here!Thanks to our partnership with Google, we here at The Jesus Myth are proud to offer our viewers thei...Atheist ToolboxThe Jesus Myth is proud to announce that we have joined forces with Atheist Toolbox. They will be he...How Do We Know That Christians Are DelusionalEnemies of Reason: Part 2
One Nation Under God??? 2007-09-23 06:59:16 The First Amendment reads as such:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
We are Americans. This is not a Christian nation that we are led to believe. We are a “melting pot” of races, nationalities, and origins, with a wide variety of religions, denominations, sects, and even godless groups are also in the mix. It seems that no matter what the event is, someone is offended due to diversity.
The “In God We Trust” motto on our currency, arrogantly assumes ALL are believers in one god or any god. The Pledge of Allegiance contains the phrase “under God”, which is another assumption that ALL are believers. (Note that the United States and Lebanon are the only two countries with a “pledge of allegiance”) By using the word “God” in a singu
I guess what I’m trying to say is… 2007-09-21 16:49:34 I have a dear friend who is searching. He can’t say he is a Christian but he just can’t quite let go of the thought that there might be a god who made it all happen. Someone had to have their “hands” in this, right? I mean, how could this just happen? We wrote back and forth for a bit, and I thought I’d share my thoughts from my last e-mail with him and the rest of the world too. I’m not claiming to have all the answers, but I’ll still share the thoughts that I find comfort in these days.
“Now, as for dying. You know the times that I went through, fearing death. (This can be read in my blog An Atheist Homeschooler). This was a time when I lay in bed, and I got smaller and smaller, and eternity got bigger and bigger… and all I could see was that eternity kept existing, while I didn’t. All I had were 80, maybe 90 years, out of an eternity. It drove me crazy, made me panic to the point where I almost wanted to experience death n
You Wouldn’t Know Divinity if you Saw It! 2007-09-20 14:26:45 Divine design is impossible to detect
By now, I’m sure most people are familiar with the infamous watchmaker argument by William Paley. The argument where a person walks into a field, finds a watch, and then concludes that there must have been an outside agent responsible for the watch being there, because the watch’s contrasting nature with that of its surroundings implies that it could not have been there on its own. This analogy is then extended into the argument that the natural world is in itself evidence of God, because the complexity of nature implies that there had to have been an intelligent designer behind it all. This argument makes an important assumption, that design can be in fact be recognised, without ever clearly stating exactly what design is.
What is design? How do we know when to recognise design?
First, for purposes of clarity, it is important to make the distinction between ‘divine’ design and ‘intelligent’ design’. Sinc
Does God Need Me? Hmmm… 2007-09-19 22:38:10 Let’s say, just for a second, that a god (pick one, it really doesn’t matter which) did create man. Hell, let’s say that he/she created the whole universe (or multi-verse, for those of us interested in theoretical astrophysics). Could someone please enlighten me as to what the purpose would be? And no, I am not asking for the meaning of life here.
Generally, when one creates something, it is for a specific (sometimes general) purpose. Doesn’t really matter what it is, there is usually a reason for the invention or creation. The reason could be to perform menial tasks or to provide momentary entertainment. There is always a reason.
Usually we try to create something that is eihter greater than ourselves, performs a task that we cannot do or performs a task that we can do, just more efficiently. Let me see if we can figure this out.
God created us to perform a task that he himself cannot do. Doesn’t seem very god-like, if you ask me. What exactly could we
Atheists Have No Morals 2007-10-01 15:48:05 I can follow some religious fundamentalists that claim that atheists have no morals. But only with some interpretation, and only some of the way.
Most movements, including Christianity, define themselves according to “positive” and “negative” comparisons. A positive definition is when the movement makes statements about who its followers are, what they believe in, and what their opinions are. A negative definition is when the movement makes statements about what it isn’t; for example, Christians will readily state in which areas their religion differs from Islam, and the various Christian groups will gladly explain how they differ from other Christian groups. A positive definition is the religion’s “what we are” statement, and a negative definition is the religion’s “what we are not” statement. Both are valid descriptions helping define the movement, and both are moral statements of what one believes in and what one does Read more:Atheists
Recommend Site To A Friend
