Some reasons for my rejection of christianity

Over the years, certain information has come to my attention upon which I feel compelled to comment and elaborate in an attempt to justify my rejection of as well as my disbelief in organized religion and its gods. Although I have been familiar with most of these facts and agenda for quite some time, my recent acceptance of logic, reason and realism (as opposed to a murderous form of mental illness) to fulfill my "spiritual" needs seems to require that I categorize my reasoning for this rejection of religion and the gimmicky spirituality religion purports to provide. Because I am most familiar with the christian faith, and because christianity is the theology which the Manifesto officially rejects, this particular religion is the doctrine I have dealt with in the major portion of this discourse.

The "old testament" of the judeo-christian bible is nearly as old as civilization. It is an incomprehensible horror story of no veracity and little literary merit, at least in modern terms. This "testament" does, however, contain the popularized versions of the ten commandments (attributed to the supposed "creator") as a foundation for morality and civilized living (although I believe there are only five or six mortally concieved "commandments" which actually mean anything; the others, those having to do with the worship of a deity, seem merely to underline the fact that christianity is a fraud, while also providing a nice round number), a rendering of the golden rule, and the (occasionally comprehensible) precepts for the healthy perpetuation and interpretation of the human idea of conscience. This wasn't good enough, however, for Jesus Christ and his followers, nor for the philosophy and dogma of the religion founded in his name. According to the claims of some theological scholars and religious leaders, the teachings of the "savior" were an amendment to the perennial lessons of the "old testament". These teachings, the "new testament", allegedly updated, obviously twisted, admittedly confused and needlessly refined what was a perfectly simple and acceptable code of civilized societal conduct. In keeping with the non-veracity and the anachronistic literary style of the "old testament", these often incomprehensible and usually contradictory refinements included the veritable dismantling of the original and eminently suitable tribal laws known as the ten commandments, turning them into a travesty of their former structure and meaning thereby conforming to the allegedly more acceptable "christian" way of thinking. Although I consider the commandments a formalization of ancient Hebraic tribal law rather than the word of "god", the fact remains that they were intended by their mortal authors as a foundation for the moral and spiritual perpetuation of the Jewish race, not the entire human race. Christianity apparently set out to deliberately and mischievously modify these proscriptions to fit the convoluted circumstances of the recognized mysticism, brutality, mistrust and hatreds inherent in our species. Rather than reminding humanity of the secular lessons, of the basic rules for life included in the old testament and the commandments, the christian faith has adapted these timeless principles to its own interpretations, which are then forced upon innocents, like myself, in infancy.

One of the major modifications, indeed, the reason behind the (fraudulent?) notion of christianity, has been that of the "commandment":

YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GOD BUT ME

As a non-theist, I dispute the notion of an all-embracing, single "supreme being" or "creator". As a realist, however, I find it difficult to fathom why a religion which places its faith in such a "supreme being", even if in a seemingly incidental way, as an adjunct to "christ", would suddenly find it necessary to worship more than one "god" as was allegedly prohibited by said "creator" who is so often called upon and supposedly revered by this religion. The new testament variously claims Jesus as "god", the "son of god" and as "sitting at the right hand of 'god'". Well, if Jesus isn't "god", then why is he worshipped as such by christianity? Especially when humanity was, at least according to myth, specifically instructed not to do so by its purported "creator"? Very confusing. Very imperfect. Very mortal.

Another obvious transmutation of the ten commandments involves the "commandment":

YOU SHALL WORSHIP NO GRAVEN IMAGES

According to legend, a few hundred years after Jesus died his rather romanticized and over-dramatized death, images of the cross began to crop up and to be worshipped by a few cohorts of misdirected and obviously spiritually barren Roman soldiers under the Command of the christian Emperor Constantine. This worship of what is basically a symbol of torture and brutality was, of course, in direct contravention to the alleged early teachings of "god". All those crosses, and eventually, all the bibles, alters, beads, idols, popes, saintly icons, bangles, buttons, bells and whistles, etc. are now acceptable objects of worship due to the "new and improved" teachings of the new testament.

I wish the christian theocracy, in its illogical quest to bury us beneath a guilt-laden, quasi-spirituality would make up its collective mind regarding its allegedly monotheistic theology. Is there one "creator" (god) or several? Or are we, as I personally believe, an accident of cosmic chemistry with only our own individual consciences to guide our personal spirituality until the "blissful oblivion" of death?

I will readily concede that the vast majority of the christian faithful, indeed, the faithful of all religions, are morally upstanding, righteous and essentially decent people of ordinary means and subject to ordinary transgressions upon each other. They are that way in spite of the propaganda and brainwashing of organized religion rather than because of it. Most of us find an attempt to interpret or understand the convolutions, mysticism and contradictions of christian teachings and theology an exercise in tedium and confusion. It seems that most of humanity considers religion a mystical key to individual spirituality and are content to leave things that way rather than suffer through the processes of their particular religious philosophy in any sort of revelationary way. Christianity would, no doubt, suffer if any mass effort at its unveiling were successful. This does, however, leave a large portion of humanity susceptible to the usually unquestioned dogma of christianity which the leaders of the faith are counting on for its financial and dictatorial perpetuation.

I recently read that pope John the whatever, as a leader and spokesman for millions of allegedly devout and quasi-religious christians, in 1965 formally "forgave" the Jewish race (and, therefore, the jewish faith) for the killing of "christ".

In that one pronouncement is all the unforgivable presumptuousness, the unmitigated gall, the inexcusable arrogance of the christian faith for all to see IF THEY SO CHOOSE!! (And apparently, MANY Jewish people do). This so-called "religious leader" never spoke for me, personally, however (especially since I've rejected all the various dogma of religious faith). I never blamed the Jews for killing "christ" since, for most of my life:

A) "christ" had no meaning for me

B) I had basically ignored (as much as possible) the christian teachings which held that the Jews killed Jesus in the first place and which a significant segment of uninvolved humanity was now granted "forgiveness" for.

C) I always thought the Romans killed the silly bastard anyhow.

Think about this: how can the christian sect, which bases almost its entire religious philosophy on the fabled "resurrection" of Jesus wrongfully "forgive" another sect for the killing of their supposed "messiah" when this alleged prophet had to die in order to undergo this mythical "resurrection"? This misguided blame attached to judaism by what is essentially a rival conglomerate in the human quest for wealth and influence has been one of the major sources for the historic enmity between these two fraudulent faiths throughout history.

I realize that the Roman founders of christianity can hardly blame themselves for the death of their presumed "savior" but, fact is, a 35 year old, arrogantly half-hearted papal "pardon" will hardly mitigate the two thousand odd years of christian anti-semitism perpetrated through the misguided assumption, historically insinuated by christian propaganda, that the Jews "killed" Jesus.

I believe that most people on the planet have, long before this announcement, and when they thought about such things at all (and, perhaps, much of what thinking there was came about as a result of the Holocaust {or Shoah, for those of the judaic persuasion}, a most unfortunate consequence of dogmatic religious prejudice and hatred finding an outlet in racial intolerance in spite of what the apologists would have us believe), not only forgive the Jews and the Romans for what I consider to be very possibly a mythical event, but have come to realize (as ordinary human beings rather than "christians") that if Jesus really was the "son of god", he'd have already forgiven whoever killed him regardless of their race, religion or motives since traditionally, his death is what made him famous in the first place. Had it not been for his martyrdom, civilization as we know it may have advanced even farther and faster

By this admittedly convoluted reasoning, it would seem that the Holy Roman Empire continued the persecution and imperialism of the original Roman Empire by perpetrating the christian myth for the express purpose of TORMENTING THE JEWS!!

Reminds me of an old joke which demonstrates rather succinctly just how far religion and faith will get one and what christians (and those of all other major religions) feel about others of differing beliefs:

A minister, a priest and a rabbi are in a boat on a river. The boat springs a bad leak and the three "men of god" find they have to leave the boat.

"Jesus walked on water", the minister cries. "I believe, truly BELIEVE I can too." He jumps from the boat with hands folded piously and walks on top of the water all the way to shore. He turns and yells to the priest: "C'mon, it's easy."

"Well," the priest says to the rabbi,. "If he can do it and christ did it then I ought to be able to do it, too." The priest leaps from the boat and trailing roseries and "hail Mary's" he walks atop the water all the way to the river bank.

The minister and the priest look out at the rabbi sitting in the rapidly sinking boat and urge him to hurry and get ashore.

"You guys know I don't believe in Jesus," the rabbi hollers back. "But I do believe in the god of Abraham. If you people can walk on water, I have faith that "god" will allow me to do it, too".

With that, he steps from the boat...splash...into the water where he immediately sinks like a stone.

As the rabbi frantically flails and splashes next to the boat, the minister glances at the priest and asks: "Whad'daya think, should we show him where the rocks are?"

Before I'm labeled a heretic, mentally and emotionally unstable (too late for that, I guess) and a sworn enemy of all followers of christianity, I want to point out that all the major organized religions seem to have been conceptualized with the intent of tormenting those who are of a "lesser", or of no traditional religious persuasion. As a personal verification, I am vilified and scorned if I dare to have material sent to me or displayed around the house of an anti-religious nature (something which I've never encouraged). Yet, there are crosses, prayers to "god", church bulletins and "prayer books" (meditation books) all over our house which I'm expected to silently tolerate because this is all "god-fearing", traditional, christian dogma which makes it "universally acceptable". This is just one example of the torment that is perpetrated world wide on a daily basis in the name of Jesus, et al. This torment, and often outright persecution, is most often imposed on those of "minor" faiths and ideologies "foreign" to that of the persecuting religion (wiccans, or believers in witchcraft, for example). The narrow-mindedness of traditional deistic religious faith never ceases to amaze and disappoint me. In addition to dictating to human spirituality, organized religion professes a desire to instill in its faithful the ideals of morality and righteousness that are usually more corrupted by the religion than upheld by it. Much of this propaganda is, I firmly believe, disseminated not to enlighten an increasingly secular world, but to preserve the tax-free status enjoyed by religion, at least here in the U.S., and is, therefore, subsidized by the tax-payer whether he or she believes in this garbage or not. After all, organized religion can't give up in the face of reason because too many parasitic priests, ministers, rabbis, mullahs, etc. would be out of a job and churches, temples, etc. would have to be turned into revenue producing structures worthy of the time and effort required to build and maintain them.

I have been accused of hating religion and, by extension, people who believe in a religious faith. However, while I find the concepts of most organized religions to be ludicrous and intended only for those who don't have the confidence, intelligence, fortitude, contentment or experience to find their own spiritual basis, (as well as for all the other reasons listed here), I don't hate or even dislike anyone simply because they have been taken in by religion. Religion and its superstitions are so pervasive, insidious and usually unquestioned in society today that if I hated people of "faith", I would have become a mass-murderer years ago or had myself committed to an asylum in Siberia. I may not accept or respect the concepts of religion, but individual beliefs are something I've learned to live with and tolerate, as long as I feel others respect my own beliefs.

This is one of the major reasons why I will no longer attend any sort of religious service, ceremony or gathering. I refuse to have the hypocrisy, propaganda, mysticism, mythology and quasi-spirituality of any organized religion inflicted upon me any longer. By the same token, I would hesitate to inflict my own logic, reality and (what I consider) legitimate spirituality on anyone else (unless they asked for it). I also resent being labeled emotionally and intellectually unstable for neither condoning, accepting nor participating in what I personally consider an exercise in futility and mindless superstition. I've been hammered over the head with religion and its gods for my entire life...enough is enough.

Many scholars throughout history have attempted to explain, clarify and interpret the legendary "scriptures". The result of most of this investigation has been a mish-mash of contradictions, abstract theology, half-truths, recipes for drug induced hallucinations and guesswork. Humanity still has no proof of a "supreme being", no proof that "christ" was anything more than a mortal (and rather average) prophet with the most highly effective P.R. machine of the age. Much of humanity seems stuck with a spiritual void first created by, then attempted to be filled with the "teachings" of christianity and the other major organized religions. Through experience, discussion and recent study, I have begun equating religion, especially the christian religion, with:

The Ku Klux Klan (intolerant of Blacks, other non-whites, Jews and catholics)

The National Socialists (Nazis) (intolerant of Jews, Slavs, non-Aryans, etc.)

The Communist Party (intolerant of Jews, anyone considered non-Communists)

And this is the short list. Satanists, fascists, Masons, Knights of Columbus, the N.R.A., the Zionist League and so forth could be included. The point is that asking me to attend religious services, ceremonies and gatherings is like asking the modern, allegedly enlightened christian to attend the ceremonies and gatherings of any of these above groups. I want nothing to do with any of this. All the above named groups had (and have) various agendas as all organized religions most certainly have theirs, nearly always to the detriment of one or another segment of the citizenry.

To return for a moment to my original discourse on the biblical commandments; who's right? The word of the supposed original creator..."god"? Or the teachings of the "son of god" (or whatever convenient title of the moment)? If one conception is wrong (and I believe one must be wrong) then the infallibility and deification of both seems to be in question. This is logic. This is reason. This is my spirituality (the dialectic of free will) turned productive. This is a question christianity, indeed religion in general cannot answer in any reasonable and straightforward fashion without losing its way among scripture, biblical contradictions and the allegedly authoritarian quotes of other brainwashed christians.

The christian religion was conceived, in some measure, to offer "forgiveness" to those members who, often as a result of religious propaganda, feel they have sinned against whatever "god" they feel comfortable with by confessing these so-called sins to disinterested and allegedly neutral third parties. Ordinary people are convinced by these disinterested mortals that they are absolved and forgiven leading to a feeling of spiritual well-being for the offenders yet betraying a serious lack of respect for, not to mention a lack of common civility and moral responsibility toward, the offended party (in many cases, society is the offended party yet is mistaken for "god"). A bit more regard for the offended party rather than a selfish and ready-made relief of ones own guilt through "confession" may go a long way toward reducing the mayhem and "evil" common among mankind today. If you're going to corrupt yourself, be prepared to atone for it through your own conscience, don't leave such things up to religion. Perhaps you'll find many of these theologically alleged transgressions to be human rather than sinful.

I am, as an ordinary biological entity that happens to fall into a human species now numbering in the billions, as prideful and as "sinful" as anyone. I also consider myself as capable of determining what is truly wrong and what is human frailty without the guidance of others subject to the same natural failings as myself. Most of these other individuals cloak themselves in the mantle of religious dogma and, in their "holier than thou" way, want you to feel that you owe them. I will, therefore, and I have taken responsibility for my own wrongful actions and have attempted to atone and apologize for them directly to as many of those whom I've knowingly offended as possible or I live with and suffer the consequences to my conscience. This I find a more reasonable and realistic way toward "forgiveness" for what I perceive as wrongdoing than that ordained by an organized religion which invents more "transgressions" by the day. Confessing "sins" and praising "saints" for innate morality and good deeds seems a senseless concept in the selfish preparation for the bafflingly enigmatic "afterlife" encouraged by christianity. "Confessions" and "absolution of sins" to and by disinterested third parties which may make "christians" feel better about themselves seems to lead to repeats of those same (or worse) offences, moral or otherwise, therefore resolving nothing in the basic human condition. This seems a "feel good for free" mentality which has proved disastrous for many offended parties in the past. One instance of this "feel good for free" mentality at its worst manifestation would be the aforementioned Holocaust and the "christian" response to it: "Those christ-killers deserved it."

The idea of conscience as well as the values or ideals of righteousness, goodness and morality all seem to have been arbitrarily appropriated by the judeo-christian doctrine(s) as their especial creation and domain, seemingly to the exclusion of all other religious philosophy and, especially, to truth. According to this judeo-christian dogma, only those who believe in "god" and "christ" are compassionate, righteous, moral, spiritual, cheerful, brave, thrifty, clean and reverent. All others, including those of other acknowledged faiths, can (and, supposedly, will) "go to hell".

Isn't this idea of conscience, et al (the facts, as well as the words) rather a part of the naturally evolved intellect of mankind which has been inbred and developed, defined and refined since mankind became...mankind; well before the time of christianity and judaism (and everything else)?

I recently noted that, like conscience, the idea of "individualism" is alleged to be an Aryan, "christian" property. Many of the world's peoples (mainly those un-assimilated into the Western socioeconomic idyll) reject the idea of individual uniqueness which is allegedly the sole property of christianity in favor of responsibility to the "tribe" or the clan...or the race. This seems a way for Native Americans, Jews, Afro-Americans (and native Africans) and countless other diverse peoples to, at least in their own minds, hang on to their various cultures and traditions and social mores, as well as ancient prejudices and intolerance, in short, their identities as minorities/victims. I believe, however, that assimilation, when desired, is the recognition of individual uniqueness and individuality; is what defines us as a species. The Holocaust (while we're sort of on the subject) seems at least as much a failure of assimilation and the rejection of individuality by the VICTIMS as well as the perpetrators resulting in an inevitable orgy of religious and racial divisiveness. Such things will always occur throughout human history until we realize that as individuals, not as "christian-individuals", not as "jewish-individuals", not as "hindu-individuals", not as "muslim-individuals", but as intelligent individuals, we are as much subject to "monstrous" notions as we are to righteous ideals. Individuality is, therefore, both a curse and a blessing. The point is though, that the single-mindedness of individual concerns can be overcome with a realization of the "tribe" as well as by logically adapting in the proper measure to the needs and mores of the community of individuals in which one finds oneself. I, for instance, am not about to deny my individuality by constantly heeding those of the community who imperiously demand my fealty, nor would I subject myself to banishment or constraint by constantly denying the mores of a community in which I'm comfortable. Therein lies what I believe to be one method of reasoning the motivation and the morality behind events such as the Holocaust as well as for the conscientiousness of those who actively oppose such aberrations. The intolerance of religions triggered by the differing cultural and societal conceptions of various deities is, of course, one added ingredient in contributing to the anti-assimilation processes, to the reasons for hatred and (often deliberate) misunderstanding.

The pagan spirituality of both modern and ancient christianity has, of course, been designed to legitimize the concept of "life after death". Divorced from organized religion, ordinary spirituality (conscience) may be the right path to a moral, healthy and productive life. But "afterlife"? There is no such thing as an afterlife with "god", Jesus, Buddha, Vishnu, allah or anything or anybody else (See: The Soul). Our lives arose from oblivion, our lives will return to oblivion. I believe the results of ones actions and morality live on after ones death; ones legacy of good and bad survives ones life. If we strive to live our lives in the here and now with faith in our own individual consciences and the constructive use of our free will, I believe we will, as a species, find mortality the "heaven" so longed for by the misguided masses. I believe our reward for whatever life we end up living (even the brief life of the womb) is unconscious freedom from life. Whatever happens to our spiritual legacy, awareness ends at death!

(I also must confess to a certain discomfort and futility in contemplating the fact that we could be forced to endure the same frustrations, confusion, crowding and stupidity we face constantly as mortals in any kind of afterlife, be it heaven or hell, for "life everlasting, forever, amen"! Oblivion is a much more acceptable alternative)

Organized religion preaches that the world is an orderly, "created" place where any chaos is directed and pre-ordained by the "creator". I submit that the over-population and resulting chaos inherent in this age is a sort of proof that there is not now, never has been, nor ever will be a "man with a plan" directing, orchestrating or generally concerned with these billions of human lives; that we, all of us, man and animals alike are just dust in the cosmic wind. Anyone who doesn't believe in the absolute chaos of the planet need only perform one ordinary task to find proof of what I say. Drive in rush hour traffic in any major city five days a week, fifty (or so) weeks of the year for three years. What possible place in "gods plan" could the traditional rush-hour traffic snarl have? Anyone willing to think about it will come to the conclusion that pure, whimsical chaos is the basis for any true spirituality we may possess. It's up to each individual to take control of his, or her own life and happiness in a moral and intellectually acceptable fashion (as opposed to the showy emotionalism currently in vogue), gaining self-discipline and awareness, even individual notions of spirituality through upbringing, environment, experience, self-education, and his or her mortal conscience.

I consider myself reasonably open-minded and understanding even of such foolishness as organized religion. I challenge anyone to show me I'm fundamentally and philosophically wrong in believing as I do. Using logic and reason, not out-dated scripture, Oprah-esque emotion, legend, mythology and biblical contradictions (said to be deliberately unknowable??!!), show me I'm wrong in feeling that my own "spirituality" and belief is as or more uplifting, satisfying and "holy" than christianity. Forget meta-physics and mystical chants and "hail Mary's", quote logic, not anachronistic fancy; think realism, not dogma.

To summarize, after due and diligent effort, I've come to realize that religion, especially the christian theocracy, has done nothing for me in fifty-plus years. It has done nothing to calm my spirit, give me inner peace, fulfill or comfort me. It has done nothing for my physical, emotional, intellectual or mental well being. Religion has never helped me to understand the "meaning of life", nor has religion been in any way instructive as to how to live life. Because life is essentially a chaotic mess, which one controls individually and with one's own innate reason, I don't want or need christianity or any other organized religion to dictate the meaning of life to me.

After silently enduring the christian propaganda shoved down my throat for my entire life in one way or another (an unavoidable burden in Western civilization) I have finally had enough. In rejecting all organized religion and the "divine" propaganda it vomits, I am like a reformed drunk rejecting taverns, beer displays and liquor stores. I know churches, synagogues, temples, religious statues, literature, superstitious rite and icons are all around me, but I have realized and acknowledged the error of my ways when I passively endured a christianity that was once forced on me through my own ignorance and carelessness. Now, I can pretty much ignore this mind control called religion. With the Manifesto, I have found my own inner peace, if not yet silent tolerance. The question now is: can everyone else find theirs? That "the faithful" will not be dissuaded from their faith works both ways.

Page written by: Eric D. Tallberg

October, 1998