continue For example, the Old Testament says the Lord prescribed execution for the "crimes" of working on the Sabbath (Exodus 31:15); cursing oneâs parents (Leviticus 20:9); worshiping other gods (Deuteronomy 17:2-5); enticing a friend or family member to worship other gods (Deuteronomy 13:6-10); being a witch, medium, or wizard (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27); engaging in homosexual acts (Leviticus 20:13); and not being a virgin on oneâs wedding night (Deuteronomy 22:20-21). In the New Testament, God became far worse in regard to imposing excessively severe punishments. It would be hard to imagine anything more cruel and disproportionate than punishing people with eternal torture for mere disbelief that Jesus was the son of God. The inability to believe that proposition harms no one, and it has been disbelieved by some of the greatest benefactors of humanity. Nonetheless, God promises to punish them and all other nonbelievers with the most horrible pain conceivable. Godâs Violence Incites Human Violence A serious problem with the violence and injustice in the Bible is that, all too often, the teachings and example of the biblical God have incited cruel acts by his followers. Many of them reasoned that since God, who is considered just and loving, committed or approved of the most brutal acts, good Christians need not have qualms about behaving likewise. Such logic led the American patriot Thomas Paine to say, "The belief in a cruel god makes a cruel man."[11] Joseph McCabeâs treatise The History of Torture illustrates the reasoning process. McCabe reports that during the Middle Ages, there was more torture used in Christian Europe than in any society in history.[12] The main cause of this cruelty was the Christian doctrine of eternal punishment. McCabe explains: "If, it was natural to reason, God punishes men with eternal torment, it is surely lawful for men to use doses of it in a good cause."[13] Other historical examples of violent and unjust acts supported by biblical teachings include: the Inquisition; the Crusades; the burning of witches; religious wars; pogroms against Jews; persecution of homosexuals; forceful conversions of heathens; slavery; beatings of children; brutal treatment of the mentally ill; suppression of scientists; and whippings, mutilations, and violent executions of persons convicted of crimes. Those acts were a regular part of the Christian world for centuries. Thomas Paine was entirely justified in saying about the Bible: "It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it as I detest everything that is cruel."[14] Teachings Inconsistent with the Laws of Nature Many of the Bible's claims are inconsistent with the laws of nature. Humanists believe that those claims are both wrong and harmful. Science and the Laws of Nature As a result of human observation and experience, a fundamental principle of science is that the laws of nature do not change, cannot be violated, and have acted uniformly over time. According to paleontologist Stephen J. Gould, this uniformity or constancy of natural laws is the "methodological assumption" making science practicable.[15] Indeed, without the assumption that the physical world operates according to unchanging natural laws, there would be no use studying the world, conducting experiments, or otherwise learning from experience. In a world not operating under unvarying natural laws, those acts would be useless because knowledge of past events would not provide guidance about what will happen in similar situations in the future. There would always be the possibility of supernatural forces intervening to alter outcomes from what would otherwise be expected to occur based on past experience. Overwhelming evidence shows that physical events occur according to immutable natural laws. And an increasing knowledge of those laws enhances humankindâs ability to predict future events and control human destiny. The Bible and Supernatural Events By claiming that supernatural beings intervene in the world, the Bible opposes the scientific principle of natural laws operating uniformly and unvaryingly. As a result, the Bible discourages a scientific approach to problems. The Bible has stories about a talking snake (Genesis 3:4-5); a tree bearing fruit which, when eaten, gives knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17; 3:5-7); another tree whose fruit bestows immortality (Genesis 3:22); a voice coming from a burning bush (Exodus 3:4); a talking donkey (Numbers 22:28); rods turning into serpents (Exodus 7:10-12); water changing into blood (Exodus 7:19-22); water coming from a rock (Numbers 20:11); a dead man reviving when his corpse touched the bones of a prophet (II Kings 13:21); and other people rising from the dead (e.g., I Kings 17:21-22; II Kings 4:32-35; Acts 9:37-40). There are also accounts of the sun standing still (Joshua 10:13); the parting of a sea (Exodus 14:21-22); iron floating (II Kings 6:5-6); the sunâs shadow going back ten degrees (II Kings 20:9-11); a witch bringing the ghost of Samuel back from the dead (I Samuel 28:3-15); disembodied fingers writing on a wall (Daniel 5:5); a man living for three days and nights in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1:17); people walking on water (Matthew 14:26-29); a virgin impregnated by God (Matthew 1:20); a pool of water that can cure ailments of those who dip in it (John 5:2-4); and angels and demons influencing earthly affairs (e.g., Acts 5:19; Luke 11:24-26). These biblical myths support the belief, which has been held by primitive and illiterate people throughout history, that supernatural beings frequently and arbitrarily intervene in this world. When examined in the light of experience and reason, the Bibleâs claims about supernatural occurrences do not warrant belief. Our experience is that the natural world operates according to principles of regularity - which are never violated. We also know from experience that many people are often mistaken or dishonest. Thus, it's far more likely the Bible writers either erred or lied than the laws of nature were violated. http://americanhumanist.org/humanism/Some_Reasons_Why_Humanists_Reject_the_Bible
continue Harms of the Supernatural Outlook Because of believing that supernatural beings control the world, people have often misdirected their energies in attempting to solve problems. Instead of studying the world to discover scientific solutions to problems, they performed religious activities in an effort to obtain the assistance of benevolent supernatural beings or thwart the influence of malicious ones. This misdirection of energies is seen, for instance, in the history of the attempts to prevent the outbreak and spread of diseases in Europe. The historian Andrew White relates that, during many centuries in the Middle Ages, the filthiness of European cities repeatedly caused great plagues that sent multitudes to their graves.[16] Based on biblical teachings, Christian theologians during those centuries thought the plagues were caused by the anger of God or the malevolence of Satan.[17] The Bible gave them ample support for their belief. It contains numerous instances of God punishing people by means of pestilence (e.g., Exodus 32:35; Numbers 16:44-49; Jeremiah 21:6). And in describing Jesusâ healing miracles, the New Testament attributes the following afflictions to demons: blindness (Matthew 12:22); muteness (Matthew 9:32-33); lameness (Luke 13:11,16); epilepsy (Matthew 17:14-18); and insanity (Mark 5:1-13). Those teachings led the early church leaders to promote the idea that demonic activity is the primary cause of disease. For example, St. Augustine, whose views strongly influenced Western thought for over a thousand years, said in the fourth century: "All diseases of Christians are to be ascribed to these demons. . . ."[18] With the coming of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, there was little change in the Christian attitude toward the causes of disease. Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, repeatedly attributed his own illnesses to "devilsâ spells." He also stated: "Satan produces all the maladies which afflict mankind, for he is the prince of death."[19] As a result of believing in supernatural causes of disease, theologians taught that plagues could be averted or stopped by seeking supernatural assistance. And the way to obtain God's help, they thought, was to perform religious acts. These included repenting from sin;[20] providing gifts to churches, monasteries, and shrines;[21] participating in religious processions;[22] attending church services (which often only increased the spread of disease);[23] and killing Jews and witches (since it was thought Satan used them as his agents in causing illness).[24] Religious leaders largely ignored the possibility of physical causes and cures of diseases Science Bests Supernaturalism White states that despite all the prayers, rituals, and other religious activities performed throughout the centuries, the frequency and severity of plagues did not diminish until scientific hygiene made its appearance. In regard to the hygienic improvements instituted during the second half of the nineteenth century, White explains: "[T]he sanitary authorities have in half a century done far more to reduce the rate of disease and death than has been done in fifteen hundred years by all the fetiches which theological reasoning could devise or ecclesiastical power enforce."[26] The superior results of using science instead of religion can be seen in many other fields. Humanists therefore accept the scientific view that this world operates under unvarying natural laws that cannot be suspended by religious rituals or other means. And Humanists esteem highly those who study this world and provide a better understanding of it. Unlike the theologians who focus on influencing supposed supernatural powers, persons using a scientific outlook have enabled great progress to be made in reducing misery and increasing happiness. Incorrect Ideas About the Structure of the Physical World http://americanhumanist.org/humanism/Some_Reasons_Why_Humanists_Reject_the_Bible There is much more to read. I did not copy and paste all.
I find the fact that man wrote the Bible more encouraging than the idea that some "God" did. We don't need any artificial "God". We just need to continue to be smart and moral people. We are God.
There is no large comfort for Man in that, either. Even a secular utilitarianism as morality can produce a calculus which justifies nuking a couple of cities of people for "the greater good". This puts us right back where we started. Or rather, we never left that place.
This quote from the link really make me laugh. "Finally, it's inconsistent with science - and ludicrous - to believe that God confounded the language of humans because he was afraid they would build a tower high enough to reach heaven (Genesis 11:1-9). "
yeah its odd until you actually read the bible and see most if not all of the inconsistencies are contrived. God told the people to move around and form man nations... they chose to stay in one place and symbolically work they way into heaven with out listening to God. It was once again the sin of saying ... let us be God. by the way here is what the bible actually says. The Tower of Babel 11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, âCome, letâs make bricks and bake them thoroughly.â They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, âCome, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.â 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, âIf as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.â 8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]âbecause there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. and you realize that to west languages go left to right and too the right they go right to left.
Yeah but Old Testament God was kind of tough also. Anyone advocating bashing baby brains is not exactly a mellow pacifist. Oh wait, OTG was us. Nevermind.
You wouldn't know the first thing about either judging from your posts here, especially this one: She [Hillary Clinton] will be a great president. She is smart and motivated by the desire to do good for the US. IOW her heart is the right place and her head is good. She is for the right things. That's what for one I look for in a president. http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?p=3973182&highlight=heart#post3973182 We all know how you make global warming in your diaper every day, but how did "we" create the universe?