Reply to an Unnamed Atheist

I received this comment here, and it’s reply is worthy of a full post.

The Insane Jesus Christ Man is More Sane than the Christians
Jose Luis de Jesus is my favorite religious character of all time. He should be praised for his new Christianity, not because it is true, but because it is more interesting than the old Christian story.

So truth doesn’t matter?

The ironies and paradoxes involved in his attitudes towards Christianity are impressive and make the new Christianity more interesting than older versions. For example, we are expected to believe that Christ has been reborn so that Christianity may die.

Although Jose Luis De Jesus has grandiose delusions, he is not delusional enough to fall for old Christianity. He doesn’t suffer from paranoid delusions. Rather, Jose Luis De Jesus is lucid enough to recognize the need for an Anti-Christ to put old Christianity in the lowly place where it belongs, in the hell of its own making. For his Anti-Christ aspirations, he should be admired.

For Jose Luis De Jesus, the Anti-Christ does not equal the Devil. ‘Devil’ and ‘sin’ are just a few of the inventions of the worst enemies of humankind to prevent it from being intrinsically driven to advance the good in their lives. There is no justification for the presumably saner Christian believer who demands the delusional fear of hellish punishment to compel us to adopt Christian practices.

I agree (somewhat) that “fear of Hell” is not a good reason to follow Christ. But it should be enough to cause everyone to say “what if… what if the Bible is true?” And at least investigate it. Gratitude for the grace and mercy shown to you through Christ’s atonement on the cross is a much better reason. There are others.

No human mind should be required to fall for Christian delusions in order to claim its goodness and morality.

What delusions?

Furthermore, if the claims of scripture are delusional, how can they be good or moral? I’m confused by this line of thinking. Jesus Christ (the real one, not Miranda) was either Lord (as he claimed to be) or he was a liar or lunatic and therefore the entire Christian faith is one of lies and deceit, void of morality. Unless you are making up your own morality – where lying is a good thing – a lot of people do that. But you can’t call it Christianity (in the true sense of the word)

Falling for Christianity is the worst fall from grace of them all. It is the fall from the grace of being in a state of independently guided striving and growing and into the most primitive motivational state possible, the hedonistic and fear driven avoidance of long-term pain in hell and the maximization of long-term pleasure in heaven.

So you are against someone trying to avoid pain? And you are against someones hope for a paradise? This grace you speak of… who gives it to us? We give it to ourselves?? Is it really grace then? Grace is by definition (unless of course you are making up your own again) the giving of something undeserved by the recipient.

Christians are reacting to the grandiose delusional Jose Luis De Jesus who considers himself the new Jesus and the leader of the new Christianity. Instead, Christians should consider that the many beliefs that lead one to fall for Christian dogma are more delusional than the 666 tattooed priest’s belief that he is the reincarnation of Christ returning to correct Christian error.

And with that we come to the big question: So what do YOU believe in???

Thank you for speaking with American Express (click!)

When telemarketers call, I love to witness to them. I usually start by being polite and hearing them out. But, After today I am thinking of not letting them talk until I am done with what I have to say first. Here’s how the call from Sheena from American express went..

I listen to her explain how great the Open Small Business Network is. I pass because I use CASH (thank you Dave Ramsey) and then explain that I am taking part in this online course that needs me to ask a stranger a few quick questions. She agrees, here’s how it went.

Ron: Sheena, do you have a religious background of some kind.
Sheena: Yes.
Ron: Can I ask what kind?
Sheena: Catholic
Ron: Okay, and if you died to day, would you go to Heaven or Hell.
Sheena: Probably Heaven.
Ron: Probably? I was hoping for a more confident answer (laugh)
Sheena: Okay (laugh) Definitely Heaven… I think.
Ron: That’s better, can you tell me why you think you’d go to Heaven?
Sheena: Because I am a good person… thank you for considering American Express have a good day. (click. dial tone)

Ahhhh!!!! See, I gotta get my part out first. Had she had hung on, I would have explained we don’t get to Heaven because of ANYTHING we do. We are not good people. We are sinners, enemies of God, who will one face Him on Judgement Day and have to give an account for the sins we’ve committed.

So here are my questions.

  • First to my fellow believers: Should I let them say their bit, or should I insist on saying my part first?
  • To those of you reading this that are not believers or you are surprised to hear you don’t get to heaven by being good. Click here and take the good person test. Then please come back and let me know how it went.

Thanks!