Grand! I applaud you!
People who threaten you, who tell you otherwise, are pretty much brainwashed mindless pricks who can’t help but have some sort of dominant personality in order to better themselves about what they believe in.

I’ve been an agnostic for some while, and as an artist, still have my questions about God.
Ironically enough, after I was done ripping pages of the bible and paper mache-ing them onto a canvas for a piece, I got a bloody nose, and it got me to thinking that there might be something out there.

But then again, the bible is just words. It could be just as good as a gun.

Kudos to you!

Bravo! you obviously know much more about the bible than christians- its odd isnt it- atheists and agnostics tend to be
1- More knowledgeable of scripture
2- much more rekaxed, i mean, all these fundamentalists running around killing abortionists and going to jail with all the other nut jobs- compared to theists, how many atheists are in jail? not many.

I would just like to say that this was interesting and intriguing. I, for one, am a Christian and that doesn’t sound like me at all. Of course, unfortunately, there are the nut jobs out there. I do not long to see you burn for eternity in hell. I dare not press you. I am just as knowledgeable in the Word of God because I took my time in studying it. If I am not mistaken, the 4 Gospels were all first hand accounts, written by the Apostles which walked with Him. I am not here to condemn you but to “turn the other cheek”. After all, if we are true followers of Christ, we should show forth the love of Christ. That is, after all, how He walked.

Dave, your sarcasm is amazingly articulate and well-thought out. How come I never thought of that? So many Atheists in jail, and so few Christians! How come the church service is such a big thing in jail?

Nobody’s perfect, people do make mistakes. Even Christians. There’s plenty of Christians in jail, there’s plenty of Christians doing horrendous acts, some even in the name of God! There’s Priests sleeping with kids, the KKK is still promoting their message of hate all across America, Tammy Faye had to be the most vain person I’d ever laid eyes on (She looked a lot like that chick from the Drew Carey show, Mimi?), and Pat Robertson and George Bush still have hatred for others that are “different” than them.

So to say that once you become Christian that you’re instantaneously immaculate is a complete and total lie, and you know it. How about those 3 Christians that dragged the gay man behind their truck for 6 miles? Not very loving if you ask me. And all in the name of God!

I liked the video. I call myself a Christian and always have to explain to questioners (both “religious” and “non-religious”) that God is Love, and Love only. God has no gender and no sense of anger or punishment… God loves everyone. The end.

At any rate, the gospels were NOT all first-hand accounts. Only one of them was written by an acutal apostle of Jesus, and that is thought to be written decades after his death… Plus they’ve all been picked through and twisted according to what “the church” wanted to teach throughout history.

I completely empathize with your frustration. I myself have received some nasty and threatening letters from Christian zealots for the work I do. That being said, I want to point out that a more accurate translation of the scripture you quote in this video is, “the Kingdom of God is among you.” According to the story, Jesus is trying to express that his presence on Earth signifies that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Perhaps this further evidences your notion that the ex post facto and second hand Gospels cannot be relied upon for accuracy or truth. However, it does irk me when atheists and Christians alike (whether intentionally or not) take passages from the Bible out of context to serve their own purposes.

The problem with atheists these days: they are starting to become as zealots as the religious assholes.

I agree with Daniel. Athiests are as closed minded as Fundamentalists. Atheism is a reaction to religion rather than God. And I admit religion gives God a bad name. But it’s lunacy to think something came from nothing, and order from choas – all by accident. I didn’t find the Universal Mind in religion but in DNA, atoms and science, and one day science will prove that a higher power does exist. IMHO. Meantime, let’s try to get along with each other.

Oh wow. I’m a Christian, but I have to say amazing points! You put into words the things that have been bugging me for so long – self-righteous, hypocritical leaders of the church… well done, I have to say. Well done! (and no, I’m not being sarcastic.)

Good points! but just because the nursery rhyme version of religion that is taught in church doesn’t make sence, it’s no reason to not look further perhaps you are ready for the “meat”
there are common sense explinations for all of it from what the virgin birth really is, what dying for our sins meant before the church tried to profit from it we reap what we sow without exceptions (cause and effect) and and it was Christ that taught for three years and performed the miracles, not Jesus! or do you think they were the same? or is Christ his last name? better to use your intelligence to search for the truth than stick your head in the sand, or tear down the beliefs of others I mean they got to start somewhere!

I would love to register, but no confirmation code appears

“God, i rather live my life believing you existed and die, and realize you dont, than to live a life without you and die, and realize you were always with me”

I was raised in the church, I know scriptures, and I like to do a lot of my own research… the really funny thing is what happened when I learned that Christians did not give themselves that name. In fact, I do not think that a “Christian” who was following the teaching of say Paul, the key writer of the new testament, who said that remember Christ who though being fully God, viewed being like God an unattainable feat, would really desire to be called Christ-like, as that would imply in their own view God like thus being contradictory. So I started calling myself “a seeker of truth” that is what I tell people my belief system is. The funny thing is that I’ve had more “Christians” try to convert me than any other religion, often with not only bad arguments, but with things that I believe directly contradict Jesus’ or Yeshua’s teachings. This leads me to believe that if a word is defined by the way that it is used that “Christian” no longer means the same thing. In fact the modern meaning of “Christian” seems to be frighteningly similar to the modern definition of Pharisee. The real kicker is that if you read the scriptures… you’ll find that Jesus and the Pharisees didn’t really get along.
Thank you for posting this wonderfully presented argument it has been the final straw that is spurring me to action. I will be starting a blog for me to rant about the peculiarities such as this that I notice. As well as try to start a few social and soul expirements.

Sorry, about posting twice in a row, please, stop by my blog and critique it sometime. I hope that all of your arguments are as well presented as the one here.

That is a lovely piece, right on the spot. Very many congratulations on the clarity and insightfulness of this work.
Believing in the big god thing must be a tremendous liability in a person’s quest for meaning, you’d have to spend almost all of your available brainpower trying to make reality fit the fantasy…
Of course that would be with limited brainpower available to start with, or how would you fall for such nonsense…

I believe in God and the Christian faith. I’m not going to convert you or preach at you. You’re very intelligent and I enjoyed what you had to say. I believe you have a right to think as you do. I believe I do not have a right to preach unless you ask me too. Let me share why I enjoyed what you had to say. You humble us. Any true Christian will appreciate that. Sadly, there are not many true Christians in this world.
Please allow me to add some constructive criticism. Nobody, Christian and Atheist alike, likes someone to talk down to them. You’re falling into the same pit that most of these so called evangelist fall into. A sort of I’m better than you attitude.
With all do respect and no insult intended, I wish you God speed and good health. We all could use the humbling in our respective faiths.

Ryan wrote: “Tammy Faye had to be the most vain person I’d ever laid eyes on…..”

Vain perhaps, but she was probably THE ONLY highly-visible televangelist who immediately and publicly supported homosexuals and AIDs victims. When it comes to ‘not being judgemental’, she was more of an ideal ‘Christian’ than she’s usually given credit for (this coming from an atheist:)

I don’t let them stop me, I always pay ‘em back in spades. If I can’t turn their arguments against them, then I just get this really shifty look, and tell ‘em I’ll be waiting at the end of the tunnel, because I’ll take ‘em screaming all the way down to Hell with me, and they’ll be the first victims of my eternal job as one of Satan’s Chief Torturer’s. And then I cackle madly until they leave.

Also, for the record, I am an agnostic, and usually, these conversations starting with me asking the other person for proof of God’s existence. Then the arguing starts. Then the threats.

Actually, Chris Painter, “Christ” is actually a title. Jesus of Nazareth was the man (of trusted historical record) who taught a new line of theological thinking later to be termed “Christianity” as in the teachings of “the Christ.” His followers were dubbed “Christians” (famed as lion bait in Rome) as in “followers of the Christ,” or his teachings in lieu of the person.

Mindless dribble. Athiests? Sheeesh! What is the world coming to? I guess it’s easier not to believe. It takes work to believe in something outside yourself. I guess you all are into the Almighty ID. There is so much evidence that God exists. First and foremost though – you must open up your eyes and SEE!

What amazes me is Christians who believe in God living in Heaven? Ahhh! God is within. Heaven is within. Jesus said we have the power to move mountains. He wasnt talking that we needed a crane. So when people say why did God allow this killing to happen? Why did he allow all this death? Ahhh! It’s not why did He? It is why did US? God is part of the Universal Network of all life. We are all gods and if we actually all lived how Jesus did we could move mountains, but instead we live like we do now.. disconnected.

“I guess it’s easier not to believe”
Yes, it is easier not to believe. And when you don’t believe, it’s also easier not to start wars, not to bomb abortion clinics, and not to form organizations like the KKK.
Peace.

Right on! Good post.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No-one has ever seen God; but if we love each other, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” – 1 John 4: 7-12.

I apologise for those Christians that you have met that have been angry. I am sorry for the KKK, people who bomb abortion clinics, those who have started wars. And if I thought God had caused all the evil, I would denounce my religion. But God does exist, he does love everyone.

Yes, there are those that wish for non-believers to ‘burn in hell’. But there are about one billion of us around the world, don’t let the minority destroy your views on the rest of us.

We love you, all of us. But you’re all still missing out on the ultimate love you can ever experience: God’s.

So yes, you may find comfort in a carefree life. But God will still be there, waiting for you.

No-one likes to be talked down on and told they are evil and mean. So yes, some people have made horrible mistakes and threatened you with hell, but how do you think us theists feel when atheists say we’re idiots?

Say I was wrong…I would die at the end of my life. But I would have lived fulfilled, less troubled and had such an amazing life. Say you were wrong, an eternity in hell. And my eternity in heaven. Take the risk? I wouldn’t.

P.S. If you think hell isn’t fire, burning and ultimate torture, I would think about more and maybe reconsider your faith. God loves you, he wants to be with you. He made you, knows you and will always love you. I realised this at four years old, I am only 14, but I am so blessed and hope that you can feel God’s blessing too. I will be praying.

God loves you, he wants to be with you. He made you, knows you and will always love you.

And yet he will send you to hell to be tortured for all eternity for simply not believing in him, no matter how good a life you live.

Yeah, sounds like love to me.