Challenging the Christian Groupthink – part 2

Christianity Creates Fundamentalists:

In any religion, there will be those that take it too far. But how far is too far? And why is taking the “Good Book” literally at all harmful to one’s self or others? I hope I will be able to give you a brief, yet concise explanation as to exactly why I believe being a “fundamentalist” is neither healthy nor morally admirable. As a note: that which is in blue text is in direct reference of the Bible; that which is in red is the same, but is also a supposed quotation of Jesus of Nazareth.

Challenging the Christian Groupthink – part 1

An Introduction and Petition for Openmindedness:

In the next four blogs or so, I will attempt to put forth my reasons for abandoning Christianity. I previously gave – to only the few who asked – four main reasons why Christianity is not right for me, and why I believe it’s not really good for anyone. I feel that not only do I owe it to those who are curious about what may seem such a rash decision and to those who may genuinely be concerned for my “soul,” I believe greater that it is my human responsibility to openly present the information I found while contemplating Christianity (and other religions and philosophies) so that: my views may be refined and better understood by myself and others; and to openly challenge others to genuinely examine their belief structure for the sake of self-refinement. If anyone (specifically any Christian) hears my cry from the atheist wilderness in which my mind exists, it is my hope that they have the same questioning mindset that they seek within others for their sake of “winning souls for God.” If all else fails, maybe I’ll “sew a seed” of enlightenment in their mind for others to water. If you’re a Christian and you have even read even this far without closing off your mind in righteous contempt; I urge you to please continue and respond however you wish! I will do what I can to answer any questions, comments or snide remarks with an open and polite mind. Keep in mind, though, that I won’t bend over backward to pet and console your sense of faith. Now for the meat and ‘taters…

Positing a question to your god…

Is something good or bad because you say it is?
Or do you say it is, because it is?

If something is good only because God says so, then fundamentalism and extremism is the way to go!  If this be the case, I obviously don’t need to come up with ethics on my own, and things like stoning sinners and killing in God’s name are akin to piety.

But if things, ideas, and actions are “good” or “bad” in their own description when compared to other things of the same comparable class, then the idea of God is useless.  We ought then replace the nomenclature of “God” with words and phrases such as “Human Ethics,” “Logic,” and “Laws of Nature.”  In turn, good and bad may be interchangable with “useful” and “wasteful,” “aestheticly pleasing” and “malaesthetic/dysphoric.”