It’s generally known that I have fun at the expense of Christians who have only a passing knowledge of their own religion, a quick survey of movies, children’s books and popular stories they heard as kids. Most adherents are sadly uninformed of what’s in their own holy book, and if they should discover what’s in there they might see the world otherwise. An argument with one of my relatives, a recent Joel Osteen convert through his fanatic dedication to television. On one visit to his home, he told me that he wanted to start taking my young son to church and got upset when I said I wasn’t. Words were exchanged because #1 he likes to challenge me and #2 I don’t like being told what to do. At one point in the argument I told him I as an atheist was a better Christian than him. “How?!” he challenged me with self-righteousness that would have made Billy Graham blush. I asserted that I, unlike him, went to church for years and that I’ve read the Bible. I wondered how he claimed to be such a Christian and couldn’t be bothered to go to church or read the book you say you live your life by. Needless to say that Thanksgivings became a little less chatty afterwards. Most people I talk to have little understanding of the Bible. The majority of Christians don’t know what’s in the Bible, and it’s not always due to illiteracy. Chalk it blind faith. Chalk it up to apathy. But seriously, if you claim to base your life on a book, should you not crack it open every once in a while. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us/28religion.html?_r=0 Some people do read the Bible, select parts of it, those feel good sections about the baby in the manger or the Sermon on the Mount. I remember going to Sunday School and Bible School consistently when I was a kid and never hearing about the homicidal maniac of the Old Testament. Every so often I happened upon the occasional head scratcher, cryptic verse or contradiction, but the lessons were so carefully orchestrated as to skirt controversy and rightfully so! Some poor woman who got roped into spending the second half of church with other people’s kids got the job of Biblical apologist for at least an hour each week did not need the head ache. Granted there are classes in which the complete Bible, warts and all, is read and discussed (see Julia Sweeney’s story for insight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTvx_QA6gIc). Usually some clergyman bends over backwards to defend and explain vaguely and unsatisfactorily what those insane words mean. Famously, Sherri Shepard exemplified ignorance of the Christian religion’s place in the world on the view. Without a working knowledge of history and events she asserted that Jesus predates all other world religions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckb0Pwfpkbc In another famous television gem, Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (R) Georgia co-sponsored a bill to display the Ten Commandments in the House of Representatives and the Senate. When famously Stephen Colbert asked him to name the Commandments, he could only (kind of) name three. http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/tlf8t3/better-know-a-district---georgia-s-8th---lynn-westmoreland In this modern age when we are told to hold blind faith to Bronze Age collection of archaic stories and fables, people to need to rebel. We know that so much of the Bible does not make sense, logically, scientifically or historically. If it is a book inspired by God, shouldn’t it be right? As atheists we are often challenged about our beliefs or lack thereof. We harassed about evolution or the Big Bang, taunted with popular half-truths and lies. We are hated and shunned for not adhering to the faith principle. Well, I don’t know that there isn’t a God. But I am 100% certain that He didn’t write that nonsense. |