Cranakis

This is a story from 2016. In case you missed it.

This story encapsulates, for me, the cult mentality, of Christianity.

::: spoiler TL:DR: They bought the oil at Tractor Supply. spoiler:::

The link from the screenshot: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/are-reddits-replacement-mods-fit-to-fight-misinformation/

Grown on a log section in a flower pot.

Inspired by something another user said, I feel this question deserves discussion. Also, I am shamelessly creating exchristian content. We are still a small group but I like it here now and it will get better, but only if we use it. "Creating content" just means using the site. Talk to me. I'm open to input. Maybe I'm wrong.... but:

Liberal/Progressive/Apologist Christians should not get a pass. The Bible is clear on a number of horrific things and is totally open to interpretation about another bunch of horrific things. In both the new and old testament. I argue that liberal Christianity is both insincere and perpetuates fundamentalist Christian beliefs, within a society, generation over generation.

The key dependent is childhood indoctrination. Liberal Christians still feed their kids the dogma. It all works. Not every kid, but some of them, from this Liberal Christian family, will have a hard time with some part of it and go reading the Bible. They say the Bible is the truth right?

They read the Bible and see where their parents are fudging it. They want to do better. Depending on circumstance, they either tighten up the faith, or they go full in to fundamentalism. I have seen it happen multiple times in 1, 2, and 3 generations in people I've met an known. Anecdotal, sure, but still.

Then, I argue, the cycle continues. How did Christianity survive this long? I'd argue this is all part of it. Even "lightly" indoctrinating children adds a chance, I'd argue significant, that the child becomes a fundy 20, 30, or 40 years in the future, when the chips are down, and someone says "come to my church, they'll help"

Should I be more accepting? I'd love to hear what you think on this subject.

If you ever need clear proof that Christianity is bullshit, look at war.

Most recently the thought has been striking me while watching the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But its true of the majority of wars in recent history. Ukrainian Christians pray to God for safety as they bail out of the back of an armored carrier ready to kill in defense of their homeland. Russian soldiers pray to the same God for protection, huddled in their trenches, waiting for inevitable attacks. When troops die, back home, they pray for God's vengeance on their enemy, and both sides ask the same God for justice and comfort.

What ridiculous nonsense. Does either side ever think about how God seems to have fucked them over in favor of their enemy? If the god they were praying to were real, couldn't and wouldn't he intervene without them having to kill each other violently? Doesn't it actively disprove the existence of this "god" when he doesn't?

I am frustrated by the Christian notion to just use their religion as a salve to pain while not changing any behavior that causes the pain in the first place.

I'm tired of the powerful hiding behind religion and using it to control the brainwashed masses.

I don't understand how the rest of the world doesn't already see Christianity, and religion generally, as a harmful evil in society. Its like watching a bunch of deluded heroin addicts.

I found Bart Ehrman some 20 years into deconstructing. I wish I'd had his perspective when I was younger. I first started deconstructing during and after my first cover to cover read of the Bible in my teens (late 80s early 90s). The inconsistency, incoherence, and clear ulterior motives throughout are what first made me start doubting the Southern Baptist, Christian faith I was raised in (indoctrinated into). I knew that much of it did not make sense objectively, nor did different parts of the bible work with each other at all. Rather, the book is a patchwork that can be easily cherry picked based on bias.

For the uninitiated, Bart Ehrman is a Biblical scholar who began his career as a serious Christian and deconstructed in the process of study. I already considered myself an atheist by the time I found Ehrman, and I relate to him because reading the bible was the catalyst to my deconstruction.

Ehrman has helped put meaning to the seemingly meaningless parts of the bible for me.

Revelation for example is incoherent, even with careful reading at first. But Ehrman sheds great light on this subject. Here is a newer Ehrman talk on the subject.

I also enjoyed this lecture (also on Revelation). If you are interested and new to the subject start here. He dives deeper and starts from the beginning on this one but it is long.

No new Exchristian community is whole without some links to Bart, imo.

Just a rant I wrote to read to myself during my deconstruction that I've added to with time. Sharing it here to help whoever might find it useful. Feedback or discussion is always welcome.

We're not going to burn in hell. There is no hell. The idea is ridiculous on it's face, its just so scary that most religious folks don't dare think to hard on it but when you do, it totally unravels.

The length of your life on earth is minuscule compared to eternity and your human life happens at the very beginning of this infinitely long span of time.

Some omnipotent, all knowing god came along and decided it was fair to make your fate for eternity dependent on this blink of an eye we call human life? And that god is supposedly loving and fair? How does that make any sense at all? It's crazy anyone believes it.

In reality, a loving god would never put us in such a situation. Only some truly evil entity would devise a system whereby a soul would be tortured for hundreds of millions more years than the person's life. Picture yourself as god. Would any of that be ok with you?

Also a loving god would make him or herself known. No reasonable god would rely on the corrupt mouthpieces that are everywhere. Joel Osteen - Kenneth Copeland, et al. God with power would have a clear voice. These people say whatever will keep the most followers. A God that cared would smack them with lightning on live TV.

No reasonable god with power would allow so many different religions to exist that didn't believe in him. God would know that just being born to parents of the wrong religion would make it near impossible for that person to leave theirs to go find the "one true religion." If Christianity were real, god would be dooming 99% of the Muslim children that are born each day, just by letting them be born into the wrong religion/family/region.

Hell and Heaven are constructs created specifically to keep people having doubt from leaving the fold or voicing their ideas. Fear works well. But we have reason to see through the lies.

It is time to be free from the fear of hell. It is just a boogeyman story. Some of the most moral people I know are atheists. We know there is nothing more precious than right now and our current world.

Hug your children. Fix your issues or start toward the fix at least. Worry about today, and tomorrow, but don't worry about hell. It doesn't exist.