The God-forsakin' Blog

Once upon a time there was a small group of wise people who had the ability to predict some aspects of the future. They realized that a worldwide disaster was coming that could wipe out all of humanity, and all life even, unless humanity stopped behaving badly. They warned everyone over and over again, but no one would listen, and everyone continued to behave badly. So the wise people did what they could to prepare so at least SOME people and animals would survive the disaster. Quick, am I telling the story of climate change or Noah's Ark? Of all the things that Evangelicals should NOT be contradicting science about, you'd think this would be the one they'd be LEAST likely to contradict. It's already happened at least once, according to them. And yet, so many of them refuse to believe the version of the story that's demonstrably true, and instead believe the version that's demonstrably false.

  Every day, it seems, the god of conservative Evangelicals gets smaller, and pettier, and meaner, and more ridiculous. Just a century and a half ago he was trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored because of his righteous rage against slavery. Now he brews the kombucha of irritability against the existence of a trans actress in a Barbie movie. Just a generation ago he waxed wroth against institutional racism and sexism. Now he waxes wroth against every tiny step AWAY from those things. Just two decades ago the sword of his vengeance glowed white hot with holy fire to burn away such sins as selfishness, hate, and greed. Now those are the primary things his followers are known for. Less than a decade ago his judgement was surely coming to pay back evil people for their indifference to the poor. Now he wants his people to vote for the worst and vilest of those rich motherfuckers. Of course, it's obvious what has REALLY happened. God never existed except as the w...

  American Christianity, according to an article in the Atlantic, is due for a revival. But that's like saying that Princess Diana is due for CPR. It's FAR too late to bring back the once beloved icon who, despite her flaws, became a symbol of hope and compassion for many, and used her status and power to advocate for those who didn't have status or power. She's gone forever, and has been gone since she was hounded to death decades ago by people who were supposedly her fans. If by some dark necromancy you COULD revive the remains, the thing that would respond to the call would NOT be her. American Christianity is dead. And the rotting Lovecraftian monster that has replaced it - the festering mass of jingoism, authoritarianism, and bigotry that now animates the corpse of what was supposed to be a living embodiment of love - deserves to die. In memory of what she was supposed to be, maybe even was for a time, let the dead rest in peace. She deserves at least that much res...

 A person in an atheist group asked the question, "Psychologists -  is it harmful that religious beliefs get a special exemption from the definition of delusion?" I'm not a psychologist, but as people in the group noted it doesn't meet the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis because it isn't based on brain wiring or brain chemistry. If a religious person takes antipsychotics they won't stop believing in their imaginary friends and imaginary enemies. And while religion DOES cause harm, it's not a delusion that prevents the patient from functioning in society (though it WOULD in a society where no one else shared the belief).  It would be more useful to see it as a maladaptive coping skill - a behavior that meets emotional and social needs for the person, but in a way that causes harm to them and to others. And the treatment for that is not medication, but teaching the person a "functional alternative" - another behavior that will meet the same ne...

  It occurred to me today that religion often claims to be the yardstick by which morality can be measured.  But in reality, morality is the yardstick by which religion can be measured; and it always falls short. Furthermore, religious people are always acting according to what they know to be right DESPITE their religion. They'll follow the parts that they believe to be right (or at least admit that they OUGHT to follow those parts), but ignore the parts that they know to be wrong. Even the "literal word of God, true and unchanging in every jot and tittle" folks. Because it's obvious, even to religious people, that only a sociopath would ACTUALLY do all the things their religion commands or commends. How many adulterers have been stoned to death by Christians, Jews, or Muslims in this country? All three of these groups would claim that their book is authoritative, and yet even the most absurdly fundamentalist of us knows that killing people is immoral, even if they D...

  When I first gave up on religion, and religious people would try to convince me that religion was actually a good thing if it was done right, I would often make concessions. I would concede that GOOD religion would make people more moral, it was just when people twisted it for evil purposes that it would accomplish evil. I would concede that religion had SOME true things to say, it was just often bogged down in the untrue things that religious people also had to say. But I'm no longer conceding any ground at all to religion. Because none of the ground that religion claims to stand on is legitimately religion's ground, nor has it ever been. Religion claims to stand on truth, but actually stands on lies. Religion claims to stand on moral superiority, but actually stands on superior power. Religion claims to stand on universal love and brotherhood, but actually stands on hate, division, and the exploitation of the weak by the strong. Religion claims to stand on faith and hope, b...

"Waiter, this isn't what I ordered." "Sir, you're at Christianity. We only serve one meaning for life." "Yes, I know, that's what your advertisement said. But what you have put in front of me is NOT the meaning that you advertised." "What seems to be the problem, sir?" "I ordered the meaning that the menu said was the house specialty: Perfect and universal love and mercy. Good news for the poor, and peace and goodwill to all people. Served with a dash of humility. Supposed to help bad people become good people, and good people become better people." "Yes, sir, the specialty of the house, it's the only menu item we have ever had, and the only one we have ever needed." "Right, it sounded amazing, that's why I came here. And that's why I've been coming here all my life. That's why I spend ten percent of my paycheck here each week. But every time I sit down at the table, I get THIS instead....