God Is Not Helping
Us Find Answers
Chester Twarog
From: "Chester Twarog"
To: "Positive Atheism Magazine"
Subject: Bradford Reply
Date: September 22, 2001 4:01 PM
We must certainly ask ourselves how much universal knowledge does their mythological God or Allah (generic, non-informational names) or Jesus have to "spiritually" provide to fundamentalist believers? Didn't the ancient oracles seek spiritual knowledge from their gods or goddesses -- like coming disasters or wars or adventures, etc.?
If the Gospel Jesus had the equivalent of scientific knowledge that we have today then, why would not this "teacher" initiate his followers? It may have certainly provided a "Christian Golden Age" superior to the Greek Polytheistic Culture that proceded it. IF the Greek philosophies of mathematics, geometry, science, medicine, etc., had "advanced" (cancelled by religious fundamentalists, intrastate warfare, etc.) would we generally be a civilization two thousands years ahead of itself today? Can we ever know? Christian Fundamentalism was responsible for it's failure.
Our current scientific knowledge far exceeds that of the Holy Bible Mythology and should have superceded it by now because our modern civilization depends on it. The Islamic fundamentalists who crashed modern jet aircraft into the World Trade Center (completely disrupting our nation for the indefinite future and perilous consequences to liberties, science education, and NASA) used their Islamic mythology and modern technology to accomplish this just as most Americans are using Biblical Mythos (Job's god is punishing us) and modern weaponry and technology to destroy the "terrorist" tribes.
But herein lies the point of the previous. If the ancient oracles received "messages" during their rituals from their particular gods or goddesses, how is, then, that the evangelicals, psychics, spiritualists (John Edward), fundamentalists, bishops, monks, Pope John Paul II, priests during their religious ceremonies or spiritual states, whatever, did not receive any warning "spiritual" messages from Jesus, God, Virgin Mary, their loved dead ones in Heaven of the impending "attack" of September 11th? And when it did happen, and through today, they all are in mass prayer ceremonies praising God, asking for grace and blessings, etc.? "God Bless America" is everywhere -- and my own inward reply is "Sure, God Blessed America and 6,333 people are dead."
The end argument is that if God and Jesus have knowledge that would advance us or protect us or give us information exceeding what we can acquire from materialistic science, and have never provided it to us, they are no more than mythological fictions whose fundamentalist "belief" is doom for our future.
Chet Twarog
Hudson, Massachusetts
Material by Cliff Walker (including unsigned editorial commentary) is copyright ©1995-2008 by Cliff Walker. Each submission is copyrighted by its writer, who retains control of the work except that by submitting it to Positive Atheism, permission has been granted to use the material or an edited version: (1) on the Positive Atheism web site; (2) in Positive Atheism Magazine; (3) in subsequent works controlled by Cliff Walker or Positive Atheism Magazine (including published or posted compilations). Excerpts not exceeding 500 words are allowed provided the proper copyright notice is affixed. Other use requires permission; Positive Atheism will work to protect the rights of all who submit their writings to us.