Troy Dyck's Bizarre Letter
Christine Lehman
From: "Christine Lehman"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Troy Dyck's bizarre letter
Date: Monday, March 26, 2001 7:25 PM
Of all the things Mr. Dyck wrote in his screed on the Ten Commandments, the one that really made steam start blowing smoke out of my ears was about how Jesus' command to his followers to "hate their parents" was okay because he also tells us to "hate ourselves"! Like that's supposed to make it okay?
That brought back all the memories of sleepless nights wondering if I'd committed "the unpardonable sin" that day; if I might commit it later in life; if I'd wind up burning in hell in spite of all my best efforts to "love Jesus and follow his commands"; if I was being too legalistic; why was I such a miserable sinner?; etc., etc. -- all the attitudes which Christianity fosters and encourages!
I do have to thank Mr. Dyck and his ilk for one thing, though -- every once in a while I get a little nostalgic for the good things about religion (you know, like the security of knowing that you'll go to heaven eventually, even if all those other poor sinners around you won't; the comfort of knowing there's an answer to every question, (even though, upon closer examination, they usually turn out to be the wrong answers!), the pleasure of cozying up with a book by Josh McDowell reassuring me that my faith is based on solid evidence (even though it's not!), etc. -- then I read one of those letters and remember all the reasons I left that damnable faith -- and top of the list is the unbearable ARROGANCE!
Christine Lehman :-)
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