THOUGHTS ON RELIGION
One Man’s Quest for Understanding

This original work is published anonymously and dedicated to the public domain without any claim to copyright protection. It may be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part in any medium without limitation, restriction or permission.

Fourth Edition
October 6, 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Why do so many people believe in God? I have contemplated the existence of God for all of my adult life. It fascinates me that so many otherwise intelligent, educated people, many of whom are my closest friends, believe in God. And yet I cannot fathom it. It has never made any sense to me. I do not pretend to understand what life is all about, and I do not need to make up explanations. I am willing to admit that I simply do not know all the answers to life’s mysteries.

I used to call myself an agnostic - it sounded better than atheist. The term “atheist” has acquired the connotation of someone evil or undesirable. Perhaps religious people have fostered that notion to help reinforce their sense of self-righteousness. But it conceals a hidden insecurity. At a subconscious level, some people try to enhance their ego by putting down others. They think: "If you don’t believe as I do, you must be a bad person, and therefore, I’m better than you are." People often make an association between good character (honesty, fairness, compassion, and integrity) and religious values, with the inference that if you are not religious, you must somehow be of bad character.

Just recently, for example, I heard about a Boy Scout, an Eagle Scout at that, who was being threatened by the Boy Scouts of America with expulsion if he did not refute his atheistic beliefs. This was for being honest (a Boy Scout creed) about his religious beliefs. The argument advanced by the organization was that he would not be a “good role model”. In other words, an atheist cannot, in their opinion, be a good person.

And you don't have to be an atheist or agnostic. In many religions, if you don't belong to that particular sect, you are considered a sinner, an infidel, a bad person - someone condemned to eternal hell and damnation. People define themselves by excluding or demonizing others.

I was brought up to be honest and fair, to be considerate of other people. Sure, I have the same weaknesses that everyone else has. I make mistakes; I do dumb things; I hurt other people's feelings without meaning to. But I believe my behavior is grounded in strong moral values. I'm conscientious about what is right and wrong. But does that mean I have to be religious?

It seems that here in America I am in an incredibly small minority. I have read that the United States is the most religious nation on Earth. For example, 59% of Americans say that religion plays a very important role in their lives compared to 11% in France. And in Germany, only 3 percent of Protestants routinely attend church. 94% of Americans believe in some form of God, 81% call themselves Christian, and perhaps less than 5% would call themselves atheists or agnostics.

My parents were not particularly religious. Although I was expected to attend church school (Presbyterian USA) every Sunday, we rarely went to church service. I attended church a few times during college and at various locations where I have worked, usually at a friend's urging. I remember visiting a Presbyterian church in the South and being asked if I "was saved". The really strange thing was, I didn't know at first what the lady meant! How could I have attended Sunday school for so many years, even joined the church for that matter, and not learned the central issue of Christianity, namely the concept of salvation.

Anyway, I must have gradually drifted away from the church. I remember my Sunday school teacher told us that we might lose faith during our college years, when we would be exposed to different philosophies. But I don't think I ever had any strong convictions. The ideas just didn't stick. At first it didn't seem to matter. I considered myself an agnostic. I would tell myself that I really didn't know if God existed or not. But as time went by, I became more certain of my beliefs.

It may just be coincidental, but it seems that since I began this exercise five years ago in the fall of 2001, there has been a surge of interest in religious matters. Numerous articles and programs have appeared in the media about the origins and history of the Judeo, Christian and Muslim faiths. First Amendment issues have once again been thrust into the spotlight. In this “politically correct” phase we are currently going through, it sometimes seems that Christians are being singled out for “persecution”. There are issues about removing the Ten Commandments from public places, removing all forms of Christian symbolism during Christmas, removing prayer from the schools, removing God from our Pledge of Allegiance, and on and on. No wonder Christians feel they’re being picked on. In Pasco County, Florida recently, officials banned Christmas trees from public buildings after the county attorney decided they were religious symbols! Christians are an easy target - many of our institutions and customs are Christian based simply because it has been the dominant faith of this nation for two centuries.

Feeling threatened by the perceived rising tide of atheism, some Christians are calling for a boycott of secular public schools. One would wonder if these people are so insecure that they fear their beliefs cannot stand on their own merits or that they should receive help from the government and expect the public schools to reinforce their beliefs. Since when did we charge the public schools with promoting Christian beliefs? Besides, would Jesus approve of his followers withdrawing from society in order to preserve the purity of their beliefs? What if the Apostle Paul had not spread the Christian message throughout the non-Christian world? If the earliest Christians had isolated themselves from non-believers, gone only to Christian schools and bought only from Christian merchants, it’s unlikely Christianity would have become what it is today.

I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with any philosophy or religion whose sole purpose was to emulate and promote Christ’s teachings of humanity and compassion for the poor and disadvantaged. I’m sure religion serves a useful purpose in dealing with suffering, uncertainty, fear and moral issues. Unfortunately, these admirable qualities are too often associated with a god hypothesis. It’s only the idea of a god, especially a vengeful god intent on punishing the disbeliever, that I take issue with. When religious people start telling me I’m a miserable sinner, and that I have to believe in their God or Jesus Christ to keep from going to hell for eternity, I draw the line. They become fair game for my observations and criticisms. These observations, however, apply to all theocratic religions. The reader may assume that I am particularly harsh on Christianity, but that is only because it is the religion I am most familiar with.

But the question here is about whether God exists and why humans tend to believe that some sort of god exists. You can be forced to do or say many things, but you cannot even force yourself to believe something if you don’t believe it! I cannot make myself believe in a god if common sense and intelligent reasoning tell me otherwise.

Religious people think that unbelievers must be very unhappy, unfulfilled people. They know the positive role religion has played in their lives, they know the comfort and assurance they have felt. They know how their faith has sustained them through life's inevitable trials. So they assume that people who don't share their faith must not be coping very well. They probably think these people must be miserable souls. They may even feel sorry for them.

But I am doing just fine, thank you! Perhaps one reason I am not religious is that I have been very fortunate throughout my life. Perhaps I am not as vulnerable to the promise of a better life. I have enjoyed excellent health. I have never gone hungry or felt insecure. I have a loving wife, a comfortable home and money in the bank. Of course that doesn't guarantee happiness, but it helps. Most important, however, I feel content with myself and my life. There is an ancient truth that says that “acceptance of divine revelation presupposes in the subject a natural awareness of insufficiency or dissatisfaction.”³⁰

I have chosen to remain anonymous. That is because this subject, unfortunately, cannot be shared with others without arousing strong emotions and animosities. Countless people have suffered and even died over these issues, and I have no desire to create hard feelings or to isolate myself from friends and family.

Throughout this document one will find numerous repetitions. I have attempted to unify many of these ideas, but often I may simply find a different way to express the same general idea. And often the same subject can be legitimately included under more than one heading.

In many respects this work constitutes a summary of my ongoing study of religion. In addition to my own opinions and observations, I will occasionally make notes on subjects I wish to remember, such as current or historical events, religious practices and biblical references. This document was written over a five year period from 2001 to 2006. Therefore, references to current events often reflect the time period when the comments were written and may not necessarily be updated to the date of publication.

In this document I will frequently criticize religious people for allowing their prejudices and preconceptions to cloud their thinking. My cynicism at times may seem palatable. But I recognize that I frequently succumb to the same common human tendency toward intellectual bias. I will filter what I hear and read so as to favor those things that complement my beliefs. I will freely admit that I too am guilty of this same offense.

I am fairly certain that most religious people, even assuming they have read this far, would pass judgment at this point without bothering to read this document in its entirety. That would be unfortunate, for I believe that I have made some good arguments for what I believe. What I write here are simply my beliefs. No one, as yet at least, can prove that God exists or that he does not exist.

RECENT EVENTS

September 11, 2001

The events of September 11, 2001 focused renewed attention on the subject of religion. Clearly, religious belief played a major role in this calamity. People will say that the Islamic fundamentalists' beliefs are a perversion of religion. But I would suggest that they are simply different in the specifics of their faith, just as all religious sects and denominations vary only in their specific beliefs. They are all variations on the same basic theme. They all teach that only their beliefs are correct, that only they hear the true word of God. The rest of the world is heathen, infidels, unbelievers. It all depends on your perspective.

The imams of Saudi Arabia openly preach hatred toward the United States and our allies. They hate even the idea that non-believers have a presence in their sacred land, home of some of Islam’s holiest sites. Saudi Arabia is a breeding ground for terrorists. Fifteen of the nineteen highjackers on 9-11 were Saudis, as is Osama bin Laden himself. It is said that the root cause of bin Laden’s hatred toward America is our military presence in Saudi Arabia since the first Gulf War.

Perhaps religion is simply the vehicle by which these people can express their hatred. They are not that different from any group that hates another group that is somehow different. One characteristic of such a group is that they blame their problems and insecurities on the influence of evil somehow attributed to the other group. Or their problem may be rooted in poor self-esteem. Everyone wants to feel good about themselves. We all have a need to nourish our egos. But at some level, these people are unsure about themselves. By joining a group with similar beliefs, they feel empowered, accepted and reassured, their egos feed on each other and they can convince themselves that they are better than everyone else.

Why do they hate us so? Could it also be because we represent everything they desire but cannot have? Here we have a group of people who are, for the most part, poor and repressed. They see people in other cultures who have a better life than they do, and they resent it. Israel has come to represent such a culture. The Israelis have established a thriving, modern economy in the Middle East where, all around them, the Arabs still live in antiquity (in spite of their vast oil reserves). The Arabs then use Israel as a scapegoat for their own failures. They know (again at some deep level of their psychic) that they can’t measure up. How do they cope? They join a group with similar feelings, feed on each other’s ignorance and feel empowered. Perhaps Islam is attractive because, in some interpretations of the Qur’an, there is justification for persecuting the non-believer. Certainly, Islam is not alone in sanctioning this kind of behavior. The Christian church has a long history of repression, violence and intolerance, notably the crusades and the inquisition.

I’m certainly no expert on Muslim fundamentalism, so these conjectures are nothing more. Our government would have us believe that the root cause of Muslim inspired terrorism is their hatred of everything the free world represents: democracy, freedom of expression, separation of church and state and lifestyle issues like sexual liberalism and what they see as religious and moral decadence. In other words, they hate us for who we are. But there are experts in Muslim culture who believe that, more importantly, they hate us for what we do. That is to say, they hate our presence and influence in countries that are predominately Muslim. They see our presence as a threat to their religion; they perceive us as enemies of Islam. In their religious fervor, they see themselves as defending Islam against attack. To them, their jihad against the West is defensive rather than offensive. If this is true, one can easily argue that our invasion of Iraq was exactly the worst thing we could have done!

Fundamentalists will pick and choose those beliefs that suit their purpose and desires. Muslim extremists, like the Taliban or al Qaeda for example, claim to adhere to a lifestyle harboring back to the 11th century. But they have no qualms about using modern technology like satellite phones, modern weapons, Toyota pickups and commercial aircraft to further their aims. They enjoy the benefits of modern society while at the same time condemning it.

At times it seems to me these people (Muslim extremists, al Qaeda, Palestinians) are acting out of pure emotion rather than rational common sense. Like most religions, Islam fulfills the deep seated emotional needs of its followers. Their actions are motivated by a particularly strong religious fervor. I am told that fundamentalist Islam is even more passionate in its beliefs than fundamentalist Christianity.

Perhaps they feel they have no other recourse than to pursue terrorism. As a semi-organized group, how can they fight their perceived enemies? They know they can’t take on nations and governments by conventional military action. Their arsenals (at least for now) are limited. So they reason that they can somehow accomplish their objectives by terrorism. Many think they have a mandate from God (Allah) to rid their part of the world of all the infidels who do not share their beliefs and the governments that support them.

But by what twisted logic do they think terrorism will further their cause? What do they hope to accomplish? Do they actually think we’re going to give in to their demands? Of course not! Terrorist acts against unarmed, innocent civilians can only increase the resolve of civilized people to fight back.

Another reason that Islam attracts these kinds of people is the promise of salvation (to borrow a Christian term), of favor with God (Allah) if they die for the cause, if they die in the execution of what they perceive as God’s will. Thus we have the suicide terrorist. This provides two convenient motives: first it tempers the natural fear of dying and second it provides hope for a better life. These people believe that their actions will guarantee a direct accent to paradise, into the presence of Allah himself who will be pleased, that they will become martyrs. They are told that 72 dark-eyed virgins will be waiting for them in paradise!

They believe that only they are in God’s good graces, that God will guide and protect them in their mission, that we, the so-called “infidels”, are God’s enemies, evil people that God wants eliminated. The terrorist’s objective is always to strike fear into the hearts of the infidel, to make us tremble at the wrath of God. 

I see a “holy war” coming. I fear that this movement of religious fundamentalism and extremism will get out of hand. We (the US, certain of our allies and the governments of many Islamic countries) continue to aggravate and intimidate these people with aggressive policies of occupation and oppression. Their numbers and frustration are growing.

Divine Intervention

Many people turn to religion for comfort and answers. I can understand how religion gives people comfort. But it certainly doesn't provide any answers. 

After September 11, I saw so many people praising and thanking God, reaching out to him for answers. If they believe that God rules the universe, then they must accept that he also caused, or at least allowed, this catastrophe to happen. Most fundamentalists, in fact, believe that all natural and human events are part of some grand plan of God’s. So why would you want to praise God (unless you were a terrorist)!

I see this same phenomenon after natural disasters, people thanking God to have survived. How can they be thanking God – this God of theirs may have just killed a thousand people and they’re thanking him! A mother’s son dies in an automobile accident, and she says “thank the Lord he didn’t suffer long”. For heaven’s sake lady, wake up; your Lord just took away your son, and you’re thanking him?

Then there was the lady whose home burned down after being struck by lightning. “God was taking care of us” she said, referring to the fact the family was not home at the time. Apparently, he wasn’t looking after the house very well. She said she could only wonder why this happened. “I’m hoping the Lord will give me an answer.” Why do people think there has to be some divine reason for everything that happens? Lightning strikes because of known electrical properties of the atmosphere, not because some god pushed the lightning button.

A family grieves over their infant son who was borne with a rare liver disease. These people are praising God, saying things like “God has chosen (our son) for a special purpose.” or “We pray that He will receive the glory in whatever outcome we face.” and “We fully trust that God will provide for our every need.” Surely they must realize that if their faith is true, God must have created their son’s illness in the first place.

A mother grieves for the loss of her baby. While resting in the hospital, a sparrow flies onto the window ledge. She remembers the scripture passage: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” (Matt. 10:29) She thinks: “God had sent this little bird to bring a message of love to me.” She goes on to remark how God cares for her. “Thank You” she murmurs, before drifting off to sleep.⁶⁷ Hello – this scripture reminds us that God controls everything in our lives and yet, after God takes away her baby, she is thanking him for his love and care? What am I missing here?

In his eulogy to his father, Michael Reagan talked about how his father would hug him whenever he entered the room, even though Alzheimer’s disease had robbed his father’s memory of who he was. He referred to it was a gift from God. I just don’t understand this kind of reasoning – why would he thank his God for a hug when this same God had erased his father’s memory?

I saw an interview on TV recently with the father of a lady who died of asthma, leaving her 21 month old son alone for four days before anyone knew what had happened. The grandfather said that he thanked God for sparing his grandson. That doesn't make any sense - that was the same God who took away his daughter!

After Hurricane Jeanne hit Florida, President Bush said he went to church “and thanked God that so few people have lost their lives.” Of course his God had just decimated Florida for the forth time, killed over a hundred people all told, and yet he was thanking God?

We worry about manmade “weapons of mass destruction”. But natural disasters and disease have killed on a grand scale since time immemorial. Pandemics have killed millions of people. The Asian tsunami of 2004 was a colossal disaster of biblical proportions. So many innocent people lost their lives and countless more were left homeless and grieving for loved ones. There was suffering beyond anything I can imagine. Such a disaster makes 9/11 look like child’s play! And yet we don’t call God a terrorist. Why? He certainly meets the definition: someone who purposely kills or injures innocent people. And what would be God’s reason? Is he trying to tell us something, as some would have us believe? That’s just about the dumbest thing I can imagine! Others believe that he creates our misery because Adam and Eve disobeyed him – another totally insane idea. Or maybe he just hates us for some reason. None of this makes any sense whatsoever!

Of course, the Arab media is blaming the tsunami on the wrath of Allah. They say that it was Allah’s retribution on all those infidel tourists for their sinful ways. The vast majority of victims, who were Muslim, died as martyrs, they will tell you! Talk about convoluted reasoning! Why is it every time there is a disaster, religious people will say it was God’s retribution or punishment? 

Now the worst natural disaster in US history has struck the gulf coast. Before it’s all over, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will have killed over a thousand people and caused unprecedented economic loses. As I am writing this, the television news channels are showing the utter destruction of this horrific catastrophe. We are only beginning to realize the absolute misery and human suffering this storm has caused. And yet already I am hearing the inevitable references to God’s judgment. One writer states that “this should truly be a wake-up call for (these people) to find Jesus”. Others have suggested that these mostly poor, black survivors somehow deserved this calamity because of a perceived sinful lifestyle of crime, loose morals and prostitution, the clear implication being that this disaster was some sort of divine punishment. How these alleged Christians could be so incredibly insensitive to the plight of so many people is beyond me.

In the wake of such disasters, we hear all kinds of angry criticism and blame for the inadequate preparation, slow response and poor relief efforts of government officials. These suffering people are understandably angry; but the curious thing is, you never hear anyone venting their anger at God, who after all is supposed to have caused all this misery and destruction. Instead, we hear praises to God for his blessings! One Baton Rouge parishioner was quoted as saying: “We understand a lot of people have lost faith and hope. We want to help them turn their eyes to God. God spared so many people.” Doesn’t that seem like an odd thing to say after God has just wiped out the entire Gulf coast, killing hundreds of people? Is everyone afraid to blame God for fear that he might take offense and bring even more calamity?

If someone flies a large commercial airliner into a building, killing thousands, or blows up a train killing hundreds, we call him a terrorist and seek justice. If someone creates an earthquake, hurricane or tsunami that kills hundreds of thousands, we call him God and give thanks!

Think of a scenario where someone encounters two friends on the street and tries to rob them. One person puts up a fight and gets shot dead. The other survives the ordeal. Now imagine the survivor thanking the robber for sparing his life! Now wouldn't that be ridiculous!

On the Larry King Show recently, religious leaders were asked the question: why would a loving God allow these things to happen? All sorts of answers and excuses were given, all involving God and references to some sort of divine plan or purpose. But the obvious question was never asked: why would we even think there is a God who would cause this to happen? To me, natural disasters illustrate a perfect argument against the existence of God. Doesn’t it seem more logical to assume that natural disasters occur because of natural processes, not because of some willful act? Believers, when confronted by contradictory information or logic will find any reason to deny the obvious in order to justify the existence of their God.

These people say that we cannot understand the will of God. Every time you point out something that doesn't make sense, they will say "well, God acts in mysterious ways; it is not our place to question him." Or "God has a plan which we cannot understand." Billy Graham would say “it is a mystery”. And besides, these people believe they will all meet again in heaven anyway, so perhaps they can accept suffering more easily than the rest of us. Rather than search for convoluted reasons to explain why God would allow something so horrible to happen, wouldn't it be more reasonable to assume there is no God? If we assume there is no God, then we can at least begin to understand these calamities. Natural events occur for natural reasons, much of which we already understand. When the facts do not reasonably support a theory, one should suspect the theory is false.

In the Bible, Job says "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Paul says "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus." Yet these men suffered terrible misfortunes. So why would they praise God?  Religious people somehow reason that, since their God is a loving God, he must have a good reason for our suffering and that we should just accept it and give thanks. “The lessons of Job’s encounter with God should reverberate through all who question God’s reasons for their lives and sufferings. When contrasted with the glory of God and His larger purposes, our minds are far too puny to ever fully grasp His overall plans and purposes. We need to trust that hardship and suffering, while hard to accept, are part of that plan.”

Why do bad things happen to good people? Religious people will say that we simply cannot understand God's will, that we should not try. (Romans 11:33) Some will explain that it is a test of their religious faith. The Quest Study Bible offers these insights: “God uses our unpleasant experiences to accomplish his higher purposes in us. Suffering for our faith builds character and develops faith within us… Physical suffering can cultivate wisdom, teaching us to depend on Christ… We should welcome persecution for our faith – which promises to strengthen us.”⁶⁶ In other words, God makes us suffer for our own good! “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Peter 4:19) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2) This sounds to me like no explanation at all, like a convenient way to avoid the obvious: that bad things sometimes happen for natural, and in most cases, understandable reasons. In the case of 9-11, it was because nineteen idiots flew four airliners into heavily populated buildings!

Some families of passengers on the ill fated United Flight 93 thought that perhaps these people, many of whom were athletic and pro-active, were placed on the flight by God for a higher purpose. They believe that to ascribe the events of September 11 to fate is to absolve everyone of responsibility. “It’s easier to think it was fate,” Joan Glick said “Then everyone is off the hook.” But it’s also easy to say “it was God’s will”.

In an article recently, Jessica Lynch, the rescued Iraqi prisoner of war, was said to have asked the question: “Why did I survive when others didn’t? I mean, obviously, there has to be a reason.” Why does there always have to be a reason for why things happen? Why do people act like there has to be some sort of divine plan for everything that happens?

After the Columbia space shuttle disaster, there were people in Iraq – and probably throughout the Muslim world – who said that this was “God’s retribution on America”. People try to find a divine reason for everything. They will say that a disaster was God's wrath for not being faithful. Or people will say that we cannot know God's reasons for letting something bad happen. Why can't people accept the idea that things often happen for natural and understandable reasons. A tornado happens because of the convergence of warm moist air with cold dry air, cars wreck because someone wasn't watching where they were driving, and planes fly into buildings because of someone's perverted religious beliefs. Things just happen; why does there always have to be a purpose; why does there have to be a god involved?

Ancient cultures attributed natural disasters to the wrath of their gods. The 1804 Hawaiian epidemic on Oahu killed thousands, and to the kahunas or spiritual leaders it was clear that the gods were very angry. Offerings were prepared: hundreds of hogs, coconuts and bananas, even human sacrifices, were of no avail and the epidemic ran its course.

Many religious fundamentalists (e.g. Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson) say that the events of September 11 were a wake-up call from God to repent of our sins (abortion, homosexuality, paganism, feminism, sex in entertainment, forbidding prayer in schools, etc.). They believe God was sending us a message. Are they telling us that someone capable of creating the universe is unable to come up with any better way to communicate with us? (See Divine Communication.)

Why doesn't God tell us all, in a clear and consistent manner, exactly what he wants us to do or not to do (which he is surely capable of doing) instead of casting down calamitous retributions every time we fail to understand these indirect, obscure messages he supposedly sends to us by way of signs (strange, unexplained happenings), prophets, saviours and ancient texts. Why would God create suffering to “get our attention” or to “send us a message”? Can’t you just picture this all powerful God, sitting on his throne in heaven, thinking “now how can I send a message to my people? On the one hand, I could speak to each person and convey the message in a clear and convincing way. On the other hand, I could cause a calamity that would kill thousands of people in the hope that mankind would understand that I was trying to tell them something, and also that they might be able to figure out what that something was.” Those who think God would choose the second option certainly don’t give God much credit for intelligence!

The following article was recently e-mailed to me. It is very thought provoking, and I believe correct in many regards. But it implies that the events of September 11, 2001 are in some way a result of our increasingly sinful and secular lifestyle:

THE NATURE OF RELIGION

Every religion in one form or another seeks the favor of their gods, protection against the dangers and uncertainties of life, spiritual community with fellow human beings, courage in conflict, comfort in grief, guidance in their daily concerns and, in most cases, hope for some sort of immortality.

Consider what all religions have in common:

1. They try to explain what happens after we die.

Religious people will ask the non-believer: “Aren’t you concerned about what will happen to you when you die?” This is probably the principal reason for religious belief. It fills the need to calm our fears about death. Every religion has an answer to that question. We all want to believe there has to be something after death. We all want to believe that things will be better in a life hereafter.

2. They attempt to explain the unknown and unexplainable.

Religion provides reassurance to overcome our insecurities about life. Who are we? Why are we here? What is our purpose? What is the meaning of our lives? People want answers to these questions. They don’t know who they are or where they are going. For some people, the contemplation of life can be overwhelming. Fear and anxiety are the precursors of religion.

I believe that all religious dogma stem from a need to allay our fears and uncertainties about life and death. It is all so very hard to understand. That’s why we have religion to make up explanations that will answer our questions and calm our fears.

Our unique ability to think rationally makes us vulnerable to religious beliefs. We are capable of reasoning and analysis. This leads to all sorts of questions and fears about things we do not understand. Who are we? What is our purpose? What is the meaning of life? It leaves us feeling empty, alone and frightened. Then along comes someone who tells us that there is a god who created us and loves us, that we do indeed have a purpose, that we will leave our miserable existence when we die and go to a land of milk and honey. Oh, what a wonderful feeling!

It is human nature to crave relationships and security. We are social creatures. From birth, we cling to our mother’s breast. We look to our parents for comfort and guidance (at least until our adolescent years). Many people, as they mature, feel a continuing need for that security. In our subconscious, we may revert to our childhood fears of abandonment. And so it is not hard to understand why so many people need a “heavenly father”.

People are afraid of things they cannot understand. Through religious belief, they attribute events to either good spirits or bad spirits. They create rituals to appease their gods or ward off evil. They believe in a devil to whom they can attribute the evil of the world.

Some people are uncomfortable with the fact that many of the events in our lives are beyond our control. It is human nature to want to be in control, to determine for ourselves how our lives will play out. But many things impact our lives that we cannot control. By creating a God, who we believe does control these events, we can rest assured that whatever happens must be God’s will and therefore acceptable. Religion helps people deal with what they cannot control or understand.

You hear a lot among religious people about the “truth”. Truth seems to be a central theme in every religion. But why do they have to repeat it over and over: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” (John 17:19) “In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37) “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, sighs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (1 Thessalonians 2:9, 10) “I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying – a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (1 Timothy 2:7) “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of man who suppress the truth by their wickedness …” (Romans 1:18) “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (John 8:31, 32) It seems like almost everything Jesus says, especially in the Gospel of John, is prefaced by: “I tell you the truth ….” These people are obsessed with the “truth”. Are they so insecure in their beliefs that they need to constantly reassure themselves that their beliefs are true?

Every religion it seems has a corner on the truth. But when it comes to religion, truth is whatever you wish to make it. Whatever you believe automatically becomes the “truth”. For Christians, the truth revolves around the divinity of Jesus: “I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ.” (1 John 2:21) Religious people talk about false teachers or prophets. They condemn “heresy” as anything contrary to the established “truth” or teachings of their church. But one religion's truth is another's blasphemy. In medieval times, one accused of heresy could be condemned to death - or worse!

Many fundamentalist Christians believe that the Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, etc. are cults because they believe things that are not "the true word of God". In a campus magazine in 2000, Bob Jones III referred to Catholics, Mormons and Muslims as non-Christian cults, a statement for which he was roundly criticized. “It is a surprise to me that anybody would think that there was something untoward about a Christian institution being opposed to a false religious system.”   In other words, a cult or “false religion” is any group of people who believe differently than you do. Every religion believes that only it knows the "truth". But if you approach any subject with preconceived ideas or beliefs (e.g. religious dogma), how can you ever be sure of arriving at the truth?

3. They believe that people have a spirit.

People speak of three components of the self: body, mind and spirit. When we speak of the body or the mind, it’s pretty clear what we’re talking about. But the spirit – how do you define the spirit? Many people feel a need to believe that there is more than just a body and a mind, that there is a certain essence of who we are that transcends the body and mind. They believe we have a soul. They speak of the soul like it is some sort of blueprint of who we are - like a record of our genes - that God keeps on file for future reference on the Day of Judgment.

People often feel that there is something missing in their lives. As described by the famous writer, C. S. Lewis, they may be looking for a certain joy they experienced as a child. They may have a compelling desire to capture some past experience that was deeply religious in nature, an awareness of something larger than life. But as Lewis eventually discovers, just the desire itself becomes the most gratifying religious experience, in this case the desire to feel closer to God. He, like many religious people, believed that one cannot attain true joy or happiness apart from God. In this sense, we can consider the spirit as that part of us in which God resides. This kind of spirit is often referred to as the “Holy Spirit”. (See Divine Communication.)

4. They believe they can predict the future.

This is called prophecy, and there’s lots of it in the Bible. Some believe that God has a plan that spans from the beginning to the end of time, including a plan for each one of us. This begs the question: If God has pre-ordained everything that happens in the universe, if we have no control over our lives, why make any kind of effort at all? Why, for example, worry about diet and exercise if God has already decided when and how we will die?

Some believe that there are secret codes in the Bible that foretell the future. They believe these codes “warn that our time left on Earth may be short” as suggested in a recent book on the subject. In the chapter on Divine Communication I explore this strange practice of God’s to communicate with us by means of ancient texts, signs (events people believe are messages from God) and strange codes embedded in religious texts. Is this some sort of game God is playing with us? “Let’s see now” he says “how many people can we confuse today,” or “how many people can we send to hell because they refused to play the game?”

5. They provide comfort to the sick, the bereaved, the disadvantaged, and the persecuted.

Religion provides the reassurance that something better awaits the believer in a life hereafter. There is so much suffering and oppression in the world and always has been. Some of this is brought on by religious and political oppression and some by natural disasters and disease. It is natural that suffering people want to believe that there is a better life after death. They want to believe that the God whom they worship will reward them with an eternal life in paradise.

Perhaps the most famous of Christ’s teachings is the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew, and from this, the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:3-10)

Furthermore, in the case of oppression, it is natural that people want to see their oppressors punished; they want revenge. The bad people, of course, will go to hell. In Revelation we are promised that there will be suffering like never before. But believers have nothing to fear because they will ascend to a heavenly eternal paradise. The pale horse of the Apocalypse, for example, signifies death and Hades. After death you stay in Hades until the judgment. Then those who did not accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour will go to hell with all its horrible suffering for eternity. (Sorry, it’s too late to change your mind after you get there.) It is curious to note that according to fundamentalist Protestant belief (as opposed to Catholic belief, for example) even Adolph Hitler may have gotten into heaven if he accepted Christ as this saviour before he died!

Life is full of pain and suffering. There are accidents, disasters, disease and wars. We suffer the loss of loved ones. Life can be tough. I can understand why people want answers to life’s perplexing questions and reassurance that it’s going to be alright, that it’s all part of some greater plan that we cannot understand. We need the illusion of someone greater than us to hold our hand and comfort us.

In the introduction, I pointed out that I have been lucky and have escaped much of the suffering I see and read about every day. Perhaps that is one reason I am not religious. Perhaps some day I will look at my religious friends and envy them for their peace and assurance. Perhaps some day I too will crave the spiritual support that comes with religious belief. I’m not arguing that point here. What I am saying is that I cannot simply “turn on” that spirituality by will. I cannot believe what I don’t believe.

6. They provide a guide to individual behavior.

Without certain constraints, humans are naturally driven to self destruction. We are selfish. We are aggressive. We are naturally susceptible to fear, hate, love, jealousy and a host of other emotions. We do not understand our sexual urges (being as they are of animal origin) and therefore create rules (both secular and religious) to control these urges.

A common doctrine of Judeo-Christian religions is that man was condemned to a life of sin because of the transgressions of Adam and Eve. This idea seems utterly absurd to me. Why should I be punished for someone else’s behavior thousands of years ago? It is far more reasonable to believe that human beings (having evolved from lower forms) retain elements of a primitive mind that, at one time, served a useful purpose. (Fear, for example, was a defensive mechanism that prepared us for a fight or flight response.) Today, many of these behaviors are unnecessary and often inappropriate. Many of these behaviors are what religionists call sin. It is necessary, in any civilized society, to counter these impulses by rational thought and self discipline. One purpose of religion, like secular government, is to set limits on human behavior, to establish rules and enforce those rules by threat of punishment.

Look at the civil wars in Africa where unrestrained and undisciplined soldiers raid a village, force their way into homes, and seemingly for the thrill of it, kill innocent civilians or dismember them by hacking off their hands, arms and legs. Of course they rape the women first. Clearly, civilized society needs some form of self-control.

We have the seeds of evil in each one of us. Under stress, or peer pressure, or when a mob mentality sets in, we are all capable of actions we would later be ashamed of. It is at times like this that we need moral restraints. Unfortunately, mankind has always had a natural inclination toward violence. (Isn’t it curious that God does likewise?) Religious people are not immune to this weakness. Look at all the wars and persecution brought about by religious conflict.

 “For a hell-raising species like ours - with too much intelligence for our own good and too little discipline to know what to do with it – there have always been other, more utilitarian reasons to get religion. Chief among them is survival.

“Even among people who regard spiritual life as wishful hocus-pocus, there is a growing sense that humans may not be able to survive without it. It’s hard enough getting by in a fang-and-claw world in which killing, thieving and cheating pay such rich dividends. It’s harder still when there’s no moral cop walking the beat to blow the whistle when things get out of control.”⁵²

One argument for religion is that we all need to be accountable to someone for our actions, that there is a basic human need to answer to a higher authority. Sure, we are to some extent accountable to ourselves, our parents, our spouse, our neighbors or a judge, but these accountabilities are usually negotiable and not necessarily absolute. On the other hand, if we believe that a god is watching us and that he will someday judge our actions, there is a powerful influence to be on our best behavior! God’s judgment is non-negotiable.

Our human need for some ultimate authority to govern our behavior reminds me of how the ethnic and racial factions in some third-world countries can never seem to settle their differences by themselves and end up with either an outside influence forcing a settlement or the strong hand of an oppressive dictator to maintain order. It’s also reminds me of how parents are sometimes needed to force squabbling children to behave.

When I see all the hatred, crime, violence and war everywhere in the world, I really wish there was a God! At least that way we would all have the same religious beliefs (based on fact, not faith) and thus no need to constantly fight over who was right or wrong, plus there would be that higher authority to knock heads together when we misbehave.

In order to try and understand these behavioral impediments, man has conveniently created the Devil or Satan. That way people can blame the Devil for all their undesirable urges without really trying to understand the underlying cause - which is, of course, the evolution of our primitive mind. More on that later. (Evolution & Creation)

Christians often associate good moral values with their religion, as if somehow Christianity was a prerequisite for morality. I’ll admit it is probably easier to teach and enforce moral principles by relying on religious indoctrination, but it certainly isn’t the only way. In his book Bringing Up Boys, Dr. James Dobson states that civilized behavior and morality can only be taught by raising children in a Christian environment - not just any religious environment mind you, but Christian. He states that instruction by any other means is “wholly inadequate”.  I find this an otherwise fine book on raising kids, but why does Dobson think that only Christians are moral people or that only Christianity can teach children right from wrong?

This sort of self-righteous attitude about morality is simply wrong. Religion is not the only basis for teaching values. I believe the teaching of values belongs primarily in the home, and this can be done with or without religious overtones. I know many people, raised by non-Christian parents, who are honest, decent, compassionate, principled, moral people. I have also heard of many high-profile self-proclaimed fundamentalist Christians who I wouldn’t trust to walk my dog around the block. I just don’t understand this Christian attitude of “I’m better than you are”. It’s as if they feel they have some sort of exclusive claim on morality.

However, it is unfortunate that today many homes and families are unstable, often with fathers absent and mothers struggling to make ends meet. Parents must be constantly on guard to protect their children from the negative influences of adult orientated media and commercial opportunists. For whatever reason, parents are relinquishing their responsibilities to teach good behavior to their children. (It’s hard to teach good values if you don’t have any yourself.) As a result, we see people every day doing things I was taught were wrong. In spite of the fact that there is a resurgence of interest in religious issues, and that apparently a vast majority believe in a personal God, we are witnessing a gradual breakdown in what I was taught were Judeo-Christian moral values. Some examples of moral breakdown are corporate leaders who get obscenely rich at the expense of their stakeholders or, as in one famous case recently, cheat on stock transactions; people who cheat on their tax returns; politicians who sell their influence; sex scandals even in the church; the pervasiveness of the idea of getting something for nothing, e.g. the popularity of playing the lottery; Hollywood’s portrayal (both TV and the movies) of dysfunctional behavior as the norm; students who cheat on tests. In an interview, one student, when asked why he cheated, answered that he didn’t think much about it since it wasn’t any different than what he observed in the adult world. Everyone’s doing it, so it must be alright.

7. Another element of religious belief is that we cannot rely on ourselves to solve all our problems.

The secular man believes he is in control of his life, that he can rely on his judgment and that he doesn’t need to depend on a supreme being for guidance. This sort of pride and self-confidence is considered sinful by most religions. These people teach that we should feel humble before God, confessing our inability to manage our own lives and the need for eternal guidance. They would suggest that we should be ashamed to feel pride in ourselves and our accomplishments. C.S. Lewis describes pride as a “spiritual cancer”.

One reason for these feelings is that many people cannot seem to find satisfaction with their accomplishments. No matter how successful they may be, they feel that there is something missing. There is an emptiness, a loneliness, a pervasive feeling that their lives are without purpose or meaning. There is the realization that some day they will die and all their efforts, along with their very identity, will be lost forever. To these people, God fulfills a need to understand that life is all part of some divine, eternal plan. Even a successful, prosperous life without God seems unfulfilling and pointless.

In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren states: “One problem long-term Christians have is that they forget how hopeless it felt to be without Christ. We must remember that no matter how contented or successful people appear to be, without Christ they are hopelessly lost and headed for eternal separation from God.”⁶³

8. One last thought: To some extent, religion is about power and control.

This has been especially true in the past. The church would dupe the people with promises of eternal happiness, so they would not revolt against the established order and demand their share of earthly goods. More recently, free societies have realized there is a more democratic means to govern the affairs of men. And they have recognized the danger of allowing religious institutions to share in that power. 

So these are things religions have in common. Some of these functions serve useful purposes. Many people need comfort, security, guidance and discipline. Human suffering is rampant everywhere. Life can be tough. Life can be painful. People need some way to ease the pain. And, of course, people often need constraints on their behavior. In this regard, religion can play an important role for many people.

Religious Doctrine

Religious fundamentalists are by definition people who take the "word of God" literally. Whether it is written in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Qur’an or whatever, it is considered the irrefutable, absolute word of God. If you believe that these writings are indeed divine, then you must accept all of them. You cannot pick and choose those parts you accept and reject the rest; that is not your prerogative. Therefore, I submit that most people who would consider themselves religious fundamentalists are not. Most Christians will tell you that they believe in God, Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Bible, but in fact they choose what they want to believe and tailor their beliefs to conform to their own values.

These people can usually find some passage in the Bible (or Qur’an, etc.) that will support their behavior and beliefs. These books cover almost every subject imaginable. One can almost always find something that can be construed as supporting one's beliefs. Often the quoted passage will require considerable interpretation and convolution to make it fit the required conjecture. After all, slavery was once justified on the basis of scripture. The Bible tells us, for example, that Abraham kept slaves. Some Muslims believe the Qur’an condones Jihad or holy war. They, of course, believe that God is uniquely on their side and that killing the infidel is a holy obligation! In the past, some Christians believed that torturing people to get them to convert was permissible in God’s sight.

Look at how conflicting views exist in different religions. In 1843, Joseph Smith had a vision wherein God instructed him that polygamy was to be accepted. It’s in LDS scripture (Book of Mormon, Sect. 132). These people still believe that polygamy exists in the afterlife - sort of like the 72 virgins promised to Islamic martyrs. How compelling a thought, at least if you’re a man.

And if you can’t find a suitable passage in scripture to support your point of view, just make up something! The Life Application Study Bible makes the following comment regarding manmade conjecture: “In a free society, people have the right to their religious opinions, but this doesn’t guarantee that their ideas are right. God does not accept manmade religion as a substitute for faith in Jesus Christ.”⁶⁸ Although the author here is talking about what the apostle Paul regarded as a false gospel being preached in Galatia, it seems to me he could just as well be talking about his own religious beliefs when he correctly states that manmade opinion does not guarantee correctness.

Against every logical argument, religionists will fabricate any manner of explanation to justify and defend their beliefs. Regarding the fossil record as proof of evolution, they will say that God placed these fossils in the ground to confuse us. (See Science & Religion.) Regarding the overpopulation of the Earth before Adam's mistake with the fruit (before there was such a thing as death), they will tell you that God had a plan to send the excess population to other planets. (See Original Sin and Christ's Salvation.)

Also, many doctrines in the Bible are ridiculously out-of-date by today’s standards. The five books of the Pentateuch go on and on, ad nauseam, about God’s commandments and laws regarding just about everything: sin, disease, bodily functions, forbidden food, offerings and sacraments, cleanliness, holiness, festivals and Sabbaths, etc. Each of these laws specifies elaborate rituals to meet God’s demands.

Offerings to God were common in ancient cultures: there were burnt and wave offerings of animals (without blemish please) grains and wine, offerings for peace or fellowship, offerings for sin and guilt. There were offerings for the first of everything: the first male child, the first fruit of a newly planted tree or the first harvest of the season. Many of the food offerings were consumed by the priests; they weren’t dummies! The priests saw to it that they had the best of everything. For example, God commanded Moses to make Aaron and his sons sacred garments made of gold and the finest fabrics in order to give them “dignity and honor” as priests. (Exodus 28:1-5) And it wasn’t beneath their dignity to accept money either: “And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.” (Numbers 3:51 )

It might be noted here that this practice of lining the pockets of church officials became an accepted practice in many religions. The practice of indulgences was common in the Middle Ages: for coins dropped in the coffers, there was an implied assurance of complete pardon for sins and the release of beloved souls from Purgatory. Look at all the wealth accumulated by the Catholic Church and many Protestant churches as well. Look at the magnificent cathedrals of Europe. And this was often at a time when most of the common people were destitute.

Ancient Israelites believed that God intended that the blood of certain animals be used to make atonement for their sins. The poor animal became a substitute for sacrificing one’s own life. The sinner would hear the bleating cries of an innocent lamb, see its blood spilled on the altar, and understand it was to atone for his sin. The custom of making offerings to a god reminds me of the ancient Mayas, and I’m sure other ancient peoples, who didn’t take any chances appeasing their gods with animals, and instead used live humans in these bloody rites.

There is the common theme of redemption throughout the Bible. Redemption means to buy back or exchange. In ancient times, that included the sacrifice of animals as redemption for one’s sin. (The person could buy his forgiveness by sacrificing the animal instead of himself.) The idea was that sin could not be ignored - God demands an accounting. However, as shown repeatedly in the Bible, the sinner does not always have to pay the price. God permits a substitution – in the Old Testament it was the blood of sacrificed animals; in the New Testament it is the blood of Christ at Calvary, the belief that Christ’s blood was shed in place of ours as redemption for our sins, that Christ became the sacrificial lamb. (John 1:29, 36).

This is the Christian concept of redemption: Christ was perfect and without sin. This qualified him to act as a surrogate for us. His death on the cross paid the price for our sins. God credits us with all that righteousness from Christ’s account. If we accept Christ, if we are “in Christ”, God will credit us with Christ’s righteousness and forgive our sins.

Exclusivity of Doctrine

One thing many religions have in common is the conviction that people outside their group are wrong, and that those non-believers need to be converted, saved or even killed. Many religions will not tolerate people who do not agree with them. In times past a person could be put to death (or worse) for heresy if he professed a religious belief contrary to the prevailing view. Throughout history, people have been persecuted for religious reasons. Countless people have suffered horrible, inhuman torture and execution simply because of their beliefs. Why is this? Do these persecutors feel compassion for the non-believer and genuinely desire to “help” that person - do they really fear that the non-believer will go to hell if they don’t intercede? Or do they feel threatened - are they so insecure about their own beliefs that they feel they have to eliminate anyone who might somehow prove that they are wrong?

Of course, this tendency to want to belong to a group is common to many aspects of human behavior, not just religious behavior. There is a psychology of group behavior that appeals to us humans (probably derived from when our survival depended on the protection offered by a group). Similarly, we tend to oppose other groups. Such group examples include: nations, ethnic groups, religions, gangs, etc.

Take the current situation in Iraq. The so called coalition has succeeded in ousting to old regime, but must now overcome a fierce insurgency and build a stable government from scratch. One big complication is that various religious factions will want to control the government. The majority Shiites will insist on a fundamentalist Shiite theocracy, like the one in Iran. Then they will insist that everyone believe as they do. Why is it that so many religious people think that everyone else must believe as they do? Do we really think they will form a government that guarantees religious freedom of choice to all its citizens? I don’t think so. Most Muslims, at least most fundamentalist Muslims, feel that to not believe as they do is the ultimate transgression, punishable even by death. This attitude has often permeated religious doctrine. Take for example the Crusades, the Inquisition and September 11, 2001.

In the Middle East, Jews and Muslims both believe that they are God’s chosen people, that God made a covenant with them and only them. They each believe that Judea belongs to them. They each believe, as all religions believe, that everyone else in the world is out of favor with God, and that only they will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

I read a book recently by Billy Graham about Armageddon. He was warning about false prophets and people claiming to be Christ or bearing false witness. In particular, Graham emphasized the problem of cults, which he perceives as false religions. (Any religion is false if you don’t agree with its teachings.) He goes to some length to describe these cults. One characteristic is that they all claim to teach the truth and that you will achieve salvation only if you follow their tenets. As I read these cult descriptions, I couldn’t help thinking that he was describing himself!

Rick Warren believes that at the gates of heaven, God will ask the following question: “What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?” He goes on to say that “God won’t ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him?”¹⁸ This is a typical Christian point of view. But what about the Jew, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist? Those are “religious backgrounds” that would be excluded according to the Christian way of thinking.

Here I talk about Christian attitudes, but not even Christians can agree among themselves. There are dozens of mainstream Christian denominations that differentiate themselves in matters of doctrine and belief. Even within a denomination there are disagreements. Where I live, for example, there are at least four different sects of the Presbyterian Church!

Most fundamentalist Protestants would consider Catholicism to be a false religion. After all, Protestantism was born as a rebellion against the Catholic Church and its perceived corruption, rituals and icons. The basic tenet of Protestant belief is that faith in Jesus Christ alone is sufficient to achieve salvation, whereas Catholicism requires ritual confession and atonement – even at one time the payment of indulgences – to attain salvation.

I hear a common refrain among fundamentalists. It goes something like this: “Unfortunately, there is a great deal of confusion by some people in the church about such and such.” Then the self-appointed authority will go on to clear up the confusion: “These people are mistaken. Now let me tell you the truth about such and such!” Trouble is, they all think they’re telling the truth! Only they understand the will of God, and everyone else is wrong!

Another religious author writes: "Many Christians are opposing themselves and don't know it. Some have been taught incorrectly. Many unknowingly oppose themselves because of a lack of knowledge and understanding of God's Word." In other words, if you don't believe as I do, you are "opposing yourself".

Every religious sect believes that their God is the true god and everyone else’s is a false god. Lt. Gen. William Boykin has gotten into trouble for mixing politics and religion. He told a church group that a Somali warlord, who had claimed the protection of Allah, had been defeated by the Christian God. “My God was bigger than his … I knew that my God was a real God and that his was an idol.” Boykin has also said that the enemy in the fight against terrorism is Satan and that God had put George W. Bush in the White House. People like Gen. Boykin would cast the war on terrorism in religious terms. Certainly the radical Muslims have; to them, we are the “Great Satan”.

Of course, our country’s founders had the wisdom to understand this perverse, intolerant side of religious belief, and as a result, built the separation of church and state into our constitution for that very reason.

THE POWER OF BELIEF

Why do so many otherwise intelligent people believe in God? Why can’t they grasp how utterly ridiculous it is to believe all this superstitious hocus-pocus about gods? Why is it so obvious to me and not to them?

What is the power of belief in the human psychic? Why do people feel compelled to believe so strongly in something that cannot be observed and verified as true? One explanation may be that these people carry a lot of what I would call “emotional baggage”; it’s hard to think rationally about something like religion when you have a large emotional investment in it.

I have found that religious belief does not appear to be a function of intelligence but cuts across the full range of human intellect. Therefore, it is not perhaps so much a question of intelligence but of emotional dependence. Finding the truth is least productive where strong emotions are involved. Truth is inversely related to the intensity of emotions. People believe what they want to believe.

It is interesting to note that some very great minds through the years have held strong religious beliefs. It is said that Sir Isaac Newton spent much of his life trying to interpret Revelation and discover God’s plan for the apocalypse. Kepler and Galileo were also devout Christians. And Christopher Columbus apparently felt that his mission to discover new trade routes to Asia (an alternate route to the Holy Land perhaps) was somehow part of an end-times scenario.   

It has been said that our behavior and actions are determined primarily by the feelings and emotions of our unconscious mind and that the rational or conscious mind seeks to appease or justify those emotions. Our conscious mind will find whatever means necessary to satisfy our subconscious thoughts. Decisions are made by emotion and justified by reason. With regard to religious beliefs, I would also suggest that portions of our subconscious mind may be genetically programmed to accept or reject religious beliefs. That is to say, some of us may be naturally vulnerable or predisposed to our religious beliefs. The religious suggestion that this programming may be deliberate is supported by several passages from Judeo-Christian scripture. (See Divine Communication.)

The idea of a religious person stubbornly clinging to his beliefs in spite of common sense and logic to the contrary reminds me of how irrational fear can overwhelm the human mind. There are plenty of examples where simple logic fails to overcome a fear that has no basis in fact. No amount of reasoning will change their minds. Like a dog trembling in a thunderstorm, nothing will overcome the fear - for fear is a primal emotion common to man and beast. So too it seems that religious arguments, especially ones that arouse a person’s subconscious fears, can be counterproductive.

Are religious people so dependent on their faith that they cannot live without it? It is as if to deny these beliefs would undermine the very meaning and purpose of their lives. In his book The Lie – Evolution, Ken Ham states: “I did not know from a scientific perspective why I did not believe in evolution – but I knew from a Biblical perspective it had to be wrong or my faith was in trouble.”³³ Religion is like a crutch to these people. It offers emotional support and meaning to their existence. It is the very foundation of their lives. To deny their religious beliefs would be like knocking out the crutch, destroying the foundation. To deny their religious beliefs would be like a death sentence. Religion is the glue that holds their lives together. It is understandable that no amount of reasoning will sway them.

Why do so many people believe in God? They point to the universality of religion. They say that millions of people through countless generations have believed. How could so many people be wrong? Well, at one time millions of people thought the world was flat too. Just because everyone believes something does not mean it is true.

Belief in these things is also convenient. It is easier to believe what we want to believe and what makes us feel better. It is harder to confront our doubts and fears and to open our minds to all the possibilities, to search for knowledge which will advance our understanding and to observe and experiment to prove what is true and not true.

But learned religious people could talk circles around me, since they have studied these subjects all their lives. I couldn’t even begin to argue with the likes of Billy Graham or D. James Kennedy. There are hundreds of religious authorities like Bruce Metzger, for example. A noted authority on the New Testament, Dr. Metzger is professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary, has master’s and doctorate degrees from Princeton University as well as honorary doctorates from five universities. He has authored or edited some fifty books, served on numerous boards and committees. Who am I to doubt the knowledge and wisdom of these great men?

I read an article recently by Billy Graham in which he said it was “inconceivable” that life would end upon death. He reasoned that if the laws of physics (Conservation of Matter and Energy) dictate that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, surely the same would hold true for man, God’s greatest creation. (What the laws of conservation have to do with organic life, is beyond me. It is a good example of science being applied incorrectly to support a religious belief.)

Libraries are full of books on every conceivable religious subject. There are entire book stores devoted to religious subjects. There you will find row upon row of shelves filled with books on every aspect of religious belief. I’m sure that most of these authors are very sincere. Many speak of conversion experiences that were very real to them, of being “born again”. They talk about finding peace and joy like they’ve never known before when they “made a decision for Christ”. Many argue that so many people couldn’t be wrong.

For some time now I have been studying the history of Christianity. It is staggering how many brilliant, educated men spent their whole lives immersed in theological study and inquiry. Most of these men experienced miraculous conversions, regenerations or awakenings that compelled them to believe there is a God and that someday, somehow, we would all be held accountable. Surely, their combined wisdom and intelligence most be millions of times greater than mine! How could I even consider the possibility that all these men were wrong!

But, each of these men saw the road to salvation in a different light, and often their differences led to violence and persecution. There are thousands of religious books which claim to tell us what God’s will is, what he expects of us, what is moral and immoral, how we can be sure we’ll go to heaven and so on. But they all say different things! How can these people know what God wants? They can’t even agree! And why can’t he tell us himself? Doesn’t it seem just a little bit odd that God is nowhere to be found? In all this vast enterprise of religious preaching and publishing, all I see are humans! Why would he want to rely on mortal man to document his will? Why should my salvation depend on someone else? Why is it so obvious to me that all this is just a figment of man’s imagination?

It is likely that one man, Jesus Christ, has had a greater impact on the history of mankind than anyone else. But was it Christ per se or his followers who launched the church and its teachings? The books of the New Testament were written long after Christ died. This was a movement, nurtured for two thousand years, that fed upon itself, gathering mass and momentum as it rolled along. Men (and I say men because women were largely excluded) wrote great texts, built magnificent cathedrals, painted wondrous works of art and composed inspired music. Religionists would argue that it was the divine spirit that moved these men, that this should be sufficient proof of God’s existence.

Religious belief crosses all strata of society from the ignorant and uneducated to the highly intelligent and well educated. These people are always searching for answers. The bumper sticker says “Christ is the answer.” But there are some things we will never know. There are many unanswerable questions. The aim of science is to find some of those answers. But what do you accomplish by making up answers? Well, for some, it makes them feel better.  In their hunger for answers, some people will even change from one religion to another searching for that elusive something that will satisfy their need for understanding.

People choose to believe what they want to believe. Belief is like a self-fulfilling prophecy. It feeds on itself. For example, people want to believe that there is life after death. This is perfectly natural and understandable. But just because you desperately want something to be true doesn’t mean that it is, in fact, true. People want to believe that there is purpose and meaning to life, that someone is looking after us and that good will triumph over evil. Life seems at times so “out of control”. Surely, people reason, someone must be “in control”. All very nice, but our desire or need to believe these things clouds our minds to reality.

Oppressed people tend to believe that somewhere, someday justice will prevail, that their oppressors will be punished and that paradise will be their reward for all their suffering. But, in spite of our strong desires and needs, there is no compelling reason to believe that any of this is true.

Secular Beliefs

Emotion can overtake reason. Our preconceived ideas can cloud our thinking. Hysteria can rule the human mind. We can convince ourselves that something is true even if the facts say otherwise. Here are a few examples of non-religious or secular beliefs that were not true.

A prime example is the belief in medical cures. Over the centuries, and even to this day, people will believe that some potion or procedure will relieve them of their ailments - even if, in fact, it doesn't. Sometimes we want to believe something so badly, we convince ourselves it’s true. This is why scientists and responsible physicians demand controlled studies to determine the efficacy of medical substances and procedures. There is no better example of the power of belief on human behavior and response than what is known medically as the "placebo effect". There have been numerous experiments that scientifically document the tremendous power of believing. It turns out that for some ailments, just believing you'll get better enables the body to respond accordingly. Athletes know that a positive attitude and mental simulation of an event will help performance. Our perception of the real world is only a concept within the mind. There is a very fine line between reality and what we believe to be reality. Often the two get confused.

There are cases of people suing a drug company because they believed the company’s product caused some physical ailment. There may not be any proof that the drug is the cause of the person’s ailment, but that doesn’t matter. If there is enough media attention to some suspected problem with the drug, people will come to believe they are suffering from a side-effect of the drug.  

A while back there was great concern about mold in a local building. Tests were run repeatedly with no indication of any danger from mold toxicity. Yet people were still convinced that they were getting sick from the mold! I would suggest that these people were sick for some other reason and that their anxiety about the mold (their belief) was causing their symptoms. Some would call it the power of suggestion.

Still another example relates to Thomas Edison. In spite of his genius, a strong emotional investment blinded him to what should have been an obvious technical blunder. Throughout his brilliant career Edison worked with direct current. His incandescent light bulb, telegraphy improvements, motion picture projector and phonograph all utilized direct current. So it is understandable that he promoted DC for the distribution of electric power. I remember a large city apartment building as recently as the fifties that had outlets in each room for both AC and DC. I remember AC/DC radios that were designed to operate on either electric source.

Edison had a running dispute with Westinghouse on this issue. Westinghouse knew that AC was the obvious choice. That Edison was so dog-headed about this, or that he was able to influence power companies to install these DC systems, is amazing. High energies can only be transmitted over long distances by high voltage transmission lines. And voltage conversion is only practical with AC.

U.F.O.’s are another fine example of belief run amuck. Some people get so involved in stories of aliens invading us that they begin to imagine that it’s really happening. Some even think they have been abducted by space aliens. I can assure you that if creatures from another world had landed on Earth, we would not be sitting around arguing about it! The idea that the government is somehow covering up these things is equally ridiculous. The usual argument for secrecy is either 1) it would be too frightening to the public or 2) the government wants to keep it secret so they can “reverse engineer” the technology. Do we really think all those engineers at NASA could keep still about it?

Conspiracy theories are yet another example of belief systems not based on fact or reason. There are millions of Muslims, many of whom are well educated, intelligent and thoughtful, including journalists, business and community leaders, who do not believe Osama bin Laden is guilty of plotting the 9-11 terrorist attacks. They will give all kinds of explanations for why they believe this, such as claiming it was a CIA plot, that a taped recording of bin Laden was faked or that the Israeli Mossad was in on it, since they claim Jews who worked in the Trade Center were warned ahead of time! They believe that blaming Muslim extremists for the attack is an "American conspiracy" against the Muslim world. These theories are prevalent in third world countries, but are also embraced by well educated people in the U.S. Other examples are 1) that JFK was shot by more than one person, 2) that Princess Diana was assassinated or 3) that TWA flight 800 was brought down by a missile.

We believe what we want to believe, often motivated by a strong emotional investment or popular consensus that precludes a rational consideration of the facts. People can read or hear the same thing and come to totally different conclusions. We hear what we want to hear and filter out what we don’t want to hear. Or, in the absence of compelling evidence, our imagination takes over, and we make up whatever scenario is in agreement with our prejudices and experience. Thus for example, even a great mind like Percival Lowell allowed himself to believe in Martians, largely based on his perceived observation of what seemed like canals on Mars.

People can make a convincing argument about any subject in order to support their beliefs. Look at the politics of both the left and right: each side will find a legitimate point of view to justify their beliefs. In the media trade it’s called “spin”. Look at the gun and abortion disputes: each side makes valid arguments together with plenty of facts to back up their positions. Then there’s the war in Iraq: the hawks and doves will always stubbornly maintain what they believe no matter how convincing the arguments to the contrary. The Arabs will always believe that we invaded Iraq to conquer and exploit its oil. (Then again, maybe we did.) And of course, there’s religion.

A final example may prove to be the case the Bush administration made for invading Iraq. It may have been a deliberate deception, but it is more likely that top officials convinced themselves that a real threat existed. It is possible that they started out with preconceived notions about the threat based on Iraq’s past history of oppression and use of weapons of mass destruction. Then subsequent intelligence was filtered by this mind set, perhaps unconsciously, to accept only information that supported their beliefs and to reject information to the contrary. In other words, they made the data fit their mind set. They believed what they wanted to believe!

Religious Beliefs

Since time immemorial man has created all sorts of gods to help explain the unknown and ease his fears. Primitive people had multiple gods and elaborate ideas about how the world came to be. As far back as we can fathom, mankind has had religious beliefs and rituals. I can understand how primitive people, who could not be expected to know any better, would make up beliefs about life and creation, but why does modern man? A religious person will point to this universality of religious belief as proof of God's existence, but there is little common ground in these beliefs.

The ancient Hawaiians and other pagan cultures prayed to their gods, represented by images and idols, with elaborate ceremonies and sacred laws … doesn’t that seem curiously similar to current religious beliefs?

Do you notice how religious people always try to explain the unknown in human terms? As humans, we see and interpret the world through “colored glasses”, as it were. We filter everything we see and hear according to our collective and uniquely human experience. We impart a human perspective to everything we observe. It is natural that primitive people, without the benefit of scientific inquiry, would attribute these unknowns to something they could relate to. Thus they would create a human-like “god” and worship him (or her) as the creator and ruler of their universe.

They would give this god human-like attributes: he would be the creator or inventor of their world or some important aspect of it like the sun, moon and stars; he would rule his subjects like a king, a supreme authority figure; he would judge them like a parent judges a child, demanding their obedience and punishing them if they didn’t obey; they would judge others according to how they viewed this god; and they would create rituals to recognize and worship this god.

But, we are told that God does not think and act like humans do. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8) In that case, why does God act so decidedly human?

Gods have always been cast in human terms. That is natural, of course, if you accept that these concepts are manmade. Our gods take on human form and are prone to human emotions. We tend to personalize our gods. Events which we cannot understand are attributed to a loving god or an angry god for human reasons like reward and punishment. We are told that God created us in his own image. I submit that more likely it is we who created our gods as images of ourselves.

(The idea that God created us in his image suggests that God looks human. Furthermore, we are told that God is male. But if God is male, does he have a penis? And if so, what does he use it for?)

I can understand why ancient people believed this way. But why do we still do it in the 21^st century? This is my central question – why do so many people still believe these things? What am I missing that makes these concepts so compelling to almost everyone around me? Are these beliefs, like some have suggested, driven by a sort of childish fantasy that is attempting to find our lost mother and father? Or are these beliefs driven by a spiritual need programmed into our genes. (See Divine Communication.)

One explanation is the human emotional need to look to an authority higher than ourselves. We cannot answer many of life’s questions; we cannot overcome many of life’s setbacks; we cannot correct the evils of the world; we cannot find peace and happiness. We cannot do these things by ourselves. We may make some progress here and there, but when it comes down to the truly difficult challenges of life, we’re often overwhelmed and impotent. It is within that context that I can understand man’s nature to find some higher order to turn to.

I always find it interesting how religious people will put a divinely positive or negative spin on everything. Things can’t just happen on their own; there always has to be some cosmic or divine reason or purpose. However, there’s a natural (as opposed to supernatural) explanation for everything. We may not understand it, but just because we don’t understand something, doesn’t mean we have to make up some explanation.

These people will take an ordinary event and turn it into some sort of message from God. These people can’t or won’t accept the fact that things happen for natural reasons. For example, people who are handicapped or suffering will say that God is testing them. When someone survives a terrible accident, they’ll say that “the Lord saved them for a higher purpose”. If someone gets the urge to do something spiritual, they’ll say it’s a “calling” from God.

Regarding the evil in the world, they will say it is the price we pay for Adam’s little faux pas with the fruit. When a woman suffers the pain of childbirth, they will say it is the curse of Eve’s transgression. And when someone dies, they’ll say “the Lord has called him home”.  If a storm, tornado or hurricane causes death and destruction, they will say it is God’s retribution for our sinful ways. Or perhaps they’ll say “God is trying to tell us something.” 

In the Old Testament, we are told about how Israel’s misfortunes were brought on by her own sinful behavior. We are told that their wondering in the Desert of Sinai for forty years, the locust plagues, military defeats and slavery in Babylon were God’s retribution for not following his commandments.

Life is full of trials and tribulations. Many of our problems are beyond our ability to solve. Most of us recognize that we have limitations. So religious people turn to their God for help. They say that we cannot solve all the world’s problems alone – only God can do that. And when they do accomplish something significant, these people will tell you it was only by God’s will. When they call upon God for help in accomplishing something, they will not accept that it was only their belief in God that provided the motivation to accomplish the task!

When someone decides to go into the ministry, they will say they’re answering God’s calling. They will tell you that success and wealth should not tempt a person to believe that one’s own persistence, ambition and ability made prosperity possible rather than God’s blessing and grace. Whenever they accomplish something, especially if it’s related to their religious belief, they will defer the credit to God’s glory. This is all very noble, but in fact it is always human effort, not some god, that accomplished the task.

The concept of a male god is relatively new to human history. Five thousand years ago in ancient Babylonia, our ancestors worshipped the supreme deity as the Queen of Heaven. The ancient Sumerians, Minoans and Egyptians all gave us powerful female deities. It took several millennia of warfare, oppression, genocide, holocaust, idol-smashing, book-burning and deliberate rewriting of myths and legends for the father-god Jahweh, and his son Jesus, to be finally enthroned in our minds and imaginations.²⁰

Thus the Greek, Judeo-Christian and Islamic churches became patriarchal. Women were denigrated and repressed. The major religions of the world have supported the subjugation of women. Based on the outdated beliefs and customs common at the time the Bible was written, fundamentalist Christians still teach that a woman’s place is in the home, to care for her husband’s needs, submit to his sexual desires, clean his house, cook his meals and raise his children.

Virtually all the characters of the Bible are male. Most of the biblical stories were written by men. History will always reflect the attitudes of its writers and the authorities that allowed it. How can we ever know the truth about these matters? The church’s doctrines became inextricably bound up with male fear of women – the tendency of the masculine unconscious to equate women with evil. Sex became sinful and women were to blame for it. She was damned for doing the very thing that kept the human race alive. In the Bible, it was Eve who tempted Adam.

Anyone doubting the power of belief needs look no further than the hysteria surrounding witchcraft. Belief is more powerful than fact. Belief can totally consume a person, render him unable to see reality or apply common sense. Christians were obsessed with the devil, witchcraft, the occult, spells, etc. and the belief that the devil was everywhere and had to be stamped out. This demonstrates the influence of fear and the power of belief. Why is it that in the absence of fact, evidence or proof, people will believe almost anything with absolute certainty?

Women were especially vilified in a work titled the Malleus Maleficarum, written by two 15^th century Dominican inquisitors, Jakob Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer, and authorized by Pope Innocent VIII. In it women caused impotence, women were weak-willed and weak-minded, women were carnal temptresses, women were unfit to rule or have professions. It became a “how to” book for witch hunters. The Malleus told how to use torture to force confession and further accusations. The common practice was to strip the accused naked, shave off all her body hair (and don’t tell me the good priests didn’t find just a little perverted sexual gratification in all this!) and subject her to the thumbscrews, the rack and all manner of ingenious spiked wheels and bone-crushing devices.

From the 14^th through the 17^th centuries, an estimated half-million people, mostly women, were executed for witchcraft. In the mid-fifteen century, the Spanish clergyman Torquemada, known as the Grand Inquisitor, is credited personally with torturing and burning more than 10,000 people. A century later, the bishop of Trier (Germany), Peter Binsfield, ordered the death of some 6,000 people.

Why the witch anyway? Did frightened men, seeking to embody their sense of danger, invent the witch? Did the poor, the disenfranchised, the chronically unlucky, the ignorant, and the helpless light candles and chant ancient syllables they did not understand in order to escape this imagined terror? Or was the church so threatened by heretical sects and peasant rebellions that it shifted the blame for bad economic and social conditions from itself to women who flew through the air, blighted crops, killed babies and brought plagues. The church could thus establish itself as the seeming guardian of the people against the forces of evil. This kind of religious excess must always be guarded against. Even today it is encroaching on us in the form of fundamentalist Islamic teachings as well as Christian efforts to suppress scientific truth by forcing schools to teach “creation” alongside evolution.

Witchcraft was not, of course, the only form of heresy.  Heresy was considered to be any religious error held in willful and persistent opposition to the “truth” after it had been defined and declared by the church. In 1215, the Lateran council decreed that all heretics were not only to be excommunicated, but punished with death.

But the authorities were not satisfied merely with death. First they had to obtain a confession and evidence, and in the case of witches, the names of others, friends and associates of the accused, presumed to be witches also. This was done by torture. Of course, most of the accused would “confess” and name names just to escape the excruciating pain. How could anyone be so stupid as to believe that this was any kind of reliable means of obtaining the truth? As if that were not bad enough, when they were through with the “inquisition”, what was left of the accused was burned at the stake. Nice Christians!

During the Reformation in England many religious leaders were martyred for their beliefs. These were both Catholic and Protestant, depending on the whims of whoever was occupying the throne at the time. Accused of heresy by the Roman Church, Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer were burned at the stake after refusing to recant their reformed views. Ridley is quoted: “So long as the breath is in my body, I will never deny the Lord and His known truth … I commit our cause to Almighty God, who shall impartially judge all.”

The United Presbyterian Church had its beginnings in Scotland during a period of religious persecution. On the Martyrs’ Monument in Edinburgh is written: “From May, 1661 to February, 1688, were one way or another murdered and destroyed for the same cause about eighteen thousand, of whom were executed in Edinburgh about one hundred of noblemen, gentlemen, ministers and others – noble martyrs for Jesus Christ.” These were Christians murdered by Christians, all arguing about the same God.

Throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, religious persecution was not limited to Catholics vs. Protestants. Even within the many Protestant sects there was constant disagreement and violence. As one group came to power, those who disagreed were forced to flee or face the consequences. Eventually, many of these people came to America, and in some cases brought their own bias and hatred with them. Case in point was the persecution of the Quakers, who were universally ostracized by most other Protestant religious groups.

Many dissenters of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages were punished for the “sin” of trying to interpret the scriptures by themselves. For many centuries, the church’s position held that it was dangerous for the common person to read the Bible without the benefit of clergy. Even possessing a Bible was forbidden. The church told you what to believe. You had to accept the church’s interpretations or be branded a heretic.

Today, we still hear about exorcism in the Catholic Church. People believed to be possessed by the devil are exorcised by rituals prescribed by the church. These people are obsessed with the concept of evil, convinced that the devil exists and is responsible for all their miseries. It is no different than the frenzied fear of witchcraft that spread throughout the Christian world centuries ago. People ask why evil exists, why there are wars, famine and disease. They want answers. The concept of a devil is a convenient explanation.

Most people want to be lead. Most people don't want to think for themselves. They latch onto some charismatic leader's message like their lives depended on it. You see this, especially in poorer, more ignorant societies. An example is the Muslim masses one sees on television all fired up by some cleric, clambering to expound on some religious doctrine, or beating themselves bloody with chains, for no other reason than that they blindly believe what they're told.

I can see why religion appeals to the persecuted and oppressed who would like to believe that they will be compensated in heaven and that their enemies will be punished. This is wishful thinking, of course, but powerfully appealing to someone who has nothing else to hope for. It is human nature to want revenge against people who do us wrong. Judeo-Christian religious history is rich in the concept of retribution, particularly God’s judgment against those who displease him. But why is our concept of God one of wrath and judgment? This is a typically human characteristic.

When I see all the evil in the world, I want to punish those who cause it. Sometimes I’ve thought that if I could have one wish granted, it would be that all terrorists (most of whom are men) should be castrated! My typically human response to terrorism is to punish the perpetrators (and by castration, reduce the testosterone that fuels male aggression).

But then I ask myself: If I had any wish, why not wish that the motivation to kill an innocent person, the emotion of hate together with the idea of eternal reward, be eradicated from the human psyche; why not prevent the evil in the first place? Wouldn’t that be a far better solution to the problem? Of course that begs the question: why would God, who can certainly grant any wish, choose to act decidedly human by allowing us to sin and then punish us for it?

I do not doubt that religious belief is a positive factor in many people's lives. I am sure that it brings emotional comfort and peace of mind to those who truly believe. The power of belief is very real - not only can it blind people to reality, but it can also positively affect how people respond to life's challenges. However, it does not necessarily prove that whatever a person believes is true. It does not necessarily prove the existence of God. It only proves the power of belief on the human psyche.

For many people, there is an aching need for answers to all their questions about life’s many mysteries and to escape from their fears and concerns. Eighty two percent of Americans declare themselves Christian. Sixty percent believe the Bible is the literal word of God. More than 4 out of 5 Americans say they have experienced God's presence or a spiritual force close to them, and 46 percent say it has happened many times. Many people just cannot function without answers to these questions. To refute their religious beliefs would, in their minds, destroy their whole purpose in life, their reason for being and their comfortable illusion that the world about them can somehow be explained by simplistic notions of a God and his divine plan.

In moments of sorrow or tragedy, people find comfort in their religious beliefs. It helps them feel that there is a reason, answer or purpose in what has happened. It assures them that those who died are in a better place, and that they (believers that is) can rest assured that they will meet again. At a recent funeral I was thinking – how would you conduct a funeral service without the religious context, especially the promise of a life hereafter? I can understand why people want to believe these things. We are emotional creatures filled with grief and sorrow at the loss of a loved one; why wouldn’t we want to believe? There will probably come a day when I will truly grieve and be at a loss for comfort. I may even envy those who can take comfort in religious belief. But it doesn’t prove the existence of God or a life hereafter. I cannot take comfort in something I believe is a fabrication.

In Ecclesiastes, we are told that life without God is meaningless. Mel Gibson, in an interview regarding his film The Passion of the Christ, said that there came a point in his life when he realized he needed to look to a higher authority. He had everything he could want, but it was still not enough. He was “drowning in fame, wealth, drink and despair”. He needed to feel that his life had a purpose. So he returned to the religion of his youth, Catholicism. “Why do I believe” he was asked. “Because I have to believe.” In other words, if he didn’t believe, his life would fall apart, as in fact it had.

Many people think they have a “calling” from God, that certain events in their lives constitute a message from God. I believe they simply interpret these events according to their beliefs. Other people think they hear voices from God calling them. What are these voices and visions that people imagine? What is it about the human mind that prompts us to imagine things? Perhaps it is simply because we humans have this unique capability. It stands to reason that with all this imagination going on, some people will loose the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy.

Religious people believe that there are angels living up on top of the clouds somewhere. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1Thessalonians 4:16-17) Heaven is always referred to as being “up in the air” somewhere. The ancient Hawaiians believed that the spirits of the dead ascended in stages up the flanks of Mauna Kea on their way to heaven. Yet, today we know what is on top of the clouds and far beyond for that matter. I can understand how people two thousand years ago could believe these things, but why does it persist today with all that we have learned about our world and our universe. Alternately, some believe that heaven will be here on Earth after Jesus returns and establishes his kingdom. Hell, on the other hand, is generally considered to be somewhere underground where sinners will suffer for eternity, prodded by the devil into the ever present flames. (Exactly where this place is or how he will manage to keep us alive under those conditions is never explained.)

EVIDENCE OF GOD'S EXISTENCE

Jimmy Carter writes in his book Our Endangered Values, America’s Moral Crisis “I had always understood that we didn’t need scientific proof of the existence or character of God… Even for those without specific religious convictions, the inner feeling of what was right and wrong (a central argument of C.S. Lewis) and the awe-inspiring beauty of starlit sky or sunset, the emergence of a butterfly from a chrysalis, the industry of an ant, or the sprouting of a seed were adequate proofs of God’s hand in our lives and in creation.”⁶

People point to the wonders of nature and the universe as proof of God's existence. Surely, they say, someone very intelligent and powerful must have created all this. They think in human terms that functional things have to be created, like an engineer creates a machine. This argument doesn't prove anything to me. Just because something’s wonderfully complex doesn’t mean somebody had to invent it. Just because something is beautiful or inspiring doesn’t mean someone had to create it. Invention and beauty are human concepts. Just because we don't understand something, doesn't mean there has to be someone else who does.

They say "How could all of this just happen by chance?” Well, why couldn’t it? Why is that such a difficult concept? Why do these people feel that someone must have planned and created the universe, like an engineer would plan and create a building or a bridge? Religion embraces the personification of natural processes. Religious people feel that a person-like thing (God) must be responsible for these processes. But planning and creation are human concepts. There is no reason to think that they must apply to natural processes. Is the concept of a universe evolving by chance according to natural processes, without the intervention of a god, so unsettling as to be totally untenable?

For me, it is easier to argue against the existence of God. Unlike the religionist, I see evidence in nature that argues against the existence of a deity. Nature is far more complicated than it needs to be. The more we discover about the how living things function, the more obvious it is to me that these mechanisms evolved.

Biological complexity argues against the existence of God, yet people point to this as "proof" of God's existence. There are untold (and as yet undiscovered) millions of complex relationships between living organisms which serve no purpose. Our bodies continually fight off invading armies of bacteria and viruses. We are plagued by disease and pestilence everywhere. Why is this necessary? Surely an infinite intelligence like God could have come up with a better design than this. Why would anyone so intelligent and perfect create a world so unnecessarily complicated and dysfunctional?

God and his creations are supposed to be perfect, and yet we are told that roughly 99.9% (some very high percentage at any rate) of the organisms that ever lived on earth are now extinct. That begs the question: if all these creatures were perfect, how come virtually none of them were able to survive?

I cannot believe that anyone smart enough to have created the universe could have made so many mistakes creating life on Earth. Why are there millions of infectious organisms which no longer serve any useful purpose but against which our bodies have had to evolve immunity in order to survive? And what about the primitive mechanisms of the mind, like fear and anxiety, which at one time would have been useful in protecting against danger but are now largely inappropriate? All these facts argue in favor of evolution, not creation.

What about human organs that serve no purpose and often cause serious problems, like the appendix, tonsils, gall bladder, hemorrhoids, etc? And why do we have hair on our bodies? What purpose does hair serve? None of us has enough hair to offer protection from the elements like animals. Of what use is hair on the chest or back? Of what use is pubic hair or hair under our arms?

Many animals exhibit vestigial organs which serve no purpose. Why do male mammals have nipples? Why do some snakes (notably pythons and boa constrictors) carry the rudiments of a pelvis and tiny legs buried inside their sleek profiles? Why do baleen whales still have the remnants of hind legs? Why do certain species of flightless beetles have wings, sealed beneath wing covers that never open? The scientist regards these vestigial structures as remnants of an evolutionary lineage. But, how would a religionist explain them; why would a perfect god create animals with parts that have no function?

And how about the recent SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic and the potential for the H5N1 Asian bird flu to turn into a pandemic? Why would a god “create” these organisms that threaten our lives, irregardless of race, nationality, religion or character? The virus, like all infectious diseases, is indiscriminate about who it infects. The pandemic of 1918 killed an estimated 40 million people. Why would a just god punish the innocent? Why would a compassionate god create plagues and diseases like cancer that cause so much suffering?

During the great bubonic plague of the Middle Ages, church leaders herded the faithful into the churches where the disease could spread like wildfire. If these divinely ordained people had any sort of communication with God, which they claimed to have, why would they do such a thing? Why didn’t God tell them that this was a bad idea? Why did God “create” such a horrible disease in the first place?

I came across a story about a baby born with a liver disorder caused by a virus acquired during pregnancy. Now he needs a transplant, or he will die. If all life (including viruses) were created by God, why would he want to punish this tiny baby? What has he done to offend God? And yet the parents, apparently devout Christians, are appealing to people to pray. They say “God does amazing things through prayer. This is part of His perfect plan, one that we don’t understand; for His ways are not our own.” His perfect plan? Really. And that business about not understanding God’s plan is just a “cop out” - if there is something about your belief system that doesn’t make sense, just say it’s beyond your understanding! Let’s face it: if that baby survives, it will be because of the efforts of doctors and medical researchers who struggle every day to understand and undo the mess that believers think God has created!

Another example: our body's immune system is often counterproductive. It was central to human survival at a time when the biggest threats came from wild animals and acute infection. Today pain is more likely to be a chronic condition than a warning of an injury that must be heeded. Our primitive response may no longer be appropriate, e.g. inflammation that often creates more problems (coronary artery disease) than it solves; an immune system that attacks our own bodies (rheumatoid arthritis, M.S. and Lupus to name just a few).

Aside from disease and pestilence, why would God create or cause an innocent human being to suffer or be disabled? “Who makes (man) deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11) This clearly states that God creates our infirmities. Why would a loving God want to do that?

Like the title of C. S. Lewis’ book The Problem of Pain - why would a loving God cause us to feel pain? What purpose does excessive, excruciating pain serve other than to torture us? The “problem with religion” is that all these things just don’t make sense.

In the exodus from the Texas coast in advance of Hurricane Rita, a bus carrying sick and elderly patients from a nursing home burst into flames killing 24 people. What kind of a demented, sadistic God would bring on such a massive, destructive hurricane, forcing the evacuation of millions of people, and then on top of all that misery, allow a bus load of frail, helpless people to burn to death in such a horrible manner simply trying to escape?

Why would a God create a world so filled with disease, natural disasters and misery against which we have so little control? God supposedly created the world and controls it at every moment: he “clothes the grass of the field” (Matt. 6:30) and not one sparrow “will fall to the ground” apart from the will God. (Matt. 10:29) And why would a God create us with natural tendencies toward self-destruction, fear and violence? Well, isn’t the answer obvious? All these questions assume the existence of a God! Without the God hypothesis, none of these questions are relevant. We and the world just are the way we are. Things happen for natural reasons. Why does there have to be some divine “reason” or “purpose”? Why is it that people can’t seem to let go of the idea of a God causing everything to happen?

Words like “reason”, “purpose”, “plan” and “creation” are human concepts. It is natural that people would attach these human concepts to a deity. But there is no reason to believe that our existence, or the laws that govern the universe, necessarily derive from anything within our realm of understanding. We are familiar with only what we can see and experience. We should not expect that the universe, or an understanding of its function, can somehow be explained by concepts that are familiar to us. We should not expect there to be a “reason” or “purpose” to our existence. Convenient and reassuring – yes; realistic – no.

Another reason to question the existence of God (or at least the Christian God), is the fact that there is so much confusing, irrelevant and contradictory information in the Bible. If they believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God, how can fundamentalist Christians be so outspoken about conservative moral issues like homosexuality, and yet routinely ignore all the other commandments clearly spelled out in the Bible. (And besides, why would God create gays and lesbians if he didn’t approve of their behavior? It would follow that God made some people gay, just as he made some people short or green-eyed. Suggesting that people shouldn’t be the way God made them is suggesting that God made a mistake.)

In Leviticus 20:13 we read: “If a man lies with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.” But how can we select only certain prohibitions in God’s holy word and ignore all the rest: the Pentateuch is peppered with thou-shall-nots. There are prohibitions against getting tattoos (19:28), eating swine or shellfish (11:4-12), planting two kinds of seed in one field or using two different fabrics in the same garment. (19:19, also Deuteronomy 22:9, 11) There are prohibitions against sacrificing an animal without offering it as a gift to the Lord (17:3), being naked or seeing others naked. There are laws and elaborate rituals regarding cleanliness, especially if you touched or came near a dead body (Numbers 19). And you were forbidden to even come near a menstruating woman, heaven forbid. (Lev. 15:19)

There are laws against cutting the hair on your temples or clipping the edges of your beard. (Lev.19:27) There are laws prohibiting children from cursing or striking their parents. If you did, it was curtains for you! God says so in Lev. 20:9. And don’t even think about cursing God. Cursers and blasphemers are required to be stoned by the whole congregation. (Lev. 24:14)

Elsewhere we read: “If anyone injures his neighbor, what ever he has done must be done to him.” (Lev. 24:19) “But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (Exodus 21:23-24) These famous “eye for an eye” phrases were later revised by Christ’s teachings (Matt. 5:38-39, Epistle of Peter 3:9), but do nevertheless appear to have been God’s law at one time.

And you wouldn’t want to be caught collecting wood on Sunday! In Numbers 15:33-36 we read: “Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.” So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses.” Also in Exodus 35:2 we are clearly told that anyone caught working on the Sabbath must be put to death!

All this, and yet slavery was condoned by God. “Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.” (Lev. 25:44) A father could even sell his daughter into slavery! (Exodus 21:7) Go figure! I mention all this only to point out how ridiculous it is to take the Bible literally. Much of the Bible and most of Leviticus is sheer nonsense.

Now I know some religious people, especially Christians, will say that the laws of the Old Testament were given by God in the context of the prevailing culture, and that we should not take them literally. But, these same people are always quoting Old Testament scripture as if it were the inspired word of God. How can you judge someone according to one law while ignoring all the rest?

I recently read an article about the Presbyterian (USA) legislative assembly rejecting the ordination of gay clergy and lay officers. It let stand the interpretation of church law forbidding the ordination of gay clergy. My thought is: how can you take what is believed to be God’s law and put it to a vote? Should ordinary humans be deciding what God wants us to believe? It was widely believed that if the vote had gone the other way, the church would have split over the issue.

The Pentateuch isn’t the only place in the Bible we find conveniently ignored commandments. In the New Testament we read Jesus’ words: “But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:32) Also: “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9) Paul writes: “So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.” (Romans 7:3) How come so many Christians today feel that they can ignore these clear commandments about divorce, but at the same time be so adamant about their self-righteousness?

Religious people argue about the will of God as interpreted in the scriptures – such things as abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, divorce, what foods to eat, how much to tithe, the protocol of religious services including the role of women in the church, even something as mundane as whether women should be allowed to wear pants in church! The Bible is a very large book, or collection of books! One can find something in the Bible to justify anything. In the New Testament we read: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.” (Ephesians 6:5) Other New Testament justifications for slavery can be found in Colossians 3:22, Titus 2:9 and 1 Peter 2:18. Apparently God doesn’t see anything wrong with slavery!

With regard to women in the church, Paul says: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a wom