This was a reply I wrote to a Christian friend declining his invitation to attend church:
Regarding attending church, I think you should know my answer by now :-) What is the point of my attending church when I am not a believer?
Yes, scientists do not know how the universe is created. But just because we don't know, why should we accept the explanation that the universe is created by a deity? And specifically the biblical god Yahweh at that. Just because we don't know how the world was created doesn't mean that we should accept any explanation that is offered. What if the explanation is wrong?
When I am given an explanation, I will always examine it to see if it answers my questions satisfyingly before I accept or reject it. As I have mentioned before, the explanations offered by Christianity do not answer my questions satisfyingly. That is why I don't accept Christianity.
Many of my Christian friends always tell me that the bible is a great book of morality because it contains god's instructions on how man should live his life by. And they always cite The Ten Commandments as the ultimate moral guide. But I've read parts of the bible, and the Ten Commandments, and I am not impressed. What does the bible say about Slavery? If the bible is so full of morals, why does it not condemn the enslaving of people?
Why does the bible treat women not as equally as men? Is not women also created by god? If women are equals of men, why did god put in statements in His Divine Book that say that women are inferior to men (e.g. "the head of the woman is the man", "wives must always submit to their husbands" etc)? Shouldn't a divine religion for all time preach equality of the sexes right from the beginning?
Why are celibate men "pure"? What is it about women that is so evil that when men is "defiled by women", men are no longer pure?
The logic of Christian punishment/salvation is also extremely unsatisfying.
- Hitler massacred 6 million Jews plus countless others during World War 2. But since Hitler is Catholic, he will be "saved" because he accepted Christ.
- Abraham Lincoln brought the United States to a civil war so as to free millions of blacks from slavery. But since Lincoln is not a Christian, he will not be "saved".
Does this make sense? Is salvation to be dished out to all and sundry who believe in Christ, and denied to all those who are not of the faith despite their meritorious deeds?
What is the explanation Christianity offers to explain the presence of suffering? Was god responsible for the 200,000 people who were killed by the 26 Dec 2004 Tsunami? Did god do this to punish certains groups of sinners? Why didn't he just kill those sinners instead of killing so many innocents (children especially) to accomplish his aim?
Perhaps god didn't create the Tsunami. Perhaps the Tsunami was made by the devil to destroy god's creations. If so, why didn't god stop the devil from accomplishing his task? Is god not omnipotent?
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?
- Epicurus (341 BC to 271 BC)
Of course, it is fine with me if others believe in god, as religion has been an age-old tradition and teaching carried forward from the ancients. However, just as we no longer believe that the world is flat (the Earth is spherical), or that plagues and illnesses are due to demons (they are caused by germs), or that slavery is an acceptable way of treating people (definitely not), I also feel that in this day and age, we should transcend from a religion created by ignorant bronze-age people to a modern philosophy grounded in knowledge, science, mathematics and ethics.
Regards,
NJ
No comments:
Post a Comment