I was raised Roman Catholic, sent to 12 years of Catholic school. I was an altar boy for 4 years, and the reader of scripture at Sunday mass for 4 more. Usually at this point in the story, people ask if I was molested by a priest, and that’s why I’m an atheist. I was not, but the question stands as a good barometer of the reputation of the Roman Catholic Church.
Religious education is a standing part of the curriculum in Catholic school, and always, I was a child who asked questions. Why can’t we eat meat on Friday? How do we know the Bible is true? Why do we think the Pope is infallible? Do unbaptised children go to hell? Where does the Bible mention limbo?
The answers were always the same. “It’s a matter of faith”, the priest would say. “Either you believe it or you don’t”. As I grew up, the questions continued, and became more pointed. What evidence is there of transubstantiation? The Bible doesn’t mention birth control, why is its use a sin? If people who have not been exposed to the Christian faith don’t go to hell, but people who have been exposed, but don’t believe, do go to Hell, should we evangelize to them? What can a professed lifelong virgin teach us about sexual relationships and marriage? “A matter of faith. Believe it or not”.
At some point around age 17, I realized that if that was all they had, if that was their best argument, then the truth was, I don’t believe it. I don’t believe a word of it. When I accepted that as the truth, it was like a weight lifted from my shoulders. There’s really no reason to worry about eternal damnation–the whole story is bullshit.
Over time, it has become increasingly clear to me that the whole notion of substitutionary atonement is not only unbelievable, but intrinsically immoral. No amount of suffering by an innocent can ever assuage the responsibility of the guilty. The “get out of hell free” card is just too easy, the application too random, and the evidence too lacking to merit respect. A diety that would create such a system is a monster, and not worthy of our worship.
Morality is a code of behaviour that gives you the best chance of living a happy, satisfying life. Science is the tool for understanding the world as it really is. We’re all going to die some day, so make the most of this opportunity and help others who are in the same boat as you. The ways we are all alike are far more important than the trivialities that make us different.
Being an atheist in America today is not a popular position, but it does carry the substantial comfort of being true.
Marty Heath
United States
The entire concept of redemption makes no sense. The Big Guy In The Sky™ is annoyed about sin. So he sends another god* to die so TBGITS™ isn’t upset any more. However according to the propaganda Jebus is himself sinless. So how does the sacrifice of an innocent bystander assuage TBGITS™’s irritation?
But wait, there’s more. Jebus is god. Gods can’t die, it’s in their contract. So Jebus spends an unpleasant afternoon hanging around Calgary** and a day or two later he’s all better. So the sacrifice wasn’t all that sacrificial. At least Huitzilopochtli’s sacrificed victims remained dead.
There’s other problems with the Jebusite redemption but I can only wax sardonic for so long.
*The trinity makes no sense either. Jebusites should stop pretending they’re monotheists and acknowledge their pantheon of gods and demi-gods make them polytheists.
**Or maybe it was Edmonton or Winnipeg but definitely not Saskatoon.
Words to live by.
Funny how many of these testimonials say this or words to this effect. Religion, it seems, works to the premise that we’re not smart or curious enough to look behind the curtain
Why, it sounds just like waiting for your story to be randomly selected for publication! What an idea!
When I tried to explain limbo and purgatory to some friends, they laughed at the stupidity of it. Today I appreciate their ridicule.
When the idiot Pope decided to throw out the no-meat-on-Friday-or-else-you-will-be-tortured-for-eternity I was a bit angry. Why did I have to go without meat one day a week all those years?
It’s for good reasons there might be more ex-Catholics than Catholics.
I wrote 10 posts about Catholic idiocy.
Marty : I was not raised in the RCC, but I can say this: the other christian denominations I’ve encountered have the same outlook. “why?” is always answered with “Because God Said So.”
Look at Ken Ham today: “God said it, I believe it, and that’s that!”
Amen!
Thanks PZ for doing these WIBAA posts.
One of the best but I love them all. Sorry PZ but I scroll to these and read them first now. They are positively (and I do mean positive) addicting.
I figure I got at least another 20 years left. You guys get busy and send in your stories as we don’t want to run out anytime soon.
Excellent, well-reasoned instruction in biology by Marty Heath at NDSCS is one of the reasons I am an atheist. Whether or not this the same gentleman he still is an effective communicator.
Apparently, it’s not a very far-fetched premise. Consider, for every questioning child, how many others there were who didn’t ask, or accepted the puerile answers, ignoring their own thoughts. And that they grow up to be the adults telling other questioning children to shut up and believe it just because.
Marty, I quite enjoyed your post. Thank you.
Is the Vatican a Rogue State?
By
ConcernedJoe
Esteemed Fellow of The Old Men Baying At The Moon Club
USA’s definition/criteria: authoritarian regimes that severely restrict human rights, sponsor terrorism, and seek to proliferate weapons of mass destruction.
Applies to States that have or can have significant negative impact beyond their borders and have demonstrated willingness to do such. Call this Universality.
Criteria applied:
Universality?: yes, taken a priori (self defined)
Authoritarian? yes, taken a priori (self defined)
Restricts Rights? yes, women’s status, sexuality, freedom of thought and choice, etc. Look at the their laws, doctrines, and practices; they seek restriction not expansion. Then go to this…
Sponsor Terrorism: yes, but first to verify look what power they can bring to bear. They have infrastructure, wealth, State alliances, and overt intentions and actions, throughout the World. They have strong physiological tricks (employed expertly on young and through death) to terrorize or trick people into sub-optimizing/devaluing themselves. They also via State alliances and contriving have influence on States which have physical power to codify and enforced laws that demonize and/or restrict people.
Proliferate weapons of mass destruction? yes, see above. For example: look at actions re: gays, birth control, women’s freedom, etc. Evaluate the negative impact physically and emotionally. Further look at laws that restrict research e.g., re: stem cells. Further look at their sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle support of regimes and State laws that are destructive to people. This is ONLY one example: but if gays are 10% of the population and even if only 10% of them are impacted (life destroyed in some way) because of RCC actions and influences you have SIXTY MILLION people suffering because (at least in good part because) of the RCC!!
I know one could quibble – but the essence is true. Religion especially powerful and universal ones like the RCC are dangerous and destructive – and have been on and off for all of human time.
I realized something a while ago.
Utter the phrase “A Catholic priest and an altar boy.”
What did you think of? Of course. It used to be that that phrase was a synonym for unimpeachable virtue. Now the Church itself is a synonym for pedophilia. And I think that’s just one more sign that they’re doomed. A long time coming, maybe, but doomed.