Extremist Islam vs The Old Testament Israelites

 

I've been re-reading the bible. In the process, I'm creating my own list of "Bible WTF Moments". It's quite long already and I'm only up to I Samuel. To say I've been completely disgusted by the barbarism and savagery of the Isrealites and their god is putting it mildly. I've lost track of how many cities they have already attacked and how many men, women, children, babies, oxen, sheep, camels and asses they have slaughtered and David isn't even king yet. As we all know, their enemies consist of people who worship other gods and people who have land they want (which of course, their god promised to them, so it's ok). I won't even go into the grotesque ways people have died in these stories. We all remember those.

But then today, I read the news report about the British doctor who was beheaded (allegedly) by the Taliban in Pakistan. The comments by readers that followed the news story consisted mostly of people saying how barbaric and savage the Taliban is and extremist Muslims are. They were outraged. I don't usually entirely equate the Taliban with Islam. I think their leaders only use the Muslim religion for their own gain, but their followers ARE extremist Muslims. And I believe those followers are acting according to the teachings of their version of the religion. But I was very much reminded of the Isrealites in the Old Testament - of their hatred of people who worshipped other gods and even how their own god views those people and all the slaughtering of their "enemies" at their god's command.

And I wondered, how DO Christians and Jews feel about their own religious history? (the history according to the bible) I remember when I was still in the Christian faith that I never heard anyone talk about how terrible it was to go around slaughtering people who didn't believe in their god. In fact, it must surely have been justified. I remember sermons that addressed it in that very way. God could NOT tolerate any people who worshipped other gods and for that sin they deserved to be slaughtered. And now they call Islamic terrorist organizations barbaric and savage. How ironic, not to mention hypocritical! I think they all need to go back and re-read the Old Testament. THOSE are their religious roots, whether they accept it or not, whether they can justify it in their minds it or not.

Christians and Jews, look closely at the war on humanity in the Middle East, in Africa and elsewhere - the slaughter and abuse of human rights that disgust and horrify us at every turn. THAT is what it would have looked like for people who were the "enemies" of the Israelites' god if those stories were true. But it's ok, right? It was moral because it was your god who commanded it. It was justified because it was YOUR god. Can you really allow yourself to form a clear mental picture of the Israelite armies slaughtering women, children, babies and animals - to see in your mind what that REALLY would have looked like - and still call it moral? Or see your god as benevolent? Or even consider YOUR religion as preferable to Islam?

I couldn't.

The Hello Kitty Demon is Alive and Well

I could write a book on the ridiculous things my co-workers actually believe. The latest involves the old Hello Kitty hoax, myth, whatever you want to call it. One of my co-workers asked me the other day if I had heard about the Hello Kitty demon story. I thought everyone had heard that one - the parents of a child with cancer made a pact with the devil to heal their daughter and in return they would create a character in his honor and anyone who bought the toy would be inadvertently worshipping him or a demon would reside in the toy and anyone who played with it may become possessed, etc., bla, bla, bla

The co-worker's story was quite different (very creative and detailed) than all the others I had heard, but the most amazing part of her story was that she claimed it was her priest who told her about this! Yep, she's Catholic. I don't know if this was part of a sermon, but he apparently was telling this to a group from what I gathered from her weird articulation of the whole thing. Of course now, she is terrified of everything Hello Kitty. I told her it wasn't true, that it was a ridiculous story that had been floating around for a long time and she needed to actually look it up for herself but by the way she seemed to blow that off, I imagine she would rather believe the story is true so she can have something spooky to talk about with all her superstitious friends.

But if it's true that her priest was the one who told her this (and my co-worker swears he did) it really blows my mind. I don't know why I'm surprised, considering all the bizarre crap we hear from idiots like Pat Robertson, et al. I've been out of the loop of superstition and religious delusion for a long time so I guess it's hard for me to understand how people can be so gullable even though I know so many are. And it really makes me angry that priests and pastors are busy constantly reinforcing all that ignorance and stupidity.

If people can so willingly believe Hello Kitty is demonic, the preacher's job must be an absolute breeze.

And here we go again

Yesterday a co-worker was telling me that she had been taking some religious class at her church and they were discussing that Jesus had to be physically sacrificed and his blood literally shed in order that all the wretched sinners could be saved from eternal damnation. Her teacher commented that she felt this concept was too "bloody" for young children. My co-worker told her teacher she completely disagreed and thought that all children should be taught even the harshest "truths" about this blood covenant; that blood must literally be shed to account for people's sins, and they just had to know everything the bible has to say about blood and sacrifice and damnation, no matter what their age.

She went on to say that she had to stand up for what she believed so she had adamantly argued her point with the teacher, who may have been gaping at her in horror (as I was at that moment), while she rattled off this insanity. I wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her she had no RIGHT to psychologically abuse children, but I realized she is only passing on what had been done to her. And I felt sick to my stomach thinking about it. I didn't even know how to respond especially considering we were at work! She was totally oblivious to how disgusting and vile her comments had been - and how revealing they were combined with some of the other things she has said in the short time we have been working together.

Now, I'm kicking myself for not saying this, or that, or responding much beyond a dropped jaw and just being purely dumbstruck. But I'm over that. Now, I'm just pissed. And I feel violated. I was hearing this while I was trying to work. She has known I'm atheist all along, but until recently, she has mostly kept her beliefs to herself and so have I. I don't know why she has suddenly decided to start talking about it, but now, if she does this again (and I'm sure she will) I have to deal with telling her she needs to keep her religious opinions to herself while we are at work (one of those things I wish could have come out of my mouth yesterday).  

So I guess we'll see how today goes since she seems to be on a roll.

Introduction

I have titled this blog The Everyday Atheist because that is what I am, an average, everyday American who happens to be atheist. Many of the coming posts will be my thoughts and experiences as a non-believer surrounded by Christians. I live in a rural farming community in North Carolina. I live an average life as far as work, home and family go. It doesn’t feel so average, however. It feels, very often, isolated, at least when it comes to my views and beliefs and knowing that they are not shared by 99% of the people I come in contact with each day. In a community this small, and in the small town where I work, non-believers are basically non-existent. So, I decided to start a blog. I can spout my blasphemous opinions here without being fired from my job or the townsfolk showing up at my house with torches and pitchforks and I won’t drive my daughter crazy because she is my only sounding board. I can get it all out.

I am “out” as an atheist at my place of work and with my family, who are all Christian. I don’t discuss my beliefs at work because I feel it’s inappropriate, although my co-workers don’t hold to that same workplace rule. That is another reason for this blog: my responses to the constant barrage of religious commentary I hear on a daily basis while I try to do my job. I work with over a hundred people and my position involves me interacting with every department, every day. So, when I say “barrage”, I’m not really exaggerating all that much.

I don’t intend to attack people personally or bash Christians, though I can’t promise it won’t ever happen. But I guarantee I will bash Christianity and other religions as the need arises. It’s my blog and I can bash if I want to. Also, it won’t only be a place for me to vent. It will be a place to think, discuss issues, raise awareness and hopefully offer support to other remote non-believers who feel isolated in their own communities. Maybe we’ll actually discover we weren’t as alone as we thought.

-Linda

"We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes."
--Gene Roddenberry