After work I took a short detour to the bookstore on my home. Like always I walked over to the Philosophy section first and something caught my eye. I saw a book entitled The Atheist Bible. Just the title is ironic which may have been done purposely but it was not the title in which I am writing about but its context. I examined the book front to back and then opened up to the first page. I was hoping for some strong pieces of text countering the bible like I thought it would. I thought there would be very intelligent points made and very good questions but instead it was a collection of quotes from a assorted number of authors such as Walter Emerson. I read a few quotes and how great they may have sounded they had no potency. There was no swaying arguments no great points or questions just bitterness, hatred, and ignorance. It clearly reminded me of a young teenager rebelling and criticizing his parents for his hardships and disappointment when things did not go his way.
I would have bought the book if it had something more than just quotes because if your where at war wouldn’t you want to know your enemy’s plan of attack. Besides, if they brought up or asked a good question that i did not know the answer to i would know my ignorance and fix it my doing some research and study so i am prepared for the question.
The reason i am writing this is because i have become to wonder why Christianity is so criticized and watched over like a hawk when no other religion or even cults. Anti-believers spend so much time trying to disprove Christianity but never the Muslim faith. When was the last time you saw a show on the Discovery channel going into the past in attempt to to destroy their religious stories? Now when was the last time you’ve seen this done to the christian faith? I’ve seen a lot of those shows. How many times do you here people say they hate the Muslim God and how many times do you hear the same for our God. I believe that it is because deep down they really know that God is their father. Because the Christian faith is so disputed and hated, it is more reason for me to believe that the bible is indeed the words of God. If our religion is just of a lie as the Muslim, the Buddhist, or an Native American faith then why would christian faith bethe only one that is so focused on attack. Granted Christianity is a big part of the western culture but if Atheist believed that there was truly was so God then why would they work so hard to prove something wrong as they do. For example if a person told me that the ocean can not support life i would know they were wrong. I would question what they said and counter their statements but i would not spend more than a few seconds talking to them if they do not realizes how wrong they were because as I say there’s no point in taking a blind man to an art gallery.
I come to believe that it is the devil that pushes doubt on what we know to be the truth. Emerson said that any person with intellect would question the faith and more intellect would lead to more questioning. But it is not intelligence that questions the faith it is perhaps the lack of intelligence with the replacement of another. Socrates said, “I am more ignorant than wise”, what we do know is much less than what we do not know. It is the choice of your intelligence to what you bend it to believe, all of what mankind knows is based on speculation( for they do call it hypothesis). Albert Einstein was not only one of the greatest thinkers alive but was a christian. The more he studied space and science the more faith he had in God(this would disprove Emerson’s believe in the bible).
God lets the bantering of the atheist continue because more doubt that is contributed among Christians and non believers stronger the faith must be in a believer and stronger is he.
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May 4, 2008 at 9:28 am
undergroundnetwork
Hi Andrew,
I think I own the book you mention; I received it as a Christmas present. Although I initially thought that it would be an atheist version of the bible, for example genesis would be a brief description of the big bang, evolution etc, and perhaps other sections would include some philosophy, the book is just a load of quotes from atheists from down the ages. Some of them are very amusing and thought provoking, but many, out of their original context, don’t make a lot of sense. A good book for a laugh, but nothing more. Perhaps a good book for an atheist to turn to after a day of being harassed by theists!
I certainly disagree with you when you say that it is just bitterness, hatred and ignorance, it appears you only make these accusations because you don’t agree with what they’re saying. Certainly more hate in the old testament, for example God telling believers to stone non-believers to death. No one in the atheist bible is asking for anyone to be killed!
Anyway what I meant to comment on is your explanation as to why Christianity receives so much criticism. I suppose you could say it is because it is the United States of religion. Bare with me!
A friend of mine commented the other day that the US receives more international criticism than is due, because of anti-American sentiment worldwide. I disagreed. I argued that Americas position as a sole superpower meant that it’s actions would and should receive extra scrutiny.
Now in most westernised countries Christianity is dominant. Christianity still has overwhelming influence in many secular democracies, even as the religion declines in popularity. For most western atheists it is only Christianity that they notice seeping into politics and society. Most atheists are only confronted or harassed by Christians. Science is under attack mainly from Christians. And the value of secularism is being poisoned by people pushing a Christian ethnocentric world view. What ever happened to keeping religion personal?
In the same way that the US government does not practice what it preaches (freedom and democracy anyone?), Christianity is often seen to be not particularly tolerant or forgiving of other people.
Trust me, there are plenty of atheists who rally against the other religions, in other parts of the world. It is only because (I assume) you live in a western country, criticism of Christianity is all you hear. Many western scholars, including Dawkins and Hitchens, have created solid arguments against Islam, Hinduism and others, just as they have for Christianity.
There seem to a pattern I am noticing, of Christians wanting to be the victim. Where on earth did you get this idea from? I do have my theories though, and they’re not flattering!
Cheers,
Paul