28. The Authority-Driven Life
As I watched the pastor at the church where I work proceed with the Communion ceremony one day, it dawned on me the essence of the entire problem with religious faith. It all centers on the concept of authority. In …
Month: April 2016
29. Dollars for Dogma
Whenever a salesperson attempts to sell us something, they will always state the benefits of why we need what it is they are selling, and with that, will often include numerous reasons why we would be fools to decline their offer. Each “religious” person …
30. Doubting Thomas
I admit to being a “doubting Thomas,” which I do not consider to be a “bad” thing. The expression “doubting Thomas” was coined from the famous scripture passage after Jesus’ resurrection in which his apostle Thomas is quoted in John …
31. God’s Plan?
V. Moral Problems of Christianity It has become a trend for those of a “religious,” “spiritual,” or “New-Age” bent to use the oft-quoted phrase, “there are no coincidences.” They say this with the implication that all things happen “for a …
32. Without Sin?
What is sin? Dictionary.com defines sin as follows. “Transgression of divine law… any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle… any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse, etc.; great …
33. Excuses for God
I admit I lose patience with those who try to make a “moral point” by quoting the Bible. While there are many wonderful and truthful passages in the Bible which can serve as good advice and words of wisdom, such …
34. True Faith, True Love
Throughout the chapters in this book and in other writings, I speak very critically of faith, because it is the acceptance as true that for which we have neither evidence, or at least good evidence, nor sound reasoning, which is the essence of laziness, …
35. We Are All Atheists
What is an atheist? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an atheist as follows. “A person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods.” Because this definition does not define which god one must reject to be a “true …
36. Morality?
I just recently watched a fascinating debate between Sam Harris and William Lane Craig, dated back to April of 2011 at the University of Notre Dame, which formally addressed the question of whether the foundations of moral values are natural or …
37. The Blame Game
Not too long ago, my counselor gave me something to think about I have found incredibly enlightening ever since. What we discussed was the “Drama Triangle Game,” which is a seductive, high-energy blame-game which attempts to redirect the focus of attention, energy, …