Wider template

I installed a wider template as some of the comment threads were getting too narrow. This should help some.

Of Heresy, Blasphemy, and the Price of Tea in China

I've been promising a post for a while now. I get ideas for posts and then, after thinking through them, usually end up not posting them. So much of what I want to say is said in other places, in better ways. Today's post fought through the usual process and became a real post.

While I enjoy discussions of various forms of theology and other forms of spirituality, I keep running into the black and white specter of dogma.

Main Entry: dog·ma
Pronunciation: \ˈdȯg-mə, ˈdäg-\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural dogmas also dog·ma·ta \-mə-tə\
Etymology: Latin dogmat-, dogma, from Greek, from dokein to seem — more at decent
Date: 1638

1 a : something held as an established opinion; especially : a definite authoritative tenet b : a code of such tenets c : a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds
2 : a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church

Just when things start to get interesting someone says "That's not scriptural", "God isn't like that", or "That's un-(Insert favorite religion here)". Dogma, in the case of religion, spirituality and many world views in general, is built upon this idea that there is a right way and a wrong way to believe and practice said belief. Of course this can really apply to any world view, I'm sure some hold the belief that there is even a right and wrong way to be an atheist.

One of the blogs I read is penned by the head pastor at the church I used to attend. He is someone who I have great respect for, because he truly does live his faith rather than shove it in everyone's face. One of his recent posts was a review of Dan Brown's latest book, The Lost Symbol. The final paragraph of the review is what sparked the idea for the post you are reading.

I know that many people will read The Lost Symbol. I would strongly remind you that it is a work of FICTION. And, that it is a proponent of a heresy and false belief system that has been around for nearly two millenia.

My comment was as follows:

If Gnosticism had won, and become the popular belief, everyone would be calling what we think of today as Christianity the heretical and false belief system.

Heresy and a false belief system, not unlike what Judaism would consider Christianity, or Christianity considers Mormonism, Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses and on and on. Can anyone prove that Christianity or any other religion is true? Of course not, if they were provable there would be no need for faith. Just because something is written in a holy book or came to you in a dream or while you were praying or worshiping or sitting in the woods doesn't make it true. Of course non-believers existing doesn't make these things untrue either.

I want to have these discussions, I really do. I find them fascinating and I do think it's possible there is something behind this whole God thing, but understand that when I say God I don't necessarily mean your idea of God, or your idea of God, or your idea of God. I start to lose enthusiasm as soon as a sentence begins with the phrase "God is...". I understand that for some people it's implied that they are saying "To me, God is..." or "Maybe God is...", but the fact of the matter is none of us knows with certainty anything about God or gods. We only know what we have experienced and interpreted and can listen to the experiences of others as they have interpreted them. On the day you die and go to meet your maker or go...nowhere, or meet Allah, or Vishnu, or Zeus, then you will know if heresy or blasphemy are real things, or you won't care. Until that day, remember that you could be just as wrong as you may think I am, regardless of all your experiences as you perceive them, and all your time spent studying holy scripture and spiritual phenomena. I promise to try to be open to what you believe, and I would be much encouraged if you would do the same for me and for others. Remember, the one you call heretical could just as easily think the same of you, and either could be right.

Peace.

P.s. This post is not directed at anyone person, not even Pastor Greg, his post was just the catalyst that inspired me to write this post that had been brewing for a while

Domain Name

I've decided the domain name atheistsandchristians.com is not important. I'm going to let it lapse in a few days. This site will still be available and active at http://atheists-and-christians.blogspot.com/. I have an actual new post coming soon, believe it or not. ;-)

If you link to this site please link to http://atheists-and-christians.blogspot.com/ from now on.

Thanks!

Dan Silverman update

Some of you may recall my November 18th, 2008 post The Plight of Dan Silverman.

Yesterday he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Va. Pastor Sentenced to 18 Months on Sex Charge

I've said all along that I have no idea if Dan is innocent, but during the short time I interacted with him he conducted himself with kindness and grace, only showing concern for his family and for his accuser. The comments left on his now defunct blog where a mixed bag, some were from loving Christians who knew and supported Dan, others were from hateful Christians who went on to no end about what a deceiver he was and how there was no hope for his soul as he was an apostate. I should also mention that many ex-Christians and atheists chimed in supportively.

The comments by those who knew him, both positive and negative, did nothing but re-enforce my leaning towards his innocence, but not directly knowing the man I can not be certain either way.

My wish is only that healing will follow for all the parties involved.

A note on comments: I considered not allowing them on this post, but decided that I would. I will, however, delete any comments I deem inappropriate. This includes hearsay. I have no more reason to believe you are telling the truth than anyone else.

No comments identifying the juvenile complainant will be posted.

I think we should stop teaching chemistry too.

I just read this post (We're Back: On Erhman, CNN and the Middle East) at www.PrimeTimeJesus.com. Apparently Bart Ehrman is emboldening terrorists. It reminds me of how the Bush administration accused those of us who were opposed to the war in Iraq of emboldening terrorists. Whether or not one agrees with Ehrman's work, to suggest that he should stop publishing his studies because some extremists are being encouraged is ridiculous. Extremists use the Bible too, should we stop publishing it?

An encounter at BJ's Wholesale Club

So, let me first tell you that until today I had a bumper sticker on my car that read "If Religious Groups Want To Get Into Politics, They Should Pay Taxes". Ironically, I decided today, while in BJ's, that I no longer wanted to express myself through bumper stickers since they seldom initiate any real dialogue.

As I returned to my car, put my groceries in, and began to remove my two bumper stickers, an angry pastor and his wife approached me. He angrily asked me why I displayed that bumper sticker and I told him it was because I don't like religious organizations getting into politics and trying to legislate their own brand of morality and that it was illegal for churches to endorse politicians and keep their tax exempt status. His wife chimed in with something like "If you were down on your luck, the church would be the first one to give you water." They both then proceeded to tell me how churches were the first to respond to Katrina and all the good churches do. I agreed that churches did a lot of good. They just couldn't understand that I didn't have a problem with churches. It's like they thought my bumper sticker said "Tax churches" because the next thing they talked about was how if churches were taxed then they couldn't do all the good they do now. My response was "But if churches were taxed and didn't have as much money, God would provide right?" They said yes he would.

They said something about how I would feel differently if I knew the Bible, at which point I explained that I had been a Christian for 20 years. He asked why I wasn't now and I briefly explained that in seeking a fuller relationship with God he gradually became less real to me. His wife asked me if I had a Bible and a Strong's concordance and I said yes. She then asked me to look up the word "love" in the concordance and read all the verses about love, and then she said something about having and older edition Webster's dictionary to look stuff up in. I was tempted to explain to her that I knew the new testament was written in Greek and that the Greeks had four words for love, etc. etc., but decided not to as I really wasn't interested.

We ended with him asking what my first name was so he could pray for me; I've always wondered why we needed names to pray for people. I thanked him, told them it was nice to meet them, and was on my way.

Why do some believers seem to be so challenged and almost intimidated by those who used to share their faith?

You are all wrong, fortunately, I'm right.

Today's post, the first in quite a while, is about schoolyard bullies who have grown up and become TV or radio personalities. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones who see the world in black and white, and only their side is the good side. The ones who don't actually deal with real issues, but instead toss around labels that do nothing, but make extremists be more extreme, polarizing this great nation of ours. I become nearly physically ill when I hear some of these disgusting hypocrites speak. During the last administration those of us who were less than thrilled with President Bush were un-American and were told we hated America, now these same people are criticizing our current president, hell it's not even valid criticism, it's just bullying, but they consider themselves patriots and still say the rest of us are un-American.

Why do people listen to these mental midgets?