Other Questions?

According to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) the Universe is 13.77 billion years, with an uncertainty of only 0.4% and our Solar System is 4.5 billion years old.  If the Abrahamic God exists, that deity would have to be older than 13.77 billion years to have created our Universe or at the very least older than 4.5 billion years to have created our Solar System.

So the questions, wouldn't a being of that age, who created stars to use up hydrogen atoms, then helium to start the process of conversion to carbon and oxygen, to then explode that star so that it could use the carbon to create life on our planet, not to mention all the things that make the Earth a place where that life could thrive, have the ability and foresight to make itself known to those it created with the same precision? Another way to ask it would be, wouldn't a being as old as the universe be able to convey itself in literary form without any need for interpretation, or future readers having to accounting for the socioeconomics of the time it was published?  Wouldn't that deity with all its knowledge and precision leave such an important part, the revelation of who it is, to the cognitive abilities of such a young species?

It has always bothered me that the three main religions today (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) all worship the same deity, the God of Abraham, and yet all of them have such stanch interpretations on what the deity wanted for and from them, all based on who they felt was the correct orator. 

As a parent trying to convey maters of importance to my kid I am not vague, and don’t leave them open to interpretation.  For example, we don’t throw fits, we don’t hit other people, we don’t lie, if you continue doing what you are doing you will go to timeout, etc.  My wife and I are in agreement on these things so it doesn't matter which one of us says it, it’s the same.  This seems natural to me, which is why I have issue with this topic.

Why would I want to follow a deity that is so haphazard in conveying its thoughts, wishes, demands, etc. to those it is claiming to love?  Which leads to another question, if God so loved the earth, wouldn't he or she take more care with its children so they don’t interpret its messages differently and judge, hate, condemn and kill each other over them?

Your thoughts?

Marriage Equality

One of the most significant arguments in modern USA culture has to be marriage equality.  Arguments are being heard in the Supreme Court right now.  Hearing both sides of the argument, I know which side I am on, but that doesn't stop me from trying to understand the point of view from those whom I disagree with.  That's what a conversation means to me, where two or more different viewpoints can be looked at, discussed and understanding take place.  I don't think the conversation ever happened.  I think both sides are at fault on that failing, but that isn't what I want to talk about.

I wonder what this country (not to mention the modern world)  would be like if Government would have stayed out of the personal affairs of first century Christians?  I wonder if the history of their persecution is 'why' some, not all, but some tend to do the same today...

If you remember our (human) history, you'll remember it was the Sanhedrin, and other religious lobbyist who advocated the government to be in favor of Christian persecution… I’m sure they thought they were doing what was right, you know, sticking up for their God(s) obeying their doctrines…

Scriptures that come to mind: Luke 6:37, Luke 6:41, John 8:7, Romans 2:1, Roman 14:10, Romans 14:13, 1 Cor 4:5…

When I was a Christian I often had issue with why people got so bent out of shape of what other people were doing.  I guess I still do, this issue is moot in my mind.  Freedom for one group to do something and advocate to have it denied another when both are under the same Government falls under discrimination, which should have no place in our country, especially where love is supposed to the motivation for action for the majority of people who live here.  I wonder what the issue is, really is?

Despite how history played out or will play out, a friend of mine posted something on 'FB' that I feel is worth sharing and sums it up for me.  

This is the Jefferson Memorial, if any were wondering what the Founding Fathers might say today as the Supreme Court considers the "Defense of Marriage Act."

God was unhappy, and punishing us

  I know a guy who is a self-professed Christian. He does a lot of things for his church group and gives motivational talks on how to be a better Christian man, husband and father. On the onset I felt he was a “good” person, caring for others, and genuinely wanting them to be better people. It wasn’t until we had a conversation where he said that everything wrong with America was because of Gay’s and Atheist’s that I saw his true colors.

  Wait a minute, I said…. Two, minority groups have screwed up the entire United State of America... how is that exactly? He said it was because God was unhappy, and punishing us.

  Let’s break this down. First off, calling the United States of America, America is egocentric, sense America consists of north and south and a lot of other countries. Next, homosexuals and atheists destroying the United States, I did some research and found two atheists, Pete Stark of California and Ernie Chambers a Nebraskan Senator. As for homosexual, there is Barney Frank, Gerry Studds, Steve Gunderson, Jim Kolbe, Tammy Baldwin, Jared Polis, and Mark Foley with a maybe for David Dreier(some are no longer serving but have in the past 20 years) (Members_of_the_111th_US_Congress) So what is the count, 2, which are, 1 federal and 1 state official, who are atheist, and at least 7 homosexuals…. OMG! How can you not see the conspiracy!

  Why does god seems to hate exactly the same people Christians do? Christian’s say they follow Christ, use him as the ultimate guide for who they are supposed to be like, emulate. Christ died for all sins for all time. What sins are Christians willing to die for, certainly not for the sins of unbelief or homosexuality? I don’t think Christian should be a religious title, nobody seems to follow Christ, they should be paulians, or peterians, or matthewmarklukeandjohnians or someofthenewtestamentians.

  The facts are every bill, good law, shady law, discriminatory practice, unfair tax, loophole, guidline, oversight, etc. was passed by a group of Christians, or at the very least, monotheistic religionists that share the same god head, just different messengers. If this country is fucked up, it’s because of Christians; maybe this is what your free will to worship your god leads to, his allowance for you to fuck shit up all by yourselves. Maybe you should stop blaming god for the woes of the United States of America as a form of celestial punishment, and start blaming yourselves, the Christians who put the pin to paper.

In Your Words

Today while cruising through my YouTube subscriptions I watched a short video by The Thinking Atheist where he was asking for video responses to some questions for a 2nd
'In Your Words' production. I'm not sure if I will do one or not, but I did find it interesting to answer the questions
he posed.

Why don't you believe in gods?

In 2004 I found myself scrambling to secure the front gate
of FOB Danger in Tikrit, Iraq. A VBIED (vehicle born
improvised explosive device) had ignited in a mushroom
cloud of fire and smoke with a concussion that sent my
head to ringing. Pieces of debris rained down like hail
during a Midwest storm, with the whirlwind of frantic people
running for cover against the supreme act of faith that was
forced on them. Even now I can still smell the burning of flesh
mixed with ash and twisted metal, and remember the task of
searching for the pieces of the devout agent of god that fell
from the sky. It was then, as I was placing a hand without a
body into a Ziploc bag, I knew I didn't believe in god.

What frustrates you the most about religion?

There isn't just one answer to this question. One is, it
frustrates me that they can't see it's a business, and is
used as such. The lobbyists from religious organizations
play the same exact games in Washington DC. It frustrates
me when they deny the existence of facts because they don't
like it. It frustrates me, that they can't and won't stay
out of my business because they feel I'm doing it wrong.

What Questions would you challenge the
religious to answer honestly?

I would like them to watch AronRa's YouTube series on
Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism and then answer
their own questions about evolution. I would like them to
answer the questions on GreatBigBore's On the Box Questions.
I think that would be awesome video response, there are some
really good questions.

Why is life worth living at all?

My wife and son answer that question. Because I no longer have
a reward and punishment future to look forward to, it forces me
to acknowledge that everything is my fault, and not the
will of god, then it is my responsibility to mean what I mean,
and say what I say, right now, in the present. That means I have
to live a good, honest, and productive life now, for my wife
and son, not to mention myself because it is all I have. It's
worth living because I'm alive, and the odds of that need not be
wasted on myth.

One thing that I hate?

I hate that my family and friends, who have left me due to my
disbelief, have chosen the illusion. I hate that my touch, my hugs,
my kisses, my conversations, my laughter, my tears, my life and my
love have been passed over for an imaginary, intangible roll of the
dice, where every roll comes up snake eyes.