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A Letter I gave my Believer Wife

By Snabag ~

MY THOUGHTS ON RELIGION
Dated April 18, 2015,

In my life,I have had to make a lot of difficult decisions, and I like to think that most of my decisions were based on rational, logical, analytical, and using critical thinking and always seeking the truth.

I need empirical evidence to satisfy my curiosity.

The easiest decision I have ever had to make in my life was whether religion and Christianity in particular had any merit or truth.

Any religious person who would start to read this writing will be offended and angry right off the bat, that someone would question their beliefs. My intentions are not to offend anyone, but to give them an honest reason why I think the way I do.

I will try to list my reasons in no particular order and then try to explain them.

THE BIBLE:

My first approach was to find out who wrote the bible and where did it come from.

The bible was voted on my mortal men who decided what went in and what would not. This took place in around 325 AD. at the Council of Nicaea. The gospels were only four out of over twenty. The authors were all anonymous. No one knows who wrote Matthew, Luke, Mark and John. As a matter of fact, most books in the bible were anonymous and no one knows who wrote them. The first five(Pentateuch) were suppose to have been written by Moses. Scholars now believe they were written by a least four different authors and possibly five. The gospels were written several generations after Jesus suppose to have lived and died. They were not written firsthand.

P.S. Yes, the Bible is filled with nonsense. This includes... a pristine world created without death, a global flood that saw 8 humans plus some collection of critters on a boat survive, magical fruit, a talking snake, a talking donkey, demon infested pigs, a talking bush, a stick turned into a snake , a detached hand floated in the air and wrote on a wall, fire from heaven consuming idol worshipers on Earth, bears mauling children for them calling Elisha a "baldhead", the sun stopping in the sky so a battle could be fought,

"Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day." (Joshua 10:12-13)

A woman turning into a pillar of salt, 10 plagues in Egypt that have no historical reference in Egyptian history, Pharaoh and his army of charioteers disappearing into a sea despite no such reference in Egyptian history, God allowing Job's children and servants and household and personal health to be destroyed just to prove a point to Satan, Samuel killing 1,000 people with the jawbone of a donkey, Jonah spending 3 days in the gut of a fish, an ear being reattached without surgery, dead being raised to life, a man walking on water, a man turning water into wine, and God depending upon the witness of IDIOTS like Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron to spread the "good news". How can a rational mind accept any of this? If God will not reveal Himself to you in a way that you can comprehend, it is absurd to think you deserve eternal torment for not "believing."

The bible has unreasonable laws like a woman must marry her rapist, a woman’s hand has to be cut off if she accidentally grabs a man’s testicles.The bible has all kinds of scientific errors,like the sun revolving around the earth when it is the opposite. Galileo spent the last years of his life in confinement because he wouldn’t reverse his discovery that the earth revolves around the sun. In 1992 the Vatican issued an official apology to Galileo.

The bible is full of errors about animals. A rabbit doesn’t have a cud to chew, bats are mammals and not birds etc.

The bible is full of contradictions too numerous to mention. Like Judas hanging himself in one place and falling down a spilling his guts in another.

The bible is full of absurdities like living 900 years, living in a whale for three days, talking snakes,donkeys and bushes, turning water into wine, rising from the dead (500 rose when the resurrection was supposed to have taken place), walking on water, turning a woman into salt , being born of a virgin, Stars falling to earth when the stars are really other suns that are in greater size than the earth, etc.

The bible condones SLAVERY

If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year,but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.' If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. (Exodus 21:2-6 NLT)

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)

When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished,since the slave is his own property. (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)

The bible has unreasonable laws like a woman must marry her rapist, a woman’s hand has to be cut off if she accidentally grabs a man’s testicles.

If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10 NLT)
How many people would this effect?

The bible has silly rules about eating shellfish, planting two crops in the same field, wearing clothes of two different fabrics,etc.

THE BIBLE IS FULL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ERRORS

The exodus out of Egypt left nothing, etc.

Archaeologists discount the Bible, because not a single find hasbeen made in the desert between the Middle Bronze II and the Late Bronze Age, the entire period typically dated from c. 2000-1200 B.C.[18] Finkelstein said, there is "not a shred of evidence" providing information on the Exodus. Further, it is"extremely unlikely" new materials will be found to allow serious archaeological research on the Exodus and desert wanderings.[19] Apparently, Israel left nothing to indicate their presence. The city of Arad did not exist between c. 2300 and 1000 B.C. It simply was not there for Israel to conquer. The town of Nazareth never existed in the time of Jesus birth. Did Joseph take his family to Egypt or Nazareth to escape.

CRUSADES , INQUISITION , AND WITCH BURNING, etc.

The catholic church has a terrible past history on killings and torture in the name of religion during the years of the crusades, inquisition, and witchburning.

Their­­ churches have a terrible history of abuse while operating laundries, residential schools and denying condom use in Africa while aidswas running rampage.

The abuse by the clergy of children is well known and worldwide.

OUTSIDE SOURCE:

No one has the slightest physical evidence to support a historical Jesus; no artifacts, dwelling, works of carpentry, or self-written manuscripts. All claims about Jesus derive from writings of other people.There occurs no contemporary Roman record that shows Pontius Pilate executing a man named Jesus.Devastating to historians, there occurs not a single contemporary writing that mentions Jesus. All documents about Jesus came well after the life of the alleged Jesus from either: unknown authors, people who had never met an earthly Jesus, or from fraudulent, mythical or allegorical writings. Although one can argue that many of these writings come from fraud or interpolations, I will use the information and dates to show that even if these sources did not come from interpolations, they could still not serve as reliable evidence for a historical Jesus, simply because all sources about Jesus derive from hearsay accounts.

No writer of history from the time of Jesus mentions that he existed except Josephus, and scholars now know it to be a forgery.

There is no conclusive proof that Jesus even existed.

The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the flood story similar to Noah’s Ark long before the bible story. It also tells a similar story of man being created. This was long before the bible.

JESUS:

The following are a few verses about Jesus being against peace and telling people they must hate their families

Jesus neverwrote a word. Everything about Jesus is second hand and written several generations after his death.

The "GoldenRule" had been said many times by earlier religious leaders. (Confucius: "Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.") 500 years before Jesus.

The birth of Jesus was heralded with "Peace on Earth," yet Jesus said,
"Think not that I am come to send peace: I came not to send peace but a sword." (Matthew 10:34) "He that hath nosword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." (Luke 22:36) "But those mineenemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them beforeme." (Luke 19:27.

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, andmother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot bemy disciple." (Luke 14:26)

"I am come to set a man at variance against his father,and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matthew 10:35-3)

SECOND COMING OF JESUS

There have been several dates advertising Jesus’ return, They have all been wrong even though Jesus told his disciples that some among them would not die before his second coming:
"There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28).
"Behold, I come quickly." (Revelation 3:11)

It's been 2,000 years, and believers are still waiting for his "quick" return.

WOMEN

The bible is against WOMEN

Below are just a couple of verses degrading women. The bible is full of verses condemning women.

"I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception;in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall ruleover thee."

--Genesis 3:16

By this third chapter of Genesis, woman lost her rights, her standing -- even her identity, and motherhood became a God-inflicted curse degrading her status in the world.

In the New Testament, the bible decrees:

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. ButI suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adamwas first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

--1 Tim.2:11-14

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it isnot permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame forwomen to speak in the church." (I Corinthians 14:34-35)

EVIL IN THE WORLD

If there was a loving God, why is their so much evil in the world. There have been more people killed in the name of religion than from any other cause. Why is there diseases, virus’, tsunamis. Hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes etc. Why are thousands of people dying of starvation. Why not create a more perfect world?

GEOGRAPHY

Why is it people are of the same religion of their parents? If you are catholic, chances are your parents, grandparents, etc., were catholic.

Why is it people born in Iran are mostly Muslim, people born in India are Hindu, People born in the southern USA are Baptists, etc.?

CREATOR AND CREATION

The creation story is so absurd about the universe being created in six days.

If you say God created the earth & universe in six days, The Universe has billions of galaxies and planets. Just go to http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/the_universe and see for yourself.

God-belief does not answer any questions; it just replaces a mystery with another mystery.

If god made everything, who made god?

How come the creation story has several errorslike not creating light till the fourth day. Was everything in darkness. How can plants come beforethe sun when plants need the sun to survive.

How can the earth be only six thousand years old, when the light from the stars are millions of light years away. How can stars fall to the earth, as the bible says,when stars are actually other suns much larger that earth.

Astronomy clearly has shown that the earth was NOT created before the sun, stars, etc. (as told in Genesis)..

FIRST CAUSE ARGUMENT

If everything has to have a creator, then who created GOD

TEN COMMANDMENTS

The first four commandments are only about worshipping an insecureGod. If you were God, would you need to be worshipped?

How come the ten commandments say to love thy mother &father when Jesus says you must hate your mother & father to be one of his followers?

Couldn’t you not think of more important rules like being against rape, incest etc.?

How come there are different versions of the ten commandments in the bible? Why is there a commandment to not boil a goat in it’s mother’s milk?

NUMBER OF GODS

How would one know which God to worship? With thousands to choose from, there can only be one true God? Mithra, Zeus, Thor, Allah, Yahweh, to mention a few. Most people are atheists in regard to all others except the one they worship... I just go one God farther.

How come several earlier Gods like Mithra were born of a virgin, died and were resurrected and had twelve followers etc., just like Jesus?

HELL

How come hell is so recent and only introduced by meek and mild Jesus? Hell is not mentioned in the old testament.

EVOLUTION

Everything I read in scientific books shows that evolution is an absolute fact.

Two great books are: The Greatest show on earth by Richard Dawkins and Why Evolution is True by Jerry Coyne. DNA is proving that evolution occurred.

CHARLATANS

Phony preachers and faith healers conning innocent people out of their money with false promises of health remedies and salvation in the name of religion etc.

GENOCIDE

Thus saith the LORD of hosts ... go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 1 Samuel 15:2-3

“But as for the towns of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not let anything that breathes remain alive. You shall annihilate them -- the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites -- just as the LORD your God has commanded, so that they may not teach you to do all the abhorrent things that they do for their gods, and you thus sin against the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 20:16-18 NRSV).

The worldwide flood at the time of Noah as described in Genesis, chapters 6 to 8. From the description, it almost completely wiped out the human race, with the exception of Noah, his wife and sons and their wives.

"So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen,even unto Gibeon." Joshua 10:40-41

"Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all thewomen children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."(Numbers 31:16-18)

Exodus, ch.32, v.26 - 30:
“then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Who is on the Lord's side? Then come to me!” and all thesons of Levi gathered around him. He said to them,”thus says the Lord, thehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God">God ofIsrael, “Put your sword onyour side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of youkill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.” The sons of Levi did as Mosescommanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day. And Moses said, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day.”

Hosea 13-16:
Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

MAJOR CONCERNS

I am very concerned about the future for our civilization and the future for my grandkids when religion is interfering into our government , education , health , and our human rights Etc. When politicians say they go into politics or invade countries because their god told them to, it worries me.

Do you see why I do not respect the biblical message? It is aninsulting bag of nonsense, You have every right to torment yourself with such insanity- but leave meout of it. I have better things to do with my life.



Please accept this document as my last request upon dying. I wish no religious reference of any kind.

I wish no funeral , but will accept a get together with friends and family to celebrate my life. I knew for a long time that this is the only life I will ever have. I feel just lucky to be able to die because of the odds of ever being born were enormous. I am extremely thankful to have met and married my wife Marg. I could not have had the great life I have experienced without her love and support. My sons and their wives and my five grandchildren have given my life so much pleasure. Please do not mourn me as I will die knowing I have had a great experience and a very fulfilled life.

I have no wish as to what my wife decides to do with my body. She can have me cremated or my body given to science

Signed

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