We're running Modern Applications on a Caveman Operating System By James Aames ~ I n order to understand why humans have a seemingly instinctual inclination toward religious answers, you have to believe in evolution. If you don’t believe in evolution, stop reading now. You won’t agree with anything I’m about to say. Here’s a statement that we don’t often consider; we evolved to do four things.   Stay alive  Attract a mate  Procreate  Raise children to the age where they can procreate That’s all evolution was good for and nothing more. Those are the only things you needed to do to replicate your egotistical DNA. Our brains did not evolve to show us what is true or to help us be our own person. If you meet someone who believes in fairy tales, or simply follows the tribe, they are not less evolved than you. Rather, they are the template of humanity. People who reject mystical answers have rebelled against many instincts that humans evolved to survive. Cavema...

By James Hollingsworth ~ I read Exchristian.net from time to time because I enjoy hearing people's stories about when and how the light bulb came on for them. My fellow exchristians have taken multiple paths to the realization that religion is all made up. For some it happens in a flash, for others it is a long painful process. For me it was when my friend Joe used the word " dualism " to describe religion. Dualism means that there are two separate and distinct worlds. One is physical. It has substance, flesh and blood; the stuff we feel, taste, and experience. It is where carrots grow, fish swim, birds fly, and galaxies revolve. The other world is supernatural. It exists outside the physical experience and will be our reward or punishment once we die. Religion is the struggle to reconcile these two worlds. This is a contrived dichotomy that only serves to justify the need for religion. There is only one world. What you see is what you get. And, religious...

By James Aames ~  I t’s considered bad form to condemn all versions of Christianity, so most leading voices in religious journalism will only speak negatively of “high-control” religions or simply “cults.” However, the subtle implication of those terms is that “low-control religions” or “non-cults” are not harmful. This has always caused me to stop in my tracks. It’s wrong. Even though Christianity is a continuum of beliefs, all versions of Christianity are indeed harmful. For the purpose of this article, I need to define the word “Christian”? Any version of “Christianity” that does not believe in the redemption from original sin through the crucifixion of Christ is probably misnamed. Based on this definition, every Christian, in spite of all the good things they might do, are still partly responsible for America’s toppling into the chasm of a police state. They are all responsible for making parishioners chronically insecure and susceptible to strong-man leadership. They are al...

The following is a short interview with Bill Burkland, the author of a soon to be released book entitled " The Misconceived Conception of a Baby Named Jesus ." The book is available for preorder now. W hy did you write The Misconceived Conception of a Baby Named Jesus? I began the book because I wanted to make people laugh, and finished the book because I wanted to make them think. Sometimes humor is the best way to approach controversial or sensitive subjects. What sort of controversial subjects do you touch on in the book? Well, the book essentially challenges the entire Christian origin story. It challenges everything from the prophecies (and prophets) hundreds of years prior to the birth; it challenges the notion of a virgin birth, the role of the Wise Men and shepherds, the absurdity of miracles, and it challenges how Gospel writers like Luke, stitched together their stories. It challenges these stories through parody and satire. Why did you reach out to exChr...

By Carl S ~ P eople sincerely believe this crap: In chapter one of their book, their god creates everything, and pronounces this creation "Good."  In chapter 8, he wipes it out.  On top of that, in the very same chapter, at verse 25, he proclaims that never again will he destroy the world by drowning, because... and get this, he concludes after it, that "man's heart is evil from his birth"! Wait one minute. Concluded this. Shouldn't he have known this before he committed genocide, nature-cide (ecocide)? True believers are stupid to believe stories like this.They want it both ways; a loving god who is at the same time, excused for the evils he constantly commits. We've had over two thousand years of this shit. Apologists "explain" why his evils should be tolerated, why evil is good, telling us "You can't understand the mind and wisdom of God."

By Cassandra Brandt ~ I was told from further back than I can remember, that belief in God and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ would save my soul. Not unlike three quarters of the American population, my parents raised me on the Bible and in church. My faith was a huge part of my life which I didn’t know to question until it was so much a part of me I was terrified to let go. I was born belonging to the evangelical Christians whose customs and beliefs were a bit crazy to the outsider or apostate’s eye. As a child I grew up used to seeing respectable adults in their Sunday best flopping around on the floor “slain by the spirit”, jumping and shouting prophecies and praying in “tongues”👅. My first Bible was a red hardcover comic strip Bible with awesome illustrations. I loved how the paper smelled. I read those stories over and over and over. I loved the Old Testament stories about Joshua and the Wall of Jericho, Moses and the plagues; I knew all the New Testament parable...

By Webmdave ~ P eople with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) display a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration, a lack of empathy, a heightened sense of self-importance, believe they are unique or “special,” and demonstrate an inability to take responsibility for their actions. I have experienced – up close – the abusive behavior these individuals are capable of inflicting on those around them. The biblical God is the ultimate example of these unhealthy traits. He believes the universe exists solely to worship him, and his vision of heaven revolves around constant adoration. Revelation 4:11 : “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” Narcissists tend to devalue or attack those who threaten their self-image. The God of the Bible displays this tendency by punishing all who stray from His worship and condemning all unbelievers to eternal damnation. Romans 1:18...

By Webmdave ~ I grew up in the 1960’s in what I thought was a normal stable family, nicely accessorized with a father who went to work every day (at short-term, low-paying jobs) and a mother who stayed home to keep house. Over time I came to realize my father suffered from a learning disability coupled with a disturbingly explosive temper. Today he might be diagnosed as having lower cognitive and emotional quotients. My mother’s intelligence was at or above average, but her personality was heavily seasoned with many of the symptoms of Narcissistic personality disorder . Although fiercely committed to their marriage vows (divorce was a big taboo for them), the tenuous poverty-level lifestyle was frequently accented by shouting, fighting, and hitting – a routinely colorful attribute for our normal, “stable" family. Early on I opted to cope with the stressful atmosphere by wetting the bed and playing with matches.  At about 11 years old something changed. My grandmother invited ...

By Webmdave  ~ diversity, equity and inclusion: noun A set of values and related policies and practices focused on establishing a group culture of equitable and inclusive treatment and on attracting and retaining a diverse group of participants, including people who have historically been excluded or discriminated against — Merriam-Webster D iversity, equity and inclusion are among the political clarion calls of our modern culture. I read an article today about how the original Star Trek series received criticism for including no female speaking parts in an episode entitled “ The Devil in the Dark ." In the 60’s, Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek was experimenting with all kinds of possible futuristic scenarios while promoting going beyond current cultural boundaries, but apparently sometimes fell short. Diversity, equity and inclusion has been on the forefront of the minds in the media, politics and the wider culture for quite some time.  The word diversity can rattle s...