By Webmdave ~ I n this "Enlightened Age" of grandiose megachurches, faith healers, flat earthers, laughing revivalists and campaigners for creationism, one paradox remains as alive as ever: folks who are absolutely convinced they possess a direct line to the Divine still manage to consider everyone else’s beliefs as wacky fanfiction. Yet, while demanding unflinching reverence for their own God—who coincidentally shares their political views, national identity, and taste in flags—they dismiss others' deities as silly, quaint or downright dangerous. It’s not just ethnocentrism—it’s a full-blown tribal loyalty test, where the entry fee is suspension of disbelief (for your own ancient myths) and gleeful derision (for everyone else's). “The oddity of other people’s religion is always more apparent than that of one’s own.” This quote, attributed to Anthropologist Pascal Boyer , can be found in summaries and paraphrased interpretations of his book Religion Explained...

by MTC ~ L et me start by saying, that I'm not having plans or intentions of taking my own life. That being said, I (39F) got really sick when I was 2 or 3 years old. Everyone everywhere was praying for me, because they thought I was going to die. It was during this time that I was diagnosed with autism. Even though I turned out to be higher-functioning, in several ways I practically got punished for having autism (even though I sure as heck didn't choose to have it), and my family had to endure their own challenges and obstacles as a result of my diagnosis, and I feel horrible for them. I also ended up being an "early bloomer," developing breasts at 10 and starting my period at 11. As silly as it may sound, to this very day having been an "early bloomer" is one of the major reasons I have to take anti-depressants and other similar medications. It was during my early teens when I learned about being sick in earlier childhood and everyone praying for me. I...

T he Resurrection of Jesus stands as the linchpin of Christian theology. Without it, the religion’s salvific framework falls apart. As Paul famously writes in 1 Corinthians 15:14 ,  “If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith is in vain.”  For believers, this is a miraculous and literal event; for many scholars, however, it is better understood as a mythological narrative — one that follows well-worn patterns from the ancient world. Resurrection and the Pattern of Dying-Rising Gods The Resurrection story did not emerge in a vacuum. As Jonathan Z. Smith , a historian of religion at the University of Chicago, points out in Drudgery Divine (1990), the ancient Mediterranean world was replete with stories of dying and rising gods. While Smith was critical of oversimplified comparisons, he acknowledged that early Christians developed their theology in dialogue with prevailing mythic motifs. “Early Christians didn’t invent the category,...

T he assumption that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure is nearly universal in Western thought. Yet a growing minority of scholars—most notably Dr. Richard Carrier, PhD—argue that this assumption deserves serious scrutiny. Carrier is a historian of antiquity trained at Columbia University and a prominent advocate of the “mythicist” position: the idea that Jesus Christ may have originated not as a real person, but as a mythical, celestial being later historicized by early Christians. In On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt (2014), Carrier applies Bayesian probability theory to historical evidence and concludes that “the probability Jesus existed is low—maybe as low as 1 in 3” (Carrier, 2014, p. 600). He asserts that the earliest Christian documents, particularly the epistles of Paul, describe a supernatural savior who performs salvific acts in a heavenly realm, not on Earth. Paul, writing decades before the Gospels, shows no knowledge of a recen...

I t is 2025. We have sequenced the human genome, mapped the cosmic microwave background, and developed artificial intelligence capable of composing symphonies and diagnosing diseases. And yet, somehow, vast swaths of humanity—including, heartbreakingly, young people—are still pledging allegiance to ancient fables, clinging to a mythology that has been refuted by reason, evidence, and basic common sense for centuries. If religion were simply a personal quirk—like an affinity for astrology or homeopathy—it would be one thing. But it’s not. Religion is a mind virus, an intellectual parasite that thrives on uncritical thinking and the suppression of doubt. As Richard Dawkins put it in The God Delusion , religion is "a process of non-thinking" and "a meme that prays on the gullible and the indoctrinated.” And indoctrination is key. Why else would an 19-year-old raised in a world of science, reason, and instant access to information suddenly decide that the unprovable metaphy...

I magine, for a moment, that someone told you today that a man was executed, stayed dead for three days, then got up, dusted himself off, and walked out of his grave like a guy waking up from a nap. You’d assume they were joking—or that they had been taken in by some fringe internet conspiracy. Yet, this is the foundational claim of Christianity, a belief held by billions, despite being the sort of thing that, if it happened now, would be filed under "bizarre hoax" on Snopes within hours. To make it even stranger, the story doesn’t end there. After a few weeks of post-death appearances—appearing to his disciples, having breakfast, and showing off his spear wound like a party trick—Jesus decides to leave Earth by ascending into heaven. This was before we knew about outer space, of course, because "going up" in those days just meant "going where God lives." Today, we know better. If a man literally ascended into the sky, he wouldn’t be transported to some...

I t is absolutely infuriating that Christians—of all people—have the gall to declare that their religion is the one and only truth while dismissing every other belief system as fantasy, delusion, or outright deception. The sheer arrogance required to make such a claim is astounding. They ridicule Greek mythology, laugh at Hindu deities, and mock indigenous spiritual traditions—all while demanding that everyone accept their set of supernatural absurdities as objective reality. Let’s be crystal clear: Christianity is mythology . It’s a collection of ancient stories, borrowed traditions, and heavily edited scriptures, repackaged as divine truth. The only reason it gets a pass is because it wormed its way into political power centuries ago and has been gaslighting people ever since. If the Roman Empire had favored some other sect, modern Christians might be worshiping Mithras and claiming that was the one true faith. But no, because history played out in their favor, they now stand ...

O f all the wild, miraculous, and downright physics-defying things in the story of Jesus, perhaps the most absurd claim of all is that he died at the ripe old age of 33… without ever having done the deed . Let’s be real—this is more unbelievable than walking on water. More far-fetched than feeding 5,000 people with a couple of fish and some stale bread. More ridiculous than coming back from the dead after being executed by an empire that specialized in executing people. Because while resurrection is improbable, celibacy in your thirties is downright suspicious. The Bachelor Messiah Picture it: First-century Judea. A handsome carpenter (because of course Jesus was handsome—every Renaissance painting confirms this). He’s well-spoken, compassionate, good with his hands (literally—he’s a carpenter), and performs magic tricks that would make even David Blaine jealous. He turns water into wine at parties. He heals the sick, raises the dead, and preaches about love, forgiveness, and shari...

S o, let’s get this straight. Jesus is God, but He also prayed to God. Which means… He was talking to Himself? And people still think the Trinity makes sense? Alright, let’s dive into this theological brain teaser with a bit of humor and a whole lot of skepticism. Jesus: The Divine Yet Prayerful Figure The claim that Jesus is God is one of Christianity’s biggest selling points. He’s not just a prophet, not just a teacher—He’s the Big Guy Himself in human form. But here’s where things get weird: Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is constantly praying to God. You know, like in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He sweats drops of blood and asks God to take the whole crucifixion thing off the table (Luke 22:42). Now, if Jesus is actually God, shouldn’t He already have the final say? It’s like a CEO sending an email to himself asking for a raise. Did He have some kind of divine split personality? Was He role-playing? Or was He just trying to set an example for the rest of us? The Trinit...

T he question of whether Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure or a mythological creation has been debated for centuries. While mainstream scholars generally agree that a historical Jesus likely existed, a growing number of researchers argue that the figure of Jesus was entirely mythical, constructed from earlier religious traditions and political agendas. This "mythicist" position, though often dismissed, has been championed by respected scholars such as Richard Carrier, Robert M. Price, and others. The Lack of Contemporary Evidence One of the strongest arguments against the historical existence of Jesus is the complete absence of contemporary records. No Roman historian, government record, or eyewitness account from the time of Jesus mentions him. The primary sources we have—namely, the Gospels—were written decades after his supposed death, by unknown authors who were not eyewitnesses. Prominent historian Richard Carrier , in his book On the Historicity of Jesus (2...

C hristianity as we know it today is, arguably, more a product of Paul than of Jesus. The core Christian doctrine—that Jesus' death served as a sacrificial atonement for humanity's sins—is nowhere clearly taught by Jesus himself. Instead, this strange and unsettling idea originates largely from Paul, whose letters and theological interpretations reshaped the simple moral teachings of Jesus into a complex and often dark theory of blood sacrifice and divine wrath. In essence, Paul hijacked the message of Jesus and replaced it with a bizarre atonement concept rooted more in Jewish sacrificial traditions and Hellenistic mystery religions than in anything Jesus actually preached. Jesus’ Teachings vs. Paul’s Theology The teachings of Jesus, as presented in the Gospels, emphasize love, forgiveness, and moral integrity. Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, and treat others as they would like to be treated. The Kingdom of God, according to Jesus, wa...

W hat does anyone know of Omniscience. Are there actually any "know-it-alls?" How far does omniscience extend for an omniscient being? Is there anything It wouldn't know? What does the Bible have to say about omniscience? The video below explores this topic with thoughtfulness, logic and some humor.

By MTC ~ I (a 39-year-old female) was diagnosed with autism in early childhood. Even though I turned out to be higher-functioning in several ways, I practically got punished for it (having autism).   My mom, having a tendency to be overprotective, and having to be cautious in certain places because my hearing was heightened and therefore loud noises triggered me, and people thinking I should live in a group home and/or be in special education... are just a few ways of how I practically got punished for something I didn't choose. My family had to overcome hardships and challenges as well because of my diagnosis, and I feel terrible for them. They love me and wouldn't change a thing, but I still wish they didn't have to endure their obstacles.   On one hand, my autism wasn't preached to me and/or my family as the result of sin, a punishment, or the work of "the devil." On the other hand however, I was taught that "God" creates us how we are, or at ...

By TheRedneckProfessor ~ T he concept of hell, on its surface, seems pretty straightforward.    Sin, evil, injustice, inequity, and all manner of human depravity are eliminated in one final stroke of god’s divine retribution.    It appeals to our own sense of morality; because there is some part of humanity that earnestly believes in, seeks out, and, indeed,  needs , justice, fairness, and equality.    Hell seems to provide that.    Even when no justice is ever served on earth, in this life.    Hell provides the suffering for those who made us suffer.    We want the Hitlers and the Dahmers of the world to be punished; yet, at the same time, hell provides the incentive for kindness when mercy, compassion, and humanity fail.    Simple, straightforward retribution for the crimes and atrocities of the worst of us.   Yet, as a christian concept, hell is extremely difficult to defend, when viewed in relation to...