By Brian Kellogg ~ I recently had an online discussion with a fundamentalist Christian that encouraged me to think deeper about the below argument. This is the beautiful result of honest debate. It either further strengthens your reasoning or it shows that you may be wrong. Either result is good even when we find we are wrong. Life is about growing. I'd rather not live with my fingers forever metaphorically in my ears. English: Abraham embraces his son Isaac after receiving him back from God (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) This argument was one of the lynch pins as to why I had to leave Christianity. Christopher Hitchens was the one who initially caused me to honestly and critically analyze the story of Abraham 's attempted murder of his son Isaac with one of his often finely tuned and targeted retorts in a debate. For this I am indebted to him to do what little I can for the cause of free-thinking as well. Any Christians reading this please post your rebuttal(s) ...

By Brian Kellogg ~  "23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria." (2 Kings 2) T he above is from a book whose proponents and followers say qualifies them for moral superiority. Note that the prophet did this "in the name of the Lord" all because the poor prophet was being picked on. In other words his god stood behind and fulfilled this curse. If you are going to say, "well this is the old testament". Then please explain your unchanging god to me again. This reminds me of so many xians who find comfort, amusement, and soul satisfying vengeance in thinking their opponents are go...

By Brian Kellogg ~ G reen life in winter’s oncoming grasp Cold shatters the warmth of the past Fall portends the approaching dusk Of a soul’s ensnaring unquenchable lust For that which it must Grasp and hold in wasting trust What piercing pain the mind must bare For those who with too much care Hold to thoughts that do not spare Truth the slightest glance Nor questions given half a chance From a mind so mythically entranced Website: http://the-flakes.blogspot.com / Hold fast and do not doubt One’s faith must be forever stout Shadows of the mind slip in and out Ephemeral truth for the devout Snip the tongue and sew the lips Unquestioned faith is reason’s total eclipse

By Brian Kellogg ~ L et's take a look at the Abraham Isaac fiasco. If we were to judge this event by new testament standards Abraham would be guilty of human sacrifice . Jesus tells us that if we just consider committing a sin in our mind we are guilty of it (Mat 5:28). Unfulfilled intention is as damnable as the intent fulfilling outward act itself. So, in short, we have god tempting Abraham causing Abraham to commit human sacrifice. Whether Abraham actually followed through on his intent to perform the heinous act motivated by god of sacrificing his son Isaac doesn't matter according to Jesus who is proclaimed the son of and equal to god in the new testament. English: Abraham embraces his son Isaac after receiving him back from God (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Now, the christian god does not change (Mal 3:6). Therefore what learn of god in the NT must also be true of him in the OT . As we have already seen, unfulfilled intention is as damnable as the inten...

By Brian Kellogg ~ I believe the title of this post really strikes at the core of religious belief. Humans, in general, so desperately want to believe that they either personally have magical power over a chaotic world or they have a god that can exercise such power for their benefit. It is a very traumatic event in one's life to honestly confront the fact that the Universe is wholly indifferent to us and is in fact quite chaotic and out of our control. The religious find comfort through the illusion of control and power afforded by their religion in much the same way superstitious fisherman or baseball players do with their good luck charms and other good luck rituals. I can understand and sympathize with this to a point. We see such thinking often played out in disasters where one church is destroyed but another survives seemingly miraculously. The parishioners of the surviving building thank god for his goodness, but what of god's goodness for the parishioners o...

By Brian Kellogg ~ T his is where the rubber meets the road for me. When I was a christian a few years back I remember teaching on hermeneutics and critical thinking at church. I brought up an example of a current christian conspiracy theory and that is where I lost the class. I had another parishioner approach me at the end of another class very emotional saying that I could not say she was wrong on how she interpreted a certain scripture due to her own personal revelation . It is an untouchable belief among many Christians that verses can have multiple "hidden" meanings. Scripture is fluid, but the same will hold to a completely unyielding strict interpretation of our US constitution . A little hypocritical me thinks. There are no symbols that represent skepticism. This is one symbol that can be used to represent skepticism, skeptical inquiry, critical thinking, critical inquiry, and truth-seeking. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) It is this hyper-subjectivity ...

By Brian Kellogg ~ C hristian apologist Dr. William Lane Craig often uses the argument from personal experience in an effort to prove his god. Craig says (in his own words): The way in which I know Christianity is true is first and foremost is the basis of the witness of the Holy Spirit in my heart. And this gives me self-authenticating means of knowing Christianity is true wholly apart from the evidence . And therefore, even if in some historically contingent circumstances the evidence that I have available to me should turn against Christianity, I do not think that controverts the witness of the Holy Spirit." This argument is obviously inept, but we will go into it somewhat. If Dr. Craig would affirm this argument's validity then he must also be willing to allow all other religions to offer such evidence as well. I do not believe he would accept this due to the exclusivity that Christianity demands. This tool of argumentation only helps to underscore the weak...

By theFlakes (a.k.a. Brian Kellogg) ~ " We know that reason is the devil's harlot, and can do nothing but slander and harm all that god says and does ." - Martin Luther Dr. Martin Luther's Church Door - Wittenburg, Germany '93 (Photo credit: Mikey G Ottawa ) T his is a quote from a man that I used to admire until I learned more about him and the incredible amount of ridiculous rhetoric that spewed forth from his mouth. This quote entirely encapsulates the christian evangelical fundamentalist view on the human intellect. Why do many who study in higher education institutions leave christianity or at the least only pay it lip service? I think the answer to that is quite self evident. It is not due to the indoctrination forced upon students at higher ed institutions. Many of those students have already received enough indoctrination growing up in their christian homes. No, the truth of what many learn in college sheds honest illumination on the beliefs...