<div dir="ltr"><br><br><br><div class="">
<h2>Religion makes you ignorant</h2><p>Justin Parks</p><p>From: Liberty University Online<br></p>
<span id="spnDate" class="">14 January 2013, 15:01</span>
<div class="" style="float:left;width:470px;margin-bottom:10px">
</div>
</div>
<p>We are born with so much potential to learn and fully
understand the universe in which we live according to the scientific
principles and natural phenomena which surround us, yet we are burdened
with this ancient form of indoctrination from such a young age,
occupying so much brain space, limiting knowledge and encouraging dogma.
The limitations of religion are endless with no proof to back up the
religious beliefs, relying on ancient manuscripts and fear mongering to
survive.</p> <p>I entered university as a Christian, but the deeper I
studied the more I doubted my faith until eventually I had to apply
logic and reason to this primitive belief structure I had been
indoctrinated into when I was too young to make an educated rational
decision and took everything as fact. I allowed my mind to be
objectively open to everything, which equipped me with rational tools to
make an informed decision about how I fitted into this world and what I
was truly doing here. </p> <p>After much introspection and vast
literature references I came to the realization that as long as you as
an educated primate has a moral compass and live life to the best of
your abilities then condemnation and other fictitious principles,
stereotypes and dogma all go out the window. Even if it was one day
proven that god exists I doubt a good honest person would be condemned
to the fires of hell for being skeptical of stories without basic facts
attached, but rather receive the mercy upon which Christian faith is
based. </p> <p>How many centuries have people been brainwashed into
believing there is a god? That they must serve god and trust in him and
die for him and never question? They believe that the creator made them
and the entire universe with them in mind. Can you fathom that? How
arrogant of these religious humans to postulate that everything was
created with them in mind. An entire universe created by the magic man
in the sky just for them. Any person questioning these beliefs were
murdered, tortured, banished or imprisoned by the religious
indoctrinators who had full control of society and the lawmakers. This
went on for centuries and only in the last 150 years or so have atheists
started publically questioning belief and god. I realize this letter
will draw harsh blinkered religious criticism, but freedom of speech is a
right, as is belief and faith and nonbelief, but these ideas cannot be
exempt from questions and validation. </p> <p>So often the religious
person will say prove there is no god trying to counter the disbelief.
If someone has faith in something so extraordinary, the onus is on them
to provide evidence and justification for it. We are not obliged to
provide evidence against or to counter a person’s extraordinary and
unsupported beliefs. The burden of proof lies completely with the
believer.<b> </b></p> <p><b>“Russell's teapot</b>, sometimes called the <b>celestial teapot</b> or <b>cosmic teapot</b>, is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogy" target="_blank">analogy</a> first coined by the philosopher <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell" target="_blank">Bertrand Russell</a> (1872–1970) to illustrate that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophic_burden_of_proof" target="_blank">philosophic burden of proof</a> lies upon a person making scientifically <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability" target="_blank">unfalsifiable</a> claims rather than shifting the burden of proof to others, specifically in the case of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion" target="_blank">religion</a>. Russell wrote that if he claims that a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapot" target="_blank">teapot</a>
orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, it is
nonsensical for him to expect others to believe him on the grounds that
they cannot prove him wrong. Russell's teapot is still referred to in
discussions concerning the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existence_of_God" target="_blank">existence of God</a>.” (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot</a>)</p>
<p> </p> <p>I
have read many comments relating to religious articles published on
news24. I see atheists asking for proof and religious people being
unable to provide proof, yet believe conclusively that their god exists
and that he is real without entering into any intelligent debate or
brining scientific proof to the table. Somewhere along the line belief
became distorted facts and taught in our schools alongside science and
mathematics. I cannot for a second understand that valuable school time
was wasted on fairytales and fear mongering. Talk about brainwashing.
Howe can young children who do not have the ability to apply logic or
reason to indoctrination be subjected to it? Why should our children be
burdened with the dogma of bad, ancient ideas?</p> <p>Put it this way,
if you as an adult was told tomorrow having never heard of god that god
made the earth, the sky, the rivers, the chickens, the worms and the
unicorn to name but a few, that he sent his only son (who was himself)
to the earth and them killed him (himself) to save us from sin (that he
made) what would you say? I am certain that any rational minded logical
human would first ask for proof, because lets face it, this is a massive
claim. What could be bigger than stating an omnipotent omnipresent
invisible deity created everything out of nothing and man out of dust
and rib bones? In fact as I write this it’s beginning to sound like some
Hitchcock novel mixed with the lord of the rings. </p> <p>Yet millions
of people blindly go along with this ancient story written by
semiliterate dessert dwellers centuries ago. Why is this so? What makes
religion void of scrutiny and validation? The religious have no facts at
their disposal yet fully and whole-heartedly believe there is a god. </p> <p>What
is however an indisputable fact is that millions of innocent humans
have died in the name of "manmade" religion? How can it be something
good or divine when it is drenched in more blood than we can begin to
imagine let alone quantify? </p> <p>Christianity is so full of hypocrisy
and oxymoron’s that it has become totally diluted, there is so many
variations it makes you think Coca-Cola only has two products in
comparison. Phrases like pure evil, Immaculate Conception, black angel,
righteous sin, saving souls are all oxymoron by definition. If you asked
your average Christian what the 10 commandments are they wouldn't know,
yet this is one of the corner stones of their faith. Religion needs to
be exposed for what it truly is, made by man for the control of man.
What better way than to control minds than through fear of eternal
damnation and suffering in purgatory. </p> <p>On a personal note my life
has never been fuller and more exciting knowing that I am in total
control of myself. This has been a wonderful journey of self-discovery
and introspection. I don't believe that all my actions are being watched
by a divine creator but rather feel a deep moral ethical obligation to
humanity and myself alike. People need to realize that you can stand on
your own without the crutch of religion you think gives you strength.
Give your own strength some credit for a change. You don’t need faith or
belief to be a good father, brother, friend, member of society and
decent human being. I have my family, friends and career to live for and
nothing to die for. </p> <p>This is my opinion, however I must stress
that an opinion is as valid as a religious one. If you believe
something without facts it falls into the realm of opinion, speculation
and hearsay. To date there is no evidence supporting the existence of
god. Until there is real conclusive evidence it cannot under any laws of
logic be regarded as fact. It distorts our thinking and makes us
ignorant. </p> <p>We are evolving out of this primitive form of
hypocrisy and bigotry into even higher evolved primates who see
themselves as being in total control and not under the spell/influence
of some magic man. These are awesome times people and many died allowing
us the opportunity to expose religion for the indoctrinated farce it
truly is.</p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)<br><a href="mailto:art.deco.studios@gmail.com" target="_blank">art.deco.studios@gmail.com</a><br><br><img src="http://users.moscow.com/waf/WP%20Fox%2001.jpg"><br>
</div>