Updated: 03/15/05
CHAPTER 18
Almost
everyone knows a little bit about the Christian religion and something about
its good teachings. Many will ask, do the good teachings of the Christian religion
not justify some of the errors in it? Don't the good teachings in the Christian
religion Prove this religion and Bible is from God?
Let
us look at the good teachings in Christianity. First, I would like to list all
of the good teachings in Christianity, which are Not found in the other ancient
pagan religions.
1. - - - - -.
2. - - - - -.
3. - - - - -.
That is it! None! Not one good or bad teaching is found in Christianity that is not also found as a part of other ancient pagan religions and that includes the plans of salvation. For that matter, all religions have some good teachings in them and in many instances; those teachings are better presented in pagan religions than they are in Christianity. So one cannot say a religion is from God just because it has some good teachings in it, unless he admits that all religions are from God.
Next,
let us examine what happens if one follows All of the good teachings in the
Holy Bible. The Bible tells us, even if a man did all of the good works
possible, he is still a sinner in God's eyes subject to the wrath of God. The
doer of all good works is still destined to burn in hell fire forever. In other
words, it makes no difference to the Bible God if a man is a good father, a
good husband, a good neighbor, a good citizen, or even a good worshiper. In
God's eyes, according to the Bible, that same man is equal to the vilest
criminal and worst reprobate in the world. The worker of good will be cast into
torment side by side with the rapist, the murderer, the thief, the wife beater,
the child molester and the abuser of political power. In fact, good works do
not even count in most of the Bible's descriptions of whom God likes enough to
save and who he hates enough to cast into hell fire. What then does God
consider being good and what does he consider being bad?
According
to the Bible, the "good" are those who “Believe” in all of the claims
in the Bible. The "bad" are the Unbelievers (the honest doubters).
What you Do, according to the Bible, is of small importance in determining
where you spend eternity. What you Believe is all-important. That is the good
in the Bible and in Christianity. That is the morality that the Christian
religion teaches. No other religion I know of is that unjust. All the other
religions allow rewards in the future for those who do good. The rewards
differ, but all the other religions reward the good and punish the bad. Only
Christianity punishes the good (if they honestly doubt and think) and rewards
the bad (if they believe the unbelievable claims of the Bible). So, the
ultimate "good" in the Christian Bible and the Christian religions is
gullibility, ignorance and not thinking.
The
Bible clearly states, "What a man sows, that shall he also reap."
But, I have Never seen, nor heard, that verse applied to the unbeliever or
Honest Doubter. It is Always applied to the Christian Believer. If that verse
were applied to the unbeliever or Honest Doubter, Christianity would be forced
to discard all of its plans of salvation and most of its doctrines. The highest
"good" in the Bible (according to most Christian denominations) is to
Believe. But what must you believe? You must believe in the worst and most
barbaric form of injustice ever invented and forced upon humankind by a god, a
devil or by a man. You must believe the guilty can go free while the innocent
(Jesus) suffers for your wrongdoing and your guilt.
You
must believe an innocent Son of God suffered and died for the wrongdoing, which
you did, which you do and which you will do. If you believe that, you are
washed white as snow. You no longer are guilty. You no longer are responsible.
This God in the sky has taken care of All your wrong doings, past, present and
future. So believers are taught, the innocent can suffer for the wrongs of the
guilty and the guilty are pardoned and can go free from the results (effects)
and responsibilities of their wrong doings. They can move right into heaven and
live next door to their favorite saint.
Contrast
this highest good of Christianity in the Bible with the good of Clear Thinking.
The Clear Thinking philosophy says each person must be responsible for his Own
actions. He must pay the psychological and physical price for his wrongdoing
and errors as well as the social price.
CLEAR THINKING OFFERS JUSTICE, NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.
Clear
Thinkers conclude that the highest good is justice. To receive more than
justice, is unjust, and to receive less than justice, is unjust. We recognize
the world is not just. We recognize it takes almost infinite wisdom to even
determine what justice would be in any given circumstance. We aim high. We do
know a government or a religion that flaunts its unjust and irresponsible laws
and rules has neither the well being of the people at heart, nor does it have a
single speck of integrity. If a thoughtful person hears any Christian plan of
salvation and doesn't come away irritated and full of indignation, it is
because he left his brains at home. Even if he did leave his brains at home,
when he realizes a “Just” God is supposed to have formulated these outrageously
unjust plans of salvation, he will be equally repulsed.
The
teaching of this "good" in the Bible, shows that you get
"something for nothing" - again. This seems to be the main theme running
all through the Bible, something for nothing like salvation, like answers to
prayer, like miracles, like wisdom, like food and sometimes, like winning the
war, or the ball game. Something is owed to the believer. Not only does he get
salvation when he dies, but on earth, he gets all the favors from God for which
he asks. "Whatever you ask in my name, I will give you." The believer
is promised a place of rulership in the coming glorious thousand years of
heavenly rule by God on the earth. It is called the Millennium. God also
promised these things to the believer plus heaven. The believer will even be a
Ruler in heaven. He will even rule over the angels and be able to tell the
angels what to do (according to the Bible). I think this is going to piss off a
lot of angels.
In
other words, the believer is promised wealth without work, wisdom without
thinking, knowledge without studying, health without good habits, happiness
without making anyone else happy, salvation without restitution and without
lifting a finger for it. He is promised power, rulership, prestige and of
course, he is promised he will live forever. Eternal Life! When you are in the
promising business like the Christian religion is, it is best to promise the
whole ball of wax. That way no other religion can slip in among their gullible
believers and promise them something that the Christian religion hasn't already
promised to the believers.
Oops!
I almost forgot. The Muslims have promised all of the pretty women the male
believers can handle. (How will these pretty women be selected in order to be
servants to the men in the Muslim heaven? Will the favored women believers also
get handsome men?) Christianity really slipped up there. They are losing lots
of a certain segment of their faithful to the Muslim religion. Something for
nothing! Is it any wonder most crimes are committed by fundamental believers in
this country and world? They can do no wrong. If they do there is forgiveness.
The
Bible rightly says, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto
you." Every person knows this. This is Not divine revelation. It is common
sense. Every religion known to mankind expresses this same ideal. But then the
Old Testament turns right around and teaches slavery, war, murder, thievery,
lying and on and on. The New Testament is just as bad. It also teaches slavery,
war, murder, thievery and lying. "Slave, submit to your master though he
beat you." "The sons of God shall make war on the children of
darkness." (The children of darkness would be the honest doubters.)
"Bring my enemies before me and slay them." (You also know who the
enemies are too.) "God has whispered delusions (lies) into their ears that
they might harden their heart and not believe the gospel of Christ. And having
rejected his salvation, they shall be cast into outer darkness where there is
weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth." "And the Lord took
(stole) from him all that he had and gave it to another." These are merely
a small number of examples of the "goodness" found in the Bible.
In
the Bible, God regulated and supported slavery. He asked for human sacrifice.
He ordered stealing, he ordered rape and pillage and he ordered genocide. He
commanded that those who could not believe the unbelievable (the Honest
Doubters) were to be killed. People were to be killed for making a fire on
Friday night or Saturday, for eating too much, for eating during a fast, for
eating fat, for not circumcising their male children, for speaking against God,
for speaking in favor of another God, for touching a holy thing, for entering a
holy place, for putting bells on their clothing, for working on a feast day,
for working on the Sabbath, for intercourse during menstruation, for adultery,
for fornication and for many, many more normal activities of man.
God
sends people to hell for not plucking out their eyes, or cutting off their
hands or feet. The Bible says, "God is the same yesterday, today and
forever." Do you believe in This God, in This Bible and in these
"Good" Works? Or do you believe in the Generic God that your
minister, priest or rabbi tells you about? The Bible God and the modern Generic
church God are two different Gods with two different natures and two different
characters. Which God do the believers worship? Or, you?
In
the Old Testament God pursued his enemies until they were dead. Then he let
them rest in the grave. In the New Testament he not only pursues them while
they are alive but after death, he tortures his enemies (read honest doubters)
throughout eternity, never giving them time off for good behavior, never giving
them water (in his name) or giving them a chance to reform. The Old Testament
is actually more just toward the enemies of God than is the New Testament.
WHERE IS THE GOOD?
Never
has a more unjust, inhumane and untrue philosophy been put together by man.
Yet, this untrue, inhumane and unjust philosophy calls itself, "Good.”
Christianity says this untrue, unjust and inhumane philosophy came straight
from God through revelations by way of his Holy Spirit and his Holy Word, the
Bible. Could any God, good or bad, be responsible for such a travesty on
mankind? Let me answer that. "No! Indeed not!"
When
a man is blind, he must rely on those around him to describe truth and reality to
him. Once his eyes are opened and he can see for himself. He now has a choice.
He can keep his eyes open and see for Himself, or he can shut his eyes and call
out for others to describe the truth to him. Some of you may have just opened
your eyes. Look for the Truth!
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!
THINK!