Updated: 03/15/05
 
 

CHAPTER 36

CLEAR THINKING ABOUT RELIGION
(A Summary)

            Reading and writing about religion is often like reading and writing about one's mother, or one’s spouse. The emotional attachment to one's belief and religion often runs deeper than one's attachment to mother - or to one's spouse. To “believe” is to conclude that one’s opinion cannot possibly be wrong. To believe is to be in undying love with one’s opinion.

            All Religion is a very deep and emotionally based belief. In religion, one is taught to take the word, or the claim, of a respected religious authority (such as a holy book, holy man, church or religious leader). The words and the claims of these authorities are supposed to be all that is needed to vindicate and validate the truthfulness of their religious doctrines and claims. These authorities will tell you what the facts are, what to believe, what is good, what is bad, how to make your decisions and how to run your life. They tell you what is the truth and what is not true. These authorities may have been dead for thousands of years, or you may have read their words or heard them speak yesterday. If you accept what these authorities claim, and make your decisions based on their claims, then such decision making is called believing, or having faith and begins very soon in life, usually in early childhood.

            But as one grows older, he is caught between two conflicting methods or standards for determining and understanding the facts and truths of life. On the one hand, man is an emotional animal and makes a great many of his decisions in life based on the emotional attitudes and beliefs that he possesses toward himself and the world. On the other hand, man is a thinking animal, and therefore, bases many of his other decisions in life on an examination of the known facts and upon honest logical thinking.

            The thinking aspect of man's life and decision making, turns him into scientists, doctors, engineers, economists, inventors, business men, chemists, mathematicians, artists and other thinking pursuits.

            The emotional aspect of man's life (called believing) turns him into a religious follower or leader and a political follower or leader. Since he believes that those who do not believe like he does are wrong, he often turns into a teacher and defender of his beliefs. Often that produces prejudice, hostility and criminal activity toward others who believe differently, or who belong to other racial, religious or political groups. Since many facts produce evidence against his belief, he often becomes hostility toward science, the facts of life and the civilizing process of mankind. He often becomes an emotional decision maker in many other areas of life, basing many of his decisions on what he Believes to be true, instead of on what is Proven to be true. Indeed, he does not wish to know what is really true if it goes against what he believes is true.

            This conflict between thinking and believing promotes a constant turmoil in the individual and it becomes a threat to society, producing tension and crime at the least and too often, outright hostility, chaos, immorality, lack of justice, crime and war. Honest thinking is hard work and requires a clean mind, diligent study and honest research into the facts of a matter. Believing requires no effort and produces a lazy and defensive mind. Far too often, it culminates in a hostile and mean attitude.

            If one is a Moslem, then he believes as True what the Moslem leaders and writers say about that religion. By using a little Logical Thinking, he also rejects as untrue those other religions like the Jewish religion, the Christian religion, the Hindu, the Badhdi, the Buddhist, the Shinto, the Animist and others. In fact, he knows that all other religions are simply superstitions, untrue or inferior to the believer in the Moslem religion. Furthermore, using logic, (honest clear thinking) the Moslem can prove that all the other religions are man-made superstitions. All religions, except the Moslem faith, are superstitions, erroneous and man made. Without using logic and thinking (that is, using belief), he says only Mohammedanism is the final true word from God. He believes that is true.

            But, using faith (belief), the Jewish believers claim only their religion is the one true religion from God. By using logic and thinking, they conclude that all other religions including the Moslem religion are simply man made superstitions. The Jewish faith is the only true religion from God. They believe that is true.

            Using Belief the Catholics say their religion is the one true religion from God. Using logic and thinking, they say all other religions are just superstitions and man-made religions. Sometimes they say the Protestant religions are really caused by the Devil. They believe that is true.

            The fundamental Christians and others, using belief, say their religion is the only true religion from God. Using logic and thinking, they say all the other religions, including the Catholic religion, is untrue. Using belief, they say the Catholic Church is the one that the Devil invented to deceive mankind and keep people out of the true religion (theirs). All other religions are just superstitions and false. They believe that is true.

            In fact, by using belief, each religion says their own religion is the only one true God given religion. But, by using logic and thinking, they say all the other religions are either false, or simply man made superstitions foisted upon a gullible people by deceptive and lying teachers.

            So, whatever your belief and religion, there are billions of people out there who logically say your religion is false. Without using logic (using belief) they also say their religion is the one true religion handed down from God, the Unknowable Almighty. They believe that is true.

            Suppose there were only one hundred different religions. By using logic and thinking, you reject ninety-nine of them. By believing, you accept only one. You are now considered to be a one-percenter. That is, you believe only one percent of the religious claims. The difference between you and an Atheist is, therefore, only one percent. Using logic and honest thinking, Atheists reject all one hundred of them. That is a big percentage of agreement that you have with the Atheist no matter how you count it.

JUST THINK, YOU ARE 99% IN AGREEMENT

WITH THE ATHEISTS! IS THAT SCARY?

OR WHAT?

            People tend to believe the religion into which they were born unless there are certain political or economical motivations to change. Sometimes marriage or mobility causes the change.

            There is only one way to determine the truth of any religion, statement or claim. That claim can be made in a book, in a classroom, in a church, on TV, in a newspaper, on this paper, in a holy book, or on a street corner. To know the truth about a claim, one must examine the known facts on “Both” sides of the matter. If the facts prove the claim to be true, one can make honest decisions on the basis of that truth, not on the basis of an unproven claim that one can only believe or doubt. Therefore, one can either believe, or one can know the truth about a claim. He cannot do both.

FOR THE TRUTH, ONE MUST LEARN
TO SEPARATE FACT FROM FICTION.

            However, some smart (and maybe greedy) men came up with an alternative way to find out the truth of a claim. They said something is true because of "who said it.” That is, truth was based on authority. If the president made the claim, then it must be true, because he is the top authority in our country and always tells the truth. If the Pope said it, it must be true, because he is the top authority of the Catholic Church and always tells the truth. If someone said, "It is true, because the Apostles said it" then, it certainly has to be true because they cannot lie.

            Of course, the ultimate authority to be claimed is God. If God said it, then it is true beyond any reasonable question or doubt.

            The problem would not be readily seeable if there were only one religion in the world. But what happens when there are hundreds of religions and an equal number of different God concepts? The believers all claim their God and their religion as the ultimate authority. They further claim the other religions lie about God establishing and authorizing the other religions.

            All of the religions do have two teachings that they hold in common. The first teaching is, one can only belong to their religion and be saved if he believes that what he is told by that religion is the truth. This teaching is called faith or belief.

            The second common teaching is, if one honestly doubts, or seeks to determine the honest truth about the teachings of that religion, then that honest doubter is not worthy to enter that religion and is classified with the sinners and evildoers. In the Christian religion, (as in others) honest doubt is the unpardonable sin. That is, if one honestly doubts and seeks to find out the truth about the teachings of the Holy Spirit, the Bible and God, then that person is separated from all the good things the God of that religion wants to do for mankind, in this life and in the hereafter. If you Honestly Doubt, and hunt for the truth of the matter, you cannot be forgiven, even by God.

            Religion claims to give us this alternative method for finding out the truth of a matter. So, instead of dealing with the facts and looking for the truth of a claim, one is commanded, on the pain of eternal punishment, that he must accept their claims as being true because of the authority that said, "It is true." So, All Gods, All religions and All Holy Books have the final word on truth and facts. If this were so, why do they not all have the same conclusions and the same beliefs? Why do they differ over what is on the mind of God?

            This gives you and me two ways to deal with a political, religious, or any other claim. We can believe it; accept it as true because of who said it. Or, we can look for the facts of the matter and make our decisions based upon Honest Clear Thinking about the known facts of the claims. Therefore, only by honestly Doubting the claims can we clear our minds enough to allow ourselves to think honestly about the matter. Only by researching Both sides and honestly thinking can we Know the Truth of a matter. To believe is only to Hope for the truth.

THIS MEANS WE CAN EITHER BELIEVE

OR WE CAN THINK!

WE CANNOT DO BOTH! YOU MUST CHOOSE.

            A believer does not doubt his accepted authority. An honest thinker does not believe any authority. A thinker asks for the facts and the proofs of any claim. A Clear Thinker does not have to believe. By his philosophy, he must honestly doubt all claims until he finds out the facts and truth of the matter. Then, he can know if a claim is true, or if it is false.

            Clear Thinking is done by very few people. Most people are believers because they have been taught to believe by home, government, church, school, business, radio, television, newspapers, textbooks, holy books, economists, politicians, bankers and indeed most of the world tells you, "Believe me, I am telling you the truth." To Believe is to accept as true what someone else says is true. To believe is to let someone else do your thinking for you. Believing is the opposite of thinking.

TO THINK IS TO NOT BELIEVE.
TO BELIEVE IS TO NOT THINK.

            The secret of Clear Thinking is to be an Honest Doubter. Thinking begins with doubt. To doubt a statement is true protects the doubter from becoming prey to false guilt, false fear, false decisions, false or wrong activity and fleecing operations propagated by government, religion and business. Honest Doubt “Causes” one to think. One must ask, "Why do I doubt this statement or claim?" Doubt demands a reason for the doubt. Honest Doubt Makes one think. Honest Doubt makes one human. Honest Doubt makes one careful.

HONEST DOUBT MAKES ONE WISE

            Belief, on the other hand, demands obedience. Belief demands that one must Not think about the matter. Rather, one must Believe and Obey. Belief causes us to nail ourselves to the cross of obedience. Belief is slavery of the mind, which in turn, enslaves our bodies, our time, our future, our income, our honesty and our humanity. Belief is holding mankind hostage. Belief is a blatant form of terrorism. Belief produces fear, guilt, naiveté, immorality and dishonesty. Belief is a “Sin” against mankind and against any Just Deity. Belief is a Devilish Evil enslaving mankind.

            Must we all be captured by belief? Is there no Wisdom here to save us?

HONEST DOUBT IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM!

            Why would a good teacher (who knows from the facts that he is telling the truth) ask his listeners to believe him and not doubt? He would not! He would Never ask his listeners to believe him, because he Knows (not believes) he is correct. Instead, he presents the facts, lets the listener know the truth and then he Insists that the student check for himself. The good, honest teacher wants you to doubt and check up on his claims. He will “Beg” you to check out the facts. That makes him a good teacher and makes you a good learner or student. It also makes you a good, wise and honest person.

            On the other hand, if a teacher is unsure of his facts, if he is unsure of his conclusions, if he is unsure of his motivations, if he is unsure of his authorities, he will “Always” ask you to Believe  - to have faith in his claim. And above all, he will always ask you to Not doubt his statements. And then he will add, "If you doubt and don't believe, you cannot be saved, you will go to hell." The demand for belief is always accompanied with the threat of some impending danger. If you don't believe and obey, Bad things will happen to you - now or later.

            What does it mean to say, you must believe and not doubt? It means,

DON'T YOU DARE CHECK TO SEE

IF I AM TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.

            If one honestly doubts, he will check. If he checks and finds the religious claim is untrue, he will not contribute his time or money to the cause. He may even oppose the claim. At the least, the teacher, minister, rabbi or priest who demands belief and obedience always loses the support of the Honest Clear Thinker, the honest doubter and the seeker after truth.

            So, if one wishes to be saved from all the contradictory claims, the false fears, frustrations and guilts produced by these religious claims and if one wishes to be saved from the demands on one's time, money, morality and mental stability, he needs to remember one thing.

HONEST DOUBT SAVES!

            To doubt is to question. To question is to Think. To think is to examine the facts (pro and con) of the matter. To examine the facts of the matter means one will arrive at a conclusion that is compatible with the known facts and in harmony with the truth and morality of the matter.

            One must choose between faith or fact, belief or doubt, authority or authenticity. One must choose how he will live his life. He must choose to be either honest, and thereby govern himself by honestly thinking about the problems and claims of life; or he must choose to believe, to be lazy and dishonest and thereby allow someone else to govern his life and tell him what the truth is, what to believe, what is right, what is wrong - and worst of all, what to think and what to do.

TO BELIEVE, OR TO THINK,

BECOMES THE CROSSROAD OF LIFE

FOR EVERY PERSON.

            Someone may ask, "Can't we believe something if God himself inspired the statement? Can't we believe God?" All religions call their holy books "inspired" by their God. By that, they mean their God in some way is totally responsible for what appears in their holy books. Inspired means their God whispered from his mind to the writer's mind (or hand) some holy truth.

            Now, if a claim or statement is True, it is irrelevant and immaterial whether a God whispered it or not. If it is true - it is true! And that is what counts. We can put our confidence in a true statement regardless of who made it.

            If a claim or statement is untrue, it is still irrelevant whether a God whispered it or not. It is untrue, and therefore, we cannot put our confidence in it.

            Since a good, just God would not lie to us; we must conclude (in light of some untrue statements and claims attributed to a God) that it was the writer, reporter or a Devil who lied to us and not a just, honest God. The relevancy and merit of a claim or statement is not who whispered it, but rather, is it true or false. Can it be proven true? Can it be proven false?

            The claim of inspiration by some God carries no weight or importance at all. The question is whether the Claim is true or false. Religious leaders are at a loss to explain why a God would inspire untrue statements such as an iron ax head floated, shoes and pants lasted forty years, or an ass talked. Clergy are at a loss to explain why a Just God would order genocide, lie to his people, or forbid people to honestly search for the truth of these religious and spiritual matters and claims. They say to believe the unbelievable claims of religion, is to love God and provides proof of the claims, proof of God and proof of your faith. Anyone for ring around the rose bush?

            The claim of inspiration by some God or Spirit is always a smoke screen, invented by greedy or misguided religious holy men (or con men) to hide the truth, dupe the gullible and stop any honest investigation of their claims. In other words, religion says, one must believe and not doubt any so-called inspired claims or tales.

TRUE STATEMENTS HAVE NO NEED TO BE INSPIRED BY A GOD.
THE CLAIM OF INSPIRATION DOES NOT CHANGE
A FALSE CLAIM INTO A TRUE ONE.

            Why do people become so emotionally wrapped up in their beliefs? Why do they hate and fear other religions (and Atheists)? Why do they fight wars over their beliefs? Why are they so afraid of honest doubt and factual investigation? Why do they consider themselves (and those who believe like them) as superior to those of other religions and beliefs? Why are they so fearful of honest doubt, honest investigation and honest conclusions? Why will they commit every known crime and break each of their Own moral codes in their effort to suppress honest thought and investigation? Why do they utilize hostility as their main weapon in defense of their beliefs?

            There are lots of explanations attempting to answer these questions. Here are some of my answers. Those who “Say” they believe their religion and it’s doctrines with all their hearts - do not. Either they do not know exactly what their religion really teach, or they have not studied their doctrines, claims or Holy Books honestly and closely. In this day and age, they have been exposed to too many scientific facts that pointedly dispute many of the religious claims. With all this, there is still left in the corner of the most adamant believer's mind a tiny spark of love for truth. A spark that says "Something Is Wrong Here." There is a spark in the minds of believers that says, "I wonder if some of these religious claims are false. I doubt if all of them can be true."

            This means the believers do Not believe all of their own claims. It also means they do not wish to appear stupid and gullible. Thus, they must conjure up some means to defend their own religious beliefs so they will not appear to be so stupid to other people. Suddenly, they realize they have no Logical defense that will be acceptable to honest thinking people. They cannot prove their beliefs and their claims. They have no logic or facts with which to defend their beliefs.

            Any claim that cannot be proven can only be believed or doubted. When an opposite belief in a competing religion appears, what should one do who is a believer? Since neither one belief nor the other can be proven true (though both may easily be proven untrue), the strongest God will vanquish the other God's rival belief and claim. Thus, prejudice, censorship, hostility, persecution or war is caused to see whose belief and whose God is the strongest, and therefore, the most correct. The believers who win this struggle think that Might makes Right.

            Religionists believe they are commanded by their Gods to put down the imitation Gods, religions and philosophies so the "true religion" (theirs) may be dominant. Since their beliefs cannot be proven, these beliefs can only be defended by methods other than by using logic, facts, common sense and honest thinking. Belief, therefore, becomes emotional baggage and garbage that must be carried and defended daily. Daily they are confronted with many undeniable facts of life, which question their beliefs. Such daily struggles can leave the believer exhausted, bewildered and worst of all, “Hostile.”

            The believer must now rush to some source to reinforce his defenseless belief. So, he tunes in the TV or radio to some preacher or evangelist. He prays, or reads his Bible, Koran or other holy books and works. He must do this daily, or be threatened by the simple facts and truths of life.

            The only real defense the believer has to personally protect himself from the truth is to remain ignorant of the facts of life. He must hide himself from the truth, from science and above all, he must run away from common sense, acceptable humane morality and compassion. The only weapon that can be used against false beliefs is the truth and the facts. So, believers must not listen to, nor read, anything that states the truth about their religion and belief. If they do so, they will doubt and they “Know” that. If they doubt, they will lose their religion and all the claimed benefits like eternal life in heaven, ability to call down miracles, have prayers answered, have wrong doing forgiven and lots of other wonderful but unverified claims. They know that too!

            Believers tend to defend themselves by claiming in some way; scientific facts are a creation or distortion by the Devil made in order to discredit God's true religion (theirs). They say God's truth can only be known and understood by having faith, believing and not doubting.

ONE CAN ONLY KNOW GOD'S TRUTH

BY BELIEVING THE UNBELIEVABLE.

            One must accept on faith, what one is taught by his religion. He must not think. He must not check the validity of the claim. He must not question the claim. He must not doubt. To doubt is to insult God and God’s chosen leaders. To doubt is to be cast into outer darkness, to be punished, to be excluded from the wonderful claims of their religion. So says the Bible and the church.

            Do such statements make sense? Would God give us a good brain and then cast us into eternal punishment for using it to find out if what people say about God and religion is true - or false? Obviously, even to believers, some of the other religions are wrong and not from God. How can we tell if our neighbor's religion is one of the wrong ones? Or, even if our own is wrong?

 DOES GOD WANT US TO USE OUR BRAIN

ON THE RELIGIONS WHICH ARE FALSE,

BUT NOT USE OUR BRAIN

ON THE "TRUE" RELIGION (OURS)?

            How would we know which was the true religion if we didn't use our brain on All the religions to separate the true from the false? How could we possibly know which religions to use faith and belief on and which to use logic, facts and thinking on? If you are a believer, why do you not belong to some other religion, or to all of the religions? How does one decide on his religion if he doesn't Think? People tend to belong to the religion of their parents, or of their spouse. Some join a religion because that religion showed some kindness to them. But No One joins a religion because he has examined and tested the doctrines using honest logical thought (along with the known facts of science and morality).

            Would an all-wise and all-just God ever say we must believe and never doubt or think? Would a Just God even entertain such an unjust and immoral thought? Certainly not! Would God want a heaven full of people who could not think, or who would not think, who were too afraid, or too selfish to think? No! Would an all-wise and all-just God punish those who honestly thought about the extravagant and contradictory claims made by All the religions? Would he send the honest doubters into everlasting punishment for honest logical thinking and reward the believers with heaven for not thinking? I really doubt it.

            So, what about all these claims by the other religions that say, "God delivered our religion to our forefathers?" And God said to different people, in different places, at different times, "You must believe in order to: enter into the wonderful Kingdom, into Nirvana, into Heaven, into the One Hundred and forty-four Thousand, into Paradise, into the State of Bliss, into the Nothingness of God, into the Happy Hunting Grounds, into the Millennium Rulership of the world,” and so on.

WHICH IS THE TRUE RELIGION?

            Would God make a mockery out of men's brains and minds? Would God tell us to believe and to never, never think or honestly doubt? Well, would he? A Just God did not ordain these religions. A good God could not have done that! These claims are a mockery of justice, truth and common sense, not to mention, they are immoral. These salvation claims are a great Sin against man and the Almighty God. They take the name of a good and just God in vain.

            If God is not responsible for all these contrary religions and their wonderful claims, who would tell us those fibs and claim God said it? Who would benefit? Only someone trying to control a group of people for profit, pleasure, prestige and power. Or a Devil God? What about that?

            When you try to defend some belief that has no facts to back it up, what happens? You get mad at yourself first. You have chosen to accept something as true that cannot be defended by honest logic and true facts. The one who disagrees with you (some other indefensible religious claim) faces the same dilemma as you.

            The next thing that happens is you get angry at your religion because it does not clearly make itself defensible. One is thrown back upon the old rationalization, "You must believe, have faith and not doubt." Don't forget, they All say that, even the ones that differ widely from yours.

            Finally, you get angry with the one who disagrees with you, because their claim is also indefensible and you honestly and logically know that. You are now reduced to protecting your belief as though it were a cherry pie about to be stolen by someone. Since the pie cannot defend itself, you must do it. Any means now becomes usable if it is useful in holding others away so they cannot steal or tromp on your cherry pie. Hiding the pie and calling it a mystery helps. Yelling, foul language, pounding, lying, slander, hitting, kicking, window breaking, cross burning and ridicule now becomes an acceptable part of the defense arsenal for religious belief.

            On a larger and wider scale there is burning at the stake, torture, beheading, long jail terms, shooting of doctors, bombing of hospitals, beating up gays and others, social isolation, ethnic purging, crusades and other wars of conquest. There are the defensive occupations of making unjust and immoral laws and enforcing them upon the honest doubters and believers in other religions. There is confiscation of property. There is economic boycott, censorship, mob activity, massacres, wars, persecution, humiliation, murder, lies told, excommunication and propaganda.

            There are propaganda and lies, that accuse Atheists and believers in other religions, of being unpatriotic, or being agents of some foreign power, or of Devil worship and of many other nasty, unjust, mean charges and immoralities. But, at all cost, even to the breaking of their own moral codes, believers must defend their cherry pie.

            In other words, the “Only” defense for belief and faith is basically one of force and hostility, which in turn is an emotional response and is totally devoid of facts, logic, justice, morality or even common sense.

TO BELIEVE, IS TO RULE OUT

THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING WRONG!

            Belief in their superiority (selection by God) is tied directly to the believer's religion. If they lose their belief, they lose their only reason for feeling superior. Since belief is the only reason most people have for feeling superior, they must defend their belief at all cost - fair or foul. These are some of my answers. So, why do people become so emotional, immoral, hostile and use criminal force in defense of their beliefs?

BECAUSE, THERE IS NO OTHER DEFENSE EXCEPT

FORCE, VIOLENCE AND THE EMOTIONS!

BELIEF HAS MANY DEFENDERS, BUT IT HAS NO DEFENSE.

            Now, let us look at God for a moment. God is supposed to be a wise and just God. Would a wise and just God set a false and terrible example for men to follow in the area of justice? Would a just God tell and show man that the way to deal with wrongful and hurtful acts would be to punish the innocent and let the guilty go free? I think not.

            Yet, several religions tell us, their God has let the guilty go free while the innocent (Jesus) was punished in the place of the guilty. So God said his innocent son suffered and died so the guilty could go free. God paid for their "sins.”

            Such an arrangement may be nice for the guilty that are too cowardly to take responsibility for their own actions. But it doesn't say much for justice and it certainly doesn't say much for the honesty and justice of their God. Yet, we are told that God is Just in all of his activities and decisions. Such opposing claims are unbelievable. Either God is Just and the salvation claims and the death of his son are lies, or God is unjust and did send an innocent son to die. My studies here show that men have made up (lied) and given this false information about both the life of Christ, his death and the meaning of both of them.

            Would a Just God allow his son to be killed so men would stop thinking and start believing? Would even a devil do that? Well, I don't know. A devil might do that in order to make all of the believers into mental slaves. But a Good God would be too smart, too honest and too just to do that. There seems little doubt that some Men lied about that. Any God would have to be too Good, too Smart and too Just to let his son be killed to stop men from honestly thinking!

No GOOD, WISE and JUST GOD ever had a thirst for
sheep's blood, man's blood, or the blood of his own kin.

            Let it be known here and now that I defended God and his good name against those who would claim God is such a despicable character that he let his son die so mankind would stop being free and honest thinkers and start being mental slaves and dishonest believers. He couldn't do that!

            Honest Clear Thinkers have a higher and more moral opinion of what God's character and attributes must be than do those who believe in these unbelievable religious claims.

            Almost all religions claim their God is all-just and all-wise. God is reported to be all-powerful. He is supposed to be in charge of the world. They claim their God always does the just, right and wise thing. If this were true, why would a just and wise God promise to run the unjust and selfish chores and errands, which the believers ask him to run?

            Heal Aunt Mary. Send us rain. Send us sunshine. Let us win the war (or the ball game). Run Castro out of Cuba. Feed the poor. Help our president make the right (religious) decisions. Stop abortions. Let me win the lottery. Give us justice. Watch over my children, Help me get a raise and on and on.

            If God is indeed all-just, all-wise and all-knowing, why would he need any advice about how to run a world from those who have less than a hundred years experience in the profession of God Advisor? Most religions teach that God (theirs) is in charge of the events in this world. God either causes things to happen, or he lets things happen. But whether God lets something happen, or causes something to happen, the religions teach that All things happen as a result of, and in harmony with, God's justice, plans and wisdom.

            The real question here becomes, is God just? Does God always do what is right and just? If the answer is "No," who wants to follow a God who is unjust and in error in many of his decisions if men do not pray and correct him? If the answer is "Yes, God is always just and right,” why do believers try to change God's mind? Why do believers try to analyze, criticize and modernize the activity of God? This futile and belittling practice against God is called - “Prayer.”

            All holy books claim the Gods insist that those who believe must pray and tell some God what it is they wish him to do and what they wish to happen. Believers tell their Gods what to do and how to run the world. Prayer is proof that no God ever invented, instituted or supported any religion. Prayer is also proof that believers do not trust their Gods to do the right and just thing. It also proves they believe their God is very indecisive and wimpy and he can be manipulated by the simple, self-deceived begging of the believer. Contrary to the claims of the religions, God has Never issued a “Good Begging Seal of Approval.”

            If God always does the just and right action, why do people try to change his mind? Why do believers plead for Aunt Mary to get well? Do they think God is about to make a serious mistake and they must correct him before he makes the mistake? Am I understanding this right?

            "Please, God, run Castro out of Cuba." They are asking God to correct a mistake that he has already made. I believe I have that right. (You could add Iran, Iraq, China or others.)

            Prayer is an attempt to correct God, either before or after he has made a mistake in his judgment, wisdom and activity. If believers truly believed the claims about God's justice, power and wisdom (as told by their holy books and their holy men) they would trust their God to do what is right and just and wise. They would not try to instruct, tempt or bribe God to do it their way. "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Why is it that believers do not Believe That? Isn't that in their Bible too?

PRAYER PROVES BELIEVERS DO NOT TRUST THEIR GOD

TO BE WISE AND JUST IN HIS ACTIVITY ON EARTH.

            True believers in God's justice and wisdom do not pray. Those who trust their God do not beg him to change his mind, because they truly believe God IS just and they understand God's mind cannot be changed. They know they cannot blackmail God with good works. They know they cannot bribe God with good promises. They trust their God to be just and correct in all of his activities and decisions. So, true believers do not pray, nor beg God in any manner for anything. They trust their God to do what is right and just. Only the self deluded - beg and pray. Only those pray who do not trust their God. Only those who think their God is wishy-washy and cannot make up his mind without counsel from them will bombard him with prayers.

            Prayer is an attempt by the one who prays to correct God, either before he makes a mistake, or after he makes a mistake. Prayer proves the believers do not trust their Gods to do what is just and right and they do not believe what their holy books say about God's wisdom, justice, morality and care over them.

            But some say, God ordered us to beg him. If we have enough faith, we can remove mountains. Do you really believe any super wise being would commit himself to such an irresponsible promise? Deliver me from any God, or man, who would make such a silly and absurd promise. Do believers actually think the Almighty God asked them to tell him what to do about the landscape - or the world’s problems? Little or big? Why would an all-wise, all-just God ask help from someone who has less than a hundred years experience in running a world and can't run their own lives successfully and happily for a few years? Why would he ask or listen to those who attempted to tell him what to do? Would God do what the one who prays asked him to do, or would he simply do what is just and right? Does God run chores for the lazy and gullible believers? Either God briefly lost his mind, or some writer fibbed about the mountains. Take your pick.

            Is God the head of a democracy, waiting to see what the consensus of public opinion is before he makes it rain, or drives Castro out of Cuba? No God ever asked ignorant men or women to tell him what to do about any problem. God is not a representative of a district waiting on a consensus of public opinion. Neither is God impatient. God would not honor any request to do something not already planned and in keeping with his justice and wisdom, even if the whole world begged him billions of times per day - forever. You cannot “Worry” God into doing your bidding. If there is a Just God, he is ruled by his own infinite wisdom, not by man's infinite begging.

PRAYER WILL NOT CHANGE GOD'S MIND.

            If someone tells you God spoke to him and God asked him to tell you to send money to his religion, would you believe him? If someone (from another religion) tells you he had a revelation or vision from God and God told him to tell you to change your religion to the religion of the one who had the revelation, would you believe him? The first thing you will ask yourself is, "If God wanted me to know this secret, why didn't he tell me?"

            Does God not know the other person's revelation is not mine? Doesn't God know that any Honest Clear Thinker would immediately reject some claim to revelation, unless it could be proven true? God himself must know that even if the revelation came to an Honest Clear Thinker, he would report immediately to a doctor for a complete physical and mental evaluation. Doesn't God know all Honest Clear Thinkers will reject any revelation? Does one need a revelation from God to convince a believer? No! A simple lie will do just fine.

SOMEONE ELSE’S REVELATION IS NOT MINE.

            And don't forget. The Devil God is supposed to be able to give revelations too. If I receive a revelation, did it come from God or the Devil? Where did yours come from? It boils down to; My revelation is from God. Your revelation is from the Devil. Absurd!

MY REVELATION IS JUST A TALL TALE TO YOU.

            You see the other man's revelation is only hearsay and rumor to you. How do you know the other man was not lying, or crazy? All holy books are written by people claiming to have had a revelation from the Almighty God. Do you trust other people's revelations? Would you trust your own? The other man could just be saying what he believes God would say “if” God ever did say anything. All Holy books are written like that. That is, people say and/or write what they Believe God would say If God ever did speak to anyone. They then say, "Thus sayeth the Lord." Or, "God revealed these things to me." These sayings are recorded in little books. These little books are passed around and down to new generations until they eventually get collected and put together and a new Holy Book is formed. In two thousand years, it gets to you. Now, will you believe it?

            Everything in the Bible came by way of someone Believing or Claiming he had a revelation in his head. He Believes God either spoke, or the Holy Spirit spoke and revealed something inside of his own head. Every word in the Bible is a Claimed revelation. All we know about sin, salvation, heaven, hell, God, Jesus, Paul, Peter and everything else in the Christian religion came to us by someone Believing and then Claiming to have had a revelation from God. There is not one single Civil writing, report, letter or bit of information that supports Any of the claims made in the New Testament about the beginning of the church, or the turmoil surrounding it. There is nothing about Jesus, nothing about Paul, or Peter, or John. There is nothing about the early church. Nothing! Zero! Zilch! Everything written was by the religious organizations and their believers.

            This is not to say people do not have visions (see things that others do not see). Our mental institutions are full of those who see and hear things others do not see and hear. Others who Claim such visions, voices and revelations, become television preachers and evangelists.

            The proper way to evaluate other peoples' visions, voices and revelations is first, to honestly doubt it. This brings on the responsibility of asking, "Can the events and claims be supported by facts and logic?" If not, reject it.

            Every religion is based on revelations and miracles. Each religion claims to be the true religion based upon these claims that God has given them visions, voices, revelations and miracles.

            Suppose you were at a wedding party and went back for another glass of wine only to find the bottles were empty. A holy man steps forward and says he will furnish more wine. He takes a pitcher, fills it from the tap, pours the water into a big crock, says some magic words over it, shakes it up and begins to dip wine from the crock. Further, the holy man says God did it. What is your impression?

            First, most people would think it was a very good parlor trick. Attributing the trick to God just adds drama to the act. Not once would most people believe God had entered into that party room and against all known scientific observations of cause and effect, turned water into wine.

            (My daddy was an amateur magician. He had the equipment to do this and I have seen him do it on the stage with my very own eyes in front of many people. Of course, he used cheap wine.)

            Why do people believe something is a miracle if it is rumored to have happened two thousand years ago, but they would not believe it was a miracle if they saw it happen today with their own eyes? No one knows who first told the tale, nor do they know who first wrote it down.

            If you see someone apparently walking on the lake, you wonder if he is using glass pontoons, stumps, wires or what. If you didn't see it, but someone tells you about it, would you believe it was a miracle? What if someone told the story years after it was supposed to have happened? Then more years later someone (no one knows who) wrote it down. Later the story is collected with other stories with the same type of development into a book. So, it gets handed down for hundreds or even thousands of years until it finally gets to you. Now, will you believe it?

            A miracle is an event, which according to definition and according to detailed scientific observations - cannot happen. Each religion claims hundreds even thousands of these miracles as proof that their religion is the true religion established by God (theirs). Answer this. Would a true God use the same identical method to establish the validity of his true religion as the method used by the false Gods and religions to establish theirs? Think about it for a few seconds.

            Why would a true God resort to using deceptive belief, miracles and revelations to prove that his is the true religion? Do not all the religions make the same claims? In God's all knowing wisdom, he would know thinking persons would reject claims that went against common sense, logic, healthy morals and the known facts of life. God would know the only ones who would believe it would be those who didn't Think. God would know all the gullible and weak minded would believe and people who didn't think would be captured in the sticky beliefs and faiths of the various religions.

            God should know heaven would be filled with the gullible, the simple minded, the fearful and the cowardly wrong doers who flock to the easy forgiveness and plans of salvations offered by these religions.

            On the other hand, maybe God does know all this and still did it as a way to separate the Honest Clear Thinkers, the brave, the true mankind from the less desirable non-thinkers and gullible sub-mankind. At the last minute, God will switch the nameplates, so Hell becomes Heaven and Heaven becomes Hell. Or, maybe it would be Hell to be in a place where everything was made out of gold and nobody can think for themselves. Meanwhile, Hell will be an exciting place because there is so much work to be done. Don't get excited, it's just a thought!

            Could it be that God will separate his true mankind (his true religion or philosophy) from sub mankind (and their false religions and philosophies) by honoring those who use their mind, who use Honest Doubt, Honest Clear Thinking, Morality, Common Sense and Science in their daily lives? Think about it!

            The gist of the matter is all religions are man made. Religions are often made for the purpose of gaining power, pleasure, prestige and profit from a weak-minded people. In fact, it seems most prophets are looking for profits.

            All of this is not to say there are no good works in religion. There are many good works done by and in the name of religion. However, those same good works are being done by people, who would do the same things even if they did not belong to a religion. They would be doing their good works, as are those who are called Atheists. Why? They are good people. Often people do good works in spite of their religion.

            Religion does not have a monopoly on good people as claimed.

Please read this apology!

            I would like to pause here and apologize to the millions of good people in all religions who are offended by the activities, claims and hostilities that many of their leaders and members exhibit. I would like you to know that I know; it is not your fault. Most of the people in all religions, or who adhere to varied philosophies, are good, honest, peaceful people. We are all appalled by the claims and activities of the extremists and fundamentalists among us. We must stop supporting those who would destroy the lives and characters of others. In order for all of us to survive into the future, we are going to be compelled to learn to love, or at least, accept one another. We must stop trying to save each other's souls and start trying to save our society and start helping our neighbor. We must stop thinking we are better than someone else because we believe this or that. We are better when we Do better. Let us do better. Thank you!

            The religions do seek recognition and respectability by doing some good works for themselves and others. In other words, they do some good works to justify their existence and to take the eyes of their believers off of the teachings of their revelations, miracles, doctrines and histories. They are Not proud of their doctrines and histories that they teach, which includes: inhumane attitudes toward other religions, superiority of their believers, that gullibility and ignorance is a God given virtue, that believers and the simple minded can manipulate their muddled and indecisive God and that wrong doing can be forgiven by someone not involved in the dirty deed. Those who study the histories, claims and revelations of their religion are not proud of those cruel histories, claims and revelations.

            Also, this is not to say there are not (in light of our present knowledge) unexplained events that happen on earth, or in space. These things do happen, so often, in fact, they can be viewed as regular happenings and therefore, not readily classifiable as miracles. There are many such happenings, such as people born with unlearned knowledge, geniuses, speaking in languages never learned, people classified as totally and certifiable dead - living, ghostly manifestations, unruly quirks, UFOs, strange sights in the sky, near death experiences, unexplained healing to mention a few. These things happen to the religious as well as to the nonreligious. These happenings, which include all of humanity, have no more of a religious basis than does the rising of the sun.

            However, religions of today try to tell us there Is a religious reason for these happenings, just as the ancients told their believers, the rising of the sun had a religious explanation. Five hundred or a thousand years ago the list of these miracles and strange happenings counted hundreds more events, such as disease being caused by the Devil, (or by God). Cattle died because of witchcraft. Plagues were caused by sin and disbelief. Deformity was caused by a curse, lightening was caused by the wrath of God and so on.

            Today, the physical scientists and the mind scientists are unraveling event after event and item after item that used to be called miracles, but today are explained by their cause and effect. Not understanding the cause of an event does not make it a miracle. It only shows our present limit of knowledge. Nothing happens without its cause and its effect. Nothing! If there is a God, he uses cause and effect to do what needs to be done. Even Gods must use Nature and the laws of science to accomplish their will and purpose. Why would a God bypass Nature when he didn’t need to? Why would a God steal some effect of a specific cause when he could just let Nature to do the job?

            Religions try to legitimize their enterprise by claiming God is the author of their teachings and power and wealth. Yet, they belittle their God by telling their believers that this all-powerful, all-wise God will run their chores for them and do what they instruct him to do. And then they lie to us and claim that God did answer their selfish request with a Divine intervention or some minor miracle. Just place your hand on the radio or TV, have faith and you will be healed.

            The religious leaders will tell their believers, if something bad happens to them, it is "God's will.” Imagine the loss of a child (that you failed to supervise) being credited to, or blamed on, God. Many Christians are told, and they believe it, that God will watch over the believers and also take care of their children and family. Is this true? Since it is obviously not true, does it not prove that God is not a dependable baby-sitter (driver, miner, pilot or caretaker)?

            Was it God's will that one should be punished for a five minute inattention to his beloved child by the child’s life being taken? And how about our loved ones? Was he or she so bad he must be killed? Was the innocent killed to punish the guilty? "What have I done to deserve this?" is the cry of many religious people who are taught that bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people. Is this a fact, or a falsehood? On the other hand, if the tragedy happened to an enemy, or "sinner,” then it is "God's wrath" in action. The recent San Francisco earthquake was called God's wrath by several preachers on television. The problem was, the majority of those people in San Francisco were living in sin (not of the preacher's religion and beliefs.)

            The religions tell you that you are bad. You are born in sin. Why do they tell you this? Because some guy stole and ate an apple? No! They tell you this so they can place guilt and fear into your life, so they can control you - and your pocketbook. The original sin they talk about is supposed to be disobedience. That is, Adam disobeyed God. Now God told Adam that the “day” he began to put knowledge into his brain and learn from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, God would kill him! God threatened Adam with death if he didn't remain dumb and ignorant. What kind of God is this? Eve began to learn at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and found out the truth. Then she taught Adam and he found out the truth.

            The knowledge at the Tree of Good and Evil was not how to be naughty or nice. The Good was the Knowledge of the civilizing process for man. The bad were those things that would destroy civilization, such as war, crime, dishonesty, religions, bigotry, tyranny and such. They became like the Gods knowing these things. They found out that God's good, (that is ignorance, which holy men call innocence) was not good. They found that knowledge was good. Adam's crime was not disobedience. Adams crime was he “did not believe” God. Had he believed God, he would have believed he was committing suicide. Adam Knew the truth. So, Adam's crime was honest doubt and logical thinking. The Bible God always seems to be against honest thinking and in favor of believing (instead of thinking).

            This garden story was copied from a religion that God had condemned. It is from the Persians, from their holy books. This story is not so, because a Just God would not give man a brain and then forbid him to use it. Since this story is not so, there is no original sin. There is no invisible disease called sin, which needs an invisible prescription or cure called salvation. Original sin is a lie. No original sin, no need for salvation from it. Think!

            Religion seeks to claim all of the good in the world and seeks to place the blame for all the bad on the backs of those who do not believe the same myths that they do, who belong to other ways of thinking and acting.

            The truth of the matter is, religion has nearly always fought the good. They have opposed freedom, medicine, scientific discovery, justice and civil development. They have opposed vaccination, painkillers, education and the free press. They have opposed freedom for other religions and beliefs. All religions in the western world have sought to oppress those of other beliefs, and sometimes they even oppress those of their own beliefs.

            Once the things opposed by the religions have proven to be good and acceptable by the thinking people, religion has then sought to rewrite history. Religion has gone back and tried to lay claim to the good of civilization as being given and supported by that religion and that religion's God. Believers try to Christianize Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and our other founding fathers. These men were Deists. They did not believe! They accepted no heaven, no hell, no original sin, no religious sin, no plan of salvation, no Divine Dabbling into the daily affairs of man and no cruel wishy-washy and unjust God.

            Religion was totally opposed to the Republican form of government that drew its power from the consent of the people instead of from God and religion. Today, the religions try to claim that such democratic or republic governments are a development from them and their God. And they totally ignore and/or misstate the facts of history. And they lie about it with No Shame! You see, They Believe!

            This country was founded by Deists who rejected all holy books, all faiths, all salvations and all supernatural. They separated the churches and religion from the governing process. But they were not mean men. They built protection for the religions and all groups into our Constitution. They knew if life in this country was not safe for one group, it would soon not be safe for any group. Why then does religion wish to destroy that same protection for certain groups in this country today? Don't they realize if one group is not safe, they also may soon, not be safe?

            Religion may be deeply embedded in your life and mind. You may have an emotional attachment to it as to a mother or spouse. Facts, justice, morality and common sense may have no place in your decision making. But remember one thing. Your God would Not object to you being honest and using the mind that he gave you to find out the truth about these matters. Faith will not make you right if your belief is wrong. Wasting a good mind and life might be the worst sin you can commit in your God's eyes.

            It is never too late to stir up that spark in your mind that says, "Something is wrong here." It is never too late to honestly think. Now is the time to honestly doubt the myths and fables of the past. And remember,

HONEST DOUBT SAVES!

THINK!

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