Sorry guys, girls and other genders (whatever that means?), you
may recognise the title of this introduction from Mission Impossible, and I
suppose that what I am asking may well be that, but let’s see what
happens. I have to admit that I just
don’t get it? I mean religion and all
that. It’s not that I don’t know what it
is about, I was brought up in a strict, Christian household, I attended their
Sunday schools, church and all that, but couldn’t see what there was to believe
in. My father was involved in the
running of the church so we, his children, were told all the stories, had the
bible readings etc. but as a child all I saw were the solemn faces and the
abject boredom when the sermon came.
Yet in a recent TV program I watched, the statistic that 20%
of Brazilians now identify themselves as evangelical Christians came up. That surprised me; I mean one in five
people? There is evidence everywhere
that religion in our society is alive and flourishing, and I cannot help but
wonder if I have missed something?
There was nothing joyous about the church I grew up in, and
I saw too the contradictions as only a child can. The teachings about renouncing wealth that
were flaunted by the list produced in the church magazine each year showing the
highest donors, few of whom chose to remain anonymous. We were being taught that only our religion
was the true one, but this was the 60’s and the world was opening up to
Buddhism, Hinduism and a whole host of other religions. I could not understand how you had to believe
in Christ to be saved, yet so many people in so many countries over so many
years had never even heard of him so never had a chance. I saw too that the reason I had a Christian
upbringing was because I lived in a Christian household in a predominantly
Christian country. Had I been born in
India, my religious training would have been very different, so how could I
know if what I had been taught was even true in the first place?
What too of the plethora of Christian denominations? If there was one truth, why was there this
variety, and how could they all be right?
Then there is the difference between the old and new testaments. Why did the rules change when God is supposed
to be omnipotent and the truth eternal?
And, if he created everything, where did evil come from? Next came a big question when I was old enough
to realise that this choice even existed.
Which Bible? There is more than
one Christian bible, and the books included or excluded from each differ. Why?
So, in my teens I decided to read the Bible (the King James Version,
because that is what I was brought up with), because I had been taught that if
you read this book with an open heart God would give you the answers. I came away from that exercise even more
confused than before! Eventually though
after a huge amount of thought I came to the belief that I now have. Being based on the refutation of what I was
taught it’s pretty nihilistic. These are
a few of the more important conclusions that I came up with.
Firstly, I have to admit that I agree with Creationists on
one point. I am not qualified to decide
which parts of the Bible are to be believed and which bits are untrue or are
mere stories (parables excepted here of course, because that point is made
clear in the book). This means that
either the whole book is true; in every word and nuance, or none of it is. Here the Creationists and I part company,
because there are far too many contradictions in the Bible for me to believe
it.
Secondly, an obvious truth brought about by a recognition
that the Bible is unbelievable. There
are some things that you cannot know.
Our knowledge is expanding, but neither I nor anyone else on this planet
knows everything. For example on one key
religious argument, creation. I have
rejected the Bible, so do not believe that God created the world, but I have nothing
to substitute in place of that. At a
simple level, either God or something (the Universe perhaps?) has always
existed. Just as Christians cannot say
why God has always been there, I cannot explain why the other something has
always been there. The only difference
between Christian belief and mine is that I do not ascribe a spiritual element
to that something. There is a second
implication in this. All Christian
belief is based on the Bible. If it is
not true, neither is Christianity.
Obviously the discussion above is based on Christian
belief. This is because I am familiar
with it. I am open to trying to
understand other religions (other than Klingon or some of the other more
ridiculous ones), but if you would like to try to explain those beliefs to me
you are going to have to start at a very basic level.
So, back to the title of this introduction. Your mission, should you choose to accept it
is to show me the error of my ways. If
you can provide a good killer argument in favour of belief, I am more than
happy to hear it, just don’t expect me not to ask further questions should the
need arise.
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
1)
Keep it
polite and non-confrontational
2)
I have set the blog so that all comments are
moderated to ensure that rule 1 is adhered to.
However I guarantee that if your post is on subject, understandable, and
does not break rule 1 it will be posted for all to see.
3)
I’m using the name Stone here (as in Stone the
Disbeliever; a Monty Python reference for those who do not know). I also thought this name had another angle,
since Peter was supposed to be the rock on which Christianity would be
built. So if you can come up with a good
reason that will convert me from Stone to Rock, I’m waiting.
