And Lo...

3. Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

9 The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.

10 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain."

14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, "Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations."

16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, 19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the LORD said to him, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them."

23 Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, 'Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.' "

24 The LORD replied, "Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them."

25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

26 And the people said "We know this shit, already! Does he have to tell us every fucking thing three fucking times?! Did you ask him if we should start the barbeque, yet?" And Moses replied, "Oh, shit, I knew there was something..."

Depressing, Isn't It?

I often hear atheists talk about the "depression" they felt when they realised there was no meaning to life.

In other words, having been Christians, the moment they stopped believing caused them a sense of loss. I must admit, having been brought up by a father who believes in the afterlife, I also suffered something of a crisis as I came to understand the truth: religion is a human invention.

Christians, and believers (and even atheists, probably) think this state of depression is a natural state of mind inherent in a Universe which, if without God is therefore without meaning.

They're wrong.

I brought my son up to understand there is no evidence for any god. And so, religion has never really concerned him. At his age I was suffering a crisis. The false promises of believers came crashing down, leaving gaping holes in the workings of my mind.

What's the difference? See, I didn't set him up with any expectations of an afterlife or of some good natured beardy guy to look after him, so he's not looking for one. He's perfectly happy with his non-religious existence. There's no hole for him to fill, because his parents didn't create one for him.

Well, he's young, you say. We don't know if he'll need to find something spiritual to fill a hole later in life.

OK, take another example. A friend who was brought up in communist East Germany. Again, he's perfectly happy without a god or an afterlife.

"I was never brought up with some kind of belief or religion unless we include Marxism into this. But even Marx’s ideas failed before my very eyes by the time I was 14 because our state was everything but what old Karl had in mind. So, no, I don’t yearn for a god to exist."

You won't be surprised if I say I think religion is brainwashing. But most people think the moment of brainwashing comes at the point you start to believe. It doesn't. People who turn to a religion have been set up at an early age to go looking for it. How many times do you hear "There was something missing from my life, so I turned to God"?

Religion is like heroin, and we're given a taste of it as soon as we can speak. It's pushed into our minds, ready to fuck us up when the bullshit fails to resist rational scrutiny. Ready to push us into "looking for something to fill a hole" like an addict desperate for a fix.

That's why people that wear their atheist badge with pride tend to be the former addicts who've put away the syringe. Like ex-smokers, they're the ones most likely to demand you stop your filthy habbit. They're the ones most likely to start a campaign.

They're not just fighting you, they're fighting against their need.

The End is Nigh

My favourite part of religious bullshit is the prophecy stuff.

I was reading this post and followed some of the links to "popular prophecy sites". Here's some analysis of Ezekiel's amazing insight into the future (you might want to turn your sound off). I like the 200 or so pictures of modern killing machines to get you in the mood. Then we get into some good old prophesizing.

Apparently, God told him "...I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords..." What, up against all those nukes, tanks and fighter jets? God's gonna get creamed. What's God messing around with armies for, anyway? One good flood usually does the trick.

Maybe Him and Allah are like wargaming geeks. I can see them hunched over a table-top....

God: "Hey, you already moved that."
Allah: "It's a cavalry unit, it gets an extra move when it's charging."
God: "What the fuck?! Where does it say that?!"
God snatches the rule book from Allah's hands and reads. Eventually...
God: "Four point seven: When charging over open terrain, cavalry units get an extra move."
Allah: "Thank you."
God: "Over open terrain, you mother-fucking cheat!"
Allah: "That is open terrian, you dickwad!"
God: "No it fuckin' ain't!"
Allah turns to Shiva...
Allah: "Shiva, come over here and tell this loser-asshole..."
Shiva sighs and moves over to the board. He examines the area...
Shiva: "It's hills..."
Allah: "Whhaaaaattt?!"
Shiva: "...and some trees."
God: "Haha - looooser!"
Allah sweeps a hand over the area which becomes instantly flat.
God: "HEY!"
Allah: "So, I guess my cavalry unit gets an extra move..."
Allah is about to move his cavalry unit. God waves a hand. Suddenly the table-top map is flooded...
Allah: "You are one sad mother-fucking diety, you know that? I had you, there."
God shrugs. Allah sighs.
God: "Jenga?"...

AD 2006: An Historical De-Mythologising of Jesus the Christ of Man Kind

I think we can now state, with 110% certainty, Jesus definitely did not exist. Period.

This is what we can surmise even from just a few seconds of historical research: Jesus is a fictional character who, like Harry Potter, was very popular with most kids and some adults at the time.

I know people claim 0AD being the same year Jesus was born is far too much of a coincidence. But historically the BC numbers had run out, and had been running out for many years prior to 0AD, indeed they had been going backwards for at least 6000 years (some say more). Therefore, it was inevitable they would have to start counting forwards. Hence 0AD.

Many consider the simple fact his name exists as proof - why are people called "Jesus" today? A name is usually passed down from a parent or a grandparent, or becomes popular due to the notoriety of someone with the name, they argue. If Jesus didn't exist, where did the name come from?

Again, the answer is simple if, perhaps, unexpected. New linguistic research into ancient writings shows people have been using this term as a swear word for longer than the 2000 years since his supposed birth. The exclaimation, "Oh, f****ng, Jesus Christ!", was found carved into a Roman wax-board, dating to the 3rd century BC. Hence, we can assume the name was initially used in a derogatory way until, gradually, this meaning was lost and the name became popular.

The strongest evidence, though, comes from the many thousands of depictions of Jesus in medieval churches across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. If Jesus didn't exist, why are there so many paintings of him? We know Winston Churchill existed, yet there are only about 270 realistic paintings of the man. There are over 420 million painted depictions of Jesus, alone, not counting the many sketches, water-colours and novelty figurines also bearing his image.

The answer to this is a little more complex, but no less compelling. We know humans are genetically constructed to enjoy copying each other. This explains why, even today, people will hang the most hideous and tasteless pictures in their houses, just because their friend or their neighbour has the same picture. The picture doesn't even have to make sense - take, for example, the depiction of kittens playfully chainsawing through the legs of paralysed puppies, popular in the mid-80s, but which you can still find hanging in the dinning rooms of council houses across the Midlands, today. Do these pictures provide evidence for the existence of kittens with chainsaws? Perhaps, but there's reasonable doubt.

It seems logical, therefore, to assume someone first bought a picture of a kind-looking bearded man, with thorns for a crown, wearing a sheet and smiling. The neighbours liked it, and decided to get one for their church. Gradually, the craze caught on until you wouldn't been seen dead in a church unless they had the "cool" picture of the nice beardy guy. This would force churches who didn't have the picture to rush out and get one. So, in fact, we can clearly see these pictures were already in place before they became associated with the myth of Jesus.

Thus, by historical fact-study, can the mythologies of Jesus the Christ of Man Kind be debunked, today.

Alice & the Parrot

For a minute or two Alice stood looking at the crumbling wooden shed, wondering what to do next, when a voice squawked, "Hello Polly!"

At once, Alice realised the voice was coming from inside the shed. So she opened the door and poked in her head to see a large parrot, dressed in black with a white collar around his neck. "Hello Polly!" it squawked again.

"I'm not Polly, I'm Alice." She said. "Prove it." Replied the parrot. "Why should I need to prove it? I know very well what my name is." She insisted as she took a step inside.

"Hurry up and sit down." He squawked, "You're getting in the way." Alice squeezed herself inside the small shed and looked back. "In the way of what?" She said.

"The congregation." He said, flapping a wing.

Alice joined the parrot as he gazed at the empty doorway, waiting for a congregation to appear. The door creaked in the wind. "There's nobody there." She concluded, finally.

"Prove it." He said, in exactly the same way as he had said it the time before. Alice wondered how anyone might prove that anything wasn't there and decided one couldn't. Or perhaps one shouldn't be bothered. After all, the day would be very long indeed if one had to provide a proof for all the things that weren't there.

"Well, can you see anyone?" She asked. He peered at the doorway with one eye and then turned his head to look with the other, "Of course I can't see anyone. Shall we begin?"

"Begin what?" Said Alice, innocently.

"Today's sermon, you silly Polly." Before Alice could get annoyed, the parrot turned to look down at a dusty old book which lay open before him, first with one eye and then the other. "Well, if everyone is settled, I shall begin."

"Would you like me to turn the pages for you?" She asked. "No need, no need." The parrot insisted. "Now, can we get on?" He raised a beady eye and narrowed it at her. Even so, Alice had no intention of being patronized by a parrot. "You've got no hands."

"Of course I've got hands," he said. "No you haven't, you're a parrot." She said, folding her arms across her chest. "What are these, then?" He asked, rolling an eye and shaking his head.

"Wings." said Alice firmly.

The parrot considered each raised appendage carefully. Both were covered in beautiful green and yellow feathers. Then he slowly turned a tiny black eye to Alice and squawked, "Prove it."

Parrots can be very tiring, thought Alice, as she hurried out of the damp shed into the warm sunlight of a bright and wonderful morning.