Why Bother???                                 

• by Mark Napier

• Yesterday I done something I have not done in a long time, I went into the Christian chat rooms in yahoo. I used to go into the rooms a lot, and debate Christians. I met a few in which developed a friendship with despite the fact we are the opposite side if the fence. And some of those friendships endure till this day. The understand me, and accept me as I am. Regardless. Although a few of them still try to win me over from the dark side. LOL.
• Anyways, I went in to chat up a bit, and ask a few pointed questions to the believers, and as usual I got the same tired responses. In the process of the whole thing, my character was attacked, questioned and denounced. It was made clear to me that I was a substandard person because I refused to believe the myth of Jesus. I was automatically a bitter unmoral, unethical, nasty sad man. That had a hard on against god. I was filled with hate, and did not know the real meaning of love. Nor would I ever know the meaning of love. Until I had Jesus in my life.
• I was accused of playing the "pity victim", and the underdog. Okay, if you were the only atheist in a Christian chat room, you are naturally the underdog, you are a "natural man" that does not understand "spiritual things". It means less than a shit if you were once a Christian, and once really believed in the whole religion myth. Maybe one asks for it when they go into a Christian room being an atheist. Who knows? Either way it goes, I was not in there disrupting things like others do, you know who I mean…the ones who go into the rooms, and boots everyone, and just hogs the mic spout "fuck fuck fuck", "Christians die", and stuff of that nature. Far from it, I ask questions, and point out logical problems with the whole god of love, and the bible. But, we forget that the bible and god are perfect. Yes, perfectly fucked up.
• The funny thing is this: even the Christians are not really sure about what they believe. The different sects of the religion hold so many different beliefs about different things. One sect believes that Jesus in the Arc Angel Michael, another sect believes that the Eve had sex with the devil; this one believes once you are saved you are always saved. Another group believes that god is a glorified man, and that when we get to heaven we will be gods too, and have our own planet to be god over. One really weird bunch thinks that god is really an alien. There is always the underlying theme that Jesus died for you and me, and that we are forgiven through his murder. Strange huh? I guess it would not be Christianity if they did not believe at least that. Although even that is not universally believed as all other sects, if you can believe that! The importance is not as dire in one man's opinion.
• And you can forget about anyone answering you. Logic is not a strong point in this religion. Okay, I must say this though: there are some very intelligent people who are believers, and they can really argue their points in a rational matter. Up to the point of placing said rational to their own god. Then all of a sudden there is this special rule they get. Hmmm. "But don't call them on it though, you are after just a natural man, and would not understand this complex spiritual matter." This is a common excuse that I hear. And it gets boring.
• It amazes me how these people can just "know" what you need in your life, and what is "wrong" with you. They can just hear a word or two, or be told what your belief is, and you are automatically in need of their Jesus, and god. It does not matter how you present yourself, you are a rotten sinner, and trusting your own limited flawed mind. They "know" god is real, and they have a "relationship" with this god. Even though you cannot get them to pinpoint anything about their buddy Jesus. Or at least to a point that they have a relationship instead of a "dream" about their god. I have a few people tell me they "saw" god, and talked to Jesus "face to face". When pressed with questions to effect of "What did Jesus look like?" "How did his voice sound?", "Did you all have tea?".. You then get the answer that it was not a physical experience. It was all spiritual. Aha! Then why did you say you saw Jesus? You had a vision, a dream, a hallucination, nothing outside of your mind. Get over it.
• I have also noticed this: the believers assume that I am angry at their religion, and themselves. Any criticism of their views makes them angry. They then project this anger back at me. Or the person criticizing the belief. I am obviously angry with god. I cannot live the way god wants me to because I want to live life my own way, and I am rebelling against god…etc.etc. It never occurs to them that I have honestly searched and looked at the whole belief, and prayed… and came to a different conclusion than they did. And that angers them.