The Resurgence: 8 things that didn't compel me to reject Jesus.

http://theresurgence.com/things_that_might_compel
The Resurgence is an attempt from Christians to restore faith in Jesus in America- as if there is a serious lack of faith happening here. We're one of the most Christian countries in the world, and the most religious first-world nation outside of the Vatican.
So we're got some resurging to do apparently- they've written a blog post about 8 things that might compel you to reject Jesus. These are listed below, with appropriate responses from me of course, being that this is my blog.
I'll be going through it, let's see if they can't save my soul by the end of the post, shall we?

1. Theology
This argument is rather weak- the quote is "Don’t reject him theologically." I am not sure exactly what they're trying to accomplish here; the paragraph has little meaning. The point is that Atheists reject theological teachings being that they aren't based in fact, but in speculation about ancient literature.

2. Control

The author attempts to make the point that people in Nazereth were desperate for miracles and divine intervention, and sought help from Jesus when he came by. He declined to do miracles and that was because he didn't want them to believe they had controlled him- and that this opinion is carried over to today, where, when Jesus or God aren't what we want them to be (kind, all-loving, consistent in their instructions?) then we get mad and throw a fit.

The supposed situation in Nazereth brings up an excellent point. People were poor, hungry and suffering from plagues. What they did was ask for help from someone who they were told, could help. If your child was dying of a disease and you had no hope of saving them, and a mysterious stranger rolls into town claiming to be able to heal the sick, what is the first thing you're going to do? Beg for help in the way you know how to, or that is culturally appropriate to you.

This is apparent given the hysteria surrounding the Autism Spectrum, people are jumping on the idea that vaccines cause Autism because we want something, anything to blame and some kind of control over the destiny of our children, and feeling like there is nothing that could have been or ever could be done is absolutely shattering. 

A desperate situation, and the savior of mankind walks in to town and is offended by pleas and demands for help? Especially when he seems to be uniquely in the position to lend support? 

Humans want things. We want to be able to live, and we want to be happy, and we have a strong desire to reproduce. These drives are what cause the cooperation of our civilization. If your neighbor had a cure for a disease ailing someone in your family, and he didn't share it with you, or tried to coerce you in some way with it, he would be regarded as an evil person.  Yet, when someone who claims to be God Himself refuses to help- this act isn't evil, it's him trying to teach us an important lesson about control.

The analogy drawn with Christianity is generally the parent-and-child one- so let's use it. If your child is trapped screaming under a pile of rocks, this is not the time to teach him to use his inside voice.

3. Greed

The foundation of society is Greed. It's the reason we have capitalism. Most of the Christian right hates socialism with a deep passion that rivals only their faith in the creator, but we'll try not to lump all Christians in one political pot for now.

Fighting against your strongest instinct- self-preservation- is hard. It's usually only possible when the life of your child is at risk, and so "to eat of her final meal before she starved to death." is an illustration that might be... inaccurate, to put it politely. But hey, it's a tenet of your religion, so let's work with that principle too.

So let me get this straight- Some guy tells you he's God. He won't help you not starve to death, and he seems to be a bit down on his luck. He also says not to be greedy, yet he takes food from a starving widow. In what universe does this make any sense at all? Let me reiterate- Jesus Christ Himself visits a town stricken with poverty and disease and uses as his ultimate test...hospitality?


Would you go to Haiti right now (sorry to use you like this Haiti... Please text 'HAITI' to 90999) and base your support on whether or not people hand over their food and water? Go from town to down with secret bags of rice and gallons of potable water but not hand them over until they pass a personality test? What kind of horrible human being could do that? I forget- the capacity of God is infinite.

4. Selfishness

This paragraph, really, is just a repeat of the last one. Greed is literally a synonym for selfishness. It's used in the definition. So you'll have to forgive me for not wasting your time. See above.

5. Familiarity

I believe what's being stated here is the staycation phenomenon that's sweeping the nation. Grew up in your hometown? Great! Why not visit it through the eyes of a tourist? New yorkers can have a lot of fun, but people in Waco, Texas aren't as lucky.

Basically, this deals with belief that already exists, or people who grew up in church culture that ultimately rejected it. 

I'd love to go into the fantastic amount of detail and environmental, physical, emotional and geographical variables that lead into a decision to reject Jesus, and perhaps I will- or maybe you can just head over to http://recoveringfundamentalists.com/ and read some stories of why people stop believing.

Just know that it's almost never "I just didn't get excited enough".

6. Comfort

I'm sure for some people, it's easier to just be an Atheist. Maybe up north, or out west. I live in the bible belt. I live in Dallas Texas. Within a mile of my house (and I live DOWNTOWN) there are no less than 38 churches. That's just google maps- not every church is listed there.

I have lost jobs, friends, family and even lovers to prejudice. I have been spit on, slapped, kicked out of cars and had bibles thrown at me. My cousin was left at school for three days until child protective services came and picked him up, and had a long talk with my aunt, because he said he didn't believe in God.

Being an Atheist isn't easy. You can't do something bad and ask for forgiveness- you have to live with that guilt until you die. Knowing you're going to die, and that there isn't anything after that is terrifying. Knowing that shit could go south at any moment- the sun could flare, a rock could hit us, a disease could kill us, a supervolcano could block the sun and we'd all freeze or starve- the certainty that Christians have- the ignorance is something I wish I could capture. But I can't. I know how science works, and that a healthy skeptical attitude has saved me from many an ill. Honestly, I don't see what's so hard about being a Christian, except believing in something you have no idea is true or not. Living by a book that's a good 7 or 8 empires old is hard enough, but no one (including the author of "The Resurgence") lives by ALL of it... they pick and choose what is and isn't important. Honestly, if I could be a Christian, I might try it out. But I can't- they haven't met my threshold for proof (which is apparently pretty low- I do believe in evolution after all...) and so I stay abstinent from theology.

7. Embarrassment

Again, apparently NO ONE is a Christian and it just SUCKS. They're completely persecuted and they never get 'cool points'. Oh No. I feel SO sorry for you.

Try saying "No, I don't go to church, or believe in God" at your next job interview. Go on, try it.

8. Religion

I absolutely LOVE when Christians try to make it seem like their faith isn't a religion. It's not a religion, they say, it's a relationship. 

Yeah, quacks like a duck, has feathers and a beak. Floats on the water. 

It's a religion. 

Religion: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny;
Relationship: a relation between people;

Which one of these defines what you do every Sunday, and what you talk about in scripture, and the book you read from? You're not speaking to a physical person, you're describing how you feel about an abstract concept(infinity) that was supposed to somehow be represented somehow in a person who could be killed- through some arbitrary rules He Himself made up, about how He had to die in order to save us all. 

This is not a relationship- this is a religion- and it makes no damn sense.

And that is why I reject Jesus. 

That, and people who write stupid posts like these.

Comming out of the Chapel: How to tell your parents you believe differently.

We've all seen this video - but there does not really exist a good guide that goes over dealing with the consequences of your decision, and the fallout you might face from your family- for people still living with their parents.
This topic is intended for people under or around 18 who still must live in their parents houses, and who still have to deal with their parents rules, but do not want to "live a lie" so to speak, or go to church.

The first step you have to do is define what you believe. As an Atheist, I find that using the word "Atheist" does not really accurately describe my beliefs as well as many people think it does, due to connotations imposed by society and training most people receive in order to "deal" with us.
So this is the first step. It is OK to say that you don't know what you believe, but we'll get to that.

Take out a piece of paper(or open notepad++) and start writing. State what you believe about several key issues, as you will be asked these questions and you want to get your story straight.
First, write down if you believe in God, and if so, define what you think God is and why you believe what you do/don't about it.
Second, if you are coming/going from Christianity, explain your thoughts on Jesus.
Key points are whether he existed, whether he was the son of god and what he said. Also under this topic, address the bible and how you feel/don't about it.
Third, address what you have changed about your world view, and what actions/implications this has. If you suddenly find yourself religious, explain the new morals and laws you must live by. If you have become a Freethinker, explain what Freethought is and why you now accept it. I'll create a specific guide and give a template for Freethought later and you can take what you need from that.

Write these down and then, print them out. It is very important to write them in a way that is not purposefully offensive or snarky, as you're not trying to incite your parents, you are merely bringing them up to speed.
Write the declarations as you would if you were writing them to your best friend. You might even have to write one for your friends if you are coming out of the church and so, you might use the same one for everyone (maybe leave out the jokes and slang for your parents though.)
Then, read them aloud to someone you can trust that shares your viewpoint, and then someone who does not. Gage their reactions. Ask if there is anything you should add or take out. Practice on your friends.

Then, mentally prepare yourself. Something you are probally beginning to realize as you get older is that your parents really are just people, and they make the same mistakes you do and have the same emotions. The main reason they act as they do is because they watched you grow up. They have seen you do stupid, disgusting and hilarious things and it is hard to adjust to age- our brains really aren't built to handle it. People that change over time usually do it slowly after they grow up, but watching someone grow up is a different matter entirely.
Also, when you have a child, you have certain goals and ideas in mind for that child and having them go against them/you is a very difficult process to watch. Teaching someone something and then having them not only disbelieve you but turn all the way around and go in a different direction can be very emotional and leave you wondering where you went wrong.
Another thing, your parents have been around longer than you, and have seen more things than you have. It's hard to accept advice from your younger siblings or children you know, so why should it be any different for your parents?
Also, keep in mind that faith/lack of faith happens over time, and even slower for people once their brains stop growing (around age 20) and so you aren't going to argue them on to your side.
It's not like arguing the difference between digital cameras or cars. It's an entire way of thinking and a lot of their lives are usually consumed by it- so there is no magic gotcha statement.
These things are good points to include in your speech, that you understand them and want them to understand as well.

Also, make sure you mention why you are telling them, what you actually want to come of it. Of course, being closer as a family due to openness is the best reason, but maybe you do/don't want to attend church and maybe you do/don't want to be called upon to say grace at the table- and lastly you would like the chance to honestly talk about your faith/lack thereof with people who are close to you.

Now that you have your speech, and you have practiced it in front of friends, family or the hate machine of the internet(you can also e-mail me and I will take a look, even for people who aren't Atheists) you are ready to give it to your parents.
This might seem like something that is scary, or it might seem fun- but either way its not something to rush into. Showing constraint and doing this the right way will show maturity, and make it easier for them to take you seriously.

First, tell your parents you have made an important decision and you want to talk to them about it, but you want to do it when there will be no interruptions and with just them. I strongly suggest not having siblings around when you do this(unless they are toddlers or younger).

Make sure you have the answers to most of the big questions that they will ask ready. Looking uncertain will usually make you look like you haven't thought this through as much as you have and will cause you to lose credibility.
Make sure your attitude is under control- do not be snarky or subversive, as you don't want to send the message that you are just doing this to rebel. You want them to realize this is not just a phase and you are really serious- and that you will not be swayed by threats or punishments, or additional time in church. What you believe and why comes in very, very handy here.

Read your speech. Be honest, and open. Explain why you believe what you do and that you are not doing it for any other reason than your quest for the truth. Tell your parents it is important that they not interrupt and ask them to save questions for the end. Tell them that you have prepared a speech for this reason and that their questions will probably be answered if they allow you to finish your whole speech.

After the speech is finished, there will probably be an emotional reaction of some kind. They may get angry and threaten to punish you- take things away, kick you out of the house, etc. Realize that this is an emotional reaction and that you should wait for them to think about it. Most likely, they will say things out of fear or anger that they do not mean, much like you have done in the past. Remember we are all human beings and we make mistakes.
Ensure that, just in case, there is someone who will let you stay for a few days- but do not leave immediately if things get tough. You can retreat to your room if you want to escape yelling and/or derogatory remarks but don't leave as you might lose valuable opportunities for really constructive dialogue- and if you leave without their permission you will lose a great deal of credibility. It might be extremely tempting, but riding through the storm will be worth it in the end, in most cases.
If you are in fact in danger of bodily harm, do leave and give them time to cool down. But make sure it is not just a gut reaction and that you are actually in danger- it will not help at all if you act just as irrationally as they do.

You might have consequences as a result of this decision- like seeing a counselor/church leader or being grounded. There's not much you can do but stick to it, and it will end eventually.

The other thing that might happen is that your parents close themselves off- and you reach a very anti-climactic finish. Don't be tempted to argue just because you were expecting to- but read my earlier post about talking to your family.