Written by Dan
Barker
(A reaction to the missions of
religious fundamentalists)
Dear Christian:
I have heard the message of salvation
many times: we are all sinners, and we can have forgiveness and eternal
life if we confess and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. I have heard
that there can be no morality outside of God's laws, and that no one
can be truly good without being transformed by the Spirit. I have
also heard that there is no peace, love, joy, or meaning without Christ.
Christians feel that unbelievers are empty slaves to carnality and
selfish pride, unable to grasp the truth, and must humble themselves
before God's plan.
I have heard that the bible contains
the "inspired word of God" -a message of ultimate importance-
and that many scholars claim to have proven its uniqueness and reliability.
Some Christians say that they have verified the truth by personal
experience.
This is all very interesting. I
want the best for my life. If there is an eternal paradise, I would
hate to miss it; and I definitely would not want to roast in a literal
hell. It would be unwise to ignore something like a god, especially
one who takes interest in my life. I would ask a thousand questions
of an all-knowing mind.
You and I breathe the air of the
same planet, and truth should be the same for us both. The basic question
which should be asked about any religion is: is it TRUE? If the basic
claims of theism, sin, miracles, and revelation are true, then maybe
your "good news" is truly good.
However, I am an unbeliever. It's
not that I particularly want to doubt; it's just that I have no choice.
I have examined your claims and I am not convinced that they are true.
I may even wish them to be true (or I may not) -but I am not so naive
to think that something can be true or false just because I desire
it. There must be some reason, beyond wishful thinking.
I'm sure you agree. You certainly
doubt that thunder is caused by the anger of Zeus, or that Allah is
the one true god. Like myself, you see them as myths created to explain
the unknown, to give life some kind of meaning, to enhance culture,
or to empower the ruling caste. They are born in human imagination,
and can be explained without reference to a supernatural world. There
are many gods which Christians reject. I just believe in one less
god than you do. The reasons that you might give for your atheism
toward Roman gods are likely the same reasons I would give for not
believing in Jesus.
You and I are alike. We have minds
which perceive, analyze, integrate, and react. Our only difference
in this regard is that you have judged (or assumed) the premises of
your religion to be factual, while I have not. You would not want
to commit yourself to an idea of which you were not convinced, would
you?
You are welcome to try and convince
me that Christianity is true, but you should know that I am not going
to "just believe" by faith. I will demand substantiation.
If you say that the bible is reliable, I will ask you to prove it.
I may ask why the bible contains so many errors and contradictions.
If you are not familiar with the findings of critical bible scholars
with diverse points of view, I will view your conclusions with suspicion.
Neither will I believe because millions
of others do. Truth is not determined by vote. If it were, the earth
would still be flat.
I will ask if your conclusions are
logical. If you want me to consider your beliefs, then be ready to
tackle questions like these:
* Is there a higher judge of truth than reason?
* After centuries of bitter religious fighting, why is your mind suddenly
blessed with the true way of thinking?
* What is morality, and is it possible without a deity?
* Is the violent history of the Church consistent with a message of
love?
* What is a contradiction, and what would the bible have to say in
order to be discrepant?
* Why did your god create evil? (Isaiah 45:7)
* Is there anything wrong with skepticism?
* Why should inner religious experience point to anything outside
of the mind?
* Historians must assume natural regularity over time, so how can
the bible be completely historical when it contains miracles, which
violate nature?
* What is a god, exactly, and why do you think one exists?
What could be said about Christianity which, if true,
would make it false? If you can't answer that question, then your
conclusions may be based on something other than honesty. You can't
expect me to respectfully listen to you if you are closed to full,
honest inquiry-if you are unwilling to allow, theoretically, that
you might be wrong. I am open-minded and willing to change my position,
if warranted. Can you also be fair enough to follow the facts, wherever
they lead?
Many unbelievers have carefully
considered these questions, perhaps even more deeply than you have.
And some of us were at one time just as religious as you are now.
After honest examination, I am convinced that the bible is primitive
mythology, that there is no evidence for a god, that Christians are
not more moral or tolerant than atheists, and that religion has caused
more harm than good. Why should my conclusions be less valid than
yours?
You feel that the complexity of
life demands a designer; but the mind of such a creature would be
at least as complex as the rest of nature, requiring a designer itself,
wouldn't it? If everything needs a cause, then there can be no first
cause; and if you nonetheless assert a First Cause, I will ask how
you know (assume) that there can be an uncaused cause. If a deity
can be thought eternal, so can the universe. God-belief does not answer
any question; it just replaces a mystery with a mystery: if god made
anything, who made god?
If the mind of a god is the measure
for morality, then there is no way to measure if god's actions are
"good." The murderous, sexist, intolerant activities of
the biblical deity and the presence of chaos, ugliness and pain in
the universe portray your "supreme" god as supremely immoral,
by my standards. I could invent a nicer god than that, and so could
you.
If you have new concrete evidence
or rational arguments, then I will be glad to hear them. But please
don't waste my time preaching the same old sermons I have been hearing
for years.
I am quite happy with life. I have
purpose and peace of mind -I prefer goodwill over repentance. I don't
want to die, but I accept death as natural. I sense no need to worship,
confess, or apologize to anyone. I feel no guilt, and therefore no
desire to be "saved" from anything: sin is a primitive idea,
and salvation is religion's offer to solve a problem of its own making.
I happily admit I am a skeptic;
and I am proud of the way I think. Although humans are not perfect,
I respect the human mind and I am optimistic about our abilities to
continue to solve life's problems, with reason and kindness.
I don't claim to have all the answers;
but if you want me to hear your message than I will ask you to listen
to mine.
1987, Dan Barker/ Freedom
from Religion Foundation, Madison WI