I am assuming that you, reading this, consider yourself to be a sane and rational human being. That being said, would you believe someone if they told you there was a magical bunny that brought baskets with toys and colored eggs to you the night before Easter? I didn’t think so.
Would you believe someone who tried to explain that there was a man who, pulled by flying reindeer, descended upon rooftops and climbed down chimneys to deliver presents on Christmas Eve? Of course not.
Why, then, do so many of you believe in a mythical being in the sky watching over your every move, judging you until the day you die? This, folks, is the notion of “God,” and it is the biggest fairy tale of all time; one many otherwise smart people stupidly believe in it.
Born a Jew, popular Southern California Evangelical Christian minister Ray Comfort recently released a book titled, “You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, But You Can’t Make Him Think.”
The book purportedly contains “proof” of the existence of God and shows how you, too, can confront those pesky atheists and show them the true path to salvation! What a crock. Comfort, in league with 1980s “Growing Pains” actor Kirk Cameron Kirk, how far you’ve fallen — has been known to challenge prominent atheists to debates.
Thankfully, a lot of the intellectuals and professors he confronts have neither the time nor the energy to take Comfort the Creationist seriously.
But Comfort only represents a small piece of a much larger problem. Religion pervades modern society and influences the way many people think and rely on blind faith alone. I guess that is one of my main problems with religion and the notion of God — the fact that it is a total brainwashing agent.
Kurt Warner, quarterback for the 2008 National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals, is what is called a “charismatic Christian.” Don’t let the fancy name fool you, though. He’s as misled as the rest of the flock.
Warner, who famously shouted, “Thank you Jesus!” after his Super Bowl victory with the St. Louis Rams in 2000, said much the same after winning the 2008 NFC championship game. He thanked Jesus again, but neglected to thank his teammates for the work they did. After all, they were the ones that truly made it happen.
I guess God and Jesus worked in tandem to guide the football from Warner’s fingertips to his wide receivers’ hands and eventually into the end zone. Warner, however, changed his story soon after he lost last season’s Super Bowl.
After the game, I heard nary a mention of the white-bearded fellow who resides in the clouds. Why didn’t Warner thank his main man this time, if not only for the opportunity to play and lose? If God was behind the 2000 victory, he was surely behind the 2008 loss, right?
This is exactly where logic is lost to the religious people among us, because, well, religion itself and the notion a supreme being are illogical to begin with. Whenever something good happens it was an act of God; whenever something bad happens, however, God is AWOL. God is merely a coping mechanism for the weak; nothing more, nothing less.
To quote comedian George Carlin, “[God] loves you. He loves you and He needs money! He always needs money! He’s all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, but somehow just can’t handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, you talk about a good bullshit story!”
It’s enough to make anyone sick, isn’t it?
Gerry Wachovsky is a graduate student and a columnist for the Daily Forty-Niner.
Rock on, Gerry! As for you nuts that think there is a God, Jesus, Easter Bunny, etc., please use the brains evolution gave you. Realize there is no invisible bearded guy in the sky watching over you. Put your faith in your fellow man, not in an invisible man-god.
Gerry,
so far you havent presented any vaild arguments on why you think God doesnt exist. you have only presented the problems you have with religion.
in fact i think it takes more faith to believe that God doesnt exist than to be believe that He does. if you do some research i think you’ll find alot of evidence on the existence of God
As a Christian, here are my two biggest problems with what you’ve presented:
1. “…Religion itself and the notion a supreme being are illogical to begin with.” What’s illogical is the circumstances we find ourselves in. What are the odds that this planet would just so happen to exist with all the perfect conditions for life? There is such an infinite number of things that had to happen correctly from the beginning (whenever that may have been) that it makes much more sense to believe that someone or something planned it all out than to assume that it all just happened to happen by coincidence.
2. Quoting George Carlin. It is the corruption of those people asking for the money that is what is in the wrong here, not God’s will.
I would like to leave you with these 2 thoughts:
-If you get the chance, read “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis. Read it with an open mind. It could strengthen your resolve on the issue, or it could make you look at it from a different angle. It certainly changed my life.
-The two greatest commandments, as deemed by Jesus himself, are to love God, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Those don’t seem too bad to me.
Our campus is made up of individuals with diverse religious beliefs, including the right not to believe. Even in an opinion piece, there is no need to ridicule the heartfelt beliefs of others. Respect for one another, even those we may not agree with, is an important aspect of civilization. This column showed little respect for those that feel differently than the author.
Thanks Gary. We need more people like you.
I object!!! try getting a Christ follower to voice his/her opinion upon what they believe. Then, only then will the people make a good judgement on your piece.
GOD IS REAL!!!!!
because of all saints, or myths told in time, JESUS is the ONLY one who died and rose back AGAIN from the grave. I don’t think Santa Claus did, nor the easter bunny, and for that matter even Budda. They’re all DEAD. Yet, Jesus being God, IS the ONLY ONE who came back to LIFE!
and we do not use God as a tool for being weak, for those who believe are stronger for managing to pursue a life of purity. Those who work this hard should earn BIG PROPS.
God bless you, and FYI : God is waiting for you with open arms!
Where are all the whackoloons? I expected many of them here to damn you to hell and tell you that they love you. =puzzled=
Your name, I think you can do all of the things you are suggesting to the wise Mr. Wachovsky without having to specifically thank “God.” I think anyone can go around and constantly remain amazed that the forces of nature have somehow created the incredibly complex by-product (bi-product? I don’t know) that is human consciousness and the world that it operates in without having to go the next step and “thank God” for it. Although many might be put off by Gerry’s characterizing the idea of god as a “coping mechanism,” I think that at a base level what he is saying is that many people simplify the utter chaos and complexity of the material world down to the notion of “Wow, God created all of this.” It makes us feel like we understand how everything got the way it is, when in reality that understanding is utterly beyond our comprehension (At least that’s the way I feel about it). To me, God is also in some respects just a personification of our conscience. It’s ok to use the training wheels that is “God” while you’re developing your sense of morality, but eventually you have to take them off and find balance for yourself. Nice article.
Well said, Gary.
I respect your view point Gerry and at one point in my life might have even agreed with you. However, you seem to be missing the big picture about the purpose of worship. G-D is not a “coping mechanism for the weak” as you argue, rather worshipping G-D is being thankful for everything that you’ve been blessed with and appreciating everything (health, food, family, friends etc.) you have.
We are all weak, Gerry, whether we realize it or not. Our health, our families, our material possessions can vanish at any second; in fact, very little of our ultimate destiny can be controlled for too long. Yet, when we pray, we thank G-D for the blessings we have been given, even if they may be temporary, and truly find value in the time we have on this planet.
Some of the “strongest” and most intelligent people worked within a framework of G-D, Gerry; it’s not just athletes and hypocrites as you demonstrate.
I suggest you try praying every once in a while (this is not meant to sound condescending, I’m being sincere), thanking G-D everyday has truly helped make me a much stronger and happier person.