Just Take The No Answer and Move Along

For those who are long time readers of this blog you know that I used to post a LOT of religion based material. Some of my favorites being:

Abrahamic What?

Which sadly I need to repost the supporting images and many of the sources are gone.

Also: The Alien Nature of Islam in Africa

And lastly:

Olodumare and the Theistic problem of Evil

This essay perhaps sealed the deal on me being done with any religion that has a "devil as embodiment of bad and God as embodiment of good" ideology. It's worth the time to read the entire essay which is linked in the post.

Now the reasons I have generally refrained from religion posts is largely due to the belated realization that even though this is my space and I'll post what I please, critiquing religions as a means of showing how "wrong" they are, is really just an exercise is mental masturbation. It only does the writer good and even that is a fleeting moment. Also it reeks, IMO of a need for validation from others, which if you are comfortable with your belief system (or lack thereof) you don't need. And lastly for the vast majority of people religion is so fundamental to their mental health that for many a critique of it is deemed an attack on their very person. I have no wish to make such an attack (unless warranted). If a religion helps someone be the best person they can be, then ultimately that's all that matters.

So for example if a person chooses to practice Islam and that helps them be the most moral and productive person they can be, then me pointing out that Mohammed was a pedophile isn't really helping them. It may be true but in the end I haven't helped that person on their journey. All I've done is proven that I know a piece of information. So I basically let sleeping dogs lay about.

Unfortunately I occasionally have people who attempt to proselytize me. I'm polite about it but sometimes folks take it too far. Today's convo:

P:So would you like to come to our Bible study?
Me: No thank you. I appreciate the offer though.
P: Oh why not

This is where the person exited the non-harassment zone. I declined politely. There is no need for further questions but nooooooo.

Me: Not interested. Thanks though. P: Are you a Christian?

It isn't relevant whether I am or not. I already declined.

Me: No. P: What do you believe? Me: That would be a long discussion. P: Have you heard the good news? Me: *Playing a total fool* Good News?

I know exactly what the "good news" is.

P: That if you die there is a way for a 100% chance that you will go to heaven.
Me: I see.
P: If you believe in Jesus.
Me: You don't say.
P: Yes. And the Bible is true because there is data, like archeological evidence that shows it is true.
Me: Well in all religions their stories are based on their history so you can find archeology that confirms their story. But in all of them they put their own myths on top of those stories.
P: Myths?
Me: The Egyptians did it. The Greeks did it. Hindus did it...
P: No, but only the Bible is true.

Now usually I don't go this far but I was trapped because I was doing laundry. But I must say that the archeology argument is new. I have no idea how long this has been a part of the sell though.

Me: Look I want you to look up the following phrase when you get a chance. It's in the New Testament if that helps you: "Thus saith The Amen." Look that phrase up. When you do I want you to ask yourself why someone in the Bible is referring to "The Amen"
P: Well you see the Bible has been translated into many languages. First it was in Hebrew, then Greek and so on. So the writers were using phrases and they may not have meant to use certain words.

Stop right here: You can't be trying to convert someone and then say that the words in your book, which you claim to be written by God has words that the writers didn't quite know how to use.

Me: Well they knew enough to put a definite article, The, in front of Amen. Amen is an Egyptian God. In fact Amen is a reference to The God of Egypt. You should look that up and ask yourself why a reference to an Egyptian God is floating around in the Bible. Now I see my clothes have finished drying, you have a great day. P: *dumbfounded look*

And this is how it usually goes. There are VERY few times that I have run across Christians who are very informed about the book and religion they follow. Most of those persons are those who have gone to divinity school or had some extensive formal training in theology. These "street saints" are usually only informed enough to run rings around the uninformed. But let me clue in the reader as to my reference:

In Revelation 3:14 we find the following:

And unto the angel of the church of the La-odice´ans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

This appears in the King James Version. Many lay Christians recognize "Amen" (Arabic pronounciation: Ameeen) as a prayer closure with an approximate meaning of "so be it." But when you realize that "Amen" does not appear in the Bible prior to the Hebrews being In Egypt it is clear that Amen is a borrowed God and word from Egypt (among a whole lot of other borrowed items). What we find in Revelations (which has some of the oldest references in the Bible) is that the writers recognized Amen (as in The Hidden one) as Amen-Ra which the Egyptians recognized as the Hidden God. Ra being references as the Sun Disk. You know how it is said that you cannot look at God directly or that Moses came down from the mountain with a face that looked like he had been sun burnt? Yeah that's the Amen-Ra. If you are familiar with the creation epic found in The Book of Coming Forth By Day (AKA: The Book Of The Dead) then you know what "the beginning of the creation of God" references.

In Egyptian theology Amen-Ra is preceeded by Khepe-Ra. Khepera is represented by the Dung Beetle and represents the power of creation and reinvention. The Dung Beetle takes excrement and wraps it around it's eggs. Hence life comes from "death" or "nothingness". The first act of creation in the Egyptian mythos is the foundation of the laws of physics seen a the alternate form of Ma'at, Ma'a which is seen as a stone slab. Then Ra bring himself (itself) about as the first act of creation. Hence Ra is the beginning of creation.

Like I said earlier al of this is fun to know and certainly good intellectual material. But how me telling this to your ordinary Christian helps them be the best person they can be is beyond me. This is why I simply do not engage in the conversations. So if you don't want to run the risk of having the foundations of your faith undermined, simply take the "no" answer and move along.