I Love Religion.
(Printed in the Towanda Daily Review on 4/5/98.)
Editor:Zealot – a fanatically committed person. Tom Smith (March 3, 1998, Review) wrote of me that "he hangs onto his every opinion with a zealot's fervor. God help him." Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but his description certainly fits himself, all born-again Christians, and every Fundamentalist.
Tom also asks God to help me. If it is the vicious, murdering God as described in the Bible -- the one that Tom seems to worship for some reason that escapes me -- I think I'll pass on the help.
Tom also wrote that "Scriptures teach that absolute standards exist." I see that you finally agree with me about that. I've always said that God (if he or she exists) doesn't determine what is moral or immoral, but instead is guided by moral codes that are independent of any deity. Thank God that the God of the Bible doesn't set moral codes, for then it would be "moral" to bash our infants against the rocks (as just one example of hundreds.) I could see it now – "Thou shalt not kill, unless you happen to think independently and not worship the ground that I stand on, then you're dead meat."
Christians believe that Christ will return. One of two things should happen if this should occur. One, he should immediately be arrested for crimes and conspiracies against humanity. Not only has the God of the Bible committed the most heinous atrocities imaginable, he has also ordered, directly and indirectly, numerous similar atrocities. Or two, He really is a loving and caring God – nothing like what is described in the Bible. In this case, Christians have a serious problem because for centuries they have been slandering His good name as a murdering maniac by spreading the falsehoods of the Bible. That Last Judgement could get really nasty.
Either way, I have another appointment with God in a few weeks and I will ask him a series of questions. If you have anything that you want me to ask him, submit you questions to jlferri@epix.net. The answers will be telepathically transmitted to you in a vision, or maybe I'll just submit them for printing here.
Despite what Tom Smith says, I love religion. In the name of religion, I can make claims that would be considered insane in any other circumstances (except maybe politics.) No proof. No evidence. Just claims. Based merely on faith. What a deal.
John L. Ferri
jlferri@epix.net