Truth Seeker: More Objections to Christianity (Book) - 7/15/2019 8:00:16 AM
Thanks for the introduction. My father and I never discussed religion. My mother dragged him to church and that was about the extent of his involvement. But his mother, especially with the onset of Alzheimer's became religious to the extreme. I was thousands of miles away when my father neared death and died in 2005, but I don't think he ever posed any questions about God or Jesus as he waned. He like to discuss trucking in sports. He did once tell me that he didn't know why he was losing weight while eating good, but that wasn't anything about his faith, just as physical condition.
From your introduction, it is obvious that your father was as religious as you, but in a different way, denying Christianity in favor of, an inner, spiritual God. That is probably why he became emotional when you had arguments over who was right. I have found that when I discuss religion with Christians, if we get into details, they invariably become emotional. I don't. My spirit, my intelligence, is wonderful, but I share it with all mammals on the planet. Mine is just more evolved and dies with me when I die. That's why I write books. So my ideas stay around a little while and are not tied to my spirit. That's how all great ideas have come down to us from the past… In written language… Like your obsession with the Bible.
I like the idea that you debunk the cult of Ancient Aliens. There is simply no reason that extraterrestrial beings would arrive and leave all kinds of evidence of their superior intelligence as some kind of clues to their being here, and then, seed intelligence or intelligent beings on the planet.
There is growing evidence that Darwin got it right. Prior to the Stone Age, many hominid branches, died out. Without superior intelligence and lacking in tools, survival was extremely difficult living among terrible predators. I believe that about the time that written language formed, animals and plants were domesticated, and tools advanced from stone to copper, the surviving humans about 10,000 years ago, while occupying much of their time in survival, oral, rituals passed down, were actually much superior in intelligence than we are today. Most of us today with all of our technology, think that we have evolved into being more intelligent. I agree that some of us have, like Einstein and Hawking. But the vast majority of us, while still very religious, do very little to advance us or even understand why we are here.
Ron
Truth Seeker: The Human Condition (Book) - 7/14/2019 8:39:40 AM
From your brief excerpt I like what you've written and agree with it 100%. I believe your book will be very helpful for those who question who they are as a human and it might even help people change direction. I know from your bio that you have grown to be more Christian as a result of your Bible study.
My perspective is very broad and inclusive, partly because I have not spent most of my life in trivial pursuits like most people do (my twin brother played golf three times last week even with a replaced hip that is giving him a lot of trouble). I watched several scientific and history shows, keeping up with the latest in archaeological finds and scientific discovery. I see the Bible as a good book that can be interpreted so many different ways, usable for good or bad purposes. But I see the Bible primarily from a Judeo-Christian viewpoint that leaves out the rest of the world.
I do agree that recent scientific study has verified portions of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament. But the writers of the New Testament, still are not known, although purported to be the disciples' own testimony. The most recent discovery of manuscripts is still 100 years after the death and purported return of Jesus Christ from the dead.
I find Christians overly dependent upon the idea of forgiveness of sins and some kind of rebirth in some kind of heavenly existence. If they focused on doing better in this life instead, we would all be better off.
Ron
