Yesterday I responded to a diary by Pastor Dan disputing his claim that the Bible says non-Christians can get into heaven. My first repsonse was John 14:6, the part about "there is no way to the father but through me". Over a long back and forth period, PastorDan was dismissive and dishonest. I also used personal insults in my posts. I called him a snake oil salesman and a liar. This diary is about why I did that. THIS DIARY WAS EDITIED TO TAKE THE NAME OF ANOTHER USE OUT OF ITS TITLE WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THAT IS VERBOTTEN. I APOLOGIZE. I ALSO TOOK "TROLL DIARY" OFF OF THE TAGS LIST. BUT THAT DID MAKE ME CHUCKLE.
The first point is that I think Pastor Dan was very dishonest about the Bible. He sent a few vague passages about love and acceptance and tried to pass them off as a sign that God loves all and therefore you don't have to be a Christian to get to heaven.
This is a nice and humane philosophy. It is not however, consistent with Christianity. Christianity is neither nice nor humane: it is an exclusive religion and I refer to John 14:6 (no man cometh unto the father but through me) and John 3:18 (He that believ on Him is not condemned; but he that believe not in him is condemmed already).
PastorDan responded by referring me to the parable about the talents. (Matthew 6). It's a nice story and it's kind of feel-good but it nothing in it could possibly be read as superseding or even contradicting the two passages above. All it speaks to is the need to use your talents for good. It does NOT say that non-believers can be saved.
I am not a Christian. I am an atheist. But I believe that the liberal movement is hurt by attempts to co-opt Christianity into something kinder, gentler or more enlighted than it actually is. It is a religion as ignorant and spiteful as any other. Yes, Jesus said many gracious things but in the end, he was an exclusivist. Believe in me, or go to hell.
John Kerry looked like an ass when he talked about his faith and how it compels him to not believe in abortion or gay marriage. Every sane person in America knew he was kidding.
He's a liberal. He doesn't actually believe that the universe is lorded over by a God that cares who you marry. That's childish nonsense.
In 2004, Atheists and Agnostics voted for Kerry 82 to 18. That's better than 4 to 1. It may be a political fact of life that we have to make nice with church-goers in the short term but over the long haul, the less people believe in God, the better of we are as a nation.
And that's why I called bullshit yesterday. Pastor Dan has still not produced a biblical verse that says non-Christians can get into heaven. He claims that he did, but that's just not so. Until he does, I'm sticking with my assement of him as being dishonest.
Two commetns on the thread really pushed me to write this diary. One person praised Dan as the person that was preventing her agnosticism from becoming "full blown" atheism. Well, I don't think that's a good thing.
Today someone asked why I used personal insults. Maybe that was unbecoming and I could have been more tactful. But I have contempt for people who make their living by peddling a lie. And that's how I feel about clergy.
Some of you will probably respond by pointing to the passage about Jesus being sent not to judge the world but to save it. Well, that's nice but his method of saving it is to get people to believe in Him. He holds out no hope for anyone who does not. None.