Excerpt #26 from my book, Religion, An Obstacle to Human Progress
Some religion teachers and adherents say we should accept the world’s religions uncritically.
Our efforts should be directed toward getting diverse religious groups to accept each other and live together in harmony.
It’s not going to happen.
It never was and never will be.
Instead, we should acknowledge these old belief systems for what they are, abandon them as they are outdated, and develop contemporary non-tribal belief systems based on current and evolving knowledge.
WE EXIST IN CAGES OF OUR OWN MAKING.
Do not suppose the statements of the prophets to be true. Men lived comfortably till they came and spoiled life. The ‘sacred books’ are only such a set of idle tales as any age could have and indeed did actually produce. – Al-Ma’arri, Syrian poet, 975-1057
The problems with ancient religions is that too often they are like houses built with poor foundations.
They begin to crumble and collapse.
Short-term church attendance is flat.
Long-term shrinkage is forcing houses of worship across the country to close their doors.
I mean if you can believe in the Christian religion, you can believe in anything,
you know it’s so utterly preposterous. – Tom Baker, raised as a Catholic, went to the monastery for seven years
The Jesus Seminar, a group of biblical scholars, garnered major media attention several years ago over their unorthodox method of voting on whether Jesus actually said the things attributed to him.
Their publication, The Acts of Jesus, summarizes five years of work the group, based in Santa Rosa, CA, spent analyzing the stories of the Gospels, and other literature, regarding the deeds of Jesus.
The group concluded that Jesus did very few of the actions ascribed to him.
In fact, of the 176 events cataloged, the members of the Jesus Seminar concluded that only 28 actually occurred with any historical probability.
Among those that didn’t make the cut: most of the miracles; the historical basis for Jesus’ arrest; and the empty tomb on Easter morning.
He didn’t walk on the water.
He didn’t multiply the loaves and fishes.
And he didn’t change water into wine.
Let me note, that beyond the Jesus Seminar, there are many scholars who believe that Jesus did not even exist.
TRUTH IS PATIENT.