Not So Polite Dinner Conversation – oooh, the “blight of atheism”

Ran across a blog by a catholic priest, Father Joe Jenkins.  He claims atheism is a blight and a sin. Nothing new. Just figured I’d put this up since I took the time to respond on his blog and I am comfortably sure that it won’t see the light of day. (memes at the bottom if yuo just want to scroll down)

“Atheism is regarded as a sin against faith. It is not simply a matter of one not finding the evidence for God as intellectually satisfying; rather, it is an active impediment to credulity. It signifies a spiritual drought. Worst yet, it might be compared to the locusts that swarm to consume the awaited harvest. Rather than trusting in God’s providence and intervention, atheists lament that all their hard work is quickly undone. Their toil is in vain. The lack of lasting meaning tempts them to despair.”

Unfortunately, for Joe, there is no evidence for his god and no evidence is definitely not “intellectually satisfying”.  All Joe has are baseless claims.  Atheism is indeed an “active impediment to credulity”, which translated means  “an obstacle to “readiness or willingness to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence”.  I suspect that Joe doesn’t quite intend to use the word “credulity” here. 

And since no spirituality, no “spiritual drought”. 

No reason to trust in an imaginary being’s providence and intervention since it doesn’t even do that for its supposed true followers.  And no, I don’t lament that my work is “quickly undone”.  I know that my toil isn’t in “vain”.   I have lasting meaning, no “despair”.  It’s always great how Joe, and his fellow Christians always have to try to scare people into their religion. 

“When it comes to Jesus, the disciple must possess a readiness to believe. The ground of the soul must be prepared as fertile and receptive for the seed. The crop must be watered by instruction, witness and grace. There is no naïve gullibility but rather an honesty in intellect and a willingness in consent.”

Every religion/cult makes the same claims as Joe does.  They need ignorance and gullibility to work, aka a “readiness to believe”.  There is no intellect required and Christianity repeatedly insists that intellect is worthless and one must simply obey their god, which means obey them and their particular version of this religion.   

“Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy. He is the long-awaited Messiah (John 8:24-28). He confirms his power and identity by performing miracles. A claim is made for divinity by his acts of mercy. Only God can forgive sins.  He raises the dead. God alone is the author of life.  He walks on water. He is the God of nature or creation.”

Like all religions, these claims baseless assertions.  Jesus fails to be the Jewish messiah per the bible itself.  No evidence of this character, and no evidence of miracles, despite the bible’s claims that jesus was a famous miracle worker known around the middle east.  No one noticed this fellow raising the dead, or being followed around by thousands of men in rebellious judea.  No one noticed any of the events around the supposed cruxifiction/resurrection.  Not the romans, not the jews, not even Paul. 

“The great precursor and prophet, John the Baptist, attests to who he is and to his mission. The hearts of believers, past and present, are burning with the truth.  Only those who are spiritually cold, not wanting to believe, are the ones to reject him and his message.  Hundreds will witness the aftermath of his revivification. The apostles who celebrate his victory over the grave will testify to his resurrection by their constant preaching and martyrdom. What sane person would die for a lie? No one! A refusal to believe constitutes a rejection of grace. Saving faith is made real not just in the mind but in the heart.”

Very little evidence for john the Baptist either.  Again, just stories aka claims, and claims need evidence.  The desire to believe doesn’t make things true.  And since Christians can’t even agree on which version is the right one, it seems that believers aren’t burning with any “truth” at all. 

Unsurprisngly, no evidence for “hundreds” of witnesses.  Paul’s 500 simply vanish, never to be heard from again.  No evidence for apostles or any martyrdom, just more stories.  So, no sane people died for a lie at all, and gullible people die for lies all of the time. 

“The greatest remedy to atheism is the Eucharist. Along with the Word, it is the food that satisfies for the hunger of the soul. Non-believers go hungry. Those who deny the Eucharistic Christ are spiritually malnourished, starving for meaning and the life of grace. Believers become one with this Eucharist, part of the harvest of faith.”

The magic cracker and wine are no remedy at all to atheism.  I can see that the catholic version is no more true than the protestant version, the orthodox version, etc.  No hunger for what they are selling.  Happily, I have meaning and purpose, and need no “life of grace” where a imaginary being is touted as supporting genocide, slavery, and killing people, including children, for things they didn’t do.