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Others Should Delve Into Info About Religions

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By Jack Richter, Sartell

There have been a number of letters in the Times recently about atheism that accuse or imply atheists “have not done their research” when it comes to religion.

On the contrary, all of the atheists, agnostics and secular humanists I know across the country have done extensive reading, research and investigation into the origins of not only Christianity, but also Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and many other religions.

In addition to researching all of the world’s religions, we have also delved with a critical thinking mind into the areas of paleoanthropology, DNA research, biology and world history. We have studied the ancient civilizations of not only Israel and Rome, but the Persian, Greek and Babylonian empires. My personal studies have taken 10 years of research.

What have atheists found after many years of critical and discerning study of the Bible and its origins? We have found that the mythological figure of “Jesus Christ” was based on other mythical pagan savior gods from Egypt, Babylonia, Greece and Sumeria.

The mythical gods of “Horus,” “Krishna,” “Mithra” and “Dionysus” all had the same crucified and rising from the dead “experience” “Jesus” did. They were all supposedly “born” in a cave, attended by “shepherds” and were born from a “virgin impregnated by a ghost.” They all had a “star” to announce that birth, which was also Dec. 25, which was the date assigned to the Jesus myth based on the Winter Solstice, which was originally celebrated by the pagans who were murdered by the Christians when they refused to conform to the new Christian “belief system.” All of the mythical gods were attended by three wise men or kings.

Atheists do not believe in a heaven or a hell because the entire concept of an afterlife was invented along with gods and goddesses by the Egyptians and the Greeks.

The Greek myth the river “Hades” became the concept of “Hell.” The persona of “Satan” is from the Egyptian God “SET” who was the God Horus’ (prototype for Jesus) mortal enemy.

It is no coincidence that the Israelites borrowed heavily from the ancient Egyptians in the areas of mythology when they set up their belief system and wrote the myths, fables and lies that compose the Bible. The Israelites were neighbors to Egypt after all.

I would like to ask Christians critical of atheists if they are aware of all of the errors and contradictions in the Bible? Errors such as the fact that the four synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John differ in their accounts of the resurrection story? Contradictions like Judas hanging himself in the Gospel, but throwing himself into a field in the Book of Acts? Why would we have no record of Jesus’ life from the age of 12 all the way to the age of 30?

And then there are the beliefs about women being created from a man’s rib, and that the earth is only 6,000 years old as well and dinosaurs lived here at the same time as “Adam and Eve.” Or more currently, if there was a god “blessing the Iraq war” why is it failing so miserably?

I believe in “Lucy,” a skeleton, carbon dated and scientifically authenticated I can see with my own eyes, rather than “Eve” or “Mary,” who were obvious literary creations.

I believe in humans working together and helping each other for the betterment of this world. Because I believe in the seen rather than the unseen and unproven, I can face death with bravery and more importantly, I can face life with honesty, clear thinking, human empathy and more passion than I ever could when I was a “believer.”

Atheists consider honesty and integrity the highest value, and they find Christianity and other religions seriously lacking in both.

I have actually read some of the works these writers have suggested.

Now I invite these believers to read “The Christ Conspiracy” by Acharya S and “Deceptions and Myths of the Bible,” by Lloyd Graham.

They should provide a good start on a journey of critical and rational thinking.

This is the opinion of Jack Richter, a Sartell resident who is a former Catholic and fundamentalist Baptist who now embraces atheism and is a member of Minnesota atheists and American Atheists.

Reprinted by permission of the author. Original article printed at the St. Cloud Times.