Is it possible that religion could have actually done something beneficial for our society?
There is one, and only one, thing that I can think of. And it happened because no one could agree.
Agree on what?
Which day is the Sabbath day?
Is it Saturday?
Is it Sunday?
No one really knows. The Bible is not very clear on the subject. You would think that if god wants to be especially worshipped on a certain day, he would make it clear which day that is.
The Bible instructs us to work 6 days and take 1 day off.
We ignore the Bibles instructions and work 5 days, taking 2 days off. Why?
Since no one could agree on which day is the Sabbath, we figured what the hell! We'll just take them both off! That way everyone is happy!
Thank you, religion! Because you couldn't agree, we get two days off instead of one! And YOU have to spend one of them sitting in a boring church meeting! Atheists get two whole days of lounging around in their underwear, drinking beer, and watching football games!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Scientific Evidence That The Great Flood Really Happened!
Whenever it is convenient for them, religious people try to use science to their advantage. Naturally, whenever it contradicts them, they immediately reject it and sweep it under the rug. In many cases, evidence is given a twist to slant in their direction. Here's one example:
Sea shells and fossils of water creatures have been found on the tops of very high mountains. How could they have gotten there unless that area was once covered with water? Hence, the flood of Noah really did happen.
What do you think?
It's true. That area was once under water, but it doesn't prove the flood hypothesis. Why?
The earth is very old. The mountains we see and enjoy today weren't always there. Over a long period of time, the mountains were formed when the tectonic plates collided with each other. Since they can't pass through each other, the only direction they could go was up. The areas that were once covered with water slowly saw dry land emerging, bringing up whatever was resting at the bottom of the ocean with them: sea shells, fossils, plants, etc.
This is an example of dishonesty in religion. They twist evidence to fit their point of view. It might be done on purpose; it might be done in genuine ignorance. But whatever it is, it's incorrect. Any religious person who tries to argue that science proves there was once a global flood is either misinformed or purposefully trying to mislead.
Can you think of any other examples were scientific evidence has been purported to fit some religious dogma?
Sea shells and fossils of water creatures have been found on the tops of very high mountains. How could they have gotten there unless that area was once covered with water? Hence, the flood of Noah really did happen.
What do you think?
It's true. That area was once under water, but it doesn't prove the flood hypothesis. Why?
The earth is very old. The mountains we see and enjoy today weren't always there. Over a long period of time, the mountains were formed when the tectonic plates collided with each other. Since they can't pass through each other, the only direction they could go was up. The areas that were once covered with water slowly saw dry land emerging, bringing up whatever was resting at the bottom of the ocean with them: sea shells, fossils, plants, etc.
This is an example of dishonesty in religion. They twist evidence to fit their point of view. It might be done on purpose; it might be done in genuine ignorance. But whatever it is, it's incorrect. Any religious person who tries to argue that science proves there was once a global flood is either misinformed or purposefully trying to mislead.
Can you think of any other examples were scientific evidence has been purported to fit some religious dogma?
Thursday, January 26, 2012
God Is An Abusive Husband
I have boldly made the claim many times about how god is abusive, yada yada.
Without fail, there is almost always someone to come along and correct me by saying that I am wrong about god. Instead, he is loving and merciful, and has provided the way for us to "be saved". Without god we would all be damned to hell just for being born. So he's not abusive; in fact, he's the opposite. He's our loving and caring father.
People who make this claim are like battered wives who constantly defend their abusive husbands. This article talks about the reasons why captives sometimes actually defend their captors and form an emotional attachment to them: http://www.mental-health-matters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=167
Abused women will defend their husbands saying stuff like, "It's my fault. He punishes me because I am so stubborn. He loves me and is trying to help make me better. He wouldn't do it if I could stop making him mad. He's a really nice guy. He does it because he loves me. It's for my own good."
And isn't this exactly what religious people say about god as well?
When I try to point out to people that their god is a bully, they immediately defend him saying, "He loves me, and all these trials he lets me endure are for my own benefit."
I believe that religious people are in a captive situation with god. And when I try to set them free, they fight me, their rescuer, and defend god, their captor. The article I linked to above describes how some prisoners will actually help their captors fight off the police who are there to rescue them.
God has them so convinced that he is the good guy, that they will defend him no matter how much shit he drags them through.
God has this system in place where everyone absolutely depends on him to be saved from it. But he never forces you to take advantage of it. Your choice is to either let him help you (by conforming with all of his conditions) or try and make it on your own where you are destined to fail. No, the only way to escape this horrible fate is to submit to god.
In a nutshell, god says, "Choose me or I'll throw your sorry ass into hell!"
But religious people don't see it that way. They view god as not a tyrannical dictator, but a rescuer who just happens to love you so much that he would do anything to save you from this hell.
But if god created the universe, then he created hell. He decreed that if you don't follow him, he will send you there. God created the whole problem and then "kindly" offers to save you from it. God has convinced you that it is all your fault that you are going to hell because you were "born into sin". It is YOUR FAULT, but he is there to save you from it.
He is the abusive husband who creates the problems and then takes it out on his wife, all the while convincing her that it is somehow her fault. He has her brainwashed into thinking that he abuses her for her own good.
I stick to my position that god is abusive, manipulative, and not worthy of anyones praise! Any god who has to purposefully inflict pain and trials on someone in order to make them better is no better off than an abusive spouse. What if I held my sons hand on a hot stove burner to teach him that hot is dangerous? Even though I would try to claim that I was just doing it for his own good, I would be sent to prison as an abusive father and I would probably lose all parental rights to him. But god can do it and everyone loves him for it and defends him. WTF?
And the worst part is that this abusive god isn't even there and yet he gets all the credit for being awesome and wonderful. This imaginary god has the whole world dancing around like a bunch of mindless zombies praising him and defending him, while he drags them through the proverbial shit!
I felt that way my whole life. I felt that if I didn't submit to god that he would punish me. I was always taught that I had a choice, but I always also felt that my only choice was to either submit blindly to god OR go to hell. That's not really a choice, is it? And that is gods escape. He claims that he doesn't force anyone to obey him. But he does in a sneeky round-about way: he threatens your soul to eternal hell if you don't obey his every command. It's like me saying to my wife, "Satisfy me sexually whenever and however I want it OR I will beat you within an inch of your life." I don't physically force her to do anything, but I use FEAR to get her to do what I want.
But remember, I love my kid by burning his hand. I give my wife free agency to be or not to be my sexual slave. I just love them both so much! But the rules are the rules and I have to follow them. I made the rule that if she doesn't submit to me that she gets beat. So if she gets beat, it's her own fault. She didn't Choose The Right!
God has you convinced that he is perfect, therefore, if anything goes wrong it is your fault. If you have a trial it is because he's trying to teach you a lesson.
If you lose your job, it's a trial. God is trying to teach you something. So... what if I followed someone around and fucked up their life as much as I possibly could? My intention is to give them trials to make them a better person. But I would go to jail as a stalker!
God is a stalker, an abuser, a manipulator, and he has you brainwashed that he does it all to you because he loves you. You defend him and you love him for it!
Free yourself from this abusive god. You are the battered wife who just foolishly keeps going back for more!
Without fail, there is almost always someone to come along and correct me by saying that I am wrong about god. Instead, he is loving and merciful, and has provided the way for us to "be saved". Without god we would all be damned to hell just for being born. So he's not abusive; in fact, he's the opposite. He's our loving and caring father.
People who make this claim are like battered wives who constantly defend their abusive husbands. This article talks about the reasons why captives sometimes actually defend their captors and form an emotional attachment to them: http://www.mental-health-matters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=167
Abused women will defend their husbands saying stuff like, "It's my fault. He punishes me because I am so stubborn. He loves me and is trying to help make me better. He wouldn't do it if I could stop making him mad. He's a really nice guy. He does it because he loves me. It's for my own good."
And isn't this exactly what religious people say about god as well?
When I try to point out to people that their god is a bully, they immediately defend him saying, "He loves me, and all these trials he lets me endure are for my own benefit."
I believe that religious people are in a captive situation with god. And when I try to set them free, they fight me, their rescuer, and defend god, their captor. The article I linked to above describes how some prisoners will actually help their captors fight off the police who are there to rescue them.
God has them so convinced that he is the good guy, that they will defend him no matter how much shit he drags them through.
God has this system in place where everyone absolutely depends on him to be saved from it. But he never forces you to take advantage of it. Your choice is to either let him help you (by conforming with all of his conditions) or try and make it on your own where you are destined to fail. No, the only way to escape this horrible fate is to submit to god.
In a nutshell, god says, "Choose me or I'll throw your sorry ass into hell!"
But religious people don't see it that way. They view god as not a tyrannical dictator, but a rescuer who just happens to love you so much that he would do anything to save you from this hell.
But if god created the universe, then he created hell. He decreed that if you don't follow him, he will send you there. God created the whole problem and then "kindly" offers to save you from it. God has convinced you that it is all your fault that you are going to hell because you were "born into sin". It is YOUR FAULT, but he is there to save you from it.
He is the abusive husband who creates the problems and then takes it out on his wife, all the while convincing her that it is somehow her fault. He has her brainwashed into thinking that he abuses her for her own good.
I stick to my position that god is abusive, manipulative, and not worthy of anyones praise! Any god who has to purposefully inflict pain and trials on someone in order to make them better is no better off than an abusive spouse. What if I held my sons hand on a hot stove burner to teach him that hot is dangerous? Even though I would try to claim that I was just doing it for his own good, I would be sent to prison as an abusive father and I would probably lose all parental rights to him. But god can do it and everyone loves him for it and defends him. WTF?
And the worst part is that this abusive god isn't even there and yet he gets all the credit for being awesome and wonderful. This imaginary god has the whole world dancing around like a bunch of mindless zombies praising him and defending him, while he drags them through the proverbial shit!
I felt that way my whole life. I felt that if I didn't submit to god that he would punish me. I was always taught that I had a choice, but I always also felt that my only choice was to either submit blindly to god OR go to hell. That's not really a choice, is it? And that is gods escape. He claims that he doesn't force anyone to obey him. But he does in a sneeky round-about way: he threatens your soul to eternal hell if you don't obey his every command. It's like me saying to my wife, "Satisfy me sexually whenever and however I want it OR I will beat you within an inch of your life." I don't physically force her to do anything, but I use FEAR to get her to do what I want.
But remember, I love my kid by burning his hand. I give my wife free agency to be or not to be my sexual slave. I just love them both so much! But the rules are the rules and I have to follow them. I made the rule that if she doesn't submit to me that she gets beat. So if she gets beat, it's her own fault. She didn't Choose The Right!
God has you convinced that he is perfect, therefore, if anything goes wrong it is your fault. If you have a trial it is because he's trying to teach you a lesson.
If you lose your job, it's a trial. God is trying to teach you something. So... what if I followed someone around and fucked up their life as much as I possibly could? My intention is to give them trials to make them a better person. But I would go to jail as a stalker!
God is a stalker, an abuser, a manipulator, and he has you brainwashed that he does it all to you because he loves you. You defend him and you love him for it!
Free yourself from this abusive god. You are the battered wife who just foolishly keeps going back for more!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
What If You're Wrong?
A common question people ask atheists is, "What if you're wrong?" What if there really is a god and you get to spend eternity in his lava bath because you didn't believe in him?
Let me first ask you a question... is that the only reason you believe? Out of the fear of damnation?
But really, stop for a moment and think about why you believe.
You believe because your parents told you to. Your friends told you to. And your society told you to. If you had been born in China, you would probably be Buddhist. Why? Because your society tells you to. If you had been born in Iraq, you would probably believe in Allah.
But you were born in a country where the god of choice is the Christian god and his sidekick Jesus. So therefore you believe in Jesus. Your religion is true. Everyone else's religion is false; everyone else's god is imaginary; everyone else's holy book is blasphemous.
BUT YOURS IS THE ONE TRUE GOD!!!!!
If you were Muslim, Allah would be the one true god and you would be 2000% convinced that he is the true god. If you hadn't been born Mormon, you would look at the Book of Mormon and immediately reject it because it's so obviously false. But if you were born Mormon, then the BoM is so obviously true.
Take a step back and analyze what you believe...
If you're Mormon you believe that Joseph Smith was commanded by god to have multiple affairs on his wife and call it polygamy. You believe that if you wear underwear with holy marks, then you will be protected from all danger. You believe that if you walk into a special building and do all sorts of weird chants and handshakes that you will be able to live with god in his special kingdom. You believe that if you pay god 10% of your income for life, that you will be given special blessings and avoid being burned in a big fire. You believe that your worthy men all have the sacred and awesome power of god. You believe that, for some weird reason, you get to be saved because Jesus was tortured to death. You believe that if you symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood that it will somehow make him love you more.
What if you're wrong?
You see documentaries of civilizations who believed in human sacrifice to appease their gods and you are automatically disgusted by it. How could anyone possibly believe in such crazy stuff?
But if you take a moment to look at your beliefs from the view of an outsider, you will realize that your beliefs are just as crazy!
And if you think about it, you DO believe in human sacrifice. You believe that the only way you could be saved is by appeasing god through Jesus' death.
Stop and think and you will realize that you believe in some pretty whacked up shit! And not only do you believe, you make life decisions based upon it. You hand over your hard earned dollars to support it. You teach it to your children so they can be just as gullible for it as you are.
How could rational thinking and common sense be wrong? Islam is so obviously false to you, but to an extreme Muslim, he would gladly blow out your brains for it. He would gladly blow out his own brains for it! If it is so obviously false, how come he is so radical and passionate about it? Because he has been taught it ever since he was born. He has been indoctrinated with the idea that Allah is the ultimate god and Allah teaches that everyone on earth who believes in a different god is worthy of death.
So if the Muslim person in this example is so deluded in his thinking, is it possible that you are too? Is it possible that the only reason you believe in Jesus is because you have been indoctrinated with it ever since you were born? You have been told that you were lucky enough to be born into a country which praises the true god. But wait... Isn't everyone in every country taught that?
The more important question is... what if you, as the believer, are wrong?
To be honest, from an atheistic point of view, nothing. There is nothing in the afterlife so it didn't matter what you did or believed. But what does matter is that you wasted your ONE life chasing a god who doesn't exist and doesn't care! How about instead of chasing an invisible god, why don't you focus on reality and living your life to the fullest? Make the most of your time because every second you waste, you will never get back.
Be a good neighbor because it's the right thing to do, not because you're trying to set a good example and convert him.
Okay, okay, even if there IS a god, how do you know which one to worship? There are over 10,000 different Christian religions alone (I recently read a statistic that claimed there were closer to 40,000 different Christian sects). What if you're in the wrong one? You're screwed.
What if Allah turns out to be the true god? You're screwed! But you never thought about that did you? You are just living your life, thinking you're saved because your society says Jesus is the right one and that's all you need to worry about.
What if god is an atheist? What if you get damned to hell IF you believe? Afterall, belief in the supernatural is pretty far fetched and unrealistic. What if you go to hell because you were so gullible and happy not thinking? What if god gave us all these different religions and holy books in order to test to see who would use enough common sense to figure out it really wasn't true? Afterall, you believe life is a test. It could be possible.
Another common argument which is similar is this: Why not believe just in case? Belief might be completely unrational, but cover your ass just to be safe.
Really? Do you think that god is that dumb that he wouldn't know that you believed just to save your selfish self? Do you really think you can fool god, the dude who knows all? Do you really think you can outsmart god?
No, the best policy is honesty. If I don't believe in god and there is a god, then that god will know the reasons I didn't believe and will see that I was still a good person. If there is a god, it will be no god who only exists to be praised by his puny subjects... and throw the defiant ones into hell.
BTW, how can you sit in fire forever and not die? And if you die and go to hell, then that means you're dead. Hello? You can't feel pain when you're dead! Stop and think people. How can a fire burn a ghost? Hell is a made up place, designed to scare gullible suckers like you into submission. If god says, "Pay," you better say, "How much?" If you don't blindly pull out your check books, he threatens you with being tortured forever.
You believe in a god who is cruel, heartless, insecure, and who has to frighten his minions into submission by blackmailing them. Your god is a bully. A jerk. An asshole. A murderer.
And the only reason you don't see it that way and keep on believing, labeling me as an agent of satan is, again, because you have been brainwashed with it your whole life. You refuse to plant the seeds of doubt. God hates doubters!
Out of the hundreds of gods who have been worshipped in different cultures over different periods of time, why do you believe in the one you do? Because society says you should.
What if you're wrong?
Let me first ask you a question... is that the only reason you believe? Out of the fear of damnation?
But really, stop for a moment and think about why you believe.
You believe because your parents told you to. Your friends told you to. And your society told you to. If you had been born in China, you would probably be Buddhist. Why? Because your society tells you to. If you had been born in Iraq, you would probably believe in Allah.
But you were born in a country where the god of choice is the Christian god and his sidekick Jesus. So therefore you believe in Jesus. Your religion is true. Everyone else's religion is false; everyone else's god is imaginary; everyone else's holy book is blasphemous.
BUT YOURS IS THE ONE TRUE GOD!!!!!
If you were Muslim, Allah would be the one true god and you would be 2000% convinced that he is the true god. If you hadn't been born Mormon, you would look at the Book of Mormon and immediately reject it because it's so obviously false. But if you were born Mormon, then the BoM is so obviously true.
Take a step back and analyze what you believe...
If you're Mormon you believe that Joseph Smith was commanded by god to have multiple affairs on his wife and call it polygamy. You believe that if you wear underwear with holy marks, then you will be protected from all danger. You believe that if you walk into a special building and do all sorts of weird chants and handshakes that you will be able to live with god in his special kingdom. You believe that if you pay god 10% of your income for life, that you will be given special blessings and avoid being burned in a big fire. You believe that your worthy men all have the sacred and awesome power of god. You believe that, for some weird reason, you get to be saved because Jesus was tortured to death. You believe that if you symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood that it will somehow make him love you more.
What if you're wrong?
You see documentaries of civilizations who believed in human sacrifice to appease their gods and you are automatically disgusted by it. How could anyone possibly believe in such crazy stuff?
But if you take a moment to look at your beliefs from the view of an outsider, you will realize that your beliefs are just as crazy!
And if you think about it, you DO believe in human sacrifice. You believe that the only way you could be saved is by appeasing god through Jesus' death.
Stop and think and you will realize that you believe in some pretty whacked up shit! And not only do you believe, you make life decisions based upon it. You hand over your hard earned dollars to support it. You teach it to your children so they can be just as gullible for it as you are.
How could rational thinking and common sense be wrong? Islam is so obviously false to you, but to an extreme Muslim, he would gladly blow out your brains for it. He would gladly blow out his own brains for it! If it is so obviously false, how come he is so radical and passionate about it? Because he has been taught it ever since he was born. He has been indoctrinated with the idea that Allah is the ultimate god and Allah teaches that everyone on earth who believes in a different god is worthy of death.
So if the Muslim person in this example is so deluded in his thinking, is it possible that you are too? Is it possible that the only reason you believe in Jesus is because you have been indoctrinated with it ever since you were born? You have been told that you were lucky enough to be born into a country which praises the true god. But wait... Isn't everyone in every country taught that?
The more important question is... what if you, as the believer, are wrong?
To be honest, from an atheistic point of view, nothing. There is nothing in the afterlife so it didn't matter what you did or believed. But what does matter is that you wasted your ONE life chasing a god who doesn't exist and doesn't care! How about instead of chasing an invisible god, why don't you focus on reality and living your life to the fullest? Make the most of your time because every second you waste, you will never get back.
Be a good neighbor because it's the right thing to do, not because you're trying to set a good example and convert him.
Okay, okay, even if there IS a god, how do you know which one to worship? There are over 10,000 different Christian religions alone (I recently read a statistic that claimed there were closer to 40,000 different Christian sects). What if you're in the wrong one? You're screwed.
What if Allah turns out to be the true god? You're screwed! But you never thought about that did you? You are just living your life, thinking you're saved because your society says Jesus is the right one and that's all you need to worry about.
What if god is an atheist? What if you get damned to hell IF you believe? Afterall, belief in the supernatural is pretty far fetched and unrealistic. What if you go to hell because you were so gullible and happy not thinking? What if god gave us all these different religions and holy books in order to test to see who would use enough common sense to figure out it really wasn't true? Afterall, you believe life is a test. It could be possible.
Another common argument which is similar is this: Why not believe just in case? Belief might be completely unrational, but cover your ass just to be safe.
Really? Do you think that god is that dumb that he wouldn't know that you believed just to save your selfish self? Do you really think you can fool god, the dude who knows all? Do you really think you can outsmart god?
No, the best policy is honesty. If I don't believe in god and there is a god, then that god will know the reasons I didn't believe and will see that I was still a good person. If there is a god, it will be no god who only exists to be praised by his puny subjects... and throw the defiant ones into hell.
BTW, how can you sit in fire forever and not die? And if you die and go to hell, then that means you're dead. Hello? You can't feel pain when you're dead! Stop and think people. How can a fire burn a ghost? Hell is a made up place, designed to scare gullible suckers like you into submission. If god says, "Pay," you better say, "How much?" If you don't blindly pull out your check books, he threatens you with being tortured forever.
You believe in a god who is cruel, heartless, insecure, and who has to frighten his minions into submission by blackmailing them. Your god is a bully. A jerk. An asshole. A murderer.
And the only reason you don't see it that way and keep on believing, labeling me as an agent of satan is, again, because you have been brainwashed with it your whole life. You refuse to plant the seeds of doubt. God hates doubters!
Out of the hundreds of gods who have been worshipped in different cultures over different periods of time, why do you believe in the one you do? Because society says you should.
What if you're wrong?
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Signs of the Times, Mormon Style
Happy New Year! It is now the year 2012, the year that many people believe will see the end of the world. Naturally, of course, I don't buy into any of that silly superstition. But I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the Mormon version of the signs of the last days and share my two cents.
At my request, a good Mormon friend of mine gave me a pamphlet that she got at church. It outlines 65 prophesies and signs of the times. I read through the list and it really isn't that impressive, but I'll let my readers decide for themselves.
But first, a little bit about prophesies. There are different kinds. There are those that are prophesied about after they have happened, such as the Book of Mormon predicting the discovery of America.
There are self fulfilling prophesies where someone reads the prophesy and then sets out to make it happen, such as the building of lots of temples.
And there are also prophesies that would come true anyway, such as the prediction that the sun will rise in the morning.
There are so-called signs of the times that have been happening throughout history so they can hardly be signs.
And finally, there are predictions that haven't happened yet that don't fall into any of the above categories, such as the mount of olives being split in half when Jesus descends out of the sky.
I will present the list as it appears in the pamphlet (spelling errors corrected, which there are a lot) and then follow it with my thoughts in italics. Unfortunately, the list does not include any references, so I question some of them. It is long so I will try to keep my comments short.
1. The discovery of America and the establishment of the United States of America.
In the Book of Mormon, Nephi sees this event. However, a prophesy that is given AFTER the event is not very impressive. The USA was established in 1776 and the Book of Mormon was published in 1830. This is a "prophesy" that was given after the fact.
2. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon predicts its own coming forth, but that's not very impressive either. How can a book predict itself?
3. The restoration of the priesthood and the priesthood keys.
This isn't a "sign". First of all this event never happened and secondly, even if it did, no one was there to witness it. Anyone could claim that they got the priesthood from god. A sign of the times is something that everyone can see.
4. The restoration of the true church.
How many churches claim to be the true church? More than I can count.
5. The church will grow to fill the whole earth.
We're still waiting for that to happen. I have taken a close look at the annual numbers reported by the church during general conference and it appears that the church is growing slower now than ever before. Catholicism has filled the whole earth. Mormonism never will. Retention is a HUGE problem for the church.
6. Slaves will rise up against their masters.
When has this ever NOT happened? In order for it to be a sign of the times, it has to be something that wasn't happening before.
7. Scattered Israel will be gathered.
I'm not quite sure what this means. But I would guess that it has something to do with the growth of the church. See #5 above.
8. The lost ten tribes will return.
Are you telling me that ten different groups of people will suddenly show up out of nowhere? With the technology we have today, we would know if there were any people living on a deserted island somewhere.
9. The times of the gentiles will be fulfilled.
Not sure what the hell that even means.
10. There will be much despair, depression, doom and gloom, and emotional instability.
Again, when has this NOT been happening?
11. There will be extraordinarily widespread selfishness and lack of caring for others.
There always has been and always will be people like this. There also always has been and always will be kind and generous people. I seriously doubt this will ever happen.
12. The Jews will return to Jerusalem.
This is a self fulfilling prophesy. The Jews know they're supposed to return, so they will try.
13. The Jews will accept the true gospel.
This has not happened and I seriously doubt that it ever will. Mormonism has been around for over 180 years and the Jews are showing no signs of any interest in the "true gospel" at all.
14. The prophet Elijah will come to the temple to restore the keys of sealing.
Same response as #3. Joseph Smith claimed it happened, but how do we know for 100% sure that it really did? No one witnessed it. It's not a sign.
15. Christ will come to his temple.
See #14.
16. Genealogical research and interest in family history will spread as never before.
This actually is happening. But it wouldn't be happening except for the wide amount of information available online. This could also be called a self-fulfilling prophesy because the LDS church stresses that its members do family history.
17. Dangers upon the waters.
When has traveling by water ever not been dangerous? This is not a sign because it has always been true.
18. Much ecological damage will occur in the last days.
This has been true in the past, but Jesus isn't here yet and we, as a global community, are actually starting to turn things around to be more "clean and green". So the opposite is actually starting to happen.
19. The sun will be darkened and the moon will become as blood.
Hasn't happened yet although the moon sometimes appears to be red. Even if air pollution blocks out the sun and makes the moon appear to be red, it is only an appearance. They are not actually changed. If you go into outer space, the sun and moon will look perfectly normal. The sun won't actually be "darkened" for about another 5 billion years.
20. Diseases, plagues, and pestilences will sweep the earth in spite of medical advances and technology.
Disease, plagues, and pestilences have always been around. Medical science and technology have actually been able to completely eradicate some diseases that were once very deadly. The recent swine flu scare threatened to be very bad, but science put a quick stop to it by developing a vaccine.
21. Knowledge, science, and technology will increase dramatically.
Well, of course they will. Back in Joseph Smiths time the word "technology" probably didn't even exist. That means that this prediction must have been made recently, after knowledge, science, and technology are already taking off. A prediction of something after it has already happened is not that impressive.
22. Wars and rumors of wars will become normal life.
When has there not been war?
23. Famines, earthquakes, tornadoes, and natural disasters will abound.
They have always abound.
24. Strikes, overthrowing of governments, gang warfare, violence, and disrespect for authority will increase.
Governments have always been overthrown. Just think of the ancient Roman empire. There has always been violence. This isn't anything new.
25. Sexual immorality, homosexuality, lesbianism, and pornography will abound.
Humans have been having sex forever. Homosexual activity has been around forever. Porn has only existed recently because of the ability to take pictures and video which again, means it's a recent prediction, and therefore doesn't count because it has been predicted AFTER it happened.
26. The spirit will stop working with the wicked.
There is no "spirit" but even if there was, are you saying that it used to work with the wicked? I doubt it.
27. Peace will be taken from the earth.
In order for peace to be taken, it first has to be there. Didn't #22 just predict that there will always be war? So how can peace be taken if it will never be there?
28. Jerusalem will be a "cup of trembling" to those who attempt to fight against it.
Everyone who has ever fought against Jerusalem has burned it to the ground!
29. People will refuse to believe obvious truth and will instead adhere to fables and falsehoods.
Are you kidding me! What exactly is this "obvious truth"? That Jesus is lord? I doubt that, because "obvious" means "obvious". If Jesus were obviously lord, then everyone on earth would be able to see him and would believe in him and he would go around doing tons of miracles. I can't believe they actually included this one because it describes religious people to a fucking tee!
30. False prophets, false churches, and false miracles abound.
When have they not?
31. People will refuse to believe the signs of the times.
Yea, because they're nonsense! I predict that some people who read this blog will comment and will refuse to believe me when I tell them that their precious church is a cult and that their precious Jesus is a myth. There, since I just predicted something that WILL come true, does that make ME a prophet?
32. There will be signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth.
Like what? An eclipse was once considered a sign from god but now, thanks to science, we understand what they are and can even predict them years before they happen.
33. The Lamanites will blosom as the rose.
This hasn't happened. In fact, the opposite appears to be true. The Native Americans have a higher rate of suicide than any other ethnic group in the world.
34. New Jerusalem will be built.
Self-fulfilling prophesy.
35. Many temples will be built.
Self-fulfilling prophesy.
36. A new temple will be built in Jerusalem.
Self-fulfilling prophesy.
37. The rainbow is withdrawn.
According to Mormonism, if a rainbow fails to appear anywhere on earth for one year, then Jesus is very near to his return. You can postpone Jesus' return forever by simply putting a prizm in your window!
38. The Constitution will hang by a thread.
We will see. Like I said before, governments are always being overthrown. Even if this one does come true, it means nothing, because all governments are eventually overthrown. If you don't believe me, then just read a history book.
39. Destroying angles will be allowed to go forth upon the earth.
So we will actually see angels destroying stuff? If that ever happens, I'll believe in god.
40. The "abomination of desolation" will happen again.
Never even heard of it, let alone understand what the hell it means.
41. Wickedness will be rampant.
When hasn't it been?
42. Babylon will fall.
Babylon, according to Mormons, is anyone who isn't Mormon. The only way Babylon will fall is if Mormonism completely covers the earth, which I already talked about in #5. Have you started to notice by now that several of these "signs" contradict each other?
43. A great hailstorm will destroy the crops of the earth.
One giant hailstorm all around the earth... Highly unlikely. What about places where it is so hot that hail melts before it hits the ground? This is a really stupid prophesy.
44. There will be a great earthquake as never before.
Over it's 4.5 billion year life, the earth has undergone massive, massive earthquakes. It has always been happening.
45. The battle of Armageddon.
We will see.
46. The meeting at Adam-ondi-ahman.
According to Joseph Smith "Adam-ondi-ahman" is a phrase in gods language which means "the place where Adam spoke to god", i.e. the Garden of Eden. According to Smith, the Garden of Eden was located in Missouri, which is why he originally tried to make the church flourish there. The RLDS church now owns most of the church history sites there. I don't know much about this supposed meeting or who is supposed to be there. In any case, it will supposedly happen in Missouri. We will see.
47. Two prophets will be killed in Jerusalem.
Mormon lore not only tells of these two prophets but that their bodies will lie in the street for several days. I wonder how many of the top church leaders are willing to volunteer to go there.
48. The mount of olives will split in two.
We will see. Besides, this is supposed to happen WHEN Christ returns. A sign of the time is supposed to happen BEFORE he returns.
49. The righteous will be taken up to meet the coming lord and the wicked will be burned.
This is also an event associate with the return of Christ. A sign of the times must happen beforehand.
50. Everyone will see Christ when he comes.
See #49
51. The church will be established in the tops of the mountains.
It is Mormon legend that this prophesy was issued by Joseph Smith; however, there is evidence that it was actually penned after the Mormons had come to Utah. A prophesy after the fact doesn't count.
52. A full end of all nations.
I think this is saying that there will be one world government under Christ. This event happens AFTER the return of Christ so is therefore not a sign of his coming.
53. All will hear the gospel in their own tongue.
A self-fulfilling prophesy. The church trains missionaries in the language of whatever country they are going to.
54. The church will be brought out of obscurity.
This has actually mostly happened. Everyone has heard of the Mormons... and are laughing at them!
55. The name of Joseph Smith will be spoken of for good and evil in all nations.
All nations? China will not allow Mormons to proslyte there. Most Chinese people have never even heard of Joseph Smith. Smith made this prediction long after the church had been established and after he already had lots of enemies. He claims it was told to him by the angel Moroni on the night where he was shown the golden plates in vision. However, he didn't actually write it down for many years.
56. The mark of the beast in their foreheads.
What the hell is that supposed to mean? If Mormon prophets can predict the future, then why have they never predicted what the "mark of the beast" will be? The only people I can think of who even remotely have things on their foreheads are Indian women who put the red dot between their eyes.
57. The saints will be few in number but the power of god will be with them.
Doesn't this contradict #5 that claims the church will fill the whole earth?
58. The disintegration of the family will bring prophesied calamities in the last days.
I took a sociology 101 class. All the Mormons in the class were convinced that the family unit is under attack but the instructor made it clear that families are just as strong as they have ever been. Besides, how will a lack of families make the world go to hell? Makes no sense.
59. The righteous will be alerted by the signs of the times.
I'm not quite sure what this even means. It's a sign that people will see the signs. That's just dumb.
60. Some will fear that Christ's coming is being delayed too long.
I wonder what their excuses will be when he still hasn't come in 300 years from now!
61. The gospel will flourish in Egypt and a temple will be built there.
Currently, there are no LDS missionaries in Egypt. The gospel is not flourishing in Egypt (or anywhere for that matter) and if a temple is ever built there, it doesn't matter because it is a self-fulfilling prophesy.
62. The righteous will be alerted by the signs of the times.
This is a repeat of #59. Probably a mistake on the part of whoever put this pamphlet together.
63. Waters will flow from the temple in Jerusalem and heal the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth (8.6 times saltier than the ocean) and, at it's furthest points, is 42 miles across and 11 miles wide. That's a shitload of water! Jerusalem is basically a desert so where is enough water going to come from to "heal" the dead sea? What does "heal" even mean in this case? Make it fresh? Make stuff grow? The odds of this ever happening are very slim. Jerusalem is 15 miles from the Dead Sea, so that makes it even more unlikely.
64. The sign of the coming of the son of man.
Probably another typo.
65. The wicked will be burned.
Wasn't this one already listed too? Besides, this is an event that supposedly happens after Christ's return, so how can it be a sign?
What a list! And I've debunked every single one of them! To learn more about the Mormon signs of the times, check out this book, which was written by a Mormon. I would not recommend buying it... it is probably available at any library in Utah.
Happy New Year! 2012
At my request, a good Mormon friend of mine gave me a pamphlet that she got at church. It outlines 65 prophesies and signs of the times. I read through the list and it really isn't that impressive, but I'll let my readers decide for themselves.
But first, a little bit about prophesies. There are different kinds. There are those that are prophesied about after they have happened, such as the Book of Mormon predicting the discovery of America.
There are self fulfilling prophesies where someone reads the prophesy and then sets out to make it happen, such as the building of lots of temples.
And there are also prophesies that would come true anyway, such as the prediction that the sun will rise in the morning.
There are so-called signs of the times that have been happening throughout history so they can hardly be signs.
And finally, there are predictions that haven't happened yet that don't fall into any of the above categories, such as the mount of olives being split in half when Jesus descends out of the sky.
I will present the list as it appears in the pamphlet (spelling errors corrected, which there are a lot) and then follow it with my thoughts in italics. Unfortunately, the list does not include any references, so I question some of them. It is long so I will try to keep my comments short.
1. The discovery of America and the establishment of the United States of America.
In the Book of Mormon, Nephi sees this event. However, a prophesy that is given AFTER the event is not very impressive. The USA was established in 1776 and the Book of Mormon was published in 1830. This is a "prophesy" that was given after the fact.
2. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon predicts its own coming forth, but that's not very impressive either. How can a book predict itself?
3. The restoration of the priesthood and the priesthood keys.
This isn't a "sign". First of all this event never happened and secondly, even if it did, no one was there to witness it. Anyone could claim that they got the priesthood from god. A sign of the times is something that everyone can see.
4. The restoration of the true church.
How many churches claim to be the true church? More than I can count.
5. The church will grow to fill the whole earth.
We're still waiting for that to happen. I have taken a close look at the annual numbers reported by the church during general conference and it appears that the church is growing slower now than ever before. Catholicism has filled the whole earth. Mormonism never will. Retention is a HUGE problem for the church.
6. Slaves will rise up against their masters.
When has this ever NOT happened? In order for it to be a sign of the times, it has to be something that wasn't happening before.
7. Scattered Israel will be gathered.
I'm not quite sure what this means. But I would guess that it has something to do with the growth of the church. See #5 above.
8. The lost ten tribes will return.
Are you telling me that ten different groups of people will suddenly show up out of nowhere? With the technology we have today, we would know if there were any people living on a deserted island somewhere.
9. The times of the gentiles will be fulfilled.
Not sure what the hell that even means.
10. There will be much despair, depression, doom and gloom, and emotional instability.
Again, when has this NOT been happening?
11. There will be extraordinarily widespread selfishness and lack of caring for others.
There always has been and always will be people like this. There also always has been and always will be kind and generous people. I seriously doubt this will ever happen.
12. The Jews will return to Jerusalem.
This is a self fulfilling prophesy. The Jews know they're supposed to return, so they will try.
13. The Jews will accept the true gospel.
This has not happened and I seriously doubt that it ever will. Mormonism has been around for over 180 years and the Jews are showing no signs of any interest in the "true gospel" at all.
14. The prophet Elijah will come to the temple to restore the keys of sealing.
Same response as #3. Joseph Smith claimed it happened, but how do we know for 100% sure that it really did? No one witnessed it. It's not a sign.
15. Christ will come to his temple.
See #14.
16. Genealogical research and interest in family history will spread as never before.
This actually is happening. But it wouldn't be happening except for the wide amount of information available online. This could also be called a self-fulfilling prophesy because the LDS church stresses that its members do family history.
17. Dangers upon the waters.
When has traveling by water ever not been dangerous? This is not a sign because it has always been true.
18. Much ecological damage will occur in the last days.
This has been true in the past, but Jesus isn't here yet and we, as a global community, are actually starting to turn things around to be more "clean and green". So the opposite is actually starting to happen.
19. The sun will be darkened and the moon will become as blood.
Hasn't happened yet although the moon sometimes appears to be red. Even if air pollution blocks out the sun and makes the moon appear to be red, it is only an appearance. They are not actually changed. If you go into outer space, the sun and moon will look perfectly normal. The sun won't actually be "darkened" for about another 5 billion years.
20. Diseases, plagues, and pestilences will sweep the earth in spite of medical advances and technology.
Disease, plagues, and pestilences have always been around. Medical science and technology have actually been able to completely eradicate some diseases that were once very deadly. The recent swine flu scare threatened to be very bad, but science put a quick stop to it by developing a vaccine.
21. Knowledge, science, and technology will increase dramatically.
Well, of course they will. Back in Joseph Smiths time the word "technology" probably didn't even exist. That means that this prediction must have been made recently, after knowledge, science, and technology are already taking off. A prediction of something after it has already happened is not that impressive.
22. Wars and rumors of wars will become normal life.
When has there not been war?
23. Famines, earthquakes, tornadoes, and natural disasters will abound.
They have always abound.
24. Strikes, overthrowing of governments, gang warfare, violence, and disrespect for authority will increase.
Governments have always been overthrown. Just think of the ancient Roman empire. There has always been violence. This isn't anything new.
25. Sexual immorality, homosexuality, lesbianism, and pornography will abound.
Humans have been having sex forever. Homosexual activity has been around forever. Porn has only existed recently because of the ability to take pictures and video which again, means it's a recent prediction, and therefore doesn't count because it has been predicted AFTER it happened.
26. The spirit will stop working with the wicked.
There is no "spirit" but even if there was, are you saying that it used to work with the wicked? I doubt it.
27. Peace will be taken from the earth.
In order for peace to be taken, it first has to be there. Didn't #22 just predict that there will always be war? So how can peace be taken if it will never be there?
28. Jerusalem will be a "cup of trembling" to those who attempt to fight against it.
Everyone who has ever fought against Jerusalem has burned it to the ground!
29. People will refuse to believe obvious truth and will instead adhere to fables and falsehoods.
Are you kidding me! What exactly is this "obvious truth"? That Jesus is lord? I doubt that, because "obvious" means "obvious". If Jesus were obviously lord, then everyone on earth would be able to see him and would believe in him and he would go around doing tons of miracles. I can't believe they actually included this one because it describes religious people to a fucking tee!
30. False prophets, false churches, and false miracles abound.
When have they not?
31. People will refuse to believe the signs of the times.
Yea, because they're nonsense! I predict that some people who read this blog will comment and will refuse to believe me when I tell them that their precious church is a cult and that their precious Jesus is a myth. There, since I just predicted something that WILL come true, does that make ME a prophet?
32. There will be signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth.
Like what? An eclipse was once considered a sign from god but now, thanks to science, we understand what they are and can even predict them years before they happen.
33. The Lamanites will blosom as the rose.
This hasn't happened. In fact, the opposite appears to be true. The Native Americans have a higher rate of suicide than any other ethnic group in the world.
34. New Jerusalem will be built.
Self-fulfilling prophesy.
35. Many temples will be built.
Self-fulfilling prophesy.
36. A new temple will be built in Jerusalem.
Self-fulfilling prophesy.
37. The rainbow is withdrawn.
According to Mormonism, if a rainbow fails to appear anywhere on earth for one year, then Jesus is very near to his return. You can postpone Jesus' return forever by simply putting a prizm in your window!
38. The Constitution will hang by a thread.
We will see. Like I said before, governments are always being overthrown. Even if this one does come true, it means nothing, because all governments are eventually overthrown. If you don't believe me, then just read a history book.
39. Destroying angles will be allowed to go forth upon the earth.
So we will actually see angels destroying stuff? If that ever happens, I'll believe in god.
40. The "abomination of desolation" will happen again.
Never even heard of it, let alone understand what the hell it means.
41. Wickedness will be rampant.
When hasn't it been?
42. Babylon will fall.
Babylon, according to Mormons, is anyone who isn't Mormon. The only way Babylon will fall is if Mormonism completely covers the earth, which I already talked about in #5. Have you started to notice by now that several of these "signs" contradict each other?
43. A great hailstorm will destroy the crops of the earth.
One giant hailstorm all around the earth... Highly unlikely. What about places where it is so hot that hail melts before it hits the ground? This is a really stupid prophesy.
44. There will be a great earthquake as never before.
Over it's 4.5 billion year life, the earth has undergone massive, massive earthquakes. It has always been happening.
45. The battle of Armageddon.
We will see.
46. The meeting at Adam-ondi-ahman.
According to Joseph Smith "Adam-ondi-ahman" is a phrase in gods language which means "the place where Adam spoke to god", i.e. the Garden of Eden. According to Smith, the Garden of Eden was located in Missouri, which is why he originally tried to make the church flourish there. The RLDS church now owns most of the church history sites there. I don't know much about this supposed meeting or who is supposed to be there. In any case, it will supposedly happen in Missouri. We will see.
47. Two prophets will be killed in Jerusalem.
Mormon lore not only tells of these two prophets but that their bodies will lie in the street for several days. I wonder how many of the top church leaders are willing to volunteer to go there.
48. The mount of olives will split in two.
We will see. Besides, this is supposed to happen WHEN Christ returns. A sign of the time is supposed to happen BEFORE he returns.
49. The righteous will be taken up to meet the coming lord and the wicked will be burned.
This is also an event associate with the return of Christ. A sign of the times must happen beforehand.
50. Everyone will see Christ when he comes.
See #49
51. The church will be established in the tops of the mountains.
It is Mormon legend that this prophesy was issued by Joseph Smith; however, there is evidence that it was actually penned after the Mormons had come to Utah. A prophesy after the fact doesn't count.
52. A full end of all nations.
I think this is saying that there will be one world government under Christ. This event happens AFTER the return of Christ so is therefore not a sign of his coming.
53. All will hear the gospel in their own tongue.
A self-fulfilling prophesy. The church trains missionaries in the language of whatever country they are going to.
54. The church will be brought out of obscurity.
This has actually mostly happened. Everyone has heard of the Mormons... and are laughing at them!
55. The name of Joseph Smith will be spoken of for good and evil in all nations.
All nations? China will not allow Mormons to proslyte there. Most Chinese people have never even heard of Joseph Smith. Smith made this prediction long after the church had been established and after he already had lots of enemies. He claims it was told to him by the angel Moroni on the night where he was shown the golden plates in vision. However, he didn't actually write it down for many years.
56. The mark of the beast in their foreheads.
What the hell is that supposed to mean? If Mormon prophets can predict the future, then why have they never predicted what the "mark of the beast" will be? The only people I can think of who even remotely have things on their foreheads are Indian women who put the red dot between their eyes.
57. The saints will be few in number but the power of god will be with them.
Doesn't this contradict #5 that claims the church will fill the whole earth?
58. The disintegration of the family will bring prophesied calamities in the last days.
I took a sociology 101 class. All the Mormons in the class were convinced that the family unit is under attack but the instructor made it clear that families are just as strong as they have ever been. Besides, how will a lack of families make the world go to hell? Makes no sense.
59. The righteous will be alerted by the signs of the times.
I'm not quite sure what this even means. It's a sign that people will see the signs. That's just dumb.
60. Some will fear that Christ's coming is being delayed too long.
I wonder what their excuses will be when he still hasn't come in 300 years from now!
61. The gospel will flourish in Egypt and a temple will be built there.
Currently, there are no LDS missionaries in Egypt. The gospel is not flourishing in Egypt (or anywhere for that matter) and if a temple is ever built there, it doesn't matter because it is a self-fulfilling prophesy.
62. The righteous will be alerted by the signs of the times.
This is a repeat of #59. Probably a mistake on the part of whoever put this pamphlet together.
63. Waters will flow from the temple in Jerusalem and heal the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth (8.6 times saltier than the ocean) and, at it's furthest points, is 42 miles across and 11 miles wide. That's a shitload of water! Jerusalem is basically a desert so where is enough water going to come from to "heal" the dead sea? What does "heal" even mean in this case? Make it fresh? Make stuff grow? The odds of this ever happening are very slim. Jerusalem is 15 miles from the Dead Sea, so that makes it even more unlikely.
64. The sign of the coming of the son of man.
Probably another typo.
65. The wicked will be burned.
Wasn't this one already listed too? Besides, this is an event that supposedly happens after Christ's return, so how can it be a sign?
What a list! And I've debunked every single one of them! To learn more about the Mormon signs of the times, check out this book, which was written by a Mormon. I would not recommend buying it... it is probably available at any library in Utah.
Happy New Year! 2012
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