Jesus is Not Great

Okay, I've got an idea for a web site.

Here is my plan.

1. Catalog everything Jesus said and did according to the bible. At least everything that can be considered a moral choice, moral advice, or something with moral implications.

2. Divide it all into four maral categories. Positive, negative, neutral, difficult to say.

3. Get others to rate these items in these categories without knowing who we are talking about.

Theology can justify anything. So I'm not really attempting to show Christians that Jesus isn't good, I'd like to show atheists that Jesus isn't good. So many have the misconception that Jesus is awesome... and when pressed it turns out very very few of them have even read anything about Jesus. They take a second-hand assumption and assume he is fantastic, because that meme is so prevalent in our culture.

Okay, so step 1. I need to do some research.

Skeptics in the Media

Many people I speak to, and apparantly those who write Hollywood scripts, suppose that skeptics are people who, when they encounter something amazing would say "this is not possible." Nothing could be further from the truth. Skeptics are people who when they encounter something amazing would say "how is this possible?" and then seek, with all honesty, the answer.

Atheist Apathy vs. "In God We Trust" on American Currency

I think "In God We Trust" shouldn't be on our money.

I have a hard time understanding why some atheists don't agree or don't care. I realize that this is an issue of secularism, but what I have to say specifically addresses atheist apathy on this issue. Theist apathy on this issue is another matter.

Those that don't agree argue that it doesn't matter what is on our money, as long as we can spend it. They say "it doesn't offend me, why should it offend you?"

It's not that this statement effects me personally. It doesn't offend me. I just don't feel offence is the issue. Every civil rights movement has it's symbolic moments. That is why this is important. We need to challenge this because we need to stand up for ourselves. That is what Mike Newdow and the FFRF is doing. They aren't complaining because they are offended. They are standing up for the rights they deserve.

Those that don't care say "there are more important issues to worry about." Of course there are. I'm not saying we shouldn't address those too. As I said though, any civil rights struggle has it's symbolic moments. What we face is not a spattering of disparate issues, it's a wall. It's built of ignorance and fear. We need to chip away at that wall in every way that we can. We aren't going to succeed by letting our strongest representatives chip away at one or two bricks each. We all need to find our own way to chip away at our own bricks. That is how we bring the wall down. We all chip away, and cracks form. Cracks turn into bigger cracks, and so on. I don't want to stretch this metaphor too thin, I think you get the idea.

It's not always about what gets accomplished though. It's about standing up for ourselves. It's about not allowing the majority to have it's way with us.

When an atheist says "it's not important" I hear "it's not important for me to have all of the rights I deserve." It's one thing to have your rights taken from you. It's another to give them away. You have the right to a secular government. I don't want to give that right up without a fight because I don't want to give up any right without a fight. I'm not willing to let a single one go.