Total moral bankruptcy on display

28 May 2009

Video | ZJ on YouTube | Subscribe

ZJ: A couple months ago, I briefly mentioned an incident from when I was six years old. My mother was being abused, so I prayed for help, and surprise, surprise, nothing happened.

Now, I know a lot of people wouldn't be comfortable sharing something so personal, and I understand why, but honestly, I'm glad I did. Because that's what it took to provoke this person into revealing the bitter and twisted hate that lies at the core of their very being. Just read that, and try to imagine how any person with even a shred of compassion in their heart could say such a thing.

Suppose you were six years old. Your family goes to church every week, you go to Sunday school, and they teach you about prayer. They teach you how to talk to God, how to praise him and be thankful to him. And if you need help with something, you can ask God, and he'll help you. It seems like God never talks to you, but that's okay, they tell you, he's still listening.

And then, one day, something very bad happens. For no apparent reason, your mother's husband flies into such a rage that you and your mother are in imminent danger. You've never been so afraid in your life. And there's nothing you can do about it. You're only six years old. You're completely and utterly helpless.

But in the midst of this terror, you remember what you've been taught about God, the God who's always listening and watching over you. God can help you out, and if there was ever a situation where you needed help, this is it. So you pray. You pray as hard as you can. You call out to God, and ask him to protect you and your mother, do something, anything, just make this stop, please.

And what happens? Nothing. Nothing happens. And suddenly, it all makes sense—why God never said anything before, and why God isn't doing anything right now. He can't hear you, because he's not there. And you realize, they were lying to you. About praying, about God helping you out if you just ask him. And what a terrible way to find out everything they taught you is wrong: when you really, honestly need help, and nothing happens. Nothing happens for eight goddamn years of violent outbursts and constant fear, until you and your mother finally get away from that son of a bitch.

Doesn't that sound a little unpleasant?

But according to this guy, there's a logical explanation for all the trouble we went through. You see, we just weren't good enough people, and that's why God didn't help us. Yes, apparently this all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful God just couldn't be bothered to do anything about ongoing domestic abuse. He couldn't give a damn about us, because we weren't good enough. We had it coming. We deserved it. God could have helped us so easily, but he decided it would be better for a mother and her child to be subjected to years of terror, because we just didn't live up to his standards. We weren't good enough to not be abused.

And then they have the audacity to demand that I respect their religion. The religion of a god that has no problem neglecting his own creation, a god that gladly allows us to suffer if we don't meet his nebulous expectations. And I'm supposed to respect the people who worship a god that decided my mother and I deserved to be abused, because we weren't good enough?

You know what? Fuck you! You talk about a god that turns a blind eye to villainy and blames the victims, and you're angry that I don't respect you for following this god? Fuck yourself! Even if your evil bastard of a god existed, I would *never* worship it! I refuse to bow down to a callous and uncaring god that hides in the shadows while the world goes to hell. Fuck your god! If that's the kind of god you worship, you should be ashamed of yourself! And how dare you pretend that there's anything respectable about you and your failure of a god? That is beyond reprehensible!

Never have I encountered someone who so exemplifies the most perverse aspects of religion, defending an imaginary god while dismissing real human suffering. I am sickened by the depth of your arrogance! You are the last person on the face of the earth who should be talking about who deserves what, and who isn't good enough.

And if you can't understand why so many people reject your disgusting religion, I suggest looking in a mirror. With Christians like you, who needs atheists?

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