The Iron Gauntlet

When discussing religion with friends/family, I try to follow these basic rules:

1. I never bring it up on my own; if the issue is brought up, I will give my opinion, but I will never simply start a religious debate or discussion because I know how touchy people are when it comes to their god
2. I try to remain objective and civil; I never get personal or try to offend, however I feel that people often get offended anyway
3. Oftentimes I will simply try to get the other party to consider things that they previously had not; my true intention is to cause the parties involved to examine their own arguments and see if they can find valid points in mine

This evening, a discussion about the bible had begun brewing (much to my dismay), and I found myself in the position of not being able to hold back my opinion. I mentioned the fact that the bible is indeed filled with much hatred and is not exactly a “good” book (in the sense that you wouldn’t want to get your morality from it). Of course, being in a room full of people who grew up with Catholicism, either Italian or Irish, I was told that I was mistaken and that a lot of good comes from the bible. I asked for examples of such goodness but received none. Now, I wasn’t mad about any of this. I don’t get angry about it if it’s simply a discussion amongst friends, but I do feel as though I am looked at as some kind of radical who has no idea what he’s talking about. It’s honestly a little unfair in my eyes. I don’t wish to upset anyone, I’m only stating my opinion. No one is required to agree with me, but just remember that I am not simply going to back down from my position. I will not. I must remain true to my convictions.

My most honest of intentions is to get people to think about these issues. Seriously, what good comes from the bible? I know that there is definitely some goodness that comes from the bible, but does it outweigh all of the horror and torture? Does this goodness outweigh genocide and slavery? Does it outweigh the condemnation of homosexuality and freedom of thought? Most importantly, can you not learn great life lessons about morality from other sources? Is the bible really the best moral compass you can come up with? 

I don’t expect to sway everyone, I just hope that the people I care about won’t look at me as if I’m simply wrong. I know that many people have been inspired by the bible to do GREAT things that have made so many peoples’ lives better. But so many people have also used it to justify horrible cruelties and mass-atrocities:

• You can say on one hand that the bible inspired some young people to start a non-profit organization that helps starving children all around the world. It’s a wonderful thing, isn’t it? But what if this organization begins to openly support anti-choice groups who support murdering abortion doctors? Then what? Is this group still a force for good? Would a secular group ever be caught dead supporting such horrible nonsense?
• You might think that missionaries spreading the word of god is a good thing; they go to a war-torn country and give out bibles, and you can say that they give new meaning to the lives of people who had previously felt hopeless. There’s no harm in that, is there? But what happens when the local government starts adopting the bible teaching into its legal system? Is it still a force for good when they make a law that requires authorities to execute anyone accused of being a homosexual?
• Taking a look at a local community; its streets and overall infrastructure are in disrepair, much of the youth is involved in gang violence, and local businesses are suffering. The priest in the one church in town is holding the community together, helping people find work, trying to get the kids off the streets, and doing charity work all over town. Even I would say that this is a wonderful force for good, but what if that priest had come from another parish that kicked him out because of “inappropriate behavior with children”? What if he is using the weak position of some of the troubled youngsters to exploit them? Is he a good man for helping the community, or is he a monster who preys on children?

These are just a few examples. They might seem extreme, but they are not unrealistic or far-fetched. They have all happened and will happen again. Like I said, I know there is good and bad in everything; I just happen to think that the bible has more bad than good.