To understand the mythology of religion and see the poetry it contains is to take the power of myth and redefine it. To take away the the power and transform it into a poetry of love. and the support of a more loving society. No one will turn a Christian fascist, an evengelical to reason. But the average Christians that are unaware of the persistent and continuous assaults on our secular commons and science are reachable. Evangelicals fear the concept of 'Pubic Good.' For they want all authority and control in the hands of the religious police. To not study and learn the language of our enemies is for me, insane. The enemies of modernity will if given a chance, bring a Christian caliphate as hateful as Saudi Arabias is.

To discount the power of myth and the stories of Odysseus, of Sisyphus, or Jesus is for me, entering a gun fight with a stick. Yes, all of the nonsense about miracles, demons, and gods is a surrender of our humanity.

Yet American Exceptionalism is a Biblical claim. A claim that US citizens are the new Chosen People. That like the ancient Hebrews, it disconnects us from a moral compass. It wall papers over the genocide of Natives Americans just like Israel is doing to the Palestinians today. And explains in part why we love Israel. For both countries claim genocide as god's permission to claim/create a country. And is the same claim of the Nazis, as the superior Aryan Race backed embarassingly by the fact Hitler used the antisemetic speech of the Vatican. And the iconography of Christianity appeared in the war metals and belt buckles. When I'm invited by Christians to talk about these things, I call myself an agnostic. For the term atheist is seen as dangerous/crazy. yet I see little difference. And if that allows a dialogue, then hell yes. Proof of a diety would change my mind, but woud first check into a mental institution.

To believe that Christians are going to talk to people who say, Jesus never existed, expecting that to hold weight, WTF. They will dismiss everthing you say and stay in their retarded bubble. My friendships with preachers and normal mainline Christians had led several to stop going to church, some to join us. I give them names of books depending where on the journey of modernity, they are. Books by Sam Harris, Bishop Shelby Spong. . . I'm guess many haven't discovered the book- 'WHY I AM AN ATHEIST WHO BELIEVES IN GOD- How to Create Beauty, Give Love and Find Peace' By Frank Schaeffer. Son of the man who wrote the principles and started the Evangelical movement. Frank freed himself from what he calls the Village Idiots of Christianity. If Christianity ever stops their assaults on our commons and loses the tax-free status, I'll stop studying the bible. And figure we won. Until then, I see them as the most dangerous movement within the US. And the pentagon has whispered those fears within the upper ranks privately. Wondering how many crazies are within our nuclear deterrent triad. Who might be willing to try and bring on the end of days. I will meet them with respectful disagreements and the evangelicals, with scorn.

My objection is if you bring your pagan beliefs into our secular commons, I will fight for the Enlightenment and critical thinking. As a life long student of theology, I use the facts of history, irrony and sarcasium. Depending on the amount of God Whispering of the deluded, is whether I stay polite or go to ridicule. As we talking Biblical Hermeneutics or Apologetics, facts are the only thing I will bring to the table while understanding how useful the sacred lnguage. I don't reject it, it's a poetry of love. I just redefine it. And then let the blood letting begin. Otherwise, keep your biblical babble out of our temple, our secular commons.

Like many people I was indoctrinated to religion in my youth. It wasn't until I really started reading this nonsense from the beginning to the end that I said to myself (paraphrased), "WTF?". Actually, it took a little bit of time to find my free will but, damn it felt great when I finally submitted to my own control and quest for reality. Isn't it easier to spot bullshit when you seek what is for real, that can be weighed, measured, tested, and backed up with facts?

What always gets me is why did this all-powerful being allow Satan to become a "fallen" angel? And why can't this all-powerful being control Satan?