by Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

THE PROBLEM WITH ATHEISM

Emperor Constantine invented Christianity to control his empire. Indeed to understand the Catholic Church, one need simply realize the Roman Empire never went away. It merely became the Catholic Church.

Adolf Hitler was raised a devout Catholic. He later discovered the writings of Martin Luther and used Luther’s hatred of the Jews as an organizing point for Germans to rally around. Thus he used a religious belief system to motivate and mobilize Germany into creating a war machine that threatened the world. Small matter that it cost 6 million Jews and untold other millions of people their lives.

Joseph Stalin was raised Georgian Orthodox. He later became an Atheist and did much to stamp out all religion in Russia. However, with the advent of WWII, he relented and began to support the Russian Orthodox Church calling it “a patriotic institution.” Why? Because it was useful in controlling and organizing the Russian people for their war efforts.

The Popes are the head of what may well be the largest and wealthiest corporation on this planet. They are the new versions of the Roman Emperors. Without the need for fielding an army, they control billions of people all around the planet with the carrot and the stick of heaven and hell. People willingly pay tribute/taxes to them in the form of offerings and donations. The Catholic Church influences all the politics around the globe.

Karl Rove is an Anglican-Episcopalian. He wears his religion rather loosely and in practice is more of an Agnostic… unless playing the religion card for political gain. His extensive use of “wedge issues” in politics was a stroke of diabolical genius. Abortion, Gay rights etc. He successfully duped Christians into focusing on those issues while ignoring the other equally – more important – issues they should have been focused on. Poverty, caring for the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and caring for the sick. How exactly can one be against abortion yet support capital punishment and war?

Pat Robertson is a Southern Baptist minister who makes his living doing a rather poor imitation of Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show.” There is not much difference between his “Word Of Knowledge” shtick and Carson’s Carnack The Magnificent. Nevertheless, he has been successful in not only gaining a following, but exerting political influences on our elections.

What do all these people have in common? They exploit those who subscribe to a Christian belief system for personal and political gain. If a stranger walked up to you on the street and told you that you needed to take $500 dollars across town immediately, what would you do? If you’re like me, you would put some distance between yourself and whomever this person was and – in my case – make certain your gun hand was free and unencumbered.

Why? Because you don’t know them. The very nature of their statement would cause suspicion and red flags to begin to wave. However, if that same person claimed they were delivering a message from your mother or some other loved one, suddenly they would have slipped past the first layer of your mental defenses. You would probably ask, “what’s wrong with my mother?” Perhaps, “what is she doing in town?” Notice you’re no longer questioning the authenticity of the message, you’re beyond that. Your mind is now processing what the problem might be and how to solve it.

Religious belief works in the same way. If a preacher tells a Christian that God wants them to pledge $500 or give $500 or vote Republican, your average Christian does not question the message or the messenger, they focus on how or if they can do what is requested. Let’s go back to the message from your mom example. Suppose your mother had passed several years ago and someone came with the same message? Now you would know they were lying and up to no good. Your system of belief and feelings for your mother cannot be exploited.

This is the problem those in power have with Atheist. Atheist are “free thinkers.” You cannot manipulate them using the levers of a belief system. Your appeal must pass the test of logic. An Atheist is going to apply logic to your message or request. They’re going to actually think about what is being said and come to their own conclusions. Tell a Christian that God will supply all their needs, and you’ll get an “Amen!” Turn around and pass an offering plate telling a Christian that their money is needed to support and further God’s work and they’ll pull out their wallets without ever stopping to ask, “if God can supply all *my* needs, why can’t he supply the financial needs of his own ministry?” See the problem?