Are you a tree, grass or cloud? Planting roots vs. Free flowing like the wind

Hi all,

Earlier today while I was on the treadmill, thinking of something interesting to pass the time while watching the timer in front of me lol, I realized something: Most people aren't like me, are they? We all tend to assume and hold the fallacy that others are like us and want the same things we do, but they don't.

One of my advisors, Momopi, said this before:

"Quoting one of my lady friends, there are 3 types of people: grass, tree, and cloud.

Grass types are happy when they find a nice sunny field to plant their roots.

Cloud types are more fickle, they change shape and move with the wind. They're happy when they're moving to new and exciting places.

Tree types plant their roots, but can grow tall into the sky. They can understand grass and cloud, but belong to neither.

If you find yourself in the sky as a cloud, looking down and wondering how all the grass can stand being rooted down, you should probably consider that they're looking up and wondering how you could stand being blown around by the wind."

I think he's right. I'm definitely a cloud type, which why I built an online residual income operation. But most people are like trees in that they seek to plant roots, become tied down, and live a safe solid routine. Have you noticed this? I think there are three types of people in this regard:

1. Tree: The first type seeks to plant roots in their home town where they grew up, even if they live a bad place with more cons than pros. They are uncomfortable with other places and see no other choice. Adventure and freedom is just an amusing fantasy to them that they see on TV or read about. They don't really need it. They prefer stability, predictability and routine. They are more than willing to be tied down in exchange for a safe stable home, job, family, marriage, regular friends, etc.

2. Grass: The second type seeks greener pastures to plant their roots and settle. They see freedom as the "freedom to choose where to plant their roots". They don't mind settling down as long as they are happy with their environment, living conditions, and people around them. Thus they are willing to move or relocate for a better life. A classic example of this were the settlers in 18th and 19th Century America who moved westward in search of new lands to settle in.

3. Cloud: The third type (like me) are the freedom junkies. These types live for adventure, new experiences, and meeting new people. They don't like to settle down into monotonous boring routines involving responsibility, obligation, servitude and burden. They dislike all forms of external control, long term obligations, permanent attachments, etc. To them, settling down is like binding yourself to a prison with a ball and chain. It's ok for a while, but becomes suffocating eventually. They need to feel free to roam and eject burdens from their mind. Every commitment or obligation feels like a threat to them. They can endure short term commitments, but long term ones scare them and threaten to imprison them. 

To them, everything gets old after a while. They don't like seeing the same place, same environment or same people everyday. They even get tired of their own lovers and partners eventually. This is because they are wanderlust types who thrive on new experiences. They are perpetual travelers and nomads at heart. Unless they have a job doing something they really love, they become job hoppers, self-employed or unemployed hippies and bohemian artists. They can never give up their freedom, which is their most cherished thing, not even for a significant other. To them, freedom is like air - they can't live without it. They'd rather be poor and free than have money and be un-free.

I think most people are type 1 or 2, but I am a type 3. Society only acknowledges the existence of type 1 and 2, but not 3, because types 1 and 2 cater to stability and structure (which is the function of society) but type 3 does not. The thing is, only type 3's can understand me. But type 1's will never understand or relate to me. Society is built around type 1 and 2, but type 3 types have to find their own way and learn to think and live outside the box to accommodate their lifestyle.

What do you think? Which type are all of you?

Winston

Christianity's Irresolvable Problems and Lack of Basis

Why God Cannot Be All-Good and All-Powerful Yet Allow Evil, Suffering and Injustice

First, here is something inescapable. It is a valid and logical argument that Atheists and Anti-Christian writers (e.g. Thomas Paine, Robert Ingersoll, Mark Twain, Bertrand Russell) have used throughout history that Christians and theists have never been able to debunk or explain away logically.

75 percent of the world’s population lives in poverty, hunger and suffering. This amounts to billions of people, most of whom are innocent, both now and throughout history. There are wars, famines, poverty, disease, hunger, greed, and evil, which kill people everyday. The world is mostly run by sociopaths, who are above the law and go largely unpunished. Most positions of power are attained by evil people rather than good people (since power attracts the evil and corruptible rather than the good). The world is unjust and life is unfair. Good people suffer and die young. Peacemakers with mass influence get taken out and assassinated (JFK, RFK, MLK, Lennon, etc.). The strong take advantage of the weak and oppress them, and the world is ruled by the "might is right" principle. Even animals have to kill each other for food. So how can the majority of the world continue to believe in a God who is all-good and all-powerful, yet allows all this to continue to be? That is odd. Yet most people don’t think about it. They simply believe, not because of proof or evidence, but because most people around them believe it, so they assume it must be true. However, it is logically impossible for there to be a God who is both all-powerful and all-good, as Christians claim, yet allows all this to be. There is no resolution or escape from this dilemma. No theologian or philosopher has ever solved it. It remains the eternal paradox. Therefore, we must question our assumptions about God, which may not be correct.

To put this in perspective:

1. Most of the world’s population, billions of innocent people, are suffering in hunger and poverty, now and throughout history.
2. Evil is allowed to exist, run rampant, go unpunished, and attain positions of power more often than not. The world is unjust and life is unfair. Good people suffer and die young. And animals have to kill each other for food.
3. God is all-powerful and all-good, yet allows #1 and #2 to exist, both now and throughout history.

All three of the above CANNOT logically co-exist at the same time. The only logical possibilities are:

a)  God/the Creator is not all powerful and cannot stop evil and suffering. (if so, then how did he create the whole universe?)
b)  God/the Creator is evil, or not good, or doesn't care. Or he has an evil side as well as a good side, like we do.
c)  God doesn't exist.
d)  God/the Creator is nothing like what you think he is, or is something beyond your comprehension.
e)  God/the Creator lets suffering and evil exist for reasons beyond your comprehension, and/or does not have the same morals that you do. 

Excuses and Copouts

The standard Christian explanation for the above, which makes no sense at all and is a ridiculous cop-out, is:

"God allows evil and suffering to exist in the world because Man chose to Sin in the Garden of Eden. God gave Man freewill, and Mankind chose Sin. Hence death, pain, decay and evil entered into the world. God is 100 percent just and righteous, so all this is Mankind's fault, not God's. It says so in the Bible."

I'm sorry but these are mere words and just do not cut it. They make ZERO SENSE and the implications of it are 100 percent ridiculous too. Anyone who takes such an explanation seriously must either be completely insane and lost his marbles, or is completely brainwashed and mind-controlled, in order to accept something that makes zero sense as Gospel Truth.

What the standard Christian explanation implies is that:

"A good and all-knowing God allowed billions of people throughout history to suffer, die, and go to hell (if they died unsaved) simply because two naive people named Adam and Eve took a bite of the fruit of a forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. In other words, one little mistake (or bite) caused a lifetime and eternity of pain for billions of people, and deservedly so, which all-wise and all-good God allowed."

Um excuse me, but even if I were on crack, I wouldn't buy such an insane explanation. I'd sooner believe that Santa Claus visits every home in the world in one night on Christmas Eve than that! Come on now. Gimme a break. Get real! I mean, I know you don't have to be intelligent to be a Christian, but really... Anyhow, that's their version of reality, which they take seriously, believe it or not.

Not only is this explanation 1000 percent insane, but it is 1000 percent UNJUST as well. I mean, what kind of a parent would allow their children to suffer pain and death (not to mention damnation) as a consequence of taking a bite out of a fruit that you told them not to touch? It doesn't make any sense! Wouldn't such a parent be the most evil and sociopathic parent in the world? (Yet a God who is 100 percent perfect and righteous would do that?!) There is no escaping that. There is no way in hell (pardon the pun) that one little mistake could be worth a lifetime or eternity of pain. No way. No Christian in the world could justify that. It is completely unjustifiable, insane, nonsensical, and there is no logical reason to believe it either.

Yet Christians take this explanation seriously?! And they believe in a 100 percent righteous and just God too?! WTF?! This is nothing short of pure and total mind control. No question about it. 

Hard Questions and Common Sense

Besides, how do they know that God is 100 percent righteous and just? Because the Bible says so? And that alone makes it true?! Gee, what low standards. I mean, how do they know that Satan isn't the good guy and God the bad guy? They don't! All they can do is believe whatever someone TELLS them, and labels the rest as "lies of Satan". But life teaches us that things are not always what they seem, life teaches us. They simply take it on faith, that the Bible is all true because it is, and that's that. It's the weakest logic of all.

Also, why does Lucifer/Satan wanting a little freedom when he was an angel of God make him 100 percent evil? Teenagers naturally want some freedom from their parents too, but does that make them 100 percent evil and demonic? You see how nonsensical all of this is? Nothing in the Christian fundamentalist version of reality makes the slightest bit of sense...

Plus, if I were an all-knowing God and knew BEFORE I created the world that the majority of the people on Earth would suffer through life and end up in the eternal torment of hell afterward (since most people do not become Christians in their lifetime), I would certainly not create such a world. No sane person would create something knowing in advance that the bad that would come out of it would far exceed the good. No sane person would go through with that, let alone an all-wise God. Think about it: If you knew before setting up a business that you'd incur a loss of $75,000 and reap only $25,000 in profit (based on 1/4 of the world's population claiming to be Christians), would you go through with it? Get real.

So you see, nothing about the Christian version of reality makes any sense at all, in any way at all, once you look at it with a clear mind free of fear and mind control. There are way too many irresolvable problems with it.

In fact, many ex-Christians report in their deconversion testimonials that while they were believers, such logical impossibilities and unresolvable questions as the above, kept entering their minds from time to time. But since they could not be satisfactorily explained away, they had to be mentally filed away on a mental shelf labeled "Unresolvable". However, eventually, such unresolvable questions accumulated until they became too heavy to ignore and deny any longer. At some point, their "mental shelf" simply broke and they could no longer live in denial anymore. It was only then, that the mind control imposed on them by Christianity broke down, and they were finally set free from it.

(One great example of this is my friend Darryl Sloan, an aware skeptic, freethinker and author who described many such logical impossibilities in Christianity in his YouTube videos, which you can see at http://www.youtube.com/darrylsloan. And my own Christian deconversion story is at http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/Christian_Story.htm)

Key Points to Christians

So why do Christians believe such extreme things then? If you ask them about it, their mind-controlled condition will become very apparent, as they say things like "Because God says so in his word, the Bible, which is his revelation to us" and "Because it's true, and truth is self-apparent once you've woken up to it" etc. However, the same could be said about any religion or belief system. So what makes theirs any truer than others? In short, they believe it only because they were TOLD TO BELIEVE IT, but they don't realize that. They simply think, "The truth is the truth, and that's that" so they do not question it (nor are they taught to) and do not think freely for themselves either. Their reasoning is 100 percent circular, and besides that, their beliefs do not even have a valid INITIAL FOUNDATIONAL BASIS either (which doesn't cross their mind).

Here are some simple key facts that devout mind-controlled Christians fail to realize, even though they are right under their noses:

- There is NO FOUNDATIONAL BASIS or logical reason for their belief that "The Bible is the infallible word of God and absolute literal truth. All men are sinners and the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. All who believe in Christ go to Heaven, while all who don't go to Hell". There is no good reason to believe such extreme things. And no basis for it at all. They were simply TOLD this "Gospel message", and somehow, it gave them a sense of purpose or brought meaning into their empty chaotic lives, or it was what they needed to hear at that time, or it was what they were taught by their Christian families. So they accepted it, and once they did, it became absolute authority in their minds, above all questioning and skeptical inquiry, thus forming a complete circular loop in their train of thought which filtered their sense of reality so that all incoming data that fit with it was accepted, while all that didn't was rejected. Once this circular loop formed in their minds, they forget that there was NO REAL initial basis for their extreme beliefs in the first place!

- Once the Christian believes that the Bible is infallible truth and authority, his/her mind becomes HIJACKED in that such a belief will place Christian teaching at the TOP of the hierarchy in their mind, with Truth becoming subservient to it. In other words, Truth must serve the Bible, not the other way around, so that all facts and data MUST conform to the Bible or be rejected. What this means it that the Bible and their beliefs can NEVER be questioned, even if it's false, because it has occupied the highest seat of power in their minds. However, if Christians were to place Truth at the top, above the Bible, then they could question and analyze the Bible and see the obvious errors, contradictions and irresolvable problems with it. But instead, they place Christianity above Truth, so that their beliefs can never be questioned no matter how absurd, thus creating a completely closed and circular loop. This is the epitome of "brainwashing". Thus, in a sense, the Gospel is like a "trojan horse" that offers the newly converted everything, at the expense of hijacking and imprisoning their own mind.

- Just because someone (a believer himself) tells you that Christian teaching is absolute truth does NOT make it so, any more than any other belief system must be true because someone says so, or any more than the email spam and scams you receive everyday must be true because it says so.

- Just because an ancient set of books written by ancient unknown authors says something does NOT mean that it must be true, any more than a random book I pull out from the library must be true. Text in ancient books is not proof of absolute inerrant truth, especially when it contains so many inherent contradictions, errors and far-fetched stories and claims. Besides, there are many ancient books from all throughout history, so why not believe that all of them are infallible divine truth too? 

- Think about this: If I pulled out a random book in the library and said, "This is absolute infallible truth and cannot be questioned because God wrote it", would that make it true? Or suppose I were to write this in a book: "The Gobblygook Monster created us. He is perfect, righteous and infallible, while we are all condemned sinners. He says that the only way to him is through his son, the Gobblygook Son, who died for your sins and rose from the dead. His disciples witnessed his resurrection and were willing to die for it, so it must be true. Your eternal destiny lies upon whether you accept this or not." Would that make it true?! Think man!

Or, to use a less extreme example, what if I pulled out a Koran and told you that, according to that book, if you don't convert to Islam, you will go to hell? Would that make it true? Why not?

- God did not physically appear to you in God-like form (i.e. as a pillar of fire to Moses) and tell you that the Bible and Christianity are the only literal and complete truth. PEOPLE told you that, and FALLIBLE people at that. No one is perfect. So why do you believe that imperfect humans who are no more perfect than you, wrote something that was perfect and infallible and never to be questioned?! Simply because someone told you so?! Are you that gullible and naive?!

- The Bible shows every indication of being written by fallible and imperfect human beings. There are thousands of contradictions between its 66 books, many unfulfilled prophecies, mistakes, misunderstandings by its authors as they referenced other books (i.e. New Testament interpretations of Old Testament books), different teachings (e.g. regarding salvation and theology in the Old and New Testaments), etc. The Bible is far from a set of unified beliefs of agreement in all its books. In fact, the Old Testament and New Testament teach different things regarding theology, salvation, morality, the messiah, the devil, hell, the afterlife, etc. (I have described many examples in my Debunking Christian Fundamentalism treatise) Sure the Bible contains some wisdom, great teachings and eloquent stories, but so do many other ancient books as well. But there is no logical reason to believe that every word in it is absolutely infallible, true and unquestionable, just because believers tell you so. Even if the Bible itself says so, it does not make it true, as explained earlier. (In fact, the Bible itself does really not claim to be infallible, only fundamentalist fanatics do. I've elaborated on this here.)

- The arguments used by Christian Apologists (e.g. Josh McDowell, C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel) such as the Fulfilled Prophecies argument, the Resurrection argument, the Trilemma argument, etc. all collapse under simple casual scrutiny. They are no more sensible than the loaded agenda-driven arguments used by advertisers in commercials. In fact, I have debunked all of them in my treatise.

- To Christians who say, "I believe the Bible not for logical or rational reasons, but because I feel its truth deep inside of me. God spoke to my heart through the Holy Spirit. That is how I know it is true." let me ask you this: I can find sincere believers of EVERY RELIGIOUS FAITH who say the same thing about why they believe too. For example, I have met many sincere Muslims, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses that have said that too. So why should I believe you and not them? They are just as sincere as you. What makes your belief right and theirs wrong? They have a right to "feel the truth of their religion in their hearts" too. So what's the difference between you and them? What makes them wrong? Simply because they don't share your beliefs, which are based on ancient books written by unknown people you never met?

- To Christians I ask this: How do you know God is all-good, all-righteous and perfect without blemish, fault or sin? How do you know whether God is good or whether Satan is evil? How do you know that the Bible is true and Satan is the Father of lies? Aren't you taking the Bible's word for it? What if it's not true? What if the Bible has deceived you? How do you really know?! YOU DON'T! You are taking it all on one-sided faith without a valid basis. Sheesh. No one and nothing is perfect. In fact, the Old Testament stories depicted God as angry, vengeful, jealous, etc. possessing all the traits that humans did, and making mistakes and regretting them as well. In fact, he was not always just, fair or even reasonable. In Exodus, he made the Israelites wander the desert aimlessly for 40 years under harsh conditions while expecting them to never complain about it. And numerous times, he killed innocent children to punish the sins of their fathers. (See list of verses here) No one can justify such things as "fair or just". Get real. Words in a book are NOT a valid basis for an infallible belief. Your reasoning process is completely foolish, no better than those who fall prey to obvious scams artists and hand over all their money to them.

- The Atheist has a valid argument and reason for his/her disbelief. (Not that I'm an Atheist) If God never physically shows himself to them, then one has a perfect right to doubt or disbelieve his existence, no matter what any book or person tells him about it. Moreover, their argument that an all-powerful, all-good God is logically incompatible with all the suffering and evil in the world, is a VALID argument for sure, and one which Christians have never been able to resolve logically, except with copout excuses like "God wants us to have free will otherwise we'd be robots". 

- Christianity is 100 percent anti-freedom and pro tyranny. It places no value on liberty, free choice, freethought, critical thinking or reason. Throughout the Bible, one message is consistent: "Obey God or die and be damned!" Obviously if you have to obey lest you be killed or damned, then you have no real freedom or free choice, for to be truly loyal to the Christian God means being completely obedient and NEVER disagreeing with him. It's total tyranny. There's no way around it. What this means is that if you are a "true Christian" then you are totally anti-freedom/liberty and pro-tyranny. Otherwise, you're a hypocrite. For more on this, see here: http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/DebunkingChristians/Page31.htm

- The Bible is full of utter hypocrisies. For example, one of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt not kill" yet the Christian God himself killed many people in the Bible, many of whom were innocent, and often for trivial reasons. See here: http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/DebunkingChristians/Page20.htm

So you see, there is no real basis to the Christian's beliefs or version of reality. They make no sense, are without foundation, and follow a completely circular reasoning loop - "It's true because God said so --> because the Bible says so --> because it's true..." ad nauseum. Furthermore, there was no INITIAL BASIS for their extreme beliefs in the first place, which they fail to realize once their reasoning became completely circular.

Now, devout Christians will usually respond to such arguments and facts that they can't explain away with something like this:

"You can think whatever you want. But God makes the rules. You either follow them or reap the consequences. Be careful what you choose to believe in. Your eternal fate may hang on it."

But again, we come back to the obvious points and facts outlined above. How do they know what "God's rules" are? Because of what the Bible says? Again, just because people create a religion around their interpretation of an ancient set of books does NOT mean it constitutes "God's rules", nor does it represent unquestionable divine truth. Get real. I could say that the book of Koran are "God's rules" too, but would that make it so? Wouldn't you be a heretic for not accepting the word of the Koran too? Again, just because someone tells you something doesn't mean it's true. And just because an ancient book says something doesn't mean it's true either. I'm sure you've gotten spam emails that make big promises or offer to wire you millions of dollars, if you just send a release fee of a few hundred dollars first... but does that mean it's true?

 

Message to Christians

  

To Christian readers:

So you see, your reasoning is completely circular but you don't realize it. Such is the effect of mind control. Your reason part is subdued due to an "infallible truth" placed at the top of your mind that can never be wrong and edits your reality.

But I can tell you this though: Within such a nonthinking loop (which you don't even see) your mind can never be truly free and clear. Your mind is imprisoned, but you don't even realize it. That's why it's so effective, until you break free of it that is, for only then do you realize what it was doing to your mind all along.

Many Christians will often utter this response to criticisms of their religion as well:

"Who are you to question God? He created the universe and you too. You have no right to question him or his word. He has every right to do whatever he wants with his creation. You ought to be thankful that he sent Jesus to die for you, so you could be saved and go to heaven. He could have chosen to not send a savior to us, let us all go to hell, and he'd be just as perfect and righteous. None of us deserve his mercy. Yet he chose to be merciful to us and offer us a way out of sin and damnation. You ought to appreciate that and accept his free gift of salvation through Christ, and stop rebelling against him."

To them I say this: Again, see the above points and links, which your mind has probably filtered out with cognitive dissonance. Your basic fallacy is that you assume that all these extreme beliefs you hold are true, when in fact there is no logical reason, or good reason, to believe that they are. You believe that your Christian beliefs are true simply because of a handful of unsupported assumptions which point to each other until it goes back to the original premise. It's a given, without any foundational basis. Thus, your mind is in a complete circular loop, and you don't even realize it. I know what that's like because I used to believe as you do, so I know what it's like to be inside such a closed circular loop that you don't even see.

When you are in such a closed black and white circular belief system, your reality and incoming data are EDITED. You experience extreme cognitive dissonance. All incoming data that agrees with your beliefs is accepted, while all data that doesn't is rejected. Your reality is filtered, to the point where you don't even see the closed loop itself (which those outside your loop can easily see).

Plus, to believe in a God or love him simply out of fear of the consequences of not doing so, is not a genuine or pure motive. It is nothing less than coercion. Doing something out of fear brings you in tune with a lower vibration. Why would an all-wise God want to bring people down to such a low and weak vibration?

Also, why am I automatically a guilty sinner with no worth just by being born on Earth? It's like I'm assigned automatic guilt for no reason, just like that, simply cause Adam and Eve ate the wrong fruit off the wrong tree?! Gimme a break...

Conclusion

So you see, these unexplainable questions and irresolvable problems with Christianity are endless and unresolvable. Plus there are too many valid arguments and reasons to doubt the claims of Christianity too. If you are a devout Christian and have gotten this far, then you are one of the few, since most Christians would have stopped reading this near the beginning. So I commend you for your open mindedness.

Now I'm not saying that Christianity has no value. I acknowledge that it has changed lives, produced miracles, answered prayers, etc. and that believers can and do have supernatural experiences. However, this is true of every religion. I have met Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhists and Muslims who have had supernatural experiences, life changes, and seen miracles happen. But that doesn't mean that the "holy book" of their religion is all literally true, infallible and above questioning. Moreover, people with no religion have supernatural experiences as well. You don't even need a religion to experience such things, or even to have spiritual experiences. What this means is that there are many ways that man can tap into a "higher power" or come into contact with extra-dimensional forces. Religion is just one way. There are many others. The nature of such experiences is a subject of debate and not completely understood by logic or science. However, the point is that just cause they happen to believers of a certain religions does NOT make everything about that religion and its "holy scriptures" completely true and infallible.

On the other hand, in the theist's favor, I will say that believers in God have valid reasons for their belief as well. The argument that all of creation and the seeming design in it (aka "The Design Argument" implies a "Creator" is a VALID argument (despite what Atheists "religiously" claim against it and despite that it could lead to a "Who created the Creator then?" counter-argument as well). Add the fact that 1) there are numerous irresolvable problems with the Darwinian Evolution Theory, and that 2) studies show that human belief in God is innate rather than based on culture, learning or upbringing, and 3) the fact that some have met God during Near Death Experiences, and you do have some valid reasons for believing in God as well.

However, NONE of these valid reasons for believing in God or a Creator prove the "Christian God" of the Bible, nor do they support the belief that the Bible is God's word or that is it infallible inerrant divine literal truth either. These reasons DO NOT provide a basis for that at all. That is what Christians miss due to their mind-controlled absolutist beliefs.

Anyway, I do not claim to have all the answers here. Christians, Atheists, Buddhists and New Agers do not have all the answers either. You see, life is not about having answers to all the big questions handed to you. Truth is a continual lifetime search process of asking questions and questioning everything. To be a truth seeking, one has to learn to be happy to simply say, "I don't know" and embrace the uncertainty that comes with it.

One can choose between two paths: That of a truth-seeker who seeks to become more and more "aware" everyday, or that of a follower of a herd mentality who lives a "happy slave" life of ignorance and doesn't like to think too much. Some are happy being conformists and followers, while others aren't. You will have to decide which one you are.

All I know for sure is that reality is far more complex and vast than the confines of any one religion and its doctrines, whether it be Christianity or another faith. Thus, a truth seeker must venture beyond the rigid belief system of orthodox religions in order to learn more, expand his/her reality, and evolve in understanding.

If you want truth, you're going to have to know something. Truth does not come in a neat convenient package like a religion, where you don't have to think. That is known as "fast food theology". But truth doesn't work that way. Truth is mysterious. There are layers of truth, and the path to it is a lifelong process and journey, as you peel off each layer. At a certain point, it will be difficult to peel off more layers, for human comprehension has its limits, as there are some things beyond it. But don't try too hard. You gotta go with the flow and let you intuition guide you. Have fun, relax, open yourself up, and enjoy learning new things. Don't forget that everything should be in moderation.

To start on the path to truth, remember these things:

1)      Question everything. Don't take whatever you hear on faith, even from the alternative crowd.

2)      Stop caring what others think of you. If you don't, you will always be bound in fear. But if you do, you will free your mind, which is the first step to truth.

3)      Empty your mind. Follow your intuition and go with it, for it sees from a higher level than your conscious mind does.

4)      Discover who you really are. Remember, you are a spiritual being having a human experience.

5)      Clear your mind. Avoid highly toxic and stressful activities and environments. Pay attention to health and nutrition. Always remember, everything in moderation.

6)      Ask questions, seek answers, and you will find them.

To close, I’d like to share this important advice for the truth-seeker by Darryl Sloan from his book Reality Check:

"The most productive mindset you can have is simply this: always, always, always have a belief system that doesn’t resist change. Go wherever the information leads you, without fear, because surely the truth is never something to dread." - Darryl Sloan, Reality Check

Anyway, I hope I've given you a lot to think about. Thanks for reading, and best wishes to all of you.

Sincerely,

Winston Wu

See also:

Debunking Christian Arguments Treatise – Every argument by Christian Evangelists and Apologists refuted point-by-point. If you familiarize yourself with this treatise, you will be able to dumbfound them for sure.

My Christian Deconversion Story – Hailed by both Christians and non-Christians as a “very touching and amazing story”. A Must Read!

Debunking Christian Circular Arguments and Assumptions

Christians use circular reasoning with unsupported assumptions to justify their beliefs. They take each unsupported assumption and use it to justify another one, in effect, using "fiction to support fiction". Here are examples from their basic arguments defending their faith. This is what they typically say when asked to explain the basis of their beliefs (summarized in my own words):

Question:
"How do you know the Bible is true? How do you know it is the word of God?"

Devout Christian:
"Because the Bible says it is God's word. The Bible is internally consistent and harmonious. Its writers, who lived thousands of years apart, agree on the same message. It also contains many fulfilled prophecies from the Old Testament that were fulfilled in the New Testament. The odds of that happening by chance, according to Christian theologians, are astronomical. The Bible also agrees with history, archaeology and science. It is the only book that is complete with a chronicle of humanity's history, salvation, and future predicament.

The Bible has changed millions of lives. The Gospel writers and Apostles were willing to die for their faith. Now who would die for something they knew wasn't true? As C.S. Lewis, a Christian writer, put it: "No one would die for a lie." The first Christians, many of which were martyred, also died for their faith.

The Apostles saw Jesus rise from the dead. 500 people witnessed his resurrection, according to the Apostle Paul. The resurrection is what our faith stands on. It is what sets Jesus apart from the rest and proves that he was the real deal and the true Son of God. Muhammad's body is still in his tomb, while Jesus' tomb is empty.

But the biggest reason for me is that I've experienced how Jesus changed my life. The Holy Spirit lives within me. I feel its truth and have experienced Jesus in my heart. I was at the very bottom of my life when I first heard the Gospel. When I accepted Christ, I was born again. My sins were washed away and my life began anew. I became right with God and felt a huge burden lifted off my shoulders. I now have a personal relationship with God, not a religion. I am a living testimony to God's truth and love. And so are many of my brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are witnesses for Christ.

We can also trust that the Bible is still in its original form, because God would protect his word and not let it be changed or altered by people. The Dead Sea Scrolls, found in the 1940's, contained Biblical manuscripts from over a thousand years ago that were relatively the same as they are today, demonstrating that the Bible hasn't changed much.

The decision of whether to accept Christ or not is the most important decision of a person's life. Choose carefully. There are eternal consequences at stake. Jesus came and died for your sins. He claimed to be the only way to God. What will you do with that? Either he was a liar, a lunatic, or he was right. If he was the first two, then you can forget him. But if he was who he said he was, then your eternal destiny depends on whether you accept him or not. Remember that.

Now, based on what Jesus did and said in the Gospels, it does not appear that he was a liar in any way. He did everything he said he would, and kept his promises. And he does not appear to be crazy in any way either, for his teachings were filled with great wisdom. Therefore, the most logical conclusion is that he was Lord. He fulfilled the OT prophecies, and rose from the dead, proving that he was the one - the true Savior whom God sent to bring forgiveness and eternal salvation to mankind. Will you accept him or reject him? The choice is yours."

(End of summary of Christian arguments)

Uhhh... Okkk... Well those are the typical arguments and unsupported assumptions of Christians and their Apologists, paraphrased in my own words. I used to be one, so I know them, and they are also used today. They may sound convincing to someone desperate to believe in something with all the answers in a nice little package coupled with big promises (i.e. an eternal father who will love and take care of them for an eternity, and give them eternal life). But they are not convincing to objective logical thinkers.

Now let me take apart the above point by point:

(Note: When I refer to my treatise below, I refer to this: http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/Debunking_Christians/Contents.htm)

- First, the Bible is not internally consistent. It is not even one book, but 66. There are thousands of contradictions and discrepancies. (see my treatise linked above for examples and links) Not all of them can be explained away. There are even contradictions in basic theology. For example, the Old Testament predicts a Messiah who will become ruler of the Jews and establish a physical kingdom on Earth. Jesus didn't do that. What the New Testament writers did was reinterpret everything in the Old Testament to make it fit in with their beliefs: The Serpent became Satan. Satan became evil. Lucifer became Satan. The OT praises and psalms became prophecies of Jesus, though they weren't. The Messiah came to establish a spiritual kingdom, not a political one (conveniently so, since Jesus failed to fulfill the OT Messianic prophecies). Etc. Most of the alleged fulfilled prophecies by Christians were either imaginary ones that were never intended to be, ambiguous, or didn't even come true (Prophecies of Tyre's destruction, Moses and the Promised Land, etc. See my treatise for more examples.)

- The Bible was put together by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which decided which books were to be included as canon and which were to be thrown out. Now, what makes you think this Council is infallible? Because God was protecting his word? Again, that is a circular argument, especially since it has not been established that the Bible is God's word or infallible in the first place.

- The Bible does not really claim to be God's word or divinely inspired. If you look at the beginning of them, you will see that many are simply letters sent to some group or church. Or they are introduced by name or not at all. There are only 3 verses that are used to claim that it is God's word, but they do not even clearly say that, or apply to the whole Bible. (See my treatise for a full explanation and analysis) The funny thing is that Christians heavily emphasize Biblical inerrancy and divine inspiration, while the Bible itself does not. But even if it did make that claim, so what? I could write a book and at the beginning start with, "This is the word of God..." But that does not make it so.

- As to the Bible agreeing with history, archaeology and science, see my treatise. In short, just because a written work contains real places and cities, does not make it all true, especially the extreme parts. Greek mythology includes Mt. Olympus, which is a real place, but that doesn't mean all the stories about the Greek Gods were true. Any book can include historical events and places, but that doesn't make it God's word or infallible in any way. It is easy to mix fact and fiction together. This is a no-brainer. For example, the story and film, "The Wizard of Oz" features Dorothy in Kansas. Now, just because Kansas is a real place does not make the entire story true and accurate. You see what I mean? Plus many historical events described in the Bible are unproven and ambiguous, such as the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the resurrection, King Herod's census in Bethlehem, etc.

- Lots of lives have been changed by other religions and belief systems too. Christianity is not unique in this regard. They always forget that, conveniently. Why is a Christian's testimony any better or more valid than a Muslim's or Mormon's? Christian's never address the testimonies of people in other religions, except by saying, "Satan can come as an angel of light", which is their typical copout.

- Plenty of people have died for lies throughout history. Many soldiers died for the war propaganda that they were fed. In Vietnam, 60,000 American troops died for a lie for example. And many cult members have died for their beliefs too (Jim Jones, Heaven's Gate, David Koresh, etc). And in the Middle East wars, many Muslims have died over petty religious feuds. So this is a silly argument. Many throughout history have died for things that often were not true. Therefore, dying for something is not proof that it is right or true. People are easily brainwashed and deluded. Plus we are not even sure that the Apostles did die because we do not even know whether they existed or were just myths themselves, which Christians fail to consider.

Now I know Christians will respond with "I meant no one would KNOWINGLY die for a lie that they knew to be a lie."

My response to this would be: Well now, how do you know they weren't deceived? But most importantly, how do you know that they even died or existed at all? You see, you are assuming that everything in the Bible is true and that all events in it are a given as stated, when in fact that has not been proven to be so. That's the big catch you missed. Anyone can write anything. You gotta remember, there is no historical basis for these events outside the Bible. Thus, your assumption is totally circular and unsupported. It is like taking a fiction book and automatically assuming that everything in it is a given as stated, and then using each part of it to support the other parts, using "fiction to support fiction, so to speak". That's the CHIEF problem you overlook.

- As to the resurrection of Jesus, the same as above goes. No one knows who wrote the Gospels. There are different theories. So you gotta ask, "Why would anyone writing such an important book to save the world be anonmyous rather than put his full name to it?!" Does such an anonymous writer expect to be taken seriously? Again, just because it's written in a book, doesn't mean it's true. Why not take the Koran or Book of Mormon as truth by default too? I can write a book that says that you gotta believe in me to go to heaven too. But would that mean it's true?

As to the resurrection witnesses, well they simply exist only in the Gospels. There is no independent verification of them, or of the resurrection itself. No non-Christian sources attest to them. Paul says that there were 500 witnesses. But one man claiming that there were 500 witnesses is not the same as 500 people claiming to be witnesses.

Again, this is a classic case of Christians "using fiction to support fiction". I could use the same arguments to prove that Superman had super powers. For instance, I could say that Superman stopped a runaway train according to one story, by grabbing it and slowing it to a halt. When he did so, there were many passengers on board who were eyewitnesses to what Superman did. This proves that Superman had super powers. See how easy that is?

Moreover, even if a person with supernatural powers were to come and do amazing things, including seemingly dying and rising again, that doesn't mean he is God or infallible or controls the eternal souls of everyone. Magicians could do such things (e.g. David Blaine, David Copperfield) and Extraterrestrials with advanced technology could come and amazing things with their technology that defy our explanation too. But that doesn't mean that they are Gods. I'm not saying that Jesus was an alien, but just saying hypothetically. The point is that just because someone has more technology than you, or more "powers" than you, does not make this person or being right about everything, nevertheless infallible.

- Christians forget one important thing. Jesus didn't write down anything, at least not that we have today. All that they know about him were written by others, his alleged followers. We do not even know if any of his direct disciples wrote anything down. Therefore, the stories about him are all hearsay by unknown sources. No one knows who Jesus really was, what he said, or if he even existed, since he has so many resemblances to ancient Pagan Gods and mythologies, and his teachings have so many parallels with Buddhism. This is why secular historians, while they believe in a historical Jesus, do not believe that the Jesus depicted in the Gospels existed. This was also the conclusion of the Jesus Seminar.

- Regarding Christian personal testimonies, changed lives, and miracles, well they exist in all religions. Christians seems to insinuate that their faith is unique in this regard. But it is not. Many Muslims and Mormons will tell you that God touched their hearts too and that they've experienced him in their souls as well, which proved to them that their faith was true. So what? Even Scientologist members have made such claims. I don't doubt that some kind of spiritual or psychological purification happened to these people. The point is, since testimonials and changed lives are NOT unique to Christianity, they cannot claim it as proof that their faith is the "only way to God" or truer than others. After all, why is a Christian's testimony more valid than a Muslim's? Each calling the other "deceived by Satan" is not a valid reason at all.

- Claiming that the Bible has not been altered because "God would protect his word" is a circular reason and baseless assumption. First, they have not even established that it is God's word in the first place. So even if it remains unaltered, it doesn't mean anything. Lots of ancient books and recent novels remain unaltered. That doesn't make them true.

Plus, the original Bible manuscripts must have been in Hebrew. But the copies we have in existence are in Latin. So there is no airtight proof that we even have the original manuscripts.

Furthermore, why would God need people to write down "his word"? If he had a "word" can't he write it himself or materialize it like the Q does in Star Trek? Or better yet, just appear in person and tell everyone his word? That would be much fairer than being invisible and judging people by their willingness to give blind trust and faith in unseen things, which is not reasonable at all. There are hundreds of questions like this I could ask, cause the Bible version of reality makes no sense at all, and contradicts the notion of an all-loving, all-wise, all-powerful perfect God.

- Now we get to the final ultimatum point about the eternal consequences of accepting or rejecting Christ. Notice how Pascal's Wager and the Trilemma argument are used. Pascal's Wager states that if you deny Christ and you are right, then you lose nothing. But if you deny him and you are wrong, then there will be eternal consequences. So you're better off betting on Christ just in case you are wrong if you don't. Well gee, that is such a small-minded hackneyed argument. I could spin that around and say to Christians, "You'd better accept the Koran just in case, because if you don't, there may be eternal consequences." So what should they do then? Become both Christian and Muslim, which both say the other is false? lol Plus, you can't really believe in something out of fear of punishment. The heart doesn't work that way.

As to the Trilemma argument - Lord, Liar or Lunatic, originally proposed by C.S. Lewis (author of the Narnia Chronicles), gimme a break. I know Christians think this one is irrefutable. But it's not. Again, it takes a fictional story and gives one three choices, assuming that the story is real. What Christians forget, is that historians believe in a fourth explanation, that the Gospels are myths and not historical events. Therefore, it should be a Quadrilemma - Lord, Liar, Lunatic, or Legend. And Legend is the most logical conclusion, since no historical evidence or sources support these alleged events.

Again, I could do the same for Superman and say that Superman was either a Liar, Lunatic, or Super Hero. In the comics and movies, Superman never lied. He was a good person with values who always told the truth. Even Lois Lane said so. He never acted crazy, but was always rational and responsible. He did what he said and demonstrated his super powers over and over again in full public view. Therefore, he must be a Super Hero. I can take any work of fiction and do that.

Finally, as mentioned before, just because someone or some thing has unexplained powers, does not mean this being is infallible or right about everything, or has power over your soul.

Conclusion

So you see, these Christian circular arguments and assumptions are nothing more than fiction used to support fiction, presumed true by default, when they are not. That is their primary fallacy. Brainwashing and mind control tactics usually contain such fallacies. You've got to learn to question things, otherwise you are easily fooled and duped. So check both sides of an issue before jumping to conclusions. Ask experts on both sides. Seek evidence. Don't take anything on faith.

For a more elaborate version of Christian arguments debunked, see my treatise at:
http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/Debunking_Christians/Contents.htm

Now, if you want truth, you're going to have to know something. Truth does not come in a neat convenient package like a religion, where you don't have to think. That is known as "fast food theology". But truth doesn't work that way. Truth is mysterious. There are layers of truth, and the path to it is a lifelong process and journey, as you peel off each layer. At a certain point, it will be difficult to peel off more layers, for human comprehension has its limits, as there are some things beyond it. But don't try too hard. You gotta go with the flow and let you intuition guide you. Have fun, relax, open yourself up, and enjoy learning new things. Don't forget that everything should be in moderation.

To start on the path to truth, remember these things:

1) Question everything. Don't take whatever you hear on faith, even from the alternative crowd.
2) Stop caring what others think of you. If you don't, you will always be bound in fear. But if you do, you will free your mind, which is the first step to truth.
3) Empty your mind. Follow your intuition and go with it, for it sees from a higher level than your conscious mind does.
4) Discover who you really are. Remember, you are a spiritual being having a human experience.
5) Clear your mind. Avoid highly toxic and stressful activities and environments. Pay attention to health and nutrition. Always remember, everything in moderation.
6) Ask questions, seek answers, and you will find them.

To close, I’d like to share this important advice for the truth-seeker by Darryl Sloan from his book Reality Check:

"The most productive mindset you can have is simply this: always, always, always have a belief system that doesn’t resist change. Go wherever the information leads you, without fear, because surely the truth is never something to dread." - Darryl Sloan, Reality Check

Anyway, I hope I've given you a lot to think about. Thanks for reading, and best wishes to all of you.

5 Reasons Not To Have Children - Consequences To Consider

Here are the facts and consequences of having children that you need to know before you have them. You need to look at the reality here, rather than the myths, expectations or traditions you were fed about children being "wonderful blessings that you will make your life complete". The media brainwashes people by depicting the notion that "getting pregnant = good news". But it is not always good news, when you consider the reality of the following:

1. Children are detrimental to your health and peace of mind, which are the most important things in life. They give you lots of constant worry and stress, which is bad for your health. And as we all know, health is priceless and the most important thing in life. Peace of mind is the next most important thing in life. But children are not good for either one. Also, if you have a quick temper, children will often aggravate it and cause you to "blow your fuse", often over little things, which can become an emotional hell - all for nothing too, because you will get NOTHING in return for putting up with this trouble and disruption to your peace of mind.

2. Children disturb your peace and quiet, as well as sleep. If you like peace and quiet, then children will become your worst nightmare. They will bring constant noise, disturbance, tension, problems and conflict, especially if you have two or three of them fighting and arguing. If you like having a good night's sleep, you might want to consider that you will be awoken and disturbed many times by your baby crying in the middle of the night. These are just words, but once you experience this, you will realize the gravity of it all. It is more than you can imagine or conceptualize, and more than words can describe.

3. Children take away your freedom, enslave you, tie you down, and transform your life into one of servitude. They destroy and impair your personal freedom for 20+ years. You will be obligated to give up your life and freedom to become enslaved in servitude to the needs of a "spoiled brat". And if you hate or regret it, then tough luck, because once you start, there is no quitting or turning back. Thus, it could turn out to be the worst thing that's ever happened to you! As a parent, you will be "tied down" while you work hard everyday to provide money for a good home for them. Your life will no longer be your own, but indebted into servitude for their welfare. It is also hard and unpleasant to travel when you have kids, whether you bring them along or not. (Think of the Chevy Chase "Vacation" movies where family trips are anything but fun) So if you really love to travel, you might want to consider that.

Even though you are in a position of authority in relation to your children, still, your life role and function are essentially transformed into that of a SERVANT once you have kids. As they say, "Once you become a parent, your life is no longer your own." You exist primarily to "serve" the needs of your children and their best interests, not your own. Your life becomes one of servitude, which becomes your duty, according to the ethics of society. Therefore, if you don't like being a slave or servant, then you might want to reconsider having kids. Of course, you can always rebel against your duty and obligation to become a servant, as many men have, but in doing so, you will undoubtedly incur the condemnation of others, so you will have to be discreet about it.

4. Children are a big burden and drain on your resources - in terms of finances, time, energy and emotions. You will not be reimbursed or reap any tangible rewards or benefits from your sacrifice - except for intangible emotional ones. So from a business standpoint, having children is the worst business decision you could ever make, as the relationship is a completely one-sided affair, with them receiving all the benefits while you get sucked up dry. The money you spend raising them from birth to adulthood, would be better spent investing in a business, real estate properties, savings, or mutual fund portfolios so that you can be free to travel the world and live to your heart's desire.

5. Children destroy the romance between you and your partner. When you and your partner have kids, the focus then becomes on the kid rather than on the two of you. Both of you begin to live for the child rather than for each other, in effect becoming "servants" to the child. It's a real romance killer for sure. How can there be any romance when the kid keeps hogging all the attention and complaining about every little thing as though he/she were royalty and you his/her unpaid servant?! Sheesh, why should I give all my attention to my kid rather than to my lover? For what? A kid isn't exactly that interesting you know. Geez. Society is also stupid and wrong to make children out to be some special group that is more precious and important than adults. That's stupid. At what age does one stop becoming precious and special? That's so dumb. Sheesh.

Anyhow, I don't know about you, but I would never exchange the dynamic passion and pleasure of romantic love for the "joy of child rearing". There's no comparison at all. I shouldn't have to explain why. The latter simply does not fill any need or longing of mine, while the former does. So it makes no sense to exchange romance for parental love. That's one of the worst exchanges imaginable, and it's no fun at all.

Overall, having children is NOT a logical decision - as it involves huge sacrifices in time, money, energy, life, freedom, etc. for little or no return. No one would do that rationally. Now I can understand putting up with all that if only truly loves and needs to have their own children. However, even then, they often turn out to be more than you bargained for. But the point is, if you do NOT need children in your life, then there is NO reason to have them and put up with all the above, just because others are having them or society tells you to, or you feel that it is a "duty" to have them. If you fall for such a trap, of doing something that's not right for you just because society/other people say you should, then you could end up making the BIGGEST MISTAKE of your life!


Moreover, even if you love children, you are still taking a big risk by having them, because:

1. You have no control over what kind of personality your child will have. He or she may have a personality that may not get along with your, or may be incompatible with you.
2. There is no guarantee that the child won't be born with chronic health problems or complications, which would become a big burden and worry on you.

So in effect, you are risking a lot of trouble simply because society and others say so.

Take a look at all these hundreds of mothers railing about motherhood being the biggest mistake of their lives, resulting in neverending suffering:

http://www.justrage.com/I_Hate/i-hate-being-a-fucking-mother-and-i-dont-care-if-you-call-me-a-bitch/ 


Let's take a look at some of the reasons that people have children:

1. Out of the biological instinct to reproduce.
2. Cultural or social programming.
3. Pressure from family and friends.
4. Out of a natural love for children.
5. Out of a desire to continue one's lineage.
6. To have an inheritor for one's assets or business/corporation.
7. By accident during sex.
8. To have someone care for them during old age.

Let's look at these reasons: #1 is natural and understandable. However, humans have intelligence and the ability to reason. They can choose to follow their instincts or choose not to. That's what differentiates us from animals. Also, you can have sex without having children if you use proper birth control. Not everyone wants kids or is cut out for them. As to #2 and #3, well they are pure brainwashing - nothing else needs to be said there. #4 is a legit reason to have kids. But you have to really love them, A LOT! Enough to sacrifice selflessly for them.

However, the problem with this is that you can't be sure what your child will turn out like. Not every child is cute, intelligent and well-behaved. Some are monsters who are out of control and disruptive, and do not respond to disciplinary measures. Others have mental or functional disorders. Not all children are the same. Like adults, they are individuals. You do not know what you will get. It's a risk you take, with permanent consequences, which may not turn out the way you want.

Also, it's one thing to think that you love kids and are willing to sacrifice for them, but it's another to actually do it. Some actually regret it later when they are overwhelmed by the burden and disruptions to their life, but by then, it's too late. That's why this is something that could turn out to be the biggest mistake of your life. You gotta understand that thinking and doing something are completely different. For example, many veterans before going to war thought it was an honor to "serve their country" and were willing to die for it. But once there, they realized it was a mistake and not what they thought it was, and many paid a huge price for it. It was the most costly mistake of their lives. As they say, "having and wanting are two different things".

Imagine having a baby disturb your sleep every night with his crying, and then disrupt your daytime with his constant yelling and screaming. Some even cause disruption out in public and embarrassing you. Imagine having no peace and quiet, and no privacy, everyday! No one has 100 percent tolerance. Your breaking point will eventually be reached, and will be reached sooner if you are annoyed easily. At some point, you will eventually ask yourself, "Why should I put up with all this? What for? What do I get out of it? NOTHING?! What a scam! What a cruel trap that society has placed on me! Why didn't anyone warn me? Why did everyone trick me into thinking that having kids was a wonderful blessing I needed to be complete? What a scam, trap and prison! This was the BIGGEST MISTAKE of my life! And worst of all, the consequences are permanent!"

#5 is understandable too. However, it's an illusion because after you're gone, you probably won't even know that your lineage didn't continue anyway, as you may not retain your memories in an afterlife state. #6 is a rare reason because most people do not own any corporate empire to pass on to, nor do they think of their assets when having children. So it is not a primary reason, mostly a secondary one. #7 is a tragedy, because as mentioned before, having an unwanted child is a costly mistake with permanent consequences.

#8 is a selfish reason to have kids, bringing them into the world just so you won't have to be alone in your old age. Again, this is a secondary reason, not a primary one. One can also hire a caretaker - it's much cheaper than raising children, that's for sure. Moreover, you don't really know if your children will take care of you, especially if you in the USA, where many children rarely see their parents after they turn 20 and move out, and selfishness is considered a virtue and right. Plus, you don't have to be alone during old age. You can make friends, have a spouse to grow old with, or chat with other seniors - there are many at Denny's and in public parks who are glad to chat with strangers.

Children can give you love and other intangible emotional benefits. Sure. But is it worth all the above? Think about it. If you love children, can you instead become a teacher, daycare worker, babysitter, Summer camp counselor, volunteer to help children, or tutor them? That way, you can enjoy their presence without being burdened or enslaved to them for 20 years with no way out, which could turn out to be a mistake that you regret. Think about that and consider it.

You need to take all these consequences into account, and not just have kids because everyone else is, or because of family/social pressure, or because of a duty to follow tradition - all of which are the wrong reasons. Don't just buy into the media propaganda that "children are a wonderful thing and being pregnant is good news." The media is there to brainwash you into conformity, not to disseminate truth, knowledge, wisdom or awareness to you for your best interest. (That's what I'm here for ) So don't listen to their BS. Think for yourself and evaluate the consequences as well as your values, priorities, goals and ambitions.

Consider this: If you succumb to tradition and family pressure, and give up your life, freedom and resources to raise some "spoiled little brats" so they can grow up and say "thank you mom and dad" before they ride off into the horizon to start their own life, you will have used up your life, and will be left washed up with your best years behind you. I'm not saying that you will regret that, but you should consider it as a consequence. No one knows yourself better than you, so only you are best to judge whether you will regret it or not.

Also, ponder this: If every generation lived only to prepare the way for the next generation, and never lived for themselves or for the present moment, then what's the point of life? If you live only for your children, who then grow up and live only for their children, and so forth, then life would be just a neverending sequence where everyone "passed the baton" without end. Any purpose for existence would be defeated. See how silly and pointless that would be?

Finally, in addition to all the above, consider that by bringing children into this world, you are dragging innocent souls into a world of enslavement and suffering. Once born, everyone is a slave to the economic system for their survival and basic needs. They are groomed and molded by the state to become obedient productive citizens and treated as economic resources. Remember, this is a world where greed, conflict and suffering is everywhere, where evil thrives and prospers, power corrupts and "might is right". That's not exactly an ideal world to bring new souls into now, is it? You might want to consider this aspect, especially if you aren't in a position to provide kids with a good nurturing life, or are not a stable secure "settle down and plant roots" type of person.

Now I know someone reading this is going to think, "Well if everyone thought like that, then the human race would come to an end. And if your parents thought like that, there wouldn't be you." Well yes that's true. But that doesn't invalidate the facts and consequences above. The fact is, everyone is NOT going to think like me, nor will I think like them. I am not like my parents, and you can't expect me to be. I could use the same type of logic and say to you, "Do you want to be a garbage collector? If not, then if everyone thought like you, there would be no one to collect the garbage." Or I could ask you, "Do you want to spend 8 years in medical school to become a doctor? If not, then if everyone thought like you, there would be no doctors or healthcare system." You see how that would go? The lesson here is that you can't force someone to be something they are not, just to live up to YOUR expectations. People are different. Some need children. Others don't. Some are suited to be parents enslaved to their children. Others are not. You can't label me as something I'm not and expect me to live up to it. That's a fallacy - to assume that everyone is like you and wants the same things you do. They are not and they don't.

Now let me make a distinction here. I do not hate children. I like them - when they behave and are cute and sweet that is. But just because I like them doesn't mean I want to be enslaved by them. Liking something and wanting to be enslaved by it are two different things. I like my friends, but that doesn't mean I want to be enslaved by them. I like animals too, but I wouldn't want to be enslaved by them. You can like sex and alcohol too, but would it be a good thing to be enslaved by them? See what I mean? Not everyone is cut out for slavery and servitude to children. You gotta understand that.

The truth is that not everyone is cut out to be parents, despite our biological instinct to reproduce. But the tragedy is that the media is totally one-sided on this issue. It only portrays people who say that children are "wonderful and rewarding", but never those who say that having them was the "biggest mistake of their lives". In reality, there are plenty of people who are miserable with the burden and loss of freedom that comes with having children. But the media and society don't like to show you that. The media does not do its job in covering both sides of this issue, so you only hear one side. As a result, many fall under the impression that everyone is suited to have kids. This creates a social trap where people not suited to be parents make the mistake of having kids and regretting it afterward. That's a tragedy and injustice. And that's what I'm trying to warn people about, to help save those unsuited from a costly mistake.

I am not here to tell everyone that having children is bad for them, nor am I here to tell everyone that it is good for them either. I am only informing them of the consequences, and encouraging people to THINK about it more before succumbing to social/family pressure. The truth is, marriage and children are not right for everyone, nor are they wrong for everyone either. This should be treated on a case by case basis, by looking at the consequences involved, as well as your own capacity and values, so that people don't fall into the social trap thinking that "it's right for everyone" when it's not. In reality, except for food, water and air, there is no "one thing that is right for everyone."

Bottom line: Consider the above consequences and effects when deciding on whether to marry and have children (one or the other or both). Don't just do it because everyone else is, or because it's a tradition and duty set by your society, or because of pressure and expectations from family and friends - those are all the wrong reasons. And don't buy the media propaganda that tells you that everyone needs to be tied down by marriage and children, and are empty/incomplete without it. That's the classic "slavery = fulfillment" type of mind control that society tries to instill in you.

The truth is, there are many alternative ways of living that are more effective and sensible that you can find, which the media and society will never tell you about or encourage. But unless you want to remain an automaton, you will have to learn to think for yourself, think outside the box, discover yourself, live true to yourself, and do what's best for you.

Thank you for reading.