"Hope You Enjoy Hell, Jackass..."

"... say 'Hi' to Hitler for me." I often hear this comment directed at me after I explain my disbelief in creationism, the resurrection, the historicity of Jesus, my disbelief in Mary's virginity, the lack of fulfilled prophecy in the bible etc., etc., etc.... That of course makes me hell bound just like Hitler, right? But wait a sec!

What about Hitler's love affair with Christianity? He was an altar boy after all, he was very proud of his Catholic upbringing, he had "Gott Mit Uns" (God With Us) stamped on Nazi military gear, his Nazi Programme states "The Party, as such, stands for positive Christianity.", he outlawed all forms of abortion, he put homosexuals in prison camps, he even talks in Mein Kampf of his deep respect for the clergy, and so on and so on ad infinitum.

I will even throw in a quote from Hitler - “We have therefore undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not merely with a few theoretical declarations: we have stamped it out.” -Adolf Hitler, in a speech in Berlin on 24 Oct. 1933

Then the inevitable happens. I hear the "but he wasn't a true christian" defense. This is the lamest of the lame. My understanding of what it takes to be a Christian is that you need 3 ingredients: Belief in the Divinity of Jesus, Belief in Salvation through the Cross, and Belief in the Resurrection. That's it. Salvation is through faith alone, not good deeds. "It is not what you do but what Jesus already did." Any of this sound familiar?

I am sure you know the 'No True Texan' fallacy. (Yeah, Yeah, I know it is No True Scotsman but it's my blog!)

It goes like this:
Person A: No True Texan would ever vote for Obama.
Person B: I was born and raised in Texas and I voted for Obama. I have lived here all my life.
Person A: Then obviously you are not a true Texan.

This is a logical fallacy because the initial presupposition of both parties is that 'Texan' is understood as the generally accepted definition of 'a person born in Texas', but then Person A redefines the word after the fact to suit a more narrow definition that they basically pull out of their ass.

Within Christianity there are so many denominations that it is hard to tell whose version of real Christian is the right one. Catholics say Protestants are wrong, Baptists say Methodists are wrong, Pentecostals say everyone else is wrong. How the heck is a rational, thinking person able to figure it out? Are only good people real Christians? Well, that defies the basic principles listed above about the 3 ingredients. Actions don't determine your Christian-ness right? Works are simply fruits of faith, but not evidence of salvation. There are no Level 65 Christians and Level 1 Christians, you either are or you are not. Why should anyone believe that someone is "not a real Christian" based simply on one persons opinion? If they believe in the 3 magic ingredients then they are Christians, no matter how much of a piece of shit they are.

If non-believers have to take Pol Pot, Stalin, or Mao then believers have to take the Spanish Inquisition, Salem Witch Trials, Jim Adkisson, the KKK, the Army of God, and the mentally disturbed creatures over at Rapture Ready.

BTW, non-believers can also take Ghandi, Einstein, and for Sundays in Hell they can take Tiger Woods. I hear the 9th hole at Beelzebub Pines is smokin'!