Yeah - Asimov, Sagan, Dawkins and add Sam Harris on there as well. More and more we're able to be outspoken about this.
But, there is a price. Below is a letter my paper got in response to an article I wrote for several papers where I mentioned the debates about the origins of Christianity, Also included is my response to the letter. The semi-threats were a bit disturbing. I know why Sam Harris keeps his home address secret!
Editor, The Message,
I have never written to any newspaper in the letter section.
I often love to read letters sent in by my neighbors near and far.
Some letters are thank you letters. Some are political.
Some make announcements. Some offer criticism of local leaders, of government and schools.
However, this letter is not about anything so easy as advice or criticism.
Today I am writing to let you know just how offended I am about the references as to the origins of Christianity as being in the same kind of writing as in a Greek myth (“Origins of Christianity & Christmas Foods” Dec. 13-19 Message).
Jesus was born, lived, and died on a cross. This is not a myth, but is an historical fact.
As you well know, believers will tell you Jesus died for the sins of man. To reconcile man to our God. Complete forgiveness. Total. Forever. No take backs on the promise. A once and for all done deal.
I dare you! No, double dare you to write such a piece about Islam in the Middle East or Europe. Call the origins of Mohammad a Greek myth and tomorrow some fanatic will be more than happy to kill you and your family. Also all your known relatives.
Do you think that Christians are such easy prey. Because we won't kill you for your blasphemy, you have license to write such blatant lies about our faith? Or our faiths origins.
I think not.
Your paper owes me and every other Christian reader a front page apology for your arrogant disregard for our faith in God’s son Jesus. Especially at the time we celebrate his birth.
As to the rest of your article on Santa,the tree or any other part of commercial Christmas I do not take issue.
However, since I am pretty sure you will not apologize, I need to tell you one more thing.
Us ignorant, gentle, nonmurdering pagan Greek mythology Christians will, because of Jesus, forgive you anyway.
BMS,
Springfield
Editor’s Note:
I at one time shared Mr. S’s beliefs about the origins of Christianity. In fact, it is one of the main points of the documentary film, The God Who Wasn’t There, which I referenced in the article he is concerned with, that most contemporary Christians have almost no knowledge of what scholars have discovered about the historical origins of the religion. That was my own situation until I researched that field.
My article was simply intended to present some of the leading, and admittedly controversial, findings of historians and scholars regarding the origin of Christmas customs, foods and Christianity itself.
For anyone interested in the research I did for the article, I’d recommend the above-mentioned film; Elaine Pagels’ The Gnostic Gospels, a study by a leading scholar of 52 early Christian writings known as the Nag Hammadi Library; Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong’s Liberating the Gospels; Earl Doherty’s The Jesus Question; Kenneth C. Davis’ recent bestseller Don't Know Much About the Bible: Everything You Need to Know About the Good Book but Never Learned, a discussion of the lastest Biblical research written for the general public; and, to show that this scholarship has been around for some time, I’d recommend the third volume of Will Durant’s highly regarded, The Story of Civilization, published in 1944.
Seeker4, Editor
