"Fundamentalist Christianity rests on circular reasoning and pat answers. The belief system is brilliantly constructed to provide its own support -- if you don't look too closely at the logic. It is a closed system, satisfied with its own internal evidence of truth. It is closed in that any information or argument from outside is rejected a priori because, as discussed above, it is a 'lie,' not of the 'truth.'" Marlene Winell, Leaving the Fold (Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, 1993), p. 83.
How do you know your particular brand of "God" and religion are true, and infallibly so, and that any and all other brands of "God" and religion are false?
Simple: because you "believe" it to be so.
When others believe the exact same thing about YOUR brand of God and Religion that you do, they are right, but whenever anyone ever believes the same thing about a DIFFERENT brand of God and Religion, they are dead wrong.
For decades, I tried to point this necessary hypocrisy of religion out to my family, which is die hard Roman Catholic.
Naturally, they were convinced that the only explanation for why I would ever try to point out such a thing is because I am possessed by their brand of "devil," or insane, or both.
They don't really care whether I am insane or possessed by the devil, by the way. They love their God and their brand of religion so much, the only thing they care about, and look forward to, is being rewarded for never listening to anyone other than their priests - but only those who happen to agree with them, not anyone who disagrees with them. They hate this pope, for example, because this pope fails to condemn homosexuals as forcefully as my family likes to.
The only thing my family looks forward to more than the pleasure they expect to receive from God in heaven for their "faith" is seeing me, and apparently this pope, and anyone else who ever dared to disagree with them, be roasted and tormented for all eternity.
My one sister is positively giddy about the chance to watch such suffering!
In fact, the ONLY source of pleasure in heaven, as far as my family is concerned, is the pleasure they get from watching anyone and everyone who ever dared to question them be tortured for all eternity - even if that someone is their own children!!!
Yes, growing up in my family of Roman Catholics was exactly like growing up with a family of Jack the Rippers, who were all 'pleasure delaying' when they could revel in the suffering of others.
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