by Cody Nickels

Created on: December 14, 2009

    I still find myself in awe when I hear people talk of "Jesus", or any other god in literal context, though in ways, I understand why. Approximately 70% of Americans believe in the existence of a god associated with religion. Such a high percentage seems almost unbelievable to me. Science has come so far, provided so much, and revealed countless truths. Most religious people seem to have no problem using science to drive to church, yet don't give science the time of day to present a few of the undeniable facts that prove religion is nothing but a very successful fable.

    So the question remains........................How can so many down to earth, reasonable, and even highly educated people, believe in such fantasy? I think in most cases, the root cause for belief in a god is quite simply that, "I want to".

    Compare stories such as Jack and the Beanstalk, The Tooth Fairy, and The Story of Paul Bunyan to stories from the Bible. In comparison, at first glance, the readings of Adam and Eve, Jonas and the Whale, and Noah's Ark seem no more plausible than any other tall tales. So why are so many people deceived by these fictions? Its simply because these stories (the Bible) claim to bring amazing benefits along with belief. Let’s face it, if the Tooth Fairy left million dollar checks in place of nickels and dimes underneath pillows, she would be worshiped, and the denture business would definitely be banking. People don't believe in Jack and the Beanstalk because nothing is promised from it. If the bible preached everything as it does, with the exception of salvation, eternal life in heaven, and every kind of hope you can imagine, hardly anyone would believe in it.

     What’s the first thing you hear from any theist or creationist trying to convert you? Most likely it will be claims of all the awarding virtues that await you if you just have faith. Or maybe they first present the classic claim of saving you from "damnation to hell". Either way, the first intentions will be to fill you with false hope, or scare you into submission with warnings of eternal atrophy. But is that really reasonable? This is what people don't seem to understand. If someone is going to speak of actual truth or fact, they will start from the ground up. Preachers of religion do the opposite. They will first tell you all about the end results of their beliefs, such as life in heaven, and how you can be

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