Ladies and gentlemen, if I may, an external link to a website written by Colin Melbourne of “Born Again Christian Info.” (LINK)

I think reading this, now, I am even more disgusted by the idea of being born again.

First, I disagree that we were all born sinful, or evil. That seems to be a way simply to separate the believers from the non-believers. I believe we are all born neutral and that whether we decide to become good or bad people, or somewhere in between, is partly to do with how we are raised and partly to do with our life decisions.

Secondly, I take offense at the notion that by buying into something completely unknown, your previous actions can be totally erased. For instance, it mentions that those who do not accept the lord (JC,) yet do good, are still sinners. This sounds like a basis for persecution on abstract ideals rather than action if I’ve ever heard one. Conversely, this tells us that no matter how bad you have been, or even if you are about to die, you can be saved. Really? Then why not just go do all my bad stuff, and then, when convenient, say before death or campaigning for political office, be saved? Seems like an excuse to live an evil life for as long as you want and then be allowed to say a simple sorry and have your slate wiped. This is foolish. The choices we make reflect upon our character, period. I’ve done bad and I’ve done good – I live with it. I would never wish to exonerate myself from all my previous mistakes, willful or not, just as much as I wouldn’t wish to believe that all my future actions, having taken the oath, would be above scrutiny.

Third. Christ was persecuted back in the day, in an age where, compared to our relatively enlightened state of being now, people were very narrow minded on both sides. Christ suffered, but that’s about all I’m willing to accept. So, if you have sinned, Christ did not pay for your sins. How could someone who was killed in the past have already atoned for what you have done in the present? It’s a foolish concept. If you have sinned, you must pay for your sins. Likewise, if you are guilty, you are guilty, not Christ. If you are sick or infirm, Christ will not make you better. Though he may give you the spiritual warmth which will in turn give you the courage to muster forward, medicine and science will go just as far if not further. And, if you are lonely, Jesus did not die to be your friend. If you are lonely, you need to do something about it – as harsh as that advice may seem.

Fourth, the idea that in order to be saved and become a good person destined for heaven, all one must do is turn to Christ, smacks of little more than idolatry. Just believing will bring you redemption? Jeez. If they had said that you had to jump though a few hoops, perhaps I’d take it a little more seriously.

What bothers me about this whole mode of thinking is that it values thought and intention more than action. What we do, not what we think in private, determines how others, and perhaps even some deity, look upon us. To be good is to be rational, driven by reason and respect for others, and attempt to do good for ourselves and others. This is not a difficult theoretical task. To do good is to take pride in your work and to hold yourself to the highest standards, all while seeking no harm to others. Those who fight and kill in the name of Jesus Christ, Allah, or what have you, are not good people. To make a strong case for belief by making one’s life follow the dictates of these beings or others is the only legitimate way, I see, to proselytize.

It is really simple in theory. But in real life, following the simple dictates of reason and personal responsibility are difficult. We will all fail at times. But our goal is to not fail, and that takes hard work and determination on our part. The responsibility is ours, as is the burden. If we can accept that nobody can absolve us for sins committed past present and future, then perhaps we will work harder to not commit them in the first place.