Christianity

I found an article that pretty much sums up my beef with (most) religions. It's a pretty good read. The views of the author pretty much mirror my own opinions.

...Within Christianity, humans are depicted as born-in-sin pieces of garbage, while God, His Son and the Holy Ghost are glorious and perfect. In Catholicism, there are a few others who deserve honor and reverence, such as the Virgin Mary, Joseph and many saints. Other than that, you are out of luck in trying to garner respect for yourself...

...Ingersoll was correct when he said, "If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he would be a criminal. If he would follow strictly the teachings of the New, he would be insane." To this day whenever I read the New Testament, I begin to feel ill. I am certain that the book has the same effect on others, as this madness is manifested all around us on a daily basis...

...Within Christianity and other monotheistic religions, it is widely believed that it is humankind's purpose to serve and worship God. This purported purpose is what many Christians live their lives for. But, what does such a purpose say about God? Why would God, who is supposedly omnipotent and therefore self-contained, need or want creatures to serve and worship "him?" It seems like a very egotistical act to create such creatures. I found this incredibly egostical God to be repulsive; nor did I care for the inherent sexism within the various modern religions that depict God as a "he." There can be no question that God exclusively as "Father" is a sexist depiction and that women are considered second-class citizens - the Adam and Eve story set that bigotry in motion...

...Needless to say, many other aspects, concepts and experiences led me to step outside of Christianity and to critique what I feel is a deleterious ideology that is keeping humanity from realizing its potential. Not the least of these experiences is the constant ad hominem abuse by Christianity's most fervent followers, who essentially represent what can only be termed "Christian terrorism." Instead of refuting sound arguments that challenge their beliefs, which we have seen are illogical and harmful, the fanatics continuously make personal attacks on the individuals who put forth such arguments. This terrorism is no less a derangement than any other mindless persecution, and it needs to be addressed as an illness that has the potential of destroying humankind...

The site as a whole is a pretty interesting read, but here's the article link here.