Before I get started, I'd like to explain my intentions. While I understand that people who read this may become offended, it is not actually my intention to offend them. In the same way that a political blog mocking a certain party would offend people who disagree, this will likely arouse frustration and anger among religious folk. It should be understood that while I foresee this happening, it is not the goal. I approach religion with the same amount of respect in which I would approach a discussion on... anything. Our society has built a wall around the topic, marking it as taboo, as extremely personal, as a no-go-zone. In my opinion, no subject should be regarded as such. People with strong beliefs about anything else are always willing to discuss and defend them, and it is my belief that religion and one's religiosity should be included in the daily deluge of discussion topics.
Between reading discussion boards online, and speaking with people in person, I've come to the conclusion that the reason for this taboo is not the sensitivity of the subject at all. People, religious people, just don't know that much about their religion. Only in very, very rare cases have I seen someone defend their faith with meritorious knowledge of their own religion. In most circumstances, not only are people unsure of what they're arguing about, they'll actually make shit up to legitimize their arguments. Done. Conversation over. God did it. Jesus had a rocketship. This behavior leads to speculation on what came first; the "Taboo-ness" of the topic, or the lack of understanding itself? Did the topic of religion become taboo because nobody really knew what they were talking about, or has it always been this way and people have become complacent in their willingness to learn about it? How is it that since the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment that this subject has actually become more constrained?
It's a chicken-egg thing, I guess.
So, I challenge you - atheists, theists, and agnostics alike, to read on with an open mind. Educate yourselves before responding. If I poke fun at your god, relax. I'm sure I'll do it to someone else's god (albeit one you probably don't believe in) another day. If, after reading any of the blogs to come, you find yourself angry without a retort, without an explanation for your frustration - it means that at least for a second, I've managed to instill doubt in your mind. That, my friends, is my goal.
