The name
In case you’re wondering what the name of this website means, it’s a combination of “reductio ad absurdum” and “Absalom”.
Reductio ad absurdum is when you argue against an idea by exploring the logical consequences that would have to follow if the idea was true, and showing how absurd or impossible those consequences are.
And Absalom is a character in the Bible who, incidentally, had some rather absurd moments in his life. Like the time the mule he was riding kept going without him because his hair got caught in a tree branch, leaving him hanging from the tree.
The Bible’s views, not mine
I was raised to believe that everything the Bible1 says is true. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
I am not a Bible believer. However, I will often write about Biblical ideas as if I did accept them. I realize that’s potentially confusing, especially for people who think the Bible is a true story. But I’m going to be writing that way anyway because…
- It’s normal to talk about fiction the same way you talk about reality. For example, if I say “I think Obi-Wan is Luke’s real father”, it’s understood that that does not mean I think Obi-Wan is actually a real person. There is no need for me to clarify that “I think Obi-Wan would be Luke’s real father, if he existed. But he doesn’t, so he’s not.” In the same way, it should be understood that when I talk about what I think about God, I’m talking about what I think about God as a fictional character.
- On this blog, I am applying reductio ad absurdum to the idea that the Bible is literally true. Reductio ad absurdum is often done by tentatively “accepting” an idea in order to explore its implications.
- Discussing the Bible’s factual and moral claims that I disagree with is kind of the main point of this blog. I can’t be expected to say “according to the Bible” every single time I mention one.
So keep that in mind, especially if you come across something on this blog that, at face value, may appear to be condoning violence or sexism or antisemitism or something. I do not condone any such thing. I’m just reporting what the Bible says. I’m not saying it’s right.
What’s in store
I will be posting to this blog once a week. Topics will include…
- Tons of Biblical contradictions, many of which you won’t find documented anywhere else. (New contradiction every two weeks.)
- Bible stories, summarized so you can easily see how they fit (or don’t fit) with other parts of the Bible, how the actual content of the Bible differs from how people tend to assume the stories should go, how little sense the stories make, and how ridiculously stupid and evil most of the characters are. (New Bible story every month.)
- Why the Bible is not actually a “good book” in any way, but is a very poorly written book full of stupid nonsense, false claims, and terrible advice.
- The many problems with religious concepts such as faith, prayer, souls, atonement, and afterlives.
- Information about atheism, including a comprehensive map of the arguments for and against atheism, a diagram of the different forms of atheism and how they relate, refutations of the biggest misconceptions about atheism, and a list of the best atheist songs.
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