God, The Original Dead-Beat-Dad

God is the original “Dead Beat Dad.”  Of course, I don’t buy into the myth that The Christ was born to a virgin.  This idea of a Messiah was a long standing myth of Jews that was created about 2000 years before the birth of Jesus.  In fact, there does not appear to be any direct connection between Jesus the person and the myth (birth of Christ).  Jesus was not the only man who claimed to be The Christ.  Jesus himself believed that John the Baptist was the chosen one (The Christ) and not him.    But that is not the story.  The story is the myth itself that the chosen one would be born of a virgin immaculately conceived by the Holy Spirit.  For the sake of discussion, let’s say that God was the father.  Now, he did not originally discuss this with Joseph to whom Mary was betrothed.  He just knocked Mary up.  According to Biblical scholars, Mary was no more than 14 to 15 years of age, a mere child.  However, she was promised to Joseph – being that his wife had died and he was a man of sufficient means to take on another wife.  After God impregnated Mary, and we must say impregnated because she gave birth in the flesh, not in the spirit.  After a few months she began to gain weight and protrude as if she was pregnant.  Joseph became concerned and frankly was originally outraged. The village began to gossip.  God, being the “player” and dead beat dad that he was did not take direct responsibility himself, but sent one of his angels to speak to Joseph.  Can you imaging, God speaking like Captain Kirk, hey Gabriel, this Joseph guy is pretty upset.  Look, God said to his subordinate (angel), this guy Joseph is an ignorant goat herder who does not understand space and technology, just appear before him and he will freak-out.  Tell him it is the promise to the Jews of the legend that a messiah would be born to a virgin and Mary has been chosen. So the angel appears before Joseph and convinces Joseph that this is the myth come true.  Now, in the tradition of the dead beat dad, God only shows up periodically to help Jesus out or to satisfy his own ego.  He was not even there for the birth.  He (God) let the boy be born in an old cave with animals around; nor did he provide any child support, but let Joseph, the step-father, raise and care for the child and teach him to be a carpenter until he, Jesus, decided to become a Rabbi.   In fact, God rarely shows up until Jesus has begun to get some popularity.  God must love NBA basketball, because he could relate to some of the players very well.  Many of them experience that their biological fathers rarely show up until they become famous, like Shaquille O’Neal’s (Shaq) biological father.  Shaq’s biological father had the audacity to allow himself to be interviewed by a major network and say that Shaq represented his genes.  This was the same as the dead beat dad - God.    Even in Jesus’ darkest hour, when Jesus said, “father has thou forsaken me”, God did not show up, but allowed Jesus to be tortured on the cross by the Romans, and believe me, crucifixion is a horrible way to die.   If God is indeed the father of Jesus and has all the power he possesses, then he is a cruel and dead beat dad.

Exerpt from"Black and Atheist Too: My Journey Living Through Discovery of the Non-existence of God" by Dr. Arthur R Byrd

During the one year I underwent chemotherapy, I faced the issue of whether I would die from the cancer.  At no time did I consider God as an answer.  I am reminded of Christopher Hitchens, who said as he was approaching death.  In his fragmentary jottings, published in the Daily Telegraph, he wrote: ‘I am not fighting or battling cancer, it is fighting me. My two assets were my pen and my voice.’…

Hitchens knew he was dying but saw the funny side of all the glowing praise for his literary work. “Now so many tributes that it also seems that rumors of my LIFE have also been greatly exaggerated.”

Lived to see most of what’s going to be written about me: this too is exhilarating, but hits diminishing returns when I realize how soon it, too will be “background.

He wrote: ‘Those who say I am being punished are saying that god can’t think of anything more vengeful than cancer for a heavy smoker.’

…

He maintained his devout atheism after being diagnosed with cancer, telling one interviewer: ‘No evidence or argument has yet been presented which would change my mind. But I like surprises.

The above information was taken from the following website. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/08/19/christopher-hitchens-last-words/

Excerpt from Black and Atheist Too: My Journey Living Through Discovery of the Non-existence of God, by Dr. Arthur R. Byrd

An excerpt from Black and Atheist Too: My Journey Living Through the Discovery of the Non-existence of God, by Dr. Arthur R. Byrd.  (Chapter 3, Humor)

What’s in the Name Jesus and Christianity

Not only his image, but the very name of “Jesus” is a substitute (interpretation). Many people are transfixed by the mere sound of the name, “JESUS.  This name Jesus is relatively new.  The name Jesus did not appear in the Bible until 1630, with the second printing of the Kings James Version of the Bible.  The original name of Jesus was Yeshua or Yahshua.  The Old Testament was first written in Hebrew.  At that time there was no “J” in the Hebrew alphabet. Jesus was originally written Yeshua in Hebrew and later written as “Iesous” in Greek.  This fact in itself does not disprove the existence of God or Jesus as the savior, but points out the irony of how people react to the very sound of the name without knowing the true history of how the name came to be accepted and used.  Another good example is the term Christian.   William Dwight McKissic, Sr. refers to Christian as the Forgotten “N” (nigger) Word.  The followers of Jesus or Christ never referred to themselves as Christians.  To the Romans the word Christ and/or Christian was a derogatory word used to refer to a Jewish religious sect who followed the teachings of Jesus.   The word Christ comes from the Greek work Christos, meaning anointed, or the word Messiah or Mashiah (Hebrew).  So the word that so many people hold sacred is really not so sacred at all, but translations of other terms used to label people.  In the mind of many Romans, the word Christian or the followers of Jesus was much the same as “nigger” to African Americans.  I guest this says something for the current use of the word, primarily by young Blacks, especially rappers and other popular culture devotees.  Of course, probably representative of my generation I view the “N” word with abhorrence, and stand by my convictions that it has no place in the lexicon of world language, unless you wish to insult someone.  Followers of Christ never referred to themselves as Christians.  Christians is only written in the New Testament a few times.  But sometimes names stick and become part of the normal language.

For more details go to:  Black and Atheist Too      

Dr. Byrd Releases New Book

Black and Atheist Too: My Journey Living Through Discovery of the Non-existence of God by Dr. Arthur R. Byrd.

Books are available now. To order your copy, go to:    

Dr. Arthur R. Byrd is a retired community college Vice President.  He worked 37 years in community colleges in the states of Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada; 24 years as a vice president for student services. Dr. Byrd was awarded a doctorate degree from the University of Washington. In addition, he served as adjunct faculty in six universities in both undergraduate and graduate studies for Portland State University, Portland OR; Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA; Chapman University, Orange, CA; CSU, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA; University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, and Alliant International University – Online. His disciplines include Ethnic Studies, Communications, and Education.  Dr. Byrd grew up in a small rural community of 500 people called Nigton, Texas, located in the piney woods of east Texas, during the Jim Crow segregation era. The community’s social and cultural life focused on three Churches, three juke joints, plus a school. Growing up Dr. Byrd focused on the religious aspects of his community, but at the age of 19, while in the United States Air Force, he had an intellectual epiphany and transitioned into becoming an atheist.  He has been an outspoken atheist since that time.  Since his retirement from higher education in 2011, Dr. Byrd has dedicated himself to the study of the history and philosophy of religion, culminating in the writing of a book that chronicles his transition to atheism, and the various stages of atheist he has experienced up until the present time. 

BLACK AND ATHEIST TOO: MY JOURNEY LIVING THROUGH DISCOVERY OF THE NON-EXISTENCE OF GOD, by Dr. Arthur R. Byrd.

Black and Atheist Too

A new and exciting book.  Available now.  You will follow Dr. Byrd from his

humble Christian upbringing in the small rural community of Nigton, Texas, through his 

transition to atheism while in the Air Force in the sixties.  In this book you will gain insight 

on what it means to be Black and Atheist.  After his conversion to atheism, Dr. Byrd takes 

you on a journey in his life through his academic and intellectual development on atheism; 

the humor of the Bible and many religious practices; dealing with tragedy and death without 

God; an exploration of the Gods of many lands, superstitions, and the miss-application of 

knowledge; and finally a critique of the comparative morality of believers versus non-

believers.  You will also understand the anguish one endures as a Black who questions the 

existence of God; the sense of isolation, the sense of frustration, and being labeled a 

“Doubting Thomas”.  The book is also documented with historical and statistical references 

on the development of religion and its resulting practices.  A must read for religious and non-

religious people alike.

Copies are available now. 

Go to my blog at  Black and Atheist Too to order your copy.