Flame bait

Tim Maroney explains why he is not a Christian.

I am not a Christian. In my discussions of this fact with Christians, I have repeatedly run into a major misunderstanding. The Christians assume that if I believed the Bible were true, I would become a Christian; that is, they believe that my reason for not being a Christian is that I don't believe in their god. This is not the case.

Ah. It brings back memories of when I was a snot-nosed young atheist confusing the heck out of evangelical Baptists in college, who had never met an unbeliever who had made a real study of their scripture. The wise Mr. Moroney admits as much about the essay's tone.

An example of my "angry young man" phase. I have outgrown the anti-Christianity of the piece, and now feel that Christianity is no better or worse than most other religions overall.

Just so. It's a more emphatic essay than is really necessary or polite. But the writing is clear and vigorous, and a treat to visit if you ever went through a similar phase.