Why Do Warts Go Black On Hands

HAWKING FOLLOW LIVE WELCOMES POPE

Eminent theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking

I wanted to express my opinion about the unexpected commotion arose a few weeks ago the British physicist Stephen Hawking by asserting that "God was not necessary to create the universe" . He preferred, however, wait to pass over the media storm caused by such statements, which were considered of "bold", "disrespectful", "opportunistic", "provocative" ... (?). Me has attracted attention, after reading what has been published about the reaction so excessive that still arouses the fact that a well-known character, whether scientific or not publicly question or deny the existence of God. For some uninformed clamoring after the ruling ideology is atheism (as noted sociologist Phil Zuckerman, "in many societies, being 'an atheist' stigmatized. Even those who explicitly state they do not believe in God, try not to call themselves 'atheists' " ). It seems that freedom of expression is only permitted for certain purposes. Others, still bear the stamp of 'untouchables' or 'sacred', pun intended. Unfortunately, there are still too religious prejudices about us. And atheism is still frowned upon, especially because it defends secularism, free thought and criticism. Naturally, that's not at all interested in maintaining a cohesive and controlled society, as they have always sought God's representatives on Earth, who have performed many times as genuine masters and tyrants. "The mere mention religion or God becomes in a shell that gives the faithful a high degree of impunity while those who are not transcendent belief of eternal salvation or are excluded from the protection of laws which, thus, end up promoting a worldview, an ideology and high interest individuals " says Albert Riba, president of the Union Atheists and Freethinkers.

The truth is that most media have echoed the angry criticism of Hawking, many of them from ultraconservative sectors, as expected. Critics have focused not only on what Hawking has said about the improbability of God, but have gone much further and to some people without having the slightest idea of \u200b\u200bcosmology, even without reading the works of Hawking, has enabled us to question their important contributions in the field of science (no more than remind his valuable research on black holes, general relativity and The Theory of Everything). In the absence of better arguments to refute their claims, theists, deists, gullible, superstitious, sectarian and religious fanatics have preferred area ridicule and insult. For the umpteenth time, comes out the ad hominem fallacy : if Hawking is wrong in some of its scientific predictions, it is not reliable, therefore, which has said now he can not be taken into account (as if it were always wrong or their opinion as renowned scientist was not worth!). Does his position as holder of the Lucasian chair of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Newton held the same, he was chosen by a lottery? Is it that he was awarded the Albert Einstein Award, an award as prestigious as the Nobel in physics, being confined to a wheelchair because of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? ... Do not forget that Hawking is considered the most brilliant theoretical physicist after Einstein. Has also ensured that sought publicity for his new book The grand design (Great design ), published on 9 September. Rumour has achieved its goal by advertising his controversial statements. And I wonder: Is it crime to advertise a book? Are not those who write books do so to defend the existence of a supreme being that nobody has seen? Is it permissible to criticize Hawking is a famous scientist and that, therefore, sell more books than others? Is it not rather that the media have highlighted that the screaming headline above all other matters addressed in his new book? ... Many criticisms have been so pathetic that sometimes I could not help laughing. Others have caused me stupor, it included comments as reprehensible as "Hawking should die burned at the stake as did the inquisition of heretics who questioned theological dogma" . I have already spoken on this blog from the harmful effects that can cause this dangerous drug called faith. As said Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg: "Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, there are good people doing good things and evil people doing evil deeds. But for that good to do bad things requires religion ".

THE BOOK OF THE CONTROVERSY

Hawking has not said anything we do not know from Laplace (1749-1827). This mathematician and astronomer was the author of the revolutionary Treaty of celestial mechanics. It is said that Napoleon asked him what role God played in their investigations of the Solar System. Laplace's answer was clear and forceful: "Lord, do not need this hypothesis" . I find it very interesting what you said about the physical Antonio Fernández-Rañada documented in his work and God Scientists (2008):

"Certainly the use of God as makeweight has contributed greatly to the erosion of religion by science, because it shows a jealous God who hides in the ebb and tricky task of what man has not been explored yet. It is an absolutely reprehensible speech. Laplace's answer would be that of many scientists who believe, as the attempt to use God as makeweight degrades him to a mere scientific hypothesis unnecessary ".

honestly do not know what the fuss with the statements of Hawking (essentially agnostic consider rather than atheist, because there is no explicit denial of the existence of God.) "Since there is a law like gravity, the universe could create itself, and in fact did, out of nowhere. The spontaneous creation is the reason there is something, that there is a universe that we exist " says in his new work, which makes it very clear that " no need to invoke God to shine the light and have started the Universe ". Demonstrations, one way or another, and has been doing for twenty years. Rereading these days his seminal work Brief History of Time (1988), I run with the revealing words introductory astronomer Carl Sagan, which come straight from the current controversy:

"(...) It is also a book about God ... or perhaps about the absence of God. The word God fills these pages. Hawking embarks on a search for the answer to Einstein's famous question about whether God had any choice in creating the universe. Hawking attempts, as he says, understand the mind of God. And this makes it totally unexpected the conclusion of his effort, at least so far: a universe without a border space, no beginning and no end in time, and no place for a Creator ". Chapter

entitled 'The origin and destiny of the universe, "Hawking mentioned a conference on cosmology organized by the Jesuits in the Vatican in 1981. He attended the ceremony and tells the following anecdote:

"At the end of the conference, participants are granted us an audience with the Pope. He said it was OK to study the evolution of the universe after the Big Bang, but we should not inquire into the Big Bang itself, because it was the moment of creation and therefore God's work. I was glad I did not know then that the theme of the talk I had just given at the conference: the possibility that space-time was finite but had no boundary, implying that there was no beginning, no moment of Creation. I had no desire to share the fate of Galileo, with whom I feel strongly identified partly by the coincidence of having been born exactly 300 years after his death. "

In late 1992, Hawking was interviewed by journalist Sue Lawley to its successful BBC radio Desert Island Discs . Sue asked near the end of the interview if God had dispensed with considering that the universe exists by itself. Hawking said

"All my work has shown is that there is to say that how the universe began was due to a personal whim of God. But the question remains: why the universe bother to exist? You may want to define God as an answer to this question ".

Hawking Was overly cautious and would not say at that time that God has a place in a universe that had no beginning and will have no end? Maybe. But it may be that things have now clearer than twenty years and be more emphatic in its conclusions.

THE HAWKING most famous work

Hawking speaks of a universe that had no limits in the beginning, and as a totality in itself. To self-generate, it is obvious that the cause of its origin is the universe itself. Therefore, there is no need for an external cause and not contingent (God), contrary to what Leibniz argued in his famous cosmological argument. "According to modern physics and, more specifically, according to Big Bang cosmology, there is no initial time t = O. Had there been a primal moment like that, the universe would be in a stadium impossible because the universe exist in a three-dimensional spatial point would have no spatial dimensions " says Quentin Smith, philosophy professor and author of Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology (1993). If there is no first moment, but a series of stages each one caused by an earlier stage, the existence of these stages and implies the existence of the universe itself. If so, what room is left for God? ... In my opinion, none (stating that Hawking does not say outright that God does not exist). The hypothesis of a Creator superfluous in the XXI century science. Not explain the world. The lack of evidence makes it completely unnecessary and should be relegated exclusively to the world of faith, devoid of any rational basis. Today we can say with complete peace of mind that there are good scientific reasons for denying the existence of God. Simply apply the Occam's razor . In his excellent book Religion go scam! (2009), Gonzalo Puente Ojea sums it up: "Both the scientific cosmology and neuroscience refute physicalist sign without reservation all naturalistic worldview, religious or not. Naturalism expresses the immanence of any attempt to explain the world . " It is therefore high time to recognize the incompatibility between science and religion totally opposite speak two languages, "even if some stubborn claim to be defending the opposite (trying in vain to reconcile reason and faith). "The dialogue between science and religion is impossible says Nobel Chemistry Christian de Duve. I totally agree with him. And the historian Gabriel García Volta and Joan Carles Marset geologist, author of probably no God (2009): "The main difference of scientific knowledge with the so-called religious knowledge is that it is not subject to review or can evolve, because it is based on revelation. And God makes no mistakes, or so claim some of its apologists ". Does the biblical story of Genesis has something to do with what we now know from disciplines como la cosmología, la genética y la biología evolucionista?... Por eso considero tremendamente ilegítima la pretensión de Juan Pablo II, expresada en su encíclica Fides et ratio (1998), de aunar fe y razón (¿hay algo más irracional que la fe?). Fue un vano intento, máxime si leemos en el susodicho texto lo siguiente: “Reafirmando la verdad de la fe podemos devolver al hombre contemporáneo la auténtica confianza en sus capacidades cognoscitivas y ofrecer a la filosofía un estímulo para que pueda recuperar y desarrollar su plena dignidad” . ¡Menuda falacia quiso vendernos! Incluso su sucesor Benedicto XVI, en su encíclica Caritas in veritate (2009), still using the same strategy in their quest to stop the advance of secularism in the West, which is undermining the foundations strides from the pernicious and increasingly discredited Christian faith. Takes clear if you intend to return to the Middle Ages! ...

The reality is that every time there are fewer gaps in scientific knowledge to place God at the end is not merely a means easy and pretty useless (as well as a major obstacle to human progress and justification for the atrocities committed by religion). According to Hawking, science is God cornering with increasing their knowledge of nature ( "Ignorance is the mother of devotion" , says the philosopher David Hume). Today we know that Earth is the center of the universe. Nor are the king of creation. Moreover, we inhabit a tiny speck of dust orbiting one of the many solar systems that are scattered throughout the cosmos, whose age is estimated at around 14,000 million years. And we humans are but a product of millions of years of biological evolution, subject to chance and natural selection. Thus, the vision offered by the theology of the universe and life has been crumbling miserably (in the seventeenth century, Anglican Archbishop James Ussher calculated based on the biblical chronology, the creation of the world was exactly the 23rd of October 4004 BC, precisely what a scientist!). Yes, theology has stepped on a land that did not belong. But science was recovering thanks to their efforts to understand the world through in-depth knowledge of reality, which can only be achieved through the use of reason. "The origin of this universe is a scientific issue, specifically a problem of physics" , says the American physicist Victor J. Stenger, making it clear that religion is not the final word on such a subject. Therefore, those who still ignore about our universe, which is much-should not push us to seek explanations or transcendent magic. "If there is something beyond the natural world as we now imperfectly known, we hope to finally meet and include it within the natural world," says biologist and militant atheist Richard Dawkins in his famous work The God Delusion (2006), who incidentally has congratulated for their courageous demonstrations Hawking.

WHAT WE KNOW OF THE COSMOS TO A SCIENCE, NOT A RELIGION

If your prime objective, rather to be consistent with scientific truth, had been wanting to sell books to earn big bucks, Hawking would have used another formula success: speaking of God positively. That is, to suggest that it is a possibility to consider. There are scientists who do shamelessly, and even include the term 'God' in the title of his work (an example is The Mind of God, physicist Paul Davies), sometimes in order to get the succulent Templeton Prize (precisely Davies won in 1995), awarded to those who contribute through their research to support the possibility of a transcendent reality or spiritual (the award now exceeds one million euros). By the way, these books if they end up selling like hotcakes.

today's solid explanations offered by science to understand the origin of the universe and life from a strictly immanent and through empirical verification, irritates his opponents who see their outdated supernatural interpretations are called into question. There are the defending creationists still unprovable theory of "intelligent design" that seek to pass off as scientific. These mindless self fierce propaganda campaigns carried out and trample the scientific rigor and honesty at the expense of getting their goals! As the philosopher Christopher Hitchens in God Is Not Great (2007): "argument of creationism or" intelligent design "(its only intelligence lies in its overlapping renaming itself) is not even a theory. Despite all his well-funded propaganda, has never even attempted to demonstrate how a single piece of nature is best explained by the 'design' that through evolutionary competition. For his part, dissolved in tautologies childish ".

Fortunately, no longer chasing scientists to execute on behalf of God. So glad that Hawking is still alive, although many religious fanatics want to see him die as did the astronomer Giordano Bruno after being condemned by the Inquisition burned to a simmer.

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COMPARE WITH THE NAZIS ATHEISM

Joseph Ratzinger, MEMBER of the Hitler Youth

Benedict XVI, the head of the Vatican and infamous cult covering up pedophile priests, has had little shame to compare the "radical atheism" to Nazism. That said in his unsuccessful visit to the UK, trying desperately to combat secularism, attract followers and win the sympathy of the British in the darkest hour, without doubt, is living the Catholic Church in its sixteen centuries. Radical Atheism "? What does that mean? ... For radicalism of the Church throughout history. Remember the Inquisition, the Crusades, the persecution of scientists, witch hunts, the burning of books, papal infallibility, the strict dogmatic, misogyny, homophobia, etc. You can not define what has been the Church without mentioning its position always intolerant and reactionary, in addition to being den of corrupt, vicious and people of no moral (often from their own potatoes). And now is the ultra-conservative Pope, leader of the last absolute monarchy, and dares to compare atheism and Nazism. What a hypocrite! He, who enlisted in 1941 in the Hitler Youth. He is an institution gyrfalcon who signed the July 20, 1933 a concordat with the Nazi regime giving moral legitimacy and blessing to Hitler in his cruel anti-Semitic goals. Hitler himself said: "This concordat will make us beneficiaries of a trust that we will be very useful in our relentless fight against international Jewry" . If there is anything to compare then is the Church and Nazism. Does the Vatican helped escape Nazi war criminals to Latin America? Did Pius XII did not have a deep admiration for the Führer, who wanted a big win in its relentless crusade? ... Did not even have the courage to condemn the Holocaust, which is why many accuse him of complicity with the Third Reich. "The delay and the weakness of the measures taken by the Vatican must be, too, and above all, to another element: the traditional anti-Semitism of the Catholic Church and the world that had long been attributed to the Jews' evil 'of modernity and even de-Christianization of the contemporary world. Therefore, in the thirties, the Holy See condemns continued Nazi racism with a similar condemnation of anti-Jewish laws adopted by other countries. The church considered legitimate for a society to defend itself "the Jewish peril", even if discriminatory measures " says Italian journalist Giovanni Belardelli.

signing of the Concordat BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND THE NAZI REGIME

Benedict XVI seems to forget the fierce persecution of Jews started by the Church in Spain from 1391-which led to the creation of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in 1478 to end the Judaizing heresy ", which is easily comparable to what the Nazis did centuries later. And anti-Semitism is professed by the Church for centuries has nothing to envy to Hitler and his henchmen. Jaime Contreras, Professor of Modern History at the University of Alcalá de Henares, asks: "historical parallels can be drawn between the rejection of assimilation of Jews in pre-Inquisition time immediately before the famous expulsion of 1492, and anti-Judaism in Nazi Germany? ". The answer is obvious: YES. As proof of this sacred covenant that existed between the Church and the Nazis, let us quote the words of Bishop Buchberger of Regensburg: "The Fuehrer and the government have done all that is compatible with justice, law and the honor of our people to preserve the peace of our nation" . And also the bishop who led the Ermland Kaller of his parishioners "With God's help you will put your best efforts by the Fuehrer and the people and will do until the end of your duty to defend our beloved homeland" .

conclude with the ironic comment of the Colombian writer Fernando Vallejo in his very work The whore of Babylon (2007):

"And today, after all this, with deep theological pain that springs from the depths of his being right in Auschwitz Ratzinger question: 'Why did you let it, Lord?" Of course God exists! There has to be to hell where there is going to burn this filthy. This is my 'test Ratzinger' of the existence of God. "

"Atheism = Nazism? Haha ... We'll see how much more pronounced this pathetic nonsense father during his pastoral trip UK. Faced with such indifference that his visit has provoked in some way has to attract attention.

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Baron d'Holbach: A heavenly appearance ILLUSTRIOUS

Baron d'Holbach

When we refer to Figure-circumscribed historical period eighteenth century was characterized by its confidence in reason, once freed from the tutelage of religion [1] - comes to mind philosophers such as Voltaire, Diderot, Hume, Kant, Rousseau, etc.., which no doubt, were their chief representatives, at least according to the historiography official. However, there were other philosophers who embodied much more if possible, the true spirit of enlightenment, the 'ideal of the Enlightenment', although they have not had a well-deserved recognition by the academic establishment, so ready always to spread the idealistic thought and silence the materialist [2] . In this regard it is noteworthy to Paul-Henri Thiry, better known as Baron d'Holbach. The philosopher Michel Onfray, in his magnificent atheology Treaty [3] , refers to him as follows: "Divine Holbach! Atheist passion of the philosopher is considerable. Spray the fuss deists Rousseau, Voltaire anticlerical comedies defender of religion to the people, and Diderot's doubts about God ". Indeed, many of the Enlightenment philosophers, who defended both reason and scientific knowledge, and fought strongly against religious intolerance and on behalf of freedom, they were unable to dispose of all of the disastrous influence theologically, in short, the abject and ridiculous idea of \u200b\u200bGod, coming to regard atheism as immoral (note that the vast majority of those philosophers were deists [4] , not atheists). This is the case of Voltaire, who in his famous Philosophical Dictionary (1764) blasts in this way against atheists: "Atheism is a monster harmful to those who govern, as it is for people studious, but his life is innocent, because from their study may influence those who hold public office, though not as disastrous as fanaticism, it is almost always fatal to virtue (...) If there are atheists "who should be but to tyrants, buyers of souls who rebel against their misdeeds, force some weak-minded to deny God destroy those monsters? " . Atheism is not anything like that. On the contrary, promotes tolerance and virtue. Holbach himself perfectly clear what is an atheist: "is a man who destroys chimeras harmful to mankind, to turn men to nature, experience and reason" . But before delving into his two great works of atheists, I will brief biographical data to approach the character before us ...

Holbach was born in 1723 in Edesheim, small town in the Palatinate region of Germany bordering France. After studying in Paris and Leiden (Netherlands)-focus of the secular-liberal thought and in 1749 moved permanently in the Parisian capital where he lived until his death in 1789, months before the French Revolution. Its good financial position, thanks to the vast fortune he inherited from his uncle Franz Adam Holbach addition to their title of nobility ", let him devote himself to his passion: philosophy. In his mansion in the Rue Royale, Saint-Roch in Paris, gathered weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays to be exact-to the great intellectuals and philosophers of the time, preferably the 'Encyclopedists' (over there regularly paraded Diderot, D'Alembert, Rousseau, Voltaire, Hume, Buffon, Helvetius, Condillac Beccaria, etc.). Their hospitality knew no bounds, as their rooms also welcomed scientists, lawyers, politicians, writers, artists ... Those gatherings were named by Rousseau as the 'club holbáquico. " "It used to gather between fifteen and twenty people who love the arts and the spirit and served an excellent wine and great coffee in meetings where they dominated the simplicity of manners and the joy and began at two in the afternoon and lengthened to eight (...) The theists and atheists defended their positions at the Baron surrounded by the spirit of tolerance " says Agustín Izquierdo, Ph.D. Complutense University and author of philosophy against religion [5] .

HOME OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DIDEROT

Holbach contributed much to the monumental Encyclopédie of Diderot (collaborated with 376 articles on philosophy, physics, chemistry, geology, medicine, mineralogy, metallurgy ...). And supported it financially. "With friendship and support of Diderot, and his fortune to the project, Holbach was established in a kind of 'manager' of the group, or 'sponsor'. And, simultaneously, put his information and his pen to the service battle of the philosophers ", says José Manuel Bermudo, Professor of History of Modern Philosophy at the University of Barcelona. Between 1760 and 1780 had a strong literary work, writing and translating major works irreligious and atheists (also pantheistic [6] and deists) of the moment. Moreover, philanthropic actions were noticeable. He himself declared "I am rich, but I see no fortune but a good tool for acting more promptly and effectively" . He also stressed to combat religious and political prejudices, with particular emphasis on the need to eradicate superstitions, fears and constant source of injustice. Man invents heavenly powers to mitigate the fears born of ignorance. In support of its atheistic materialism, Holbach was based on scientific knowledge and a rational view of the world. For him there was only one reality: the material, which is eternal and is in constant movement. No place to the transcendent. There is no providence or divine creator is worth. There is only nature that is self-sufficient, with its immutable laws of cause and effect (nothing occurs by chance), and the creatures that are part of it (suggested that morality should be based on natural laws and not fictitious supernatural budgets). Beyond the tangible world of immanence, there is nothing. There are no final causes no intention in the universe. "Let us therefore acknowledge that the matter exists by itself, acting under its own power and not annihilate ever. Let's say that matter is eternal and that Nature has been, is and will always engaged in producing, destroy, do and undo, follow the laws of their existence are necessary " said the philosopher.

"Holbach symbolizes the maximum threshold of philosophical radicalism which was capable of a sector of the bourgeoisie in complete opposition to feudalism" , says the philosopher Pascal Charbonnat. That's right. Its absolute atheism and anticlerical-core militants, in his view, to establish a reasonable ethical system that ensures the happiness of mankind, something that religions have failed miserably, in contrast to theism and deism shared most Enlightenment philosophers, hence was considered the driving force of the atheist ideas in the European Enlightenment. "Holbach exceeded in abundance, size and systematic work of other materialist thinkers of the period, as Fontenelle, La Mettrie and Freret. What they had barely sketched in short pamphlets, in Baron's work is the subject of voluminous treaties, which strives to unify their thinking and the basis of anthropological and psychological explanation of the origin of religion " says Josep Lluís Teodoro, Doctor of classical philology and associate professor at the University of Valencia. Holbach wrote many books, but the main ones were: Christianity uncovered (1761) and Nature System (1770) [7] . This last work, in which he explained his views largely materialistic and mechanistic, it soon became the most prominent of enlightened thought. Caused a stir in those countries where it was published, because not only was born in France but also in Germany, England, Spain and even the United States. As expected, was condemned by the clergy in the same year of publication, being included in the blacklist of the Index librorum prohibitorum . The Parliament of Paris also forbade the August 18, 1770, ordering it to be publicly burned (luckily, few copies were confiscated.) To avoid risks, Holbach published his works under a pseudonym or anonymously (your Conservation System was signed with the name of M. Mirabaud). Why this work triggered much suspicion, even of King Frederick II of Prussia? ... For her, the author does not mince words. His incisive style radicalism and left no one indifferent. Mercilessly attacked religious beliefs. Unsanctifying supernatural. A stroke deconstructed myths and superstitions that make men fearful slaves. And he's the reason the most effective weapon to defeat the ignorance, the major culprit of spreading around the world so many frauds theological and metaphysical. "I see everywhere men more cunning and learned that the common people, who deceive through incantations and love the works to create supernatural, it ignores the secrets of nature and art resources" he said.

CHRISTIANITY EXPOSED

"It is completely opposite to my principles. This book leads to hate atheism ", Voltaire said, referring to the work Christianity uncovered . I could not suspect that was written by his good friend Holbach, as was attributed to the 'late Mr. Boulanger ", another pseudonym used by the host philosophers. The book was distributed clandestinely, but had a huge impact. The author argued strongly that religion is harmful to men, since they have lower earnings, highlighted the asocial nature of Christianity and promote ignorance over the exclusion of reason and experience. " (Religion) seems detrimental to the welfare of the state, hostile to the progress of the human spirit and opposed to the healthy moral wrote Holbach in the preface to his work. Reach the celestial kingdom proposed by Christianity is not easy. To purify the soul, it requires sacrifice and penance, renouncing mortification of the flesh and the pleasures. So, love the pain. To make matters worse, hell and eternal punishment awaiting sinners. The best antidote against such chimeras?: Atheism, whose purpose is simply to banish fear and ignorance. "Faith prohibits the doubt and review, deprives man of the right to exercise his reason and freedom of thought [...] Faith is a virtue invented by men who feared the light of reason, who wanted to deceive their peers to undergo its own authority and degrade tried to exercise his power over them ", sentence.

reactions were swift. The Abbe Bergier, the enemy of enlightened ideas, wrote a book of more than 800 pages under the title: Apologie of religion chrétienne contre l'auteur du Christianisme dévoilé (1769). Thereby tried to discredit the content atheist, anticlerical and anti-Christianity of exposed. But the great Holbach demonstrated quite easily in the handling of biblical texts, finding blatant contradictions and errors that dismantle ipso facto the assumption that the Bible is inspired by God. Was written by men and it badly. "Do men are not prone to deceive themselves and deceive others? How do you know then if we can rely on the testimony of those spokespersons of Heaven? How to know if they have been victims of a too vivid imagination or a dream? ", Holbach wonders. For the atheist philosopher, the Gospel is a novel full of fictional stories and crazy. A full-scale plagiarism of ancient pagan legends. "Do not be surprised if we see the Jews and Christians that took place imbued with notions borrowed from the Phoenicians, magicians Persian Greeks and Romans " he said. And Jesus was no more than a talker, a storyteller who announced prophecies ever met and that gave precepts impossible to meet. "fanaticism and enthusiasm are the basis of Christ's moral " he says. recommended virtues tend to isolate people, induce a somber mood and make them often harmful to their peers. Below are needed human virtues ". In addition, his atoning death alleged to no avail. The redemption of mankind has been a huge fiasco. The evil continues to rage in the world and nothing has improved since the time of Jesus.

Holbach was surprised the lack of knowledge and interest that the devotee is on his own religion. Cree by inertia, because that is what she has been taught since childhood of pure habit. "The surest way to deceive people and perpetuate their prejudices is deceiving since childhood" he says. But when it reaches adulthood, the believer does not bother to find out the reasons for his faith or wonder if it makes any sense beliefs to defend with such zeal:

"Most men only love their religion and custom. They have never seriously examined the reasons bind them to it, the reasons for his conduct and the basis for their opinions. What seems more important to them was always that what we most feared deeper. Follow the paths that their parents have set, they believe because they have been told since childhood to be believed, they hope that their ancestors have expected, because their ancestors shudder been shaken, and almost never have deigned to question the motives of their beliefs. "

regard to Christian morality, Holbach is clearly not the best choice for peaceful coexistence among men

"The Christian religion that prides itself on providing unwavering support for the moral and offer men the strongest motives to lead towards virtue, was for them a source of division, anger and crime. Under the pretext of bringing peace, the religion brought only anger, hatred, discord and war [...] The Christian religion has no right to boast of the benefits brought about morality or politics. Arranquémosle the veil that covers us go back to your home, consider its principles, follow him on his way and find that, based on deception, ignorance and credulity, has not been nor will ever be useful, but for men interested in deceiving the human race that never stopped cause the worst evils of nations and that instead of the promised happiness, only served to get drunk with fury, drenched in blood, anchoring them in the delirium and crime and make them unaware of their true interests and most sacred duties. "

To which he adds:

"Since the founding of Christianity we face different sects, we see Christians hate, divide, harming and treated each other with the most refined cruelty [...] The religion, who boasted of bringing harmony and peace, for 18 centuries has caused the most damage and has shed more blood all the superstitions of paganism [...] The spirit of persecution and intolerance are typical of a religion that believes emanates from a God jealous of his power and has formally ordered the murder, whose supporters have been inhuman persecutors, and , at the height of his anger, death has spared not his own son. " According

Holbach, miracles and wonders are, in some cases, natural phenomena whose principles and how to act ignorant, and others fraud orchestrated by impostors to take share of the economic and deceive ignorant and superstitious. Thus writes:

"Miracles have been invented only to teach men to believe impossible things: if you speak with common sense, no need of miracles [...] The miracles do not prove anything except the wit and deception of those who seek to deceive men to confirm the lies that have been announced and the stupid credulity of those to whom these impostors seduce [...] Every man who does not seek to establish true miracles but lies [...] To say that God makes miracles is that it contradicts itself itself, which is unbecoming of the laws he himself has prescribed nature and human reason becomes useless, which he authored. Only impostors can tell us to renounce and reject the right experience. "

And among those impostors, we find the priests

"The priests of all religions have found means to build their own power, wealth and greatness in the fears of the masses but no religion has had as many reasons as Christianity to enslave the peoples of the clergy [...] The priests everywhere to impose sovereign force policy to conform to the religion and oppose the institutions most favorable to the State . Everywhere are the instructors of youth, which filled from his sad childhood prejudices [...] No wonder: the religion of Rome was invented only to make the powerful clergy. "

Holbach concludes that Christianity is bad for men, it is because of bigotry, ignorance, strife, persecution, war, massacres ... It has done nothing to boost the morale of the men, because their ranks are people too some virtuous, especially among the priestly caste, as given to vice and tyranny. "If the Christian religion is, as intended, a brake for the unspeakable crimes of men and exerts salutary effects on certain individuals, are comparable these advantages so strange, weak and uncertain with the evils visible, safe and vast that this religion has sown on earth? " he asks.

SYSTEM OF NATURE

atheistic materialism blossomed with this exceptional work, whose first pages Holbach and thus addresses his readers:

"kid yourself, then, child of Nature!, about these fictional relationships that exist between you and assumes that unknown power that ignorance has created and the enthusiasm has been covered a thousand qualities incompatible. Be reasonable: this is your religion. Be virtuous: this is the path to happiness. Become useful to others: this is the means to oblige and encourage them to endorse your plans. Do not dañes yourself, here's what another one is due to be reasonable. "

supernatural morality contradicts the natural moral. You can not build a sound moral if we abandon reason and resort to theological fictions. Morality defended by religion, or morality of the gods, never contributes to the happiness of men, but that makes unhappy and miserable. That is enough highlighted in nature System: "Men have been victims for too long and uncertain moral toys that teach religion [...] The moral is not supernatural at all under the Nature: the battle, you kill it, forces her to wipe out the terrible voice of the gods [...] Arm yourself because, O man, of a just distrust of those who oppose the progress of reason or hint you that consideration can be damaged, that lying is necessary, that the error may be useful. All prohibiting the review intends to deceive. "

The reason, he always had the experience to guide us to distinguish the true from the false, the useful from the harmful, warns us of the religious frauds and illusions of superstition, and makes us eradicate the fears and prejudices acquired during childhood.

On this, Holbach warns:

"It is ignorance of nature that has produced these unknown powers under which mankind so long trembled and superstitious cults that have been the source of all ills [...] It is also not study nature and its laws, or attempt to discover their resources and their properties so that man stagnates in ignorance and take steps so slow and uncertain, to improve their lot. His laziness is pleased to be led by example, by routine or authority, rather than by activity and experience required for the reason that requires reflection. "

Religious faith does not humble man, but arrogant and conceited as to believe that he is the king of creation and that is the image and likeness of God. Moreover, man of faith seeks to be touched by divine grace and be possessed of an immortal soul. Atheism deconstructs such fallacies and reminds us how insignificant we are on a cosmic scale. This forceful expressed Holbach:

"Man, infinitely small portion of the globe, which is more than an imperceptible point in the vastness, believes the universe is made for him and he imagines to be the confidant of Nature. Claims to be eternal. It says the King of the Universe! Oh man! Do not ever conceive that you are not more than one being ephemeral? Any change in the universe, nature does not contain any form consistent and you pretend that your kind can not disappear and should be exempt from the general law that requires all altered! [...] The man has absolutely no reason to believe a privileged being in nature, is subject to the same vicissitudes as all other products of nature. Its alleged privileges are not based only on a mistake. "

To Holbach, is necessary for man to be instructed and fight against ignorance and superstition, to avoid errors and allay their fears:

"The more ignorant or devoid of experience is man, more is likely to terror, the loneliness, the darkness of the woods, the silence and darkness of the night, the whistling of the winds, sudden noises and confusing for all men are not accustomed to all these things objects terror. The ignorant man is a child to whom all surprised and shakes. Their concerns go away, quiet as you experience more or less familiar with the effects of nature calms known or believed about the causes that act and is known as the means to protect their [...] Its ignorance and superstitious weakness do. "

As for the idea that religions convey to us from God, are God Almighty and merciful God who watches lovingly as his creatures and always work with supreme justice and wisdom, Holbach reflects common sense and offers her opinion:

"When terrible disasters, floods, earthquakes, devastating much of the globe where I live, where is the goodness of this God, where is this beautiful order that his wisdom has put in the universe? How to discern evidence of their benevolent providence when everything seems to assert that mocks the human species? What to think of the tenderness of God who afflicts us, that we tested, which is pleased to grieve for their children? [...] If God surpasses in goodness to all beings of the human species, why not use your infinite power to make everyone happy? However, we see that almost no one on earth has a reason to be satisfied with their lot: for every mortal has seen millions who suffer, for every rich man who lives in abundance there are millions of poor people who lack necessities. In short, under an almighty God, whose goodness is limitless, the land is entirely watered by the tears of the miserable. What answer is given to this? Coldly tells us that the Lord's mysterious ways. In this case, I would say, "by what right are you going to argue? And what would you ascribe a virtue that can not penetrate? What you have idea of \u200b\u200ba justice that does not look anything like the man? ".

God is a figment of our imagination. No is more than an illusion to which we have adorned with superhuman attributes (which are nothing more than our own attributes, but increased or exaggerated ad infinitum). Naively believe that an idea is inherent in our being, but in reality we inherited culturally Siendones transmitted from our earliest childhood, to be strengthened then by tradition. A universal error has been perpetuated for millennia. Formerly, such an idea was intended to allay the fear and uncertainty that loomed over the man, whose lack of answers to many mysteries around him pushed him to seek explanations on alleged irrational invisible forces. He believed that the deity caused all that ignorant. Furthermore, in the misery and despair, man today is finding solace in the transcendent and therefore resorts to God, just as the child seeks protection in the arms of their parents. What does Holbach on this issue?:

"The notions of divinity that we see scattered across the land does not prove the existence of this being, not just a misconception, variously acquired and modified in the spirit of nations, they have received from their ancestors ignorant and frightened the gods worship today. These gods have been successively altered, ornamented, subtilized by thinkers, legislators, priests, inspired who have thought, have required their services to the masses and have taken advantage of their prejudices for submission to its rule or to profit from their mistakes, their fears and credulity. "

And, to crown, another review of our illustrious baron who subscribe in full:

"These are ideas that have made gloomy on earth sprout all religions, all superstitions more crazy and cruel, senseless all practices, all absurd systems, all notions and extravagant opinions, all mysteries, dogmas, ceremonies, rituals, in short, all religions have been and will always be the eternal source of alarm, discord and delusion for dreamers full of bile or intoxicated with divine wrath, whose splenetic humor inclined to evil, as imagination leans lost to fanaticism, ignorance of which prepares them for gullibility and subjects them blindly to their priests, and they in their own interests, will often use their God to arouse savage crimes and lead them away to others the rest of which are themselves deprived. "

herein is only a brief summary of atheistic thought one of the great figures of the Enlightenment, despite a lack of acknowledgment of historiography (as also with two other great French materialist philosophers: La Mettrie and Helvetius). In short, I recommend reading these two of his works. On the website of the publisher Laetoli may find the relevant information:

http://www.laetoli.net/colecciones/ilustrados/index.html

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---- [1] As the philosopher Eduardo Bello in his The Adventure of Reason: the Enlightenment (Akal, 1997), "the Enlightenment is only the time when the light of reason has dispelled the shadows of superstition, error, ignorance, and has built in its place an alternative way of thinking we call 'Enlightenment thought'. "
[2] clarify that when we speak of 'materialistic thinking' we do from a philosophical standpoint. The first to introduce the term 'materialist' was Robert Boyle (1627-1691) and referred to "the philosophy that reality is composed of corpuscles which have mechanical properties and performance affect each other according to mechanical laws mathematically expressible " ( Dictionary of Philosophy , José Ferrater Mora). So nothing to do with the popular and pejorative idea we have of materialism as a way of life based on material interests.
[3] Edit. Anagram, 2006.
[4] Deism is a rational belief in a supreme being created the universe but that does not interfere in the natural and historical. He is the god of philosophy, as opposed to the God of revealed religion (theism).
[5] Edit. Edaf, 2003.
[6] Pantheism is the doctrine that nature with God. Therefore, God would be the world. It is famous formula 'Deus sive natura' (God or nature) of Spinoza, one of the greatest exponents of this philosophical.
[7] Both works have been published in Castilian in Laetoli, in the collection The Illustrated .