A Dose of Reason

How misused: Dan Barker cherry-picks Psalm 137:9 ('Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.') to assert that the Bible promotes the torture of innocent babies, thereby portraying Christianity as barbaric and morally reprehensible. This verse is taken completely out of its poetic, historical, and prophetic context as a lament and imprecatory psalm expressing extreme anguish and desire for justice against oppressors who had already committed unspeakable atrocities. It is not a command or endorsement for believers to act this way.

Scripture's answer: Psalm 137 is a lament from Jewish exiles in Babylon, expressing their deep pain and desire for God's justice against their brutal conquerors who had indeed committed horrific violence (including infanticide). Verse 9 is an imprecation, a poetic cry for reciprocal justice, not a divine command for believers to commit such acts. It reflects the raw emotion of extreme suffering and a plea for God to act, not a moral endorsement of baby dashing. The Bible contains passages expressing human emotion and suffering, including vengeful thoughts, as part of a fallen world, but these are not prescriptive moral teachings for believers.

How misused: Multiple speakers (Harris, Zuckerman, Barker) misrepresent 'original sin' as a simplistic, crude concept implying children are literally 'born evil,' 'depraved,' or 'inherited sin through the semen of Adam.' They then use this distorted definition to argue that Christianity is illogical, immoral, or makes no sense. This ignores the theological nuance of original sin as a state of alienated humanity, severed relationship with God, and a propensity toward sin, affecting human nature not as individual 'evil' but as a corrupted spiritual condition.

Scripture's answer: Original sin in Christian theology refers to the inherited spiritual condition of humanity as a result of Adam's rebellion against God. It signifies a fallen nature, an inclination towards sin (concupiscence), and a separation from God, but not that individuals are 'born evil' or personally guilty for Adam's act in the same way they are for their own sins. It's a statement about the universal human predisposition to sin and our need for redemption, not a 'horrible thing to teach children' implying personal depravity at birth.

How misused: Numerous speakers (Hitchens, Lindsay, Zuckerman) conflate ancient forms of indentured servitude or regulated slavery in biblical texts with the brutal, race-based chattel slavery of the modern era. They selectively quote passages commanding obedience (e.g., Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:22) without contextualizing the economic realities of the ancient world, the protections afforded within biblical law, or the radical, dignity-affirming implications of Christian theology (e.g., Galatians 3:28). This is used to argue that the Bible endorses chattel slavery and is morally inferior to secular ethics.

Scripture's answer: Biblical texts regarding 'slavery' typically refer to various forms of indentured servitude or debt-based bondage, which were common economic realities in the ancient Near East. These systems had specific regulations, time limits, and protections (e.g., Exodus 21:1-11, Deuteronomy 15:12-18) that made them distinct from chattel slavery. New Testament exhortations to slaves and masters (e.g., Ephesians 6:5-9) operate within existing social structures, but also introduce radical principles of mutual respect, human dignity, and spiritual equality (Galatians 3:28, Philemon) that ultimately undermined the ideological basis for all forms of oppressive servitude and compelled Christian abolitionist movements throughout history.

How misused: The speakers (e.g., Hitchens, Jillette) frequently argue that Jesus's sacrifice 'wasn't a true sacrifice' because he resurrected and returned to glory, reducing it to a 'magical scheme' or a 'non-sacrifice.' This reveals a profound misunderstanding of Christian atonement theology, which sees the resurrection not as nullifying the sacrifice, but as validating its efficacy and demonstrating Christ's victory over sin and death.

Scripture's answer: In Christian theology, Jesus's death on the cross was a genuine, excruciating sacrifice for the sins of humanity. The resurrection does not diminish this sacrifice; rather, it confirms its power and efficacy. It demonstrates Christ's victory over sin and death, providing the promised eternal life to those who believe. The resurrection is integral to the atonement, showing that the sacrifice was accepted by God and that death itself is conquered, making the sacrifice infinitely more profound, not less.