Christianity has been around for two thousand years and during that time it has attracted its fair share of idiots. It sounds a long time, doesn't it, two thousand years, but it's nothing compared with the age of the planet which is, of course, an astonishing six thousand years. How can anyone even imagine such a number? Of course not everyone who has religious faith is a complete idiot but a lot of stupid people do have faith because they're stupid for the simple reason that believing is a hell of a lot easier than thinking. It takes time and effort to acquire knowledge, whereas any fool can acquire faith instantly and effortlessly. If it took effort most people wouldn't bother with it. That's why it's all about lazy stuff - submission, surrender, don't ask questions, let your moral values be handed to you on a plate like a baby. Let ignorance be your crowning virtue so that every piece of rational truth or common sense that comes your way becomes a test for your faith, and the more you resist the more virtuous you are. Let that faith swell up inside your mind like an air bag, pushing out everything else, and then all your questions will be answered. Isn't that reassuring? No wonder faith is so popular. But how far does faith have to be stretched before it becomes just pure unadulterated dumb stupidity? When does embracing religion become the equivalent of undergoing an operation to have your IQ lowered? You may be familiar with the expression: "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." It's quite popular with the bumper sticker Christians, the creationist cracker barrel sages of the American Bible Belt who find it useful as a kind of crude theological straight arm. It's an expression I've heard a few times and each time I've marvelled at the imbecility of anyone who could even think it,, let alone display it on their vehicle, but until this week I had never actually received it in an e-mail, especially not one where it constituted the entire text: "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." And, to be fair, it is actually a masterpiece of concision. Acres of impenetrable theological bullshit have been whittled down to a simple pithy definition of what faith actually is. When you strip away all the pretentious hogwash about transcendence and all the other flimflam that's what you're actually left with, those nine little words of final judgment, beyond reason and beyond doubt. If spoken, ideally they should be declaimed, loudly, repeatedly and with fingers in ears, because this is a statement designed to be worn like a brass plate on the forehead announcing: "This mind is closed for business. "We are not currently accepting any new ideas, thank you for your interest, because God said it. We believe it. That settles it." The person who sent this e-mail neglected to sign it, so I don't know who they are, but I do know what they are. What kind of gullible muttonhead would you have to be to make that statement in public and actually mean it? You might as well be walking around with a bucket over your head inviting people to strike it with a hammer to try and kick start your brain you dumb ignorant Christian shitkicker. No offence, but don't of us who don't believe that Jesus rode around on a dinosaur would be more inclined to the view that God didn't say it, that you're a complete moron, and that that settles it, if you don't mind me saying so, and even if you do. Peace, and don't forget to pray now, or Satan is going to get you.