Zombies are real!

[Moai]

I have a book called The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From The Living Dead. First off, it is hilarious and I highly recommend it, but then I had a thought that gave me pause.

 

I think that the book is funny because I know that there is no such thing as a zombie.

 

If you are a Christian, though, the book is not fiction. There are zombies if you are a Christian, as your deity IS a zombie.

 

I am sure that there are those who may be offended by my description, but it is true.

 

I'll ignore the contradictions involved in the Gospels regarding the length of time Jesus was entombed. Let's say three days and three nights, as most Christians believe.

 

What that means is that Jesus was DEAD for three days. Not alive. Kaput. Fini. In three days, especially in that climate, a dead body would get pretty ripe pretty fast. Now, you can invoke magic and say that god prevented Jesus from rotting, but you cannot deny that Jesus was dead or you have no religion. Let's say that he wasn't rotting, but he was still reanimated. A dead body that is reanimated is a zombie.

 

But Jesus isn't the only person who is reanimated in the Bible. There is one instance in the Old Testament where a man's body is put next to Eliza's, and he reanimates. A dead body reanimates another. 2 Kings 13:21 "And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet." Note that an "out of context" argument is useless here.

 

But that's not all. In Matthew 27:51-53 we read "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

 

It is unclear exactly what number "many" means, but it would be reasonable to assume it is more than say, three. And while the euphemism "slept" is used, it says that graves were opened. So we can reason that "slept" means that they were dead. And they reanimated.

 

Some may have been dead only a short time, some a medium length of time, some maybe for years. They must have been in various states of decay. So you probably had skeletons, half-rotten ones, and some only partially decayed. Or maybe you can invoke magic and say that god kept them all from rotting in anticipation of the event, or that he gave them complete bodies, but the book doesn't say that. In fact, that can't be the case since "many people" saw them and knew they had been dead. If they had fresh non-decayed bodies how could you tell they had been reanimated, and therefore impressed?

 

They descended upon Jerusalem. Many people saw them. There is no other way to look at it: a zombie horde arose and terrified the town. Well, I have to assume that the townspeople were terrified, as I would be. Even a few zombies on my street would wig me right out.

 

Of course, I don't believe this for a second. For one thing, why didn't any of the other Gospel writers mention it? People rising from the grave is not unusual in the Bible, but "many" of them is. Why didn't the Romans record it? They recorded everything else. Why not that, one of the most bizarre and impossible things to have EVER happened. And doesn't that make Jesus' resurrection less of a big deal? And, since reanimation was so common then, how come it is not common now--even though we have better medicine? Notice too that Near Death Experiences are not only scientifically explainable, NOBODY has come back after three days--let alone various lengths of time.

 

But I digress. My point is that if you are a Christian you believe that Matthew is accurate, that the zombies really did rise. They must have, if the Bible is true. Moreover, even if you are the type of believer who thinks much of the Bible is metaphor, there is no way THAT passage is a metaphor. So you have to believe that, too.

 

Now, since you believe in zombies, The Zombie Survival Guide is not a book of humor for you. It is real. Zombies are REAL. So the book isn't funny then, right? It is a real guide and everyone should have one, since reanimation can occur any second.

 

I would be very interested to learn how you can maintain this belief in the 21st century.

[boshemia]

God, I am so very sorry... I'm not trying to antagonize you or anything... but yes, Zombies are real, just misunderstood.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1260445.htm

 

In real life, the zombies come from the Caribbean island of Haiti. They are a person who has been almost-killed, and then later raised from the almost-dead by a voodoo priest, to be used as slave labour for the rest of their miserable life. Zombies can move, eat, hear and speak, but they have no memory and no insight into their condition. There have been legends about zombies for centuries, but it was only in 1980 that a real-life case was documented.

 

OH No, vampires too!!! Arghh...

 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/vampire5.htm

 

"One of the most interesting "vampire diseases" is porphyria. Porphyria is a rare disease characterized by irregularities in production of heme, an iron-rich pigment in blood"

 

"A more likely physical root of vampirism is catalepsy, a peculiar physical condition associated with epilepsy, schizophrenia and other disorders that affect the central nervous system. During a cataleptic episode, a person essentially freezes up: The muscles become rigid, so that the body is very stiff, and the heart rate and respiration slow down. Someone suffering from acute catalepsy could very well be mistaken for a corpse. "

 

Werewolves too?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werewolf

 

"Ergot, which causes a form of foodborne illness, is a fungus that grows in place of rye grains in wet growing seasons after very cold winters. Ergot poisoning usually affects whole towns or poor sections of towns, resulting in hallucinations, mass hysteria and paranoia, as well as convulsions and sometimes death. (The hallucinogen LSD can be derived from ergot). Ergot poisoning has been propounded as both a cause of an individual believing that one is a werewolf and of a whole town believing that they had witnessed a werewolf. This theory, however, is controversial and not widely accepted."

 

Just messing with you... but still, there is some scientific data suggesting that many myths may have had some fairly simple biological or physiological facts bahind them.

[Topper]

great 1960s Rock group, I loved their music. I understand that they are going to reform and tour. Their 1968 album the Odyssey and the Oracle is a classic See Zombies do come back to life. The art work on the cover is pure psychedelic art.

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

[Storyrider]

I feel like a zombie at least four days out of the week. Five hours of sleep per night just isn't enough. And when my alarm clock re-animates me in the morning I look pretty scary. As for the fear inspired by zombies, my kids experience it daily. Let the zombies sleep.

[ilmw]

I feel like a zombie at least four days out of the week. Five hours of sleep per night just isn't enough. And when my alarm clock re-animates me in the morning I look pretty scary. As for the fear inspired by zombies, my kids experience it daily. Let the zombies sleep.

 

You want proof zombies exist.. go to any large city and walk around downtown... it seems like everyone had a vacant look on their ashen faces... only thing missing... is the ominous chant of "brains... brains".. More like "Buy high... sell low":laugh:

[Moai]

Just messing with you... but still, there is some scientific data suggesting that many myths may have had some fairly simple biological or physiological facts bahind them.

 

Good post!

 

The above is exactly my point. Everything has a naturalistic explanation, and when supernatural claims are examined today, it is found that either the story is embellished, is a local myth that "someone saw with their own eyes" but that person cannot be found, or it is a simple phenomena that is not well understood by lay-people.

 

Notice, though, that toad skins, puffer fish residue or whatever is not found in Israel, and that Jesus was crucified. Not given a potion and fell asleep, but crucified. His side was pierced with a spear. The "saints" had been dead for a while--some maybe only a few days, some for perhaps years.

 

Egyptian mythology is rife with resurrections. That is why you find so many dung beetles effigies. They go into the ground and seemingly "die" only to return to life. We now know that the beetle actually does die and that the beetle that emerges is actually the former's offspring.

 

None of that can explain what is in the Bible, though. The people who rose from the graveyard were George Romero/Sam Raimi zombies, not people who would only "appear" dead to the uneducated.

 

I would also note that the other things you mentioned like werewolves and vampires are known to be figments of the imagination, and while they may have roots in actual phenomena, nobody really believes in them--at least sane, rational, educated people don't.

[Moai]

You want proof zombies exist.. go to any large city and walk around downtown... it seems like everyone had a vacant look on their ashen faces... only thing missing... is the ominous chant of "brains... brains".. More like "Buy high... sell low":laugh:

 

Ha! I have seen zombies bounce around at jam-band shows, too. Something has got to be done!

[ilmw]

Ha! I have seen zombies bounce around at jam-band shows, too. Something has got to be done!

 

I know.. we can all go hide in the mall...

[mymom]

I know.. we can all go hide in the mall...

 

is there seriously such things a zombies i am not a christien but dont be affendid but i worship the voodoo god i can make the dead wake

[Topper]

Good post!

 

The above is exactly my point. Everything has a naturalistic explanation, and when supernatural claims are examined today, it is found that either the story is embellished, is a local myth that "someone saw with their own eyes" but that person cannot be found, or it is a simple phenomena that is not well understood by lay-people.

 

Notice, though, that toad skins, puffer fish residue or whatever is not found in Israel, and that Jesus was crucified. Not given a potion and fell asleep, but crucified. His side was pierced with a spear. The "saints" had been dead for a while--some maybe only a few days, some for perhaps years.

 

Egyptian mythology is rife with resurrections. That is why you find so many dung beetles effigies. They go into the ground and seemingly "die" only to return to life. We now know that the beetle actually does die and that the beetle that emerges is actually the former's offspring.

 

None of that can explain what is in the Bible, though. The people who rose from the graveyard were George Romero/Sam Raimi zombies, not people who would only "appear" dead to the uneducated.

 

I would also note that the other things you mentioned like werewolves and vampires are known to be figments of the imagination, and while they may have roots in actual phenomena, nobody really believes in them--at least sane, rational, educated people don't.

 

There isa theory on the Crucifixen that goes like this. At some point Jesus cries out for water. A roman puts sponge with vinegar on the end of his spear to torment Jesus. Now the theory is that there are herbs used as pain killers. These herbs had to be soaked in vinigar to work. So really the Roman was giving Jesus a drug., to Jesus in a coma like state. I have only read one source for this and have seen nothing else to back this up. Back in the 1970s there was a popular book called The Cross and the Mushroom. That book claims that a psychedelic like Mushroom grows in the middle east. the Jesus and followers were useing it a sacrament. Again The drug keep Jesus in a coma and he is resurrected.

[Moai]

There isa theory on the Crucifixen that goes like this. At some point Jesus cries out for water. A roman puts sponge with vinegar on the end of his spear to torment Jesus. Now the theory is that there are herbs used as pain killers. These herbs had to be soaked in vinigar to work. So really the Roman was giving Jesus a drug., to Jesus in a coma like state. I have only read one source for this and have seen nothing else to back this up. Back in the 1970s there was a popular book called The Cross and the Mushroom. That book claims that a psychedelic like Mushroom grows in the middle east. the Jesus and followers were useing it a sacrament. Again The drug keep Jesus in a coma and he is resurrected.

 

I have read this myself. I think there was a PBS documentary that featured someone saying that, too.

 

That would be a rational explanation, certainly. With medicine the way it was back then, "death" itself was poorly understood, and someone who was very ill could be mistaken as dead, only to get better and walk around. In fact, I would reason that is probably what happened in each instance--provided that the stories are based on actual events, which is debatable. However, that doesn't change the fact that Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead LITERALLY, nor does it explain the reanimations in Matthew.

 

I notice that our resident believers are conspicuously silent. Given time zones and work and such maybe they haven't seen this thread yet. Or maybe they are ignoring it because it is evil or something. Time will tell.

[Topper]

Moia, I think you should look up John Marcos Allegro, he was one of the world formost experts on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

There is some fascinating theorie he has on the origins of Jews Christians and Islam. Much of his work was discounted in his time. Yet new work and discoveries seem to now confirm some of his theories. At least there is now a new look at his work. I have not read much of the original. Academically he is way over my head.

 

I also now recall the spear in the side theory. That is part of the theory Jesus is drugged. The spear was to test that he was in fact in a coma.

[Moai]

Moia, I think you should look up John Marcos Allegro, he was one of the world formost experts on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

There is some fascinating theorie he has on the origins of Jews Christians and Islam. Much of his work was discounted in his time. Yet new work and discoveries seem to now confirm some of his theories. At least there is now a new look at his work. I have not read much of the original. Academically he is way over my head.

 

I also now recall the spear in the side theory. That is part of the theory Jesus is drugged. The spear was to test that he was in fact in a coma.

 

Thanks for the tip!

[burning 4 revenge]

From my undersanding Allegro was a renegade Catholic priest obsessed with hallucinogenic mushrooms. You should check out the reviews of his books on Amazon. Completely insane...

 

I still think Morton Smith may have been the closest to the mark, but many say EP Sanders and Gaza Vermes have been the foremost scholars in Jesus History

[blind_otter]

I think the resident believers are silent because the thread is absurd.

 

Moai, you seem hell bent (har har har) on crushing people's beliefs for some bizarre reason. Leave the poor Christians alone for chrissake (har har har again).

 

I believe in God. What's so bad about that? I believe there is no rational explanation for many things. I don't take the bible literally. I just believe in God. Why not live and let live.

[Lukkyu]

great 1960s Rock group, I loved their music. I understand that they are going to reform and tour. Their 1968 album the Odyssey and the Oracle is a classic See Zombies do come back to life. The art work on the cover is pure psychedelic art.

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

 

 

Indeed, I would love to see the Zombies get resurrected!

[Topper]

From my undersanding Allegro was a renegade Catholic priest obsessed with hallucinogenic mushrooms. You should check out the reviews of his books on Amazon. Completely insane...

 

I still think Morton Smith may have been the closest to the mark, but many say EP Sanders and Gaza Vermes have been the foremost scholars in Jesus History

 

I Know he was not a Catholic. He was in the seminary to be a Methodist Minister. His theory's were based on his studies of the roots of language. Yes in his time he was ridiculed. Some 35 years later there is a better understanding of Sumer, the root language of Hebrew and Aramaic and Greek. Some scholars are now rethinking some of his ideas. This stuff can be far fetched but fascinating.

There are baked clay tablets that predate any Hebrew accounts of the Flood, I think there are also some other stories in the Old Testament that are also written maybe a 1000 years before the any Jewish writings.

[sb129]

"One of the most interesting "vampire diseases" is porphyria. Porphyria is a rare disease characterized by irregularities in production of heme, an iron-rich pigment in blood"

 

I never heard this about porphyria. One of my friends has it, I guess she wouldn't go round saying "I have a vampire disease".

It isn't something I would like to have thats for sure, she has been really sick a few times, and having children could kill her.

 

Flesh Eating Zombies was not the best horror film in the world.

 

Moai are you deliberately trying to wind up certain people???

[a4a]

Zombies rock!

[Storyrider]

I'm not a big Joseph Campbell fan, but I do believe in the idea that some stories (or myths if you prefer) are pervasive and powerful because they reflect a truth about humanity. It need not be a literal truth. Horrific creatures like zombies and vampires express something about our fear of death and the power of blood. They are personifications of these very human concerns.

 

I think in the case of the resurrection story (or even myth, again, if you prefer) Christ could not be accurately described as one of the living dead, because he wasn't a twisted, half-dead thing. He was considered to be fully alive and transformed into something divine. So in that case I think you're using semantics to distort the story.

[Moai]

I think the resident believers are silent because the thread is absurd.

 

Really? I am only quoting what I read in their book. It is the Word of God. I hear this time and again. I am also aware that many reject modern science because of this book. And the book clearly says that dead people rose from the grave and went into Jerusalem. It was seen by many. Read it for yourself if you don't believe me.

 

I am genuinely curious as to how someone can believe that, what the rationale is, etc.

 

Moai, you seem hell bent (har har har) on crushing people's beliefs for some bizarre reason. Leave the poor Christians alone for chrissake (har har har again).

 

It isn't about "crushing" someone's beliefs. Anyone can believe whatever they want. I am not arrogant enough to believe that something I write is going to crush someone's beliefs, either.

 

I would be happy to leave Christians alone if they leave me alone, but they don't. Stem cell research is halted in this country (and even illegal in some states) because of religious belief. Christian religious belief. A vaccine that could prevent women dying from cervical cancer is opposed because of the belief that it will encourage premarital sex; this movement is led by Fundamentalist Christians. I'll leave the fact that states with the highest percentage of teen pregnancies also have the highest number of Fundamentalists...

 

The US ranks just above Turkey in scores for science and math. There are many reasons for this besides Christianity specifically and god-belief in general, certainly. However, they are the single biggest contributing factor. Evolution is the unifying theory of all of biology. Not only that, but it falls in line perfectly with every other scientific discipline there is. It is either poorly taught or not taught at all for fear of offending people whose religion dictates that the world is 6,000 years old (another assertion that is an affront to science, namely geology). So our children, who will eventually have to compete with children from the rest of the world who ARE taught science will be at a distinct disadvantage.

 

Do you think that people without a good working knowledge of science can make good decisions about it? Think about the fact that since the Bible says humans were given dominion over the Earth we can do whatever we want to the environment and it will be ok. Moreover, they don't really worry about it at all because they believe Jesus will return in the next fifty years.

 

All of these things affect me directly, my niece and nephew, my kid if I ever have any, your kids, and affect the survival of the country in general.

 

I believe in God. What's so bad about that? I believe there is no rational explanation for many things. I don't take the bible literally. I just believe in God. Why not live and let live.

 

God-belief is dangerous. It may not be in your case (and probably isn't consdiering your "live and let live" comment) but that doesn't mean it isn't for others. It's terrifying that people are making decisions in a 21st century world (a world we could destroy in nanoseconds) based on a book written by shepherds 2,000 years ago. In some cases, they base their decisions on a book written by a man of dubious sanity 1400 years ago.

 

Lastly, god-belief is the only area where free inquiry is stifled. Why? How come I can challenge someone about their political beliefs but not their religious ones? What is so special about it? Because they are personal? Because they require "faith"? I think the reason why most people become upset discussing it is because they are in a poor rhetorical position and become frustrated.

 

I am more than happy discussing any facet of my belief system. That is why I come to these forums.

 

I would hope that just because this is the "Spirituality and Religious Beliefs" section that it is not reserved for missionary work and mutual congratulation for believers. Rather, it should be open to inquiry from all sides, and healthy debate and discussion of doctrine, superstition, and evidence.

 

I believe there is a rational explanation for everything. There is a great deal of evidence that bears this out.

[Moai]

I never heard this about porphyria. One of my friends has it, I guess she wouldn't go round saying "I have a vampire disease".

It isn't something I would like to have thats for sure, she has been really sick a few times, and having children could kill her.

 

Flesh Eating Zombies was not the best horror film in the world.

 

Moai are you deliberately trying to wind up certain people???

 

Where did you get that pic of the Zombie Survival Kit???? It's awesome. I want one.

 

No, I am not trying to wind up certain people, although I can imagine that it might. I am honestly asking a question, based on the Bible. That's all.

 

I read all the time about free will, what god wants, sin, and on and on and on, but nobody ever addresses that passage in Matthew. So I started a thread about it.

 

I have not misquoted the Bible, taken it out of context, nor am I misrepresenting what it says. If the Bible upsets people they don't have to believe it.

[Moai]

I'm not a big Joseph Campbell fan, but I do believe in the idea that some stories (or myths if you prefer) are pervasive and powerful because they reflect a truth about humanity. It need not be a literal truth. Horrific creatures like zombies and vampires express something about our fear of death and the power of blood. They are personifications of these very human concerns.

 

I am not much of a fan, either, but I liked The Power of Myth.

 

I think that they are pervasive because the root of them is little understood by most, and not thought about critically.

 

As far as I know, vampires are not mentioned in the Bible.

 

I think in the case of the resurrection story (or even myth, again, if you prefer) Christ could not be accurately described as one of the living dead, because he wasn't a twisted, half-dead thing.

 

The Bible doesn't say he was, nor does it say he wasn't. But the Gospels are clear that he DIED and then he ROSE FROM THE DEAD. That is the definition of a zombie. If Jesus' resurrection is a metaphor, fine, but that would mean that he isn't god, that he didn't go into hell--basically all the things that attribute to his divinity are meaningless.

 

He was considered to be fully alive and transformed into something divine. So in that case I think you're using semantics to distort the story.

 

I am certainly using terms with which the authors of the Bible were unfamiliar, but I think my point still stands. Not only that, it isn't just about Jesus, but the reanimated "saints" who went into town and were seen by many. They were not transformed into something Divine, were they? The text doesn't say that. I posted the chapter and verse in my original post.

 

The text says that people rose from the grave, went to town, and were seen by many. I am not making it up.

 

Now, if Matthew is wrong about this, can we not call into question his entire Gospel? Since none of the Gospels agree on the length of time Jesus was entombed, can we not call into question all of them? Why do none of the others mention the reanimation event? Why is there no other record of such thing happening outside of the Bible?

 

For many, the Bible trumps all other evidence. That being the case, what is written in Matthew really happened, exactly as described--for those that accept the Bible as evidence, at least. I am curious as to how someone can believe that. So I asked.

[boshemia]

Good post!

 

The above is exactly my point. Everything has a naturalistic explanation, and when supernatural claims are examined today, it is found that either the story is embellished, is a local myth that "someone saw with their own eyes" but that person cannot be found, or it is a simple phenomena that is not well understood by lay-people.

 

Notice, though, that toad skins, puffer fish residue or whatever is not found in Israel, and that Jesus was crucified. Not given a potion and fell asleep, but crucified. His side was pierced with a spear. The "saints" had been dead for a while--some maybe only a few days, some for perhaps years.

 

Egyptian mythology is rife with resurrections. That is why you find so many dung beetles effigies. They go into the ground and seemingly "die" only to return to life. We now know that the beetle actually does die and that the beetle that emerges is actually the former's offspring.

 

None of that can explain what is in the Bible, though. The people who rose from the graveyard were George Romero/Sam Raimi zombies, not people who would only "appear" dead to the uneducated.

 

I would also note that the other things you mentioned like werewolves and vampires are known to be figments of the imagination, and while they may have roots in actual phenomena, nobody really believes in them--at least sane, rational, educated people don't.

 

No sane, rational, educated person falls into the trap of stereotyping entire groups of people. There are extremists among every group. They do not make up the majority, they are just the ones who get the most attention. While I shy away from extreme Christians, I also shy away from extreme atheists, feminists, or anyone else who operates under the assumption that the world is only black and white, us and them, friend verses enemy.

 

There are two sides of every coin, and while LB and LH may be on one side of the LS extremist coin, you my dear are on the other. You are just as careless with other peoples freedom to make up their own mind, you are just as convinced that your way is the only way as they are. While I respect you for knowing what you believe, why, and being willing to defend it at all costs. I also admire them for the same reasons.

 

Zombies, werewolves, vampires, are not real, yet at the same time they are. They have become a part of our history, our folklore, and our consciousness. While one person starts from a point of view that they do not exist, and therefore sets out to prove they are not real. Another person starts out with the assumption that they do have some basis in fact, and they find scientific explanations for the seemingly impossible.

 

Whenever a person builds a wall around their belief system, discounting anything that is outside of that belief system, only accepting information that supports a preconceived notion of what life is and is not, what people are and are not, what can and cannot be done, all they really do is stop making forward progress. They stay inside their comfort zone and while they are safe, and unchallenged, they also cease to grow.

 

While you may find it sad that people can put their faith in a God that you can see clearly does not exist. They find it sad that you are so blind that you cannot see a God who is so clearly present in everything they see and do. I find it sad that anyone would allow themselves to become so focused on being anti-this or pro-that that they forget that the people behind those beliefs are flesh and blood just like themselves.

 

I find humanity a wonderful and exciting race. I don't want everyone to believe the same things I believe. I want shapes, and sounds, and colors. I see the darkness, but I also see the light. I watch people, I see how they react to certain things, I found out why they do the things they do. What is on the outside of a person is only a small fraction of what is within, and what is inside is what fascinates me.

 

I can see you have spent a lot of time examining what Christians believe, but you haven't begun to understand the why. I suspect this is because you are not concerned with understanding them.

 

First consider mans search for meaning in life, to have been born with a specific purpose, to explain why we are here. When an unbeliever presents the idea that we were all accidents, the result of a great cosmic belch, we were born without a purpose, and our lives are essentially meaningless, it is hard to imagine why someone wouldn't want to switch sides. Sign me up for nothingness.

 

Second eventually every man must die. What happens when we die? What happens when our parent dies. What happens when our child dies. While we are alive, we all lose someone we love. They were here, and then one day they were gone. We want to, sometimes need to believe that they continue to exist, that somehow they are still here with us.

 

Their death brings in fears of our own deaths as well, will we really go to a better place? Will we come back again in another form? Or will we just dissapear? If there is no God, no divine plan, then not once our meaningless lives are over, we just cease to exist.

 

Then there is the world around us, we seek to understand it, there is a vast universe and in reality we don't even amount to a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things. More of that great nothingness, no purpose, no meaning, and no real place in the universe. If there is a God, someone who created me specifically, then I am important in that grand scheme, if not, a speck of dust I was born, and a speck of dust I will die.

 

Behind almost every addiction, compulsion, obsession, or delusion, you will find one common factor. The need to control some small part of this world around us, if we can control that one thing maybe we can forget the fact that we can't control everything. Eating disorders, one controls their body. Alcoholism, one controls their mind. Even science has its root in control. If we can understand it, if we can explain it, we might be able to control it.

 

God is a big part of that need for many of us, instead of seeking to control that which we cannot control, it occurs to us that there might be someone out there who can. If we can let go of that need to control the uncontrollable, and let someone else control it then we can relax a little and just enjoy life.

 

Christians believe that God created man in his image, but many of them have gone on to create God in their own image. If they have extreme personalities, then their God does too. They bomb abortion clinics, they persecute other religions, they try to make the world conform to their image, and they truly believe they are doing God's will.

 

However there are also people who have more laid back personalities, the hippie Christians. They believe in peace, love and harmony, they are content to live and let live. The too believe they are doing God's will.

 

Mankind has an innate need for some kind of higher power, they worship at many alters. You worship at the alter of science, and consider yourself enlightened. Some worship at the alter of God, and consider themselves just as enlightened. Everyone I daresay worships at the alter of someone or something, and everyone considers themselvs enlightened.

 

Now I'll end my lengthy essay with the answer to your question. One can be sane, rational, even intelligent and still believe that there are things we do not know or understand. Many things, as with the zombies, are all a matter of perspective. They do in fact exist, and at the same time, they do not exist.

 

So how can a sane, rational, and intelligent person believe in God? It is still just a matter of perspective.

 

You offer a life with no meaning, an existence with no purpose, a death with nothing beyond. We are born, we live, we die, and all we really were was a bug on the cosmic windshield. Most frightening of all, you could very well be correct.

 

The Christians you so pity believe that God created each of us specifically, that he loves us and guides us, and that we were each born with a divine purpose. Our lives have promise, and our deaths have hope. The suffering we endure here on earth is promised to be rewarded with paradise.

 

It really does take sanity, rationality, and intelligence to compare the two and decide which one offers hope.

[boshemia]

 

As far as I know, vampires are not mentioned in the Bible.

 

Vampires find their origin in Jewish mythology, if not in Christian. It was said that God created a first Eve, and her name was Lilith. She was not subserviant to her master (Adam) and in some stories insisted that she be on top of him during intercourse.

 

In some versions she was destroyed, in others she beccame a succubus, a female sex demon, and roamed the earth. Many legends consider her to be the mother of the Vampires.

 

You will not find mention of a "first Eve" in the Bible, however there is some mention of her in the Genesis Rabbah.