When I was a kid my neighbor and I got into dirt biking. I started out buying a minibike with money I had saved from a paper route. It was a 1970 honda 50 trail bike that I would like to have back about now. Later I got a TM100, and at 15 I got a CR 125. Screaming machine!
My neighbors dad Mr-T, is an old blues guitarist, friends with the late BB King, and I learned to play on his wine red Gibson ES330, the most beautiful guitar on planet earth. Anyway, when I rode my moto to his house he would call me Bonzippa. “Who’s Bonzippa” I asked. He explained who this character was, and it described something like this photo below.
This “Bonzippa” would ride wheelies and speed around the country like a mad man. Mr-T would always tell stories about crazy things this moto nut would do on his bike, and I would try to imitate it the best I could. Later, I told my kids about Bonzippa, and referred to them in the same adoring, storytelling manner until Bonzippa was as real to them as he was to me. -Enter the internet.
Turns out there are no google hits that I can find anywhere for Bonzippa. He didn’t exist. Mr-T made it up, and I passed it on, all the while telling my kids about the heroic riding of the great Bonzippa. It would be a great story, but nothing more. -Enter Religion
How far can story telling can go in my little world? Imagine if Mr-T had a pulpit and ten minutes of fame? Religion is expert and storytelling lies to induce positive feelings with fables. “Go te into the world, and preach my gospel”. Say whatever you want, just link it to Jesus and it will be so.
TheCommonAtheist 
I have seen firsthand what people will believe when they trust someone. I raised my oldest son in the church and later in his homeschooling. He believed all of the religious nonsense I taught him. I believed and I had conviction so he trusted that I knew what I was talking about. Fast forward to now and he’s in public school doing great and now realizes that what I taught him was not the truth. He understands I didn’t teach him lies intentionally and he’s not angry about it. He knows it was due to my indoctrination and not Dad just being malicious. I’m just glad I changed my beliefs early enough in his life that he stands a better chance to know reality than I did.
Children tend to trust people without question. That’s why they are such huge targets for religious institutions. “Get em’ while they’re young” is in the training of most churches as they know this is their best opportunity to brainwash. Very sad stuff.
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You will be happy to know that “Bonzippa” does show up on a Bing search. The first result is a link to this blog post. You made history Jim. Now you just need people to look up a word they’d never heard before and you’ll be all set.
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I’m famous!!! Just like Navin Johnson and the defective oil cans.
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Don’t be a jerk, Jim.
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Soon I’ll find my purpose and that new “job”.
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Praise bonzippa!!
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Bring em young? Hmm sounds like a college
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I never understood why people call the religious stories of the Greeks and Romans and others, “myths,” and therefore just “stories,” whereas the religious stories of Christians are regarded as either facts, the Truth, or worthy of veneration. Consider the Canaanites who never left the area or the Exodus which isn’t in the Egyptian records.
Inquiring minds want to know the difference.
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We don’t want to talk about the exodus. Lol. I guess maybe it’s a cultural shift that needs to happen. Sooner the better. The controlling religion does gave an overwhelming advantage here. It will pass.
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Rabbi Adam Chalom, Ph.D:
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At least present the faith version along side with what was found in reality. “We don’t know if this is true”, are seven words in a row that are never linked together in abrahamic religion.
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Non-orthodox Jews do, much to be admired about their general approach.
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That’s been my experience with non-orthodox Jews as well John.
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Over half the population of Israel are atheist, and of the Jewish movements started in the last 100 years ALL have rejected the existence of the god of the Torah. Doing somethig right, obviously.
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OUTSTANDING!!! It’s about time someone stopped being hypocritical and not only closely examine all the evidence, but embrace it as well no MATTER how uncomfortable it will be in the beginning! 👏
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The Jews are fine because they have a rich wisdom tradition to fall back on. They can jettison Yhwh and still have cultural meaning.
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Well, well, well I’LL BE DAY-UUMED!!! I couldn’t find Google hits on Bonzippa either, but when I searched for “Rabbi Ben-barak Bonzippa of Nazareth” I got all sorts of hits! 50-pages of hits, probably more! Wow Jim, you’re right! 😮 😛
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That’s twice this week I’ve been right. On a roll….
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I don’t like to tell stories about Santa, Easter bunny or any of that nonsense. It’s crazy to see how many get upset about my lack of lying to the kids.
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Well crap! I gotta lie to my kids to keep them in line and behave so Santa brings them crap. Wait, that doesn’t work.. well I guess we can find some roots on bullying at school. Arguments over the toothfairy… btw these effing King County parents slipping $20 under a pillow is frigging outrageous! They keep that ess up and the WA Dept of Revenue will want their 11.9% of that transaction
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That’s funny. Sales tax for the tooth fairy. Start em young their too
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Well, if the churches are exempt from taxes the tooth fairy might be too.
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Good point. Same genre.
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