As I peel back the layers of absurdity in Mormonism the discovery continues at an increasing rate. As I have been looking around at other religions, I have been realizing that many of the other claims are just as absurd.
The list of absurdities is immense and spans all belief systems that I have encountered thus far. Here is a small sampling from our own upbringing:
1. A talking serpent. Genesis 3:1
2. The Israelite population went from 70 to several million in a few hundred years. Exodus 1:5,7, 12:37, 38:26
3. The birth story of Moses is suspiciously similar to that of the birth of Sargon, an Akkadian monarch from the 3rd millennium BCE. Exodus 2:3
4. God appears to Moses disguised as a burning bush that is not consumed Exodus 3:4 - 4:17
5. A rod turning into a snake. When the snake was grabbed by the tail into became a rod. Exodus 4:2-9
6. God made Moses' hand appear leprous, and then he cured it. Exodus 4:2-9
7. Moses poured water on the ground and it turned into blood. Exodus 4:2-9
8. Lot's wife is turned into a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:26
9. God killed Egyptians and their livestock by smashing them with huge hailstones mixed with fire. Exodus 9:24
10. God tells the Israelites to smear some blood on their doors. That way when he's going around killing Egyptian children, he'll remember not to kill their children too. He probably said to himself when he saw the blood, "Oh yeah, I remember now. I not supposed to kill the children in this house." Exodus 12:7, 13
11. The Egyptians chased after the Israelites with "all Pharaoh's horses." But according to Exodus 9:3-6 there wouldn't have been any horses, since God killed them all in "a very grievous murrain." Exodus 14:23
12. God kills all the cattle in Egypt Exodus 9:6 But a little later (Exodus 9:19-20, 12:29), God kills them again a couple more times.
13. God wants to be remembered forever for the mass murder of little children. Exodus 10:2
14. God appears to the Israelites and speaks from a cloud promising to rain lots of food (quails and mana/bread) from the sky. Exodus 16:10-12
15. A magical trumpet played loud while God came down in smoke, fire, and earthquakes onto Mt. Sinai. Exodus 19:16-18
16. God gives detailed instructions for performing temple ceremonies in the form of ritualistic animal sacrifices. Leviticus Chapters 1 - 9
17. Six chapters of Leviticus on divine instructions for making tables, candlesticks, snuffers, etc. 25 - 30
18. God gives instructions for making priestly breeches (garments). "And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs shall they reach." Leviticus 28:42
19. God's magical Urim and Thummim Exodus 28:30
20. Priest must wear holy breeches or die! (hmmm...temple garments for the priests) Exodus 28:43
Deja vu...been on that bad ride before and I have no interest in going for a second spin.