Thank you for visiting cowsinthepews.com.

I hope you choose the wise path from the crossroads you face by being here.

By the time you get through reading this book, you hopefully will realize that I’m speaking to both ends of the spectrum and everyone in between. The spectrum I’m talking about is the one defined by one’s “faith.” In the broadest sense, the ends of the spectrum consist of those filling the pews, and those who want no part of it; those who believe and those who don’t. Before you presume to know that I’m coming from one side or the other, know this: I believe most people live their lives with the mentality of whatever type of herd they’ve thrown in with. I also believe there are very few people in this world who truly understand what it means to be a critical thinker, to the extent that most are merely products of what they’ve been taught without ever questioning whether what they’ve been taught is the truth. Mooooooo.

As an example, consider the various religious traditions most of us observe one way or other. Obviously, we are all somehow taught these things, and to whatever measure, we all understand and accept the things we learn about our traditions. But there are things we are taught and choose to believe without it ever occurring to us that what we’ve been taught is nothing more than what the teacher has been taught. Maybe that’s a statement of the obvious, too, but so much of what we learn, from so many aspects, is merely information regurgitated by the people who assume the roles of teachers in our lives. They (the teachers) are themselves unaware, or without questioning, blindly accepting of the things they’ve learned from those who would be teachers in their lives, and on and on.

Have these thoughts ever occurred to you? I truly cannot be the only one who thinks these things. You are the people I’m trying to connect with; the people who, in many ways, succumb to peer pressure and just go along with the mindset of the herd to at least give the appearance of fitting in. It all seems so shallow, so superficial, and so empty. Don’t get me wrong; I realize people mean well; their intentions are good, albeit from my vantage point—misguided.

On a much deeper level, however, the traditions of our fathers, grandfathers, etc., seem to stand in the way of our ever truly knowing God, our Father, or ever truly understanding anything about him. In truth, the layers of stuff you have to weed through to know God for yourself, much less to make an informed decision about him, is incredible. In other words, the odds of ever truly knowing God is stacked against us when we are taught these traditions as children, when we spoke as children, when we understood as children, and when we thought as children. When we finally grow out of our childhood, we can’t help but believe throughout the rest of our lives that the typical religious traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation are part and parcel to believing in, and worshipping, God.

That brings me to the purpose of this book. I am so convinced that the “shepherds” of the religious herd—that is, the organized Christian religions of this world—have so clouded the knowing of God that it is virtually impossible for anyone to really know whether what they have been taught about him is true or not. In fact, much of what is put forth as “Christianity” has served only to confuse and confound those on the inside of the religious herd and alienate those on the outside who are presumed to make up the atheist herd. Thus, the name of the book: Cows in the Pews and the Atheists Too. If you find the courage to read this book, I at least hope to persuade you to think about these things. I hope to help you realize that, in truth, God is not the author of confusion. And if he’s not, that can only mean one thing—man is.

Is there an alternative? I aim to present one to you for your thoughtful consideration—and in the end, you’ll decide. There is no form or structure associated with it. I’m not offering a place, a website, audiotapes, or videos; you won’t see me televangilizing behind a pulpit with some gaudy, ornate, “religious-looking” backdrop. What I offer is a proverbial key; the same key that was offered to me by a friend who had it offered to him. It ain’t my key. It is a key that can open your “spiritual” eyes—that is, your mind’s eye to God, to his Bible—and answer for yourself again whether you believe him, or not. It will require you to step back from what you think you already know and “think again.” You’ll have to put away your preconceived notions about all of these things and give yourself one more shot at your relationship with him.

Using this key will require courage—courage because if you allow yourself to see what is behind the door it opens, you will find yourself quite alone, and being alone requires courage. It is a very lonely stand. Assuming, of course, you believe what you see, because if you continue reading, and you honestly consider these ideas, you will come to a point where you will have to decide whether you believe or not. There’s really no way around it. You won’t have to declare it to anyone; you won’t have to stand up in front of some congregation and publicly announce that you are a believer. The decision will be made between you, God, and no one else. After all, the decision is that personal: it is between you, God, and no one else. Hopefully, you can appreciate that an informed decision is a wise decision. Trust me when I tell you that what will be revealed to you if you decide to use this key will make you say to yourself many, many times, “I didn’t know that.” And eventually you will ask yourself, “Why isn’t this taught in ‘Christian’ churches?”

Is the key that I offer an opinion? Again, you’ll decide. But I don’t believe it is merely an opinion for one reason. With it, you can pick up the King James Version of the Bible and read it, study it, and understand it for yourself. On a more personal level, the key will allow you to let God give you his testimony directly. It won’t be clouded by so many years of religious form and tradition. It will be from his mind and heart to your mind and heart, and only then can you truly decide whether to assent to his declarations and testimony. Only then can you make a judgment as to whether what he declares is the truth—or not. Only then can you claim to “have” faith—or not.

Mystery of Christ? Mystery solved...