if nothing else comes out of the da vinci code bruhaha, i hope that it highlights the ridiculous religion that is christianity. obviously, christians do not listen to themselves or their leaders- or they would realize how they are being used by our politicos to set agendas and keep these idiots elected. all you have to do is listen and watch the behavior of people like john 'i want to run for president until i win' mccain at the love fest he had twice with jerry falwell recently. the republicans have come out publicly on the sunday talking heads shows and said that they are preparing hot button topics to push the christian sheep into a stampede- such as the tried and true retreads- gay rights, abortion and flag burning. they recently threw in the war on brown people for good measure.
my question is how stupid are these people? my answer to myself has been- pretty damned stupid. setting aside believing in a man who never purported to be the son of god-and was pretty content to stick with being jewish- and then believing that he was a deity- the fact that they believe that the earth will be torn apart and built back up is flabbergasting to me. i grew up with rapture stories because- as we all know- no one is better at scaring the shit out of you than the baptists. the thing that i found remarkable in my later- and more courageous- years was that this belief was based on a 'chapter' of the bible that 1) wasn't going to be put into the bible by the catholics all those hundreds of years ago and 2) was based on life in the 1st century and was symbolic of that time. i guess that i shouldn't be surprised that these people don't listen to theologians- they don't listen to scientists either. i guess that's why they say that ignorance is bliss.
the other thing that struck me about the rapture is- hey- it's only for christians. what struck me about that was 1) not only does that really narrow the field but 2) aren't the jews god's chosen people? they don't believe in the rapture and they are supposed to have a direct line to the big guy. oh- wait... they do have a part in the rapture. after 7 years of tribulation while earth is being run by the antichrist- an army of people left behind(and subsequently the ones who are thinking oh shit i got left behind) comprised of christians and jews who have repented will battle the antichrist at the battle of armageddon. no, unfortunately, i am not making this up. anyway, what struck me was the muslims were completely left out. they believe in god and not jesus- just like the jews- in fact they split from judaism- and they are completely left out of the equation. hmmm.
not only does this explain our horrible foreign policy, but our environmental one as well. because- you see- after armageddon- the earth as we know it will be completely destroyed and god will rebuild it brand new. fantastic. ok- folks- it's the 21st century here. time to stop the fairy tales and live in the real world. people have been predicting the end of the world since the beginning of christianity and hey- guess what? didn't happen.
i have not one whit of tolerance for anyone who can seriously say that they are true belivers. you have to live in some kind of la la land- or bubble- to believe in this tripe. belief in an omnipotent being- god- perhaps. my friend tells me that people need something to believe in- and while i don't agree with it- i'll concede that it might be true. ok- fine believe in a higher power. this christianity crap is sooo made up and it is so obviously made up- i can't see how anyone can seriously believe it.
my other rant is with these 'holier than thou' republican blowhards who say that we should support the troops in iraq because they are protecting our rights and this country. who the hell do they think they are kidding? possibly themselves. yes, by all means support the troops. those poor shmos are out there getting killed for no reason other than a secret agenda the repubs had in mind before the 2000 election. these troops are obviously not protecting our rights- look at the horrible shrinking constitution that is being swallowed up by the vast homeland security- that is also not protecting us or the country. our way of life has nothing to do with the iraqis or the middle east- it has to do with the domestic terrorists right here in our very own country. stop trying to pin your nationalistic, christian crap ass belief system on the rest of us who do give a damn about freedom and constitutional rights and saving our troops and way of life.
the so-called christians do not follow christian principles because there is nowhere in christ's teachings( those words in red folks) that says to blow up arabs or put mexican babies in a holding prison and fingerprint them or spy on americans or build secret prisons or follow your leaders unconditionally. as far as i can tell, jesus was a rabbi who taught to help the poor and needy, pay your taxes, love your neighbors and family and live a good life. somehow, i don't think that i am the one who got it wrong.
13 comments:
Your last paragraph answers the whole question. What is wrong with (us, and yes, I am one) Christians is we have so little to do with Jesus Christ. His statement of faith was the Sermon on the Mount, which said, in part, hey, be a peacemaker, be meek, if you have to pray, do it in secret. There is little to disagree with there. If more so-called Christians would try to live up to the red letter words, Christianity would be a very different religion indeed. Thanks for a fine post.
I understand your venting,... religion is quite the "terminally ill topic", one cannot ever cure from its effect no matter what the angle of approach. I would not go as far as to label any religion as stupid,... not even the "radical" ones, but stupidity does reign in the populace the abide by its credo. Great blog,... enjoyed the layout :)
no- i don't see any reason to have organized religion in the 21st century. you can have spirituality or a belief in a higher power without the trappings of a shepherd and his flock. it is the herd mentality that is causing so much trouble in the world from the mullahs to the pope to the robertsons, dobsons and falwells. people need to be more self sufficient and stop being lazy. religion is lazy- 'god's will that the hurricane hit the gulf coast' or 'god's will john didn't get that job'. come on. take personal responsibility and stop living in a fairy tale. i realize that i am over simplifying the issue- but my original points stay the same.
Publius, I'm not one to go to far into the religious end of things, but Betmo makes a strong case in that we cannot just follow -on blind faith- those who have answered a sheppards calling, be it an individual or an organization. Both your and her arguments are salient and thought-provoking, even if her tone is somewhat strident to your sensitivities. No one can argue that most of History's wars have begun in the name of "God"...
i know that the religious folks out there are not going to agree with my assessment. i truly feel that religion is a lazy way to go through life. you are not ultimately taking responsiblity for your life or what you do on this planet. it's in god's hands. i realize i am oversimplifying a hefty topic but really my position is simple. i think that you can have spirituality and even a belief in god if you want- why do you need a minister or priest or denomination to tell you how to interprete your belief? why do you need someone to tell you how to vote or what issues are important? there are churches who do- and i am not lumping everyone together in this case. i just think that if you really believe in jesus- he supposedly put an end to all of that crap and paved the way for a personal relationship with him and god.
In a way, your theory was delineated very well in the movie "Stigmata", that the church has forever wanted to buffer the connection between man and God. We are all capable of getting to our spiritual Temple as it were, without too much trouble. Your gift is the ability to see that with clarity whereas many still need the feeling of being in a collective of sorts to bolster their faith. Again, both views are correct, albeit each eyes the other with weariness.
publius, i completely understand what you are saying- and trust me- i am not singling out any particular religion- or denomination necessarily. i centered in on christianity because i am most knowledgable about that- being that i was one of the fold for probably 20 years or so. i don't understand the need for a collective group think as i am very much and individualist- and yes- i can see how you would be insulted. you seem to be smarter than most of the lot i come into contact with- you know- the type who only vote republican because the party stands for pro-life? no, seriously- that's what these 2 individuals said.
i absolutely stand by your right to religious freedom- your right to believe what you want to- as long as you are not trying to convert me. not you personally- the collective you. i am having a real big problem with christianity in this country trying to hijack the constitution and the government on all levels. you want a church atmosphere- go to church. you don't want your kid to learn evolution- home school. you don't want gays to be together- don't be gay(and don't think about gays having sex). you get my point. people don't want to take responsibility for living their life in a godly manner- so they want to legislate it for the whole world. muslims too- their governments are theocracy- there are exceptions of course but then they are military states. we are a secular country for a reason. i touched on this in a previous post- so i won't go into it all again. thank you for your perspective- and i have no doubt that we disagree on this one.
I like this rant a lot.
I have MAJOR issues with organized religion, and I am no stranger looking in from the outside. I am the son of a former Christian monk for 10 years, whose brotherhood founded the Christian-influenced college I went to in Poughkeepsie (Marist).
I think what bothers me most about conservative sects of organized religion is that its followers always feel they are in the right, know the only path that will lead us to a greater existence, and justify all of this bullshit with mythology, metaphors, and literature written hundreds or thousands of years ago.
I also think that yes, they don’t listen to themselves, as you stated, however they actually do often listen to their corrupt leadership. In other words, the problem with parts of Christianity, sects of Islam, and speaking personally, with Catholicism is its leadership.
Think of how long the Pope, whomever it has been, has been against social change such as gay rights, or important health issues, such as contraception (especially in AIDS-crisis nations such as Africa, or stem cell research in an age where so many are struggling with all kinds of diseases and injuries from which they otherwise might have some hope.
That to me is the tragedy – these leaders, these people that worshippers look to for spiritual guidance – they have a tremendous responsibility. They should know better and they’re failing miserably.
Shmos? You call these troops shmos? If you don't believe in christianity, fine. That's your choice. But, I just can't believe you called them "poor shmos". If another terrorist attack like 9/11 occurs in this country, those poor shmos will become everyone's hero.
i want to clarify a point that deb brought up about the troops. in my last paragraph, i used the words 'poor schmos' to describe the troops and i think that my intent got lost in there somewhere.
"my other rant is with these 'holier than thou' republican blowhards who say that we should support the troops in iraq because they are protecting our rights and this country. who the hell do they think they are kidding? possibly themselves. yes, by all means support the troops. those poor shmos are out there getting killed for no reason other than a secret agenda the repubs had in mind before the 2000 election. these troops are obviously not protecting our rights- look at the horrible shrinking constitution that is being swallowed up by the vast homeland security..."
i absolutely feel that the troops themselves should be honored and respected- especially since a vast number of them are reservists who really didn't sign on for the duty they have been given. for a real look at how this debacle is playing out here and in iraq- stop by deb's blog and read her current post. she does an excellent job of writing to the heart of the matter.
http://debbi4873iamstillhere.blogspot.com/
As an ex military person I have a unique view on this,... I can see the passion from many angles and cant argue with deb50's indignation or your way of expression.
These themes are not for the weak-hearted and what is compassion to one can come across as banal and cold to another.
Let me say this, ... When one enters the military, from boot camp or basic training one is made fully clear the boundaries and responsibilities of our choice to join voluntarily. We were taught to never question a policy, and only fail to obey an order when we deemed it to be an un-lawful one (Uniform Code of Military Justice). I can imagine our boys and gals who out dodging IED's and bullets, every day in fear of what comes next but doing so with the full capacity of their training,and knowing full well they may be fighting a battle they may not necessarity agree with.
I try my hardest never ever to critique the military ground troops and upheave their morale. There are many sides to patriotism and freedom of speech... but care must always be taken as to how we espouse our feeling and frustrations.
On our behalf, we here "safe" at home, it is never easy to walk that thin line between being critical of government, -and our solemn responsibility to do so with force-,... and our care in not injuring the psyche of our men and woman on the field.
Lastly, I doubt Betmo's words were said with disregard. Maybe in haste so as to make a larger point,.. but I think we all love our country... why else are we here?...
thanks for the kind words. i truly did not want to offend any military persons or their families. i don't think that i did- sometimes my brain thinks faster than i can type- i prefer handwriting to typing. deb also has a unique perspective and i certainly don't want to speak for her on the issue- please visit her blog to see what i am talking about. i think the biggest point i want to make on this issue is that i want my america back. the one that i was promised- the land of the intact constitution- where politicians didn't knee jerk my rights away because of a made up war that is ending the lives of america's future for no other reason than the secret agenda of a corrupt neocon government and the spineless left who don't want to give up what little power they have. do i need a comma in there? anyway, it is up to forward thinkers and progressive thinkers of both ends of the spectrum to fix this broken system. i would like to have faith that there are some intelligent people on both sides of the spectrum- but so far it has been really lopsided.
publius- i am not entirely sure that i know what you are saying in this last post- and it might be me because i had to get up at 4am to take the hubby to the airport. we are not a theocracy(yet). a democracy is not religiously run. i understand that many people in this country on both sides consider themselves religious and i understand that if you are truly religious- a piece of that shows through in your professional life. as leaders of a country or judges and justices- or even in the workplace- we need to suspend what we believe so that it does not usurp what others believe- per the constitution. what you do in your private life should be private. my original point is that we don't need to have organized religion to obey the laws of the land or be decent, productive members of society and i don't understand why so many people think that we do. yes, many of our principle in this country, and indeed around the globe, have judeo-christian themes and influences- and the world as a whole is changing. i believe and agree with what you say about the domino effect in religion and probably in politics as well. i don't think that we see it in the same light though. i could go on about this topic forever- so it's up to the rest of you all how much farther to take it. thanks for the input.
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