politics 2008

something has been nagging at me about the election- even before- and this something is a big reason i am casting my vote for kucinich. the politics of religion- and it stinks to high heaven! you can't read anything about any of the candidates on either side without having christianity shoved down your throat. now, this may not bother some- but it bothers me because i happen to think about the bigger picture. it all started really irking me when chuck norris started stumping for huckabee. now, i loved chuck norris. his movies sucked and walker, texas ranger sucked- but i loved their corniness and over-the-top action. that is until chuck got religion. holy crap! i couldn't watch the entire last season of walker because of all of the praying and whatnot. yeah- that's rude but that's life. the show sucked the life right out of people and i think we all breathed a sigh of relief when it ended.

anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows how i feel about religion-i am completely against it in any form. and i was also thinking about it because my hubby works in an office where there are a whole lotta churchies who wear their churchiness like a badge of honor- and lord help you if you are a godless heathen. he's nice and answers questions and gently debates and whatnot. i haven't been drawn in---yet. i have a feeling it's because they have an inkling that i may say something that would hurt their delicate sensibilities. and i would. why? because i think religious people are intellectually lazy. not stupid- intellectually lazy. we, as americans, are a largely incurious lot anyway- when you throw religion into the mix-well, we are reaping the harvest of that from the last 7 years. yes, intellectually lazy- how so? well, the churchies- of any stripe- tend to go to worship services and be told how to live and think by their 'spiritual leader' and they expect the same from their politicians. no thought involved there. black and white- because god told me so. unfortunately, these folks vote. and they vote en masse.

huckabee has been in the news saying that gay folks choose to be gay and abortions shouldn't be legal and blah, blah, blah.... why? because it's against his christian religion. he is unwilling- and i would bet unable-to debate the issues on anything other than religious grounds. the anti-abortion crowd and the anti-gay crowd completely suck away any real discussions to be had by their undefendable craptastical religious argument. there is a real ethical debate to be had over abortion. not so much homosexuality. some folks are gay. end of debate. they should be allowed to be legally married in a secular society. no discussion- get over it. as for abortion, there is real room for real ethical debate on a human level with that one- sans religion. you can debate whether it's murder or euthanasia- or whatnot. you don't get to stop it based on the fact that your god said so. that's intellectually lazy- and quite frankly, morally reprehensible.

i agree with chris hitchens- i don't have to be nice about your religion. it's yours- not mine. but here's the deal- you don't get to foist your religion on anyone else. you have constitutional protection to practice your religion. you don't get to force it on anyone else. you are free to go to your house of worship; you are free to worship in your home or in your car; or in the store if you want- you don't have the right to force public prayers at events or in schools. you don't get to make laws and policies that put your religion ahead of any others. you don't. there are no niceties in entertaining that line of thought. which is why none of the other candidates would ever have my vote- they pander. they profess. they pray. they politicize religion. i can't tell you how disgusted i was at clinton having a photo op under the stained glass window recently. there's the whole giuliani- hey, suddenly i am catholic again after 2 extramarital affairs and 3 marriages. please.

you want to debate real life issues- stretch your mind. learn all that you can about your own religion. don't just crack open your bible- it hasn't changed at all in a few thousand years- is that 6,000? look at real science and philosophy- keep your mind challenged. there is nothing inherently wrong with a belief in "god" or in spirituality- it's the religious dogma that is dangerous. there is no- and never has been- good religion. look at the issues- the real life issues- and stretch your mind to the debate. it could change the world.