If you are of the Abrahamic bent, you are necessarily nuts. The recent attacks in Norway, the constant suicidal bombings in Pakistan, and the Israel/Palestinian conflict all prove my main thesis. If you believe in a singular, judgmental god you are a crazy person. And I hate your belief. All of it. I am willing to say that there is NOTHING GOOD about what you believe, and I'm willing to say your belief is singularly poisonous. The Sun-god faiths rely on judgement, but that judgement is placed into the hands of an indecipherable and unknowable god. How do you know what your god actually thinks? How? From a book which brooks no amendment, from a christ who wasn't, from a kingdom which hasn't happened? As soon as you tell me "god thinks" I know you are retarded. It would be better for you if you had a genetic disorder, because then you would have a reason for saying something so entirely stupid.
My friend Brian posted this entry on his blog (eloquent and thoughtful as ever):
http://sojourney.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/ramadan-in-jordan-2011-an-outsiders-perspective-ramadan-basics-part-1/
He, also, is retarded. Religion should no longer be under the "divine edict" clause. If it's stupid, it's stupid. If it's hateful, it's hateful. There's nothing worse than reading about the way "one side" is right and the other side "is wrong" but heaven forbid if you denigrate the other side. Heinous. The whole idea is heinous. Sectarian violence is religious violence: Darfur's situation is the result of islamic, religious warfare, Somalia's famine is a direct result of the Catholic Church's refusal to ok birth control, 12 people were killed in Afghanistan because of the burning of the book, Thailand's southern tip is torn apart by Malay islamists demanding...something stupid. It's all so stupid. Somewhere in the belief of a loving god, all abrahamists have gone astray and cleaved to the judgement and the righteousness. I am sickened.
I think there are two amazing things which have happened to the Western World: The Plague (because it weeded out a lot of the unnecessary children and their procreaters) and the Enlightenment. Not the schism of East vs. West high churches, not Luther's nailed theses, but the event which killed 1/3 of Europe and the event which showed the remaining few how to think. Unfortunately, those of the Abraham faiths have stopped thinking.
I am currently living in an Islamic country, and I challenge anyone, who thinks his government should be anything other than secular, to live here. Then, and only then, would that person understand that while it's swell to be in the religious majority, it really stinks to be in the minority. I am, literally, prohibited from drinking water in public here during R*m*d*n. I also couldn't buy alcohol in Delaware on Sundays. You tell me which law makes more sense. R* has 28-30 days, depending on the moon, but every year has 52 Sundays. Which is more onerous? Which is more stupid? New Jersey closes retail outlets on Sunday, the Middle East stops working for a month. Sure...that other one makes sense. If you deny a prophet, you deny a new truth. Ugh.
The problem with the faiths of the desert is there is such a forced dichotomy between "believer" and "not really a believer" and "apostate." No christian wants to acknowledge that Anders Behring Breivik may have...gasp...believed in Jesus and his saving grace. Musta been a different Jesus. That's the same rhetoric Muslims claim about terrorist attacks. Its all so savage. So savage.
While the mainstream press has been identifying Breivik as a “Christian terrorist,” “Christian fundamentalist,” and “Christian extremist,” several media commentators and actual Christians have been vehemently attempting to set the record straight about “Christian” being used so carelessly.
(full article here: http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-set-record-straight-on-alleged-norway-shooters-faith-53069/)
God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers. 
(Quran, 60:8)
My friend Brian posted this entry on his blog (eloquent and thoughtful as ever):
http://sojourney.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/ramadan-in-jordan-2011-an-outsiders-perspective-ramadan-basics-part-1/
He, also, is retarded. Religion should no longer be under the "divine edict" clause. If it's stupid, it's stupid. If it's hateful, it's hateful. There's nothing worse than reading about the way "one side" is right and the other side "is wrong" but heaven forbid if you denigrate the other side. Heinous. The whole idea is heinous. Sectarian violence is religious violence: Darfur's situation is the result of islamic, religious warfare, Somalia's famine is a direct result of the Catholic Church's refusal to ok birth control, 12 people were killed in Afghanistan because of the burning of the book, Thailand's southern tip is torn apart by Malay islamists demanding...something stupid. It's all so stupid. Somewhere in the belief of a loving god, all abrahamists have gone astray and cleaved to the judgement and the righteousness. I am sickened.
I think there are two amazing things which have happened to the Western World: The Plague (because it weeded out a lot of the unnecessary children and their procreaters) and the Enlightenment. Not the schism of East vs. West high churches, not Luther's nailed theses, but the event which killed 1/3 of Europe and the event which showed the remaining few how to think. Unfortunately, those of the Abraham faiths have stopped thinking.
I am currently living in an Islamic country, and I challenge anyone, who thinks his government should be anything other than secular, to live here. Then, and only then, would that person understand that while it's swell to be in the religious majority, it really stinks to be in the minority. I am, literally, prohibited from drinking water in public here during R*m*d*n. I also couldn't buy alcohol in Delaware on Sundays. You tell me which law makes more sense. R* has 28-30 days, depending on the moon, but every year has 52 Sundays. Which is more onerous? Which is more stupid? New Jersey closes retail outlets on Sunday, the Middle East stops working for a month. Sure...that other one makes sense. If you deny a prophet, you deny a new truth. Ugh.
The problem with the faiths of the desert is there is such a forced dichotomy between "believer" and "not really a believer" and "apostate." No christian wants to acknowledge that Anders Behring Breivik may have...gasp...believed in Jesus and his saving grace. Musta been a different Jesus. That's the same rhetoric Muslims claim about terrorist attacks. Its all so savage. So savage.
While the mainstream press has been identifying Breivik as a “Christian terrorist,” “Christian fundamentalist,” and “Christian extremist,” several media commentators and actual Christians have been vehemently attempting to set the record straight about “Christian” being used so carelessly.
(full article here: http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-set-record-straight-on-alleged-norway-shooters-faith-53069/)
Islam, a religion of mercy, does not permit terrorism. In the Quran, God has said:
God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers. (Quran, 60:8)(full article here: http://www.islam-guide.com/ch3-11.htm)
But look how easy it is to twist words, how easy it is to judge. It's sickening.
It seems to me that the only answer that makes any sense is to love EVERYONE, without exception. Stop judging, stop dividing, just love.
ReplyDeleteApart from calling Brian a retard, I liked your article. I want to take your view, and I get pissed off at mindlessness in all its forms. I agree - thinking we can know what god thinks is crazy. And its obvious that many atrocities have been committed in the name of religion.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder though if it isn't just the religious that are nuts. I think we all are. I think the one common thread to all of life's problems is that we're all human. I'm not historian, but religious wars aren't they only stupid wars. Sudan was carved up by an empire, meddling in someone else's business. The slave trade was created and maintained by greedy people. The list goes on. Religion _is_ used as mind control over people, and we're all stupid not to realize when it happens to us. but that is not unique to religion. People are people, the duality of man reigns supreme. We are all some strange mix of 'good' and 'evil'. But really, we're just a mix of ignorant, fearful, intelligent, caring, stupid people. We made religion - that's why its so destructive. and helpful. and indifferent. and powerful.