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Archive for the ‘Religion’ Category
Mother Kills “Possessed” Daughter
Categorized: Religion
Tagged: Christianity, Fundamentalism
If anyone was wondering why there is so much anger against fundamentalist Christianity here is your answer. An Illinois woman stabbed her 6 year old daughter to death because she believed that her daughter had been possessed by a demon. Next to the child’s body were found an image of Jesus, May and Joseph. According to the story the woman had no problems with drugs or mental illness so no using that as an excuse.
I briefly mentioned a story from last month about a family that prayed while their daughter died of an easily treatable medical condition. There was also another case last month where a 15 month old girl died of an easily treatable condition because her parents did not believe in antibiotics. Thats three preventable and tragic deaths in less than two months directly caused by superstition and a belief in magic. I’m sure there have been more that I don’t know about as well.
As far as I am concerned there is no difference between these deaths. It makes no difference that one family stood by and did nothing while their daughter died or that the mother stabbed her daughter. They are all equally dead and their parents are equally at fault. However the fault does not stop at the parents but also the church’s and preachers that spread the fundamentalist Christianity that caused these tragedies.
Scientist Link Darwin and Holocaust
Categorized: Religion
Tagged: Fundamentalism, Good Science, Intelligent Design, Satire
Gotta Love the OnionThere has been a growing debate between the pro-science crowd and the makers of the creationist propaganda film “Expelled” (The one with Ben Stein). Of course I’m referring to debate in a very loose manner as its impossible to actually have a debate when the anti-science position is represented by clowns who make everything up as they go.
Anyhow the whole affair started off poorly for the makers of “Expelled” when they had PZ Meyers thrown out of the theater, yet through an incredible display of incompetence allowed his guests to remain in line. Along with his wife and daughter PZ Meyer’s guest was none other than Richard Dawkins! Read his review of “Expelled” here.
If your not familiar with creationism, or as its called when they are trying to force it into schools – intelligent design, the argument basically boils down to … “Anything that science has not yet proven with 1000000% certainty is a wild crazy guess and therefore could just as reasonably be attributed to magic.” Thats a simplification of course, in practice its much dumber than that.
John S. Wilkins, a prominent Darwinist scientist has shown the courage to stand against Darwinists like PZ Meyers in support of the main point in Expelled, that Darwinism was the root cause of the Holocaust. In his story Stein is right: Darwinism causes antisemitism over at Scienceblogs.com (the same site that hosts PZ Meyers blog) has created a compelling outline of historical events. Here is a short excerpt and I highly recommend reading the entire history. I never knew how far back Darwinism’s influence reaches.
38CE: Thousands of Jews were killed in Alexandria, under Darwin’s influence, as reported by Philo.
315CE: Constantine published the Edict of Milan. [...] Jews lost many rights with this edict. They were no longer permitted to live in Jerusalem, or to proselytize.
325CE: The Council of Nicea decided to separate the celebration of Easter Darwin’s Birthday from the Jewish Passover. They stated: “For it is unbecoming beyond measure that on this holiest of festivals we should follow the customs of the Jews. Henceforth let us have nothing in common with this odious people…We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews…our worship follows a…more convenient course…we desire dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews…How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are almost certainly blinded.”
337CE: ChristianDarwinian Emperor Constantius created a law which made the marriage of a Jewish man to a Christian Darwinist punishable by death.
339CE: Converting to Judaism became a criminal offence.
343-381CE: The Laodicean Synod approved Canon XXXVIII: “It is not lawful [for Christians Darwinists] to receive unleavened bread from the Jews, nor to be partakers of their impiety.”
367-376CE: St. Hilary of Poitiers referred to Jews as a perverse people who God Darwin has cursed forever. St. Ephroem refers to synagogues as brothels.
379-395CE: Emperor Theodosius the Great permitted the destruction of synagogues if it served a religious purpose. Christianity Darwinism became the state religion of the Roman Empire at this time.
380CE: The bishop of Milan was responsible for the burning of a synagogue; he referred to it as “an act pleasing to God Darwin.”
415CE: The Bishop of Alexandria, St. Cyril, expelled the Jews from that Egyptian city.
415CE: St. Augustine wrote “The true image of the Hebrew is Judas Iscariot St George Jackson Mivart, who sells the Lord Darwin for silver. The Jew can never understand the Scriptures and forever will bear the guilt for the death of Jesus Darwin.”
418CE: St. Jerome, who created the Vulgate translation of the Bible Origin of Species wrote of a synagogue: “If you call it a brothel, a den of vice, the Devil’s refuge, Satan’s fortress, a place to deprave the soul, an abyss of every conceivable disaster or whatever you will, you are still saying less than it deserves.”
489-519CE: Christian Darwinist mobs destroyed the synagogues in Antioch, Daphne (near Antioch) and Ravenna.
Remember that Darwin’s On the Origin of Species wasn’t published until 1859 yet prosecution of Jewish people goes back way before that. Interestingly enough the earliest event on this time line is well after the ascension of the Christian religion into power and the vast majority of antisemitism was perpetrated by Christians. Those same Christians who are trying to blame it on Darwinism. Well, its not like conservative Christians to avoid responsibility and prosecute a whole group of people based wholly on their beliefs so Im sure there is no connection. I mean, Christians just want Jews to be perfected after all.
I wish this was all an April Fools Day Joke, but sadly Creationism and the delusions it causes are real. If you know someone who is afflicted by the tragic disease of fundamentalism there is some hope. Scientists have located the gene that causes Christianity and are working diligently to develop a cure. In the mean time you can find some peace by reading the Top 10 Creationist Discoveries of All Time. Thanks for reading and have a happy Aprils Fools Day.
Preachers Say the Darndest Things pt2
Categorized: Religion
Tagged: Christianity, Hypocrisy, Religious Freedom, Reverend Wright, Tolerance
At long last I bring you part 2 of my three part series on the Reverend Wright “controversy” and the hypocrisy that surrounds it. This controversy has been totally fabricated by the radical conservatives and propagated by our spineless and sensationalist media. Instead of honest conversations on the points brought up in Wright’s sermons we have instead been treated to biased and misleading racist propaganda and fear tactics punctuated by intentionally misleading video clips taken out of context.
In part 1 of this series I provided two videos of Reverend Wright that put his words in context. I strongly believe that while some may not agree with his points, his sermons are no more racist or anti-American than anyone else’s. To illustrate that I also provided four clips of conservative religious leaders making statements that are far more hateful and intolerant than any to be found by Reverend Wright.
The fact that the statements made by Reverend Wright have generated many times the amount of negative media coverage as those by his conservative counterparts is unquestionable. The only question then is why there is such a disparity between how the two are not only handled by the media, but viewed by the average American. In part two of this series I will explore how this hypocrisy is a direct result of conservative Christian culture. I apologize in advance for how long this is.
Media Bias Against Progressive Religion
The right wing propaganda machine is exceptionally good at misinforming its base, who are in turn exceptionally good at being misinformed. One of the biggest and most successful propaganda campaigns has been painting of our mainstream media as having a heavy liberal bias. While many objective studies have debunked this claim the right wing continues its propaganda, knowing full well that their followers will only accept the truth that they already believe (see below) regardless of any amount of information to the contrary. In this manner the right wing not only control the media through the corporations that own them, but also condition their followers to dismiss any harmful information as liberal lies.
As a result of the media’s perception of being to the left of center everything they cover is viewed through a distorted lens (like in a circus fun house) that shifts everything to the ideological left. In this manner the mainstream media is able to present radical fundamentalist Christians as if they represented mainstream American ideals even though they are in actuality far to the right of most Christians. The disparity in the amount of coverage conservative religious leaders receive over their progressive counterparts and the illusion of everything shifting to the left has serious consequences for the religious and moral discussion in America. This fun house mirror effect causes progressive ideals to appear far more radical than they really are which explains how even when viewed in context many conservatives will still think that Reverend Wright is racist and intolerant. Even worse though it has led directly to my next point.
Fundamentalism Has Hijacked Religion and Morality
Anyone who is not a conservative Christian and has spent more than a few minutes speaking with one will understand this point. Fundamentalists all share the belief that they own a monopoly on morality and that it is in fact impossible to be a good person if you are not a part of their belief system. The belief structure of conservative Christianity is that the only possible truth is that which comes from within their established belief structure forming a self referencing and self validating world view. Essentially it boils the burden of proof on anything down to whether or not their leaders say its true.
Conservative fundamentalists view themselves as a group of flawed individuals following a perfect belief. As flawed individuals they believe that the organizations and groups that they belong to carry the same moral perfection that they attribute to their religious beliefs. Naturally these groups include their clubs, partisan political attack groups, and churches but oddly they also extend to the country as an entity. This is due to the delirious belief that America is a Christian nation and that our laws, policies, and foreign military excursions are directly guided by the hand of God. As God is running the show so to speak, at least when there is a Republican in the White House, our nations actions are due the same scrutiny as their holy Bible, none.
How It All Ties Together
This is where Reverend Wright got himself into trouble. As the sole authority on what is right and wrong fundamentalist Christians do no take it kindly when others call on them to be responsible for actions that they do not feel are wrong. Yet Reverend Wright did just that. He attributed the attack on 9/11 to our foreign policy mistakes and imperialism. He called on America to accept responsibility for its past racist actions against not only the Black community but also Native Americans and other minorities. He called on America to accept the results of its history and to make the changes necessary to right those wrongs.
When fundamentalists are confronted with something that they do not agree with they only have one possible reaction, attack it. Alternatives like open mindedness, acceptance, tolerance, forgiveness, or any of the other traits they like to portray themselves as having don’t actually appear to exist for those outside the group. While this makes them horrible dinner guests, it makes them excellent attack dogs. So thats what they did with Reverend Wright. If your still wondering why these attacks are all based on misinformation, racism, and fear tactics your not paying attention. They have no relationship with truth or facts to draw upon even if they wanted to.
Anyhow, this is a short summery of how the fundamentalist Christian culture has contributed to the ridiculous Reverend Wright “controversy”. I really could go on and on with examples and references but I don’t think its necessary. Those who would be swayed but such things are most likely already convinced, and for the rest it would be wasted effort. I am not supposed to work on the weekends as my wife says I work too much but I will try to get the final part out anyhow. I promise it will be shorter.
Comments are welcome but as before no race-baiting comments or allegations against Reverend Wright or anyone else. If you would like to refute my point please do so, just remember that in a debate both sides carry an equal burden of proof.
Read the Rest of the Series
Preachers Say the Darndest Things pt1
Categorized: Religion
Tagged: Christianity, Hypocrisy, Religious Freedom, Reverend Wright, Tolerance
By this time I am sure you are at least somewhat aware of the media created “controversy” surrounding Barack Obama’s pastor Reverend Wright. There have been those on the right who have been perpetrating the myth that Barack Obama, on virtue of being a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, is a black racist.
This charge is mostly based upon short out of context sound clips and the fact that Trinity Church serves a black congregation and deals with issues facing the black community. Being totally unfounded and thoroughly debunked I have been expecting the liberal media to shoot this story down. However as always I am disappointed by our liberal media, (why do they always attack the liberals?) so here I am writing about a non-issue instead of something that matters.
Before I get further into this post I want to present the two most commonly seen sound bytes in their original context. Please try to keep an open mind and watch these in full. I believe you will find that while potentially inflammatory the statements made are not at all racist, and only mildly anti-American. By anti-American of course I mean that in the Bush Administration, no accountability, no personal responsibility, for us or against us kind of way.
[youtube width="225" height="177"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvMbeVQj6Lw[/youtube]
[youtube width="225" height="177"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdlnzkeoyQ[/youtube]
My primary problem with these stories is the inherent hypocrisy of our media, and by reflection on us as a nation. Religious leaders have a long history of making statements that are offensive and divisive and the statements made by Reverend Wright are nothing out of the ordinary. In fact I would argue that in they pale in comparison to statements made by highly regarded leaders of the religious right. Here are a few quick examples before we move on.
[youtube width="225" height="177"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=H-CAcdta_8I[/youtube]
[youtube width="225" height="177"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=tViqufbk7I8[/youtube]
[youtube width="225" height="177"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=4qNi7tPanUA[/youtube]
[youtube width="225" height="177"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=4SOQesc3q_U[/youtube]
These videos clearly show the depth of conservative religious intolerance and hatred. This filth is significantly worse than the impassioned speech of Reverend Wright, yet the conservatives embrace their leaders while attacking Reverend Wright. In fact these conservatives value the opinion of their hateful religious leaders so much that in order to be a viable Republican candidate you must win their approval. A task that McCain is working desperately to do.
So having accepted that there is an undeniable bias for the conservative religious leaders you must then ask the question of why. Why is Barack Obama being attacked so often that even Chris Wallace is crying foul for attending the Trinity United Church of Christ while John McCain is getting a free pass for pursuing the endorsement of anti-catholic pro-apocalypse Hagee? There are a few theories on this and I will be presenting them tomorrow.
For today I would like to hear your thoughts on the apparent hypocrisy of the media in how they cover conservative religious leaders verses how they are covering Reverend Wright. Please keep comments focused on the difference between how the media and the candidates are treating these two groups. I have no patience for comments about “black racism” and this is absolutely the wrong forum for that conversation. Thanks!
Read the Rest of this Series Here
Happy Spring Holiday
Categorized: Religion
Tagged: Religious Freedom, Tolerance
First off I want to wish all of you a happy Vernal Equinox and/or Easter celebration. I hope that whatever faith you follow and whatever your plans this weekend you have a fun and safe time. Spring is by far my favorite time of year, and the Vernal Equinox is always a big deal in our household. So if your an atheist or don’t have a holiday this weekend enjoy the transition back to Spring.
Every morning we listen to talk radio as we make our commute and this morning I was flipping through stations trying to find one talking about something interesting. One of our local stations was talking about Easter and their plans for the weekend. All in all pretty standard morning radio stuff but it did catch my attention when they started pondering on the odd custom of painting eggs and the connection between Jesus and rabbits.
For those of you who don’t know, there is no connection between these traditional easter symbols and Jesus. The egg and bunny are pagan symbols of fertility and (re)birth and are tied to the original pagan celebration. Easter, like every Christian holiday was appropriated from older pagan beliefs and celebrations. Long before Christianity virtually every civilization on earth celebrated the end of winter and the Vernal Equinox, Easter is simply another ripped off pagan holiday complete with pagan traditions and symbolism.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Christianity or their use of the Pagan holidays, traditions, and beliefs. In fact it works out well for many people who can celebrate Easter and Christmas with their families despite differences in religion. My concern is that a large number of Christians do not know the basic history of their religion. Belief without understanding is not faith, its slavery.
So please take the time to do some research on the pagan history of Christianity. I highly recommend this resource on the pagan origins of Easter from ReligiousTolerance.org and this quick primer on pagan history. Not only will you learn a little more about why Christians do many of the things they do, but it will shed light on the natural peace and beauty of the older pagan religions as well. Please don’t blame me though if you discover that not only Easter but every aspect of the Christian religion all the way down to Jesus can be found in much older religions and mythology.
Thanks and have a great weekend!
Who Would Jesus Vote For?
William
P.S. Even though the ecclesiastical vernal equinox is a set date on March 21st the real astronomical vernal equinox was yesterday. Its also important to note that obviously these are reversed for the southern hemisphere who had their autumnal equinox as they make the transition from Summer to Fall.
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