black and white
As Marx said, "religion is the opium of the people".
Which was it, Groucho or Harpo, I don't remember?
As far as I can tell, there are several levels of Judeo-Christian religiousness in 2007. The non-religious, the culturally religious (which is what I am), the socially religious, the seriously religious, and the fanatically religious. It is this last group that I want to discuss.
This group takes the bible literally, and actually uses it to justify bigotry, oppression, often outright hatred. They do not feel safe in this world, except under the belief that their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their savior, will lead them to heaven. Thus, any non-christian is possibly a threat. A Jewish or Arabic or Buddhist person is not accepted. In fact, most arabic people are terrorists and should be eliminated. A gay person is sinful in his or her sexual deviation. A person who believes in abortion or in the freedom of choice, is also a sinner, and unsafe. If you take this further, any person who is liberal, and who doesn't reject homosexuality, abortion, gay marriage, etc. is a sinner, whether or not they accept Christ as their savior. So, the United States can only be safe with people who accept Christ as their saviour, and who reject non-christians, gays, pro-choicers, and liberals.
The result is a country torn into two or three opposing groups. The liberals, the conservatives or neo-conservatives, and the religious right. The white supremacists are a whole different group, and will be discussed in a later blog.
The division, as far as I have observed, is volatile and potentially dangerous. The American Civil War was the result of two opposing groups who could not co-exist, and thus had to go to war with one another.
A 2nd Civil War could be the result of the present situation. All that needs to happen is something like putting all non-english speaking americans into camps. Or sending all mexican people who are not US citizens back to Mexico. Or if we continue to kill and be killed in Iraq.
Maybe it's inevitable. It certainly helped in the 1860's. But it would be a real bummer if the good guys lost this time around.
As Marx said, "religion is the opium of the people".
Which was it, Groucho or Harpo, I don't remember?
As far as I can tell, there are several levels of Judeo-Christian religiousness in 2007. The non-religious, the culturally religious (which is what I am), the socially religious, the seriously religious, and the fanatically religious. It is this last group that I want to discuss.
This group takes the bible literally, and actually uses it to justify bigotry, oppression, often outright hatred. They do not feel safe in this world, except under the belief that their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their savior, will lead them to heaven. Thus, any non-christian is possibly a threat. A Jewish or Arabic or Buddhist person is not accepted. In fact, most arabic people are terrorists and should be eliminated. A gay person is sinful in his or her sexual deviation. A person who believes in abortion or in the freedom of choice, is also a sinner, and unsafe. If you take this further, any person who is liberal, and who doesn't reject homosexuality, abortion, gay marriage, etc. is a sinner, whether or not they accept Christ as their savior. So, the United States can only be safe with people who accept Christ as their saviour, and who reject non-christians, gays, pro-choicers, and liberals.
The result is a country torn into two or three opposing groups. The liberals, the conservatives or neo-conservatives, and the religious right. The white supremacists are a whole different group, and will be discussed in a later blog.
The division, as far as I have observed, is volatile and potentially dangerous. The American Civil War was the result of two opposing groups who could not co-exist, and thus had to go to war with one another.
A 2nd Civil War could be the result of the present situation. All that needs to happen is something like putting all non-english speaking americans into camps. Or sending all mexican people who are not US citizens back to Mexico. Or if we continue to kill and be killed in Iraq.
Maybe it's inevitable. It certainly helped in the 1860's. But it would be a real bummer if the good guys lost this time around.
VIEW 16 of 16 COMMENTS
twixxie:
NoG, I am taking my historical references from the Book of Judas, not some novel. But we jews have a little more insight into the motivations of fellow Jews, especially hotttt Jews like Jesus of Nazareth. He was a healthy, young stud who had sexual needs like all of us. Mary M. was the love of his life. Do you think he would leave this woman to hang on a cross to die? He was a smart dude, and he and Judas fugured out how to pull off the caper that allowed JC and Mary to disappear to their love nest in Francia. You gotta admit it makes a lot more sense than the story about the rock moving from the cave opening, and the body somehow dissappearing. So, of course he must have done what no human has ever done, rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven and sat at the right hand of G-d, a spiritual entity which we Jews have no written word for in Hebrew. Come on, give me a break. No machen senzen.
iam_walrus:
Yeah - it does seem pretty ridiculous - God coming as man and dying for humans - pish tosh.