Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
Sunday, July 29, 2012
It's Sunday so let's talk God, shall we?
Well, that was informative.
Like I said before Hitchens could be arrogant, pompous, and acerbic, but when he was hitting on all cylinders, like he was here, his brilliance could also be blinding.
Romney had 6 official 2002 Olympic pins bearing his likeness or his name on it. There was a 7th unofficial pin - teasing about his hot temper - and the controvesy over whether or not he swore at a police officer. (He said he didn't, officer directing traffic said he did).
I love Hitchens. However, I think his point had more to do with organized religion as opposed to God. In my view, organizied religion has hijacked God and made God into something that serves their purposes.
God is all about love and acceptance. And that is what most religions forget. Most religions use the threat of hell to get its members to believe whatever they say is true. Sadly, very little of what is taught is the truth. And I have found that the louder they are proclaiming that they know God, the more hypocritical they seem to be.
My point is that God and religion are not one and the same.
His point is that this so-called god of yours is a creation of MAN, not vice versa. It was an anthropological way of explaining bad things that happened for reasons about which they didn't have a clue, like viruses and germs. And that led to shamans and that led to POWER!
On the other hand, yes, I have to agree with you about religion. Organized religion is the bane of Humankind, whether or not a god exists. And I LOVED his point about the biggest problem being MONOtheism! If you study any of the other religions, you will find that tolerance and other people's boundaries are paramount and concern for Mankind being near the top of their list. (For the most part, anyway. There have been some created which didn't - and lasted only a short time.)
I have to laugh at your asininity. You want to complain about us boycotting something because of what we believe and yet the ultra-right fanatics want to be able to boycott companies like JC Penny for their AFFIRMATIVE stance!
Religion rules by fear of the unknown. Right wing politicians use the same tactic. It is in the best interest of both to keep people ignorant. Hence, christian conservative activists are making a concerted effort to eliminate NPR and PBS. Ignorance is not bliss. In this case, ignorance is terrifying.
Suicide bombers are indoctrinated into believing ¨Paradise¨ is on the other side of the detonator button. ¨Paradise¨ consists of seventy-two, give or take a couple, virgins who will be at your beck and call. What better way to manipulate ignorant, hormone-driven, young men into blowing themselves up than by promising them a celestial brothel? Ignorance is not bliss. In this case, ignorance is deadly.
If I am not mistaken, a few of the scientists interviewed in this acknowledged we don't know what would have preceded a Big Bang... All rather awe-inspiring, if you ask me.
The whole point is not that man created the notion of God to explain why bad things happen, etc, but that man cannot explain the very nature and origin of our existence.
Why so upset with God? Religion that promotes hatred is a human creation.
Because no one yet knows quantum mechanics fully, or anything else that might explain the universe fully to broaden our understanding of material existence.
Scientific inquiry should have taught them that.
You can only be upset and fearful of what you don't understand, which is why man created gods in place of thinking for themselves, to sooth their ignorance, and thankfully, more and more of us are thinking for ourselves instead of simply accepting dogma, no matter from which quarter it arises.
Something is happening when it comes to religion in America.
Though more Americans go to church or believe in God than their counterparts in virtually every other Western country, fewer Americans now trust religious institutions. A recent Gallup poll showed that just 44 percent of Americans have a great deal of confidence in "the church or organized religion."
"Although among young people, belief in God is declining," Hagerty tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz. "But generally polls show that about 90 percent of Americans actually believe in God. So what's happening here is a decline in the trust of religious organizations."
Hmmmmm? And the best comment we hear from that is that religion and god are not the same thing. A complete fail Gryphen, but don't stop doing it because we have to start somewhere. And so I'll add the one positive comment that you're looking for now.
Religion and god are both a fraud. Period.
I think that everyone has this fixed in their subconscious well enough but are really just afraid of making the leap. Safer for them to go on pretending because, well, you never know.
But also there is the simple fact that what you learn in childhood you can hardly ever escape from. That means that in order to overthrow the superstitious religious nonsense we need to wait until less and less children are indoctrinated so early in their lives. This is happening in many countries of the world and even in America, but at a much slower rate in America.
Religion in more progressive countries of the world could be as good as extinct within 50 years or so. Religion in less progressive countries could live on for another 100 years. But even so, it will live on in a much dimished state as it will lose it's power to influence people who actually do know it's a fraud, at least subconsciously.
Hitchens' approach may not be the best. Perhaps the best we can do is not speak it and totally ignore it and it will rot on the vine of it's own volition.
The church knows, a passive belief in god is not going to hold the line. They know that it needs to be reinforced regularly and it needs child indoctrination. (abuse) Therefore it is fighting back, even though it's a losing battle against science and sanity. Their days are numbered but there's little we can do to bring it on sooner. They will have to destroy themselves and it's pretty evident that the Catholic church is in the process of doing just that. As well as other churches that are immersing themselves in evil and even illegality.
Why are people so determined to believe they are the special pet of some creature they can't see? And how are they so sure they're the favorite? There exist over 180,000 different kinds of beetles in the world. God obviously enjoyed creating them a hell of a lot more than humans.
And don't get me started on the "created in God's image..." did the guy not know how to make a joint that would last 80 years? Knees, hips, etc... Come on god, couldn't you have read a book on human assembly or something? And a woman's plumbing, for lack of a better word, is that truly the best you could do, because it always fucks up at some point not to mention being rather disgusting at regular intervals. Oh that's right, we're being punished for seeking knowledge from the apple. Sounds like us. Apples are okay now, though, right? I can have a fucking apple now, God? Thanks...
I'm a former competitive athlete. I started martial arts, soccer, and running all before 1st grade. I had too much energy, and never enough outlets.
At 15, my doctor told me that I have barely any cartilage left under my knees. And that, if I still enjoyed walking, however painful it was then, and is still now, I would have to stop everything.
I'm 26. One look at my X-rays and mris shows a lumbar spine with bulging disks, and pinched nerves, a neck with a reversed curved which lead to a compression of nerves that, sometimes, leave my hands completely numb and totally useless. My knees will forever be shot, which in turn made my feet and hips turn out.
And I did the right thing by taking absolute care of my body and staying fit and healthy. And this is how I am rewarded. 10 years of daily, chronic pain and countless needed surgeries to look forward to.
As if religion isn't often, "...arrogant, pompous, and acerbic." I will always argue that "Hitch" gave religion EXACTLY what it deserved: a well-placed kick in the nuts.
If a room of Talibangelicals were forced to listen to this, within a minute you'd hear them all shouting, "La-la-la-la-la-la-," with their hands over their ears.
He was. You might want to past tense your post as he has passed away. :-/
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit strange reading about someone who is dead as if he were not. The permanent memory of the internet makes this sort of thing even stranger.
Oops, good point,
DeleteFixed now.
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/13/145190620/a-look-at-romneys-olympic-legacy
ReplyDeleteRomney had 6 official 2002 Olympic pins bearing his likeness or his name on it. There was a 7th unofficial pin - teasing about his hot temper - and the controvesy over whether or not he swore at a police officer. (He said he didn't, officer directing traffic said he did).
Say,how's that chicken sandwich boycott coming along?
ReplyDeleteChickens sandwiches are a long way down from boycotting big bad banks with Limbaugh in between.
One day you bozos will find something you can handle.
Well maybe...
You are the bozo. Get a grip child.
DeleteI love Hitchens. However, I think his point had more to do with organized religion as opposed to God. In my view, organizied religion has hijacked God and made God into something that serves their purposes.
ReplyDeleteGod is all about love and acceptance. And that is what most religions forget. Most religions use the threat of hell to get its members to believe whatever they say is true. Sadly, very little of what is taught is the truth. And I have found that the louder they are proclaiming that they know God, the more hypocritical they seem to be.
My point is that God and religion are not one and the same.
I think you may want to listen again.
DeleteI agree with Gryph: You may want to listen again.
DeleteHis point is that this so-called god of yours is a creation of MAN, not vice versa. It was an anthropological way of explaining bad things that happened for reasons about which they didn't have a clue, like viruses and germs. And that led to shamans and that led to POWER!
On the other hand, yes, I have to agree with you about religion. Organized religion is the bane of Humankind, whether or not a god exists. And I LOVED his point about the biggest problem being MONOtheism! If you study any of the other religions, you will find that tolerance and other people's boundaries are paramount and concern for Mankind being near the top of their list. (For the most part, anyway. There have been some created which didn't - and lasted only a short time.)
I think that may be the crux of the deism/theism portion of the monologue.
DeleteOh, Randall! I LIKE that. Only one problem, however. Most people wouldn't know even the DEFINITION of those two words!
DeleteWhat's next on the boycott list?
ReplyDeleteChickens?
Chicken eggs?
Chicken feed?
Chicken shit?
Stop being a dope.
DeleteI have to laugh at your asininity. You want to complain about us boycotting something because of what we believe and yet the ultra-right fanatics want to be able to boycott companies like JC Penny for their AFFIRMATIVE stance!
DeleteGOOSEY GOOSEY GANDER!
Grow up.
Religion rules by fear of the unknown. Right wing politicians use the same tactic. It is in the best interest of both to keep people ignorant. Hence, christian conservative activists are making a concerted effort to eliminate NPR and PBS. Ignorance is not bliss. In this case, ignorance is terrifying.
ReplyDeleteSuicide bombers are indoctrinated into believing ¨Paradise¨ is on the other side of the detonator button. ¨Paradise¨ consists of seventy-two, give or take a couple, virgins who will be at your beck and call. What better way to manipulate ignorant, hormone-driven, young men into blowing themselves up than by promising them a celestial brothel? Ignorance is not bliss. In this case, ignorance is deadly.
Hitch made the point quite well - Sagan did also with his "take that one last step" observation.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/elegant-universe.html
ReplyDeleteIf I am not mistaken, a few of the scientists interviewed in this acknowledged we don't know what would have preceded a Big Bang... All rather awe-inspiring, if you ask me.
The whole point is not that man created the notion of God to explain why bad things happen, etc, but that man cannot explain the very nature and origin of our existence.
Why so upset with God? Religion that promotes hatred is a human creation.
Because no one yet knows quantum mechanics fully, or anything else that might explain the universe fully to broaden our understanding of material existence.
DeleteScientific inquiry should have taught them that.
You can only be upset and fearful of what you don't understand, which is why man created gods in place of thinking for themselves, to sooth their ignorance, and thankfully, more and more of us are thinking for ourselves instead of simply accepting dogma, no matter from which quarter it arises.
Something is happening when it comes to religion in America.
ReplyDeleteThough more Americans go to church or believe in God than their counterparts in virtually every other Western country, fewer Americans now trust religious institutions. A recent Gallup poll showed that just 44 percent of Americans have a great deal of confidence in "the church or organized religion."
http://www.npr.org/2012/07/28/157538238/u-s-still-religious-but-trust-in-institutions-wanes
"Although among young people, belief in God is declining," Hagerty tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz. "But generally polls show that about 90 percent of Americans actually believe in God. So what's happening here is a decline in the trust of religious organizations."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/2012/07/28/157538238/u-s-still-religious-but-trust-in-institutions-wanes
Hmmmmm? And the best comment we hear from that is that religion and god are not the same thing. A complete fail Gryphen, but don't stop doing it because we have to start somewhere. And so I'll add the one positive comment that you're looking for now.
ReplyDeleteReligion and god are both a fraud. Period.
I think that everyone has this fixed in their subconscious well enough but are really just afraid of making the leap. Safer for them to go on pretending because, well, you never know.
But also there is the simple fact that what you learn in childhood you can hardly ever escape from. That means that in order to overthrow the superstitious religious nonsense we need to wait until less and less children are indoctrinated so early in their lives. This is happening in many countries of the world and even in America, but at a much slower rate in America.
Religion in more progressive countries of the world could be as good as extinct within 50 years or so. Religion in less progressive countries could live on for another 100 years. But even so, it will live on in a much dimished state as it will lose it's power to influence people who actually do know it's a fraud, at least subconsciously.
Hitchens' approach may not be the best. Perhaps the best we can do is not speak it and totally ignore it and it will rot on the vine of it's own volition.
The church knows, a passive belief in god is not going to hold the line. They know that it needs to be reinforced regularly and it needs child indoctrination. (abuse) Therefore it is fighting back, even though it's a losing battle against science and sanity. Their days are numbered but there's little we can do to bring it on sooner. They will have to destroy themselves and it's pretty evident that the Catholic church is in the process of doing just that. As well as other churches that are immersing themselves in evil and even illegality.
Why are people so determined to believe they are the special pet of some creature they can't see? And how are they so sure they're the favorite? There exist over 180,000 different kinds of beetles in the world. God obviously enjoyed creating them a hell of a lot more than humans.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't get me started on the "created in God's image..." did the guy not know how to make a joint that would last 80 years? Knees, hips, etc... Come on god, couldn't you have read a book on human assembly or something? And a woman's plumbing, for lack of a better word, is that truly the best you could do, because it always fucks up at some point not to mention being rather disgusting at regular intervals. Oh that's right, we're being punished for seeking knowledge from the apple. Sounds like us. Apples are okay now, though, right? I can have a fucking apple now, God? Thanks...
I'm a former competitive athlete. I started martial arts, soccer, and running all before 1st grade. I had too much energy, and never enough outlets.
DeleteAt 15, my doctor told me that I have barely any cartilage left under my knees. And that, if I still enjoyed walking, however painful it was then, and is still now, I would have to stop everything.
I'm 26. One look at my X-rays and mris shows a lumbar spine with bulging disks, and pinched nerves, a neck with a reversed curved which lead to a compression of nerves that, sometimes, leave my hands completely numb and totally useless. My knees will forever be shot, which in turn made my feet and hips turn out.
And I did the right thing by taking absolute care of my body and staying fit and healthy. And this is how I am rewarded. 10 years of daily, chronic pain and countless needed surgeries to look forward to.
Made in his image, my ass.
If God made man in his own perfect image, why did he ask Jewish men to be circumcised?
DeleteWho ever speaks of humans being made in God's perfect image don't know how prostates work...
DeleteAs if religion isn't often, "...arrogant, pompous, and acerbic." I will always argue that "Hitch" gave religion EXACTLY what it deserved: a well-placed kick in the nuts.
ReplyDeleteIf a room of Talibangelicals were forced to listen to this, within a minute you'd hear them all shouting, "La-la-la-la-la-la-," with their hands over their ears.
ReplyDeleteDamn those librul facts.