What the...?
"a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ." Yup thats' what one of the reports on the Israel Lebanon conflict said. The sad thing is you read those sort of remarks a lot when looking at the events of the last five years. Somehow the evangelical movement in the US seems to have persuaded itself that the bringing on of Armageddon is its role. The quote was from an article in counterpunch about the conflict. What I don't get, is why on earth they believe that this will benefit them.
I gave up on church and priests at a tender age, when my local priest informed me that anyone who was not Catholic might as well take a rope and hang themselves now. As we had just returned from Asia (where our friends were Muslims, Hindis, etc), I was stunned and disgusted. The thing is, as far as I am aware the most radical Jews believe that only they will go to heaven, same as the Christians believe that only they will go to heaven. So there we have radical elements on both sides trying to provoke the end of the world, together, both sides firmly believing that only THEY will reach Nirvana. Er, is that not a gamble? Or is it a showdown "Hell, we'll see who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell!"
Worse yet that such an attitude can influence the actions and decisions of presidents and prime ministers. What happened to the seggregation of powers? Surely a prime minister ( or president, or whatever) must first consider the wellbeing of his country and people, not let himself be guided by his own religious beliefs. Yes, the US population is more devout that the European population, but is that actually a good thing? Religion is not just about going to church, but also about carrying out ALL the teachings. Last time I checked most world religions still contained passages about forgiveness, kindness and understanding others. What has happened to those passages, were they expunged?Maybe I'll have to swap my King James Bible for a newer version.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against religion, everyone needs hope and beliefs to function. What I do not condone or understand is how you can say your religion is the only right one. And how you can singlemindedly chose some bits, but not others. How can a religios person actually justify a war to themselves? They are causing hunger and suffering, discrimination and death, just so maybe, maybe they can cause of the world? Am I nuts or are they?
I gave up on church and priests at a tender age, when my local priest informed me that anyone who was not Catholic might as well take a rope and hang themselves now. As we had just returned from Asia (where our friends were Muslims, Hindis, etc), I was stunned and disgusted. The thing is, as far as I am aware the most radical Jews believe that only they will go to heaven, same as the Christians believe that only they will go to heaven. So there we have radical elements on both sides trying to provoke the end of the world, together, both sides firmly believing that only THEY will reach Nirvana. Er, is that not a gamble? Or is it a showdown "Hell, we'll see who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell!"
Worse yet that such an attitude can influence the actions and decisions of presidents and prime ministers. What happened to the seggregation of powers? Surely a prime minister ( or president, or whatever) must first consider the wellbeing of his country and people, not let himself be guided by his own religious beliefs. Yes, the US population is more devout that the European population, but is that actually a good thing? Religion is not just about going to church, but also about carrying out ALL the teachings. Last time I checked most world religions still contained passages about forgiveness, kindness and understanding others. What has happened to those passages, were they expunged?Maybe I'll have to swap my King James Bible for a newer version.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against religion, everyone needs hope and beliefs to function. What I do not condone or understand is how you can say your religion is the only right one. And how you can singlemindedly chose some bits, but not others. How can a religios person actually justify a war to themselves? They are causing hunger and suffering, discrimination and death, just so maybe, maybe they can cause of the world? Am I nuts or are they?
Posted at 7/27/2006 08:25:00 PM UTC
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"If the bible is universally diffused in Hindustan, what must be the astonishment of the natives to find that we are forbidden to rob, murder and steal; we who in fifty years, have extended our empire...over the whole peninsula...and exemplified in our public conduct every crime of which human nature is capable. What matchless impudence to follow up such practice with such precepts! If we have common prudence, let us keep the gospel at home, and tell them that Machiavelli is our prophet, and the god of the Manicheans our god.": The Reverend Sydney Smith - (1771 - 1845)
Even priests can see the gap between what the bible says and what we do.
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