Good, Bad or Indifferent?
"I think it is very beautiful for the poor to accept their lot, to share it with the passion of Christ. I think the world is being much helped by the suffering of the poor people". Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997).
"I think it is very beautiful for the poor to accept their lot, to share it with the passion of Christ. I think the world is being much helped by the suffering of the poor people". Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997).
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich" Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821).
"There once was a time when all people believed in God and the church ruled. This time was called the Dark Ages". Richard Lederer (1938 - ).
"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of what he was never reasoned into."
Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745)
So I guess there is no point in me trying either. But then why should I care what others think or believe in? After all I am a “live and let live” (LALL) person.
The trouble is, are they? And can I just ignore their behaviour to the rest of us?
And therein lies the rub. It is very difficult to, using a biblical term, “turn the other cheek”.
Perhaps I should ask “what are the advantages of being in a religion?” Would I be a better person, would I be happier? It’s a bit like joining a club. Although I may be able to make useful contributions, I still need to know what would be in it for me?
They tell me I will have a soul which will put me into a superior category and separate me from all other living creatures on this globe. Wow; that is really something!
And I understand that this privilege allows us to abuse the rest of our fauna in what ever way we choose, way way beyond our food chain requirements. We can condemn them to imprisonment in Zoos; we can kill them just for fun and make them suffer in the name of sport and entertainment.
Well that’s a bit of a turn off for me. It doesn’t fit my LALL persona. And religions either directly or tacitly approve of such treatment to our fauna. They certainly do not condemn.
So what else?
"There once was a time when all people believed in God and the church ruled. This time was called the Dark Ages". Richard Lederer (1938 - ).
"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of what he was never reasoned into."
Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745)
So I guess there is no point in me trying either. But then why should I care what others think or believe in? After all I am a “live and let live” (LALL) person.
The trouble is, are they? And can I just ignore their behaviour to the rest of us?
And therein lies the rub. It is very difficult to, using a biblical term, “turn the other cheek”.
Perhaps I should ask “what are the advantages of being in a religion?” Would I be a better person, would I be happier? It’s a bit like joining a club. Although I may be able to make useful contributions, I still need to know what would be in it for me?
They tell me I will have a soul which will put me into a superior category and separate me from all other living creatures on this globe. Wow; that is really something!
And I understand that this privilege allows us to abuse the rest of our fauna in what ever way we choose, way way beyond our food chain requirements. We can condemn them to imprisonment in Zoos; we can kill them just for fun and make them suffer in the name of sport and entertainment.
Well that’s a bit of a turn off for me. It doesn’t fit my LALL persona. And religions either directly or tacitly approve of such treatment to our fauna. They certainly do not condemn.
So what else?
All religions without exception are blatantly sexist. I’m told the Bible was written by God through the hands of men. (Is that true of the Koran as well?) Apparently God didn’t use the hands of any women. So he (I assume God is supposed to be a he) must have been the ultimate sexist!
I’m certainly not happy with that. And often as not, they discriminate, perhaps more subtly, for other totally irrational reasons such as colour of skin, class, differing beliefs – you name it. And that is not good at all. A big NO NO.
I was lucky. In my formative years; I was about 14, and had a very close school buddy. One day I was making some disparaging remarks about Jews. To which my buddy retorted, “I am a Jew”. I am eternally grateful to him, in that those four words taught me that any form of discrimination was totally irrational and to be deplored.
Well there’s got to be something in religion that would attract me!
"When lip service to some mysterious deity permits bestiality on Wednesday and absolution on Sunday, cash me out." Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998)
It does seem, at times, there is one law for the rich and famous and one for the poor. But it also seems at times that the church is above the law! Is that a good enough reason to join? Not really, because it also clashes with my LALL attitude. It has concerned me that child abuse can go on, and yet be covered up and allowed to continue. And what other crimes are being covered up?
No I don’t think I could be seen to condone that!
Ok then; what about fighting wars?
I don’t claim to be a top notch historian, but consider there has only been one just and necessary war since the turn of the 20th Century. That was WWII. Hitler was said to be an atheist. Well if he was, then that would explain why that particular war had to be fought. Pretty well every other war has been religious or anti religious.
And directly or indirectly all wars are driven by religious people.
Tony Blair, being responsible for the death of a few hundred thousand innocent lives, on his retirement declared he had no regrets, while preparing to become a Roman Catholic! No doubt the Pope will give him a thousand blessings!
George W Bush is a “born again Christian” and John Howard (Australia’s prime minister), well, whatever his religion, he preys for rain!
When I served my National service in 1949/50, I had the opportunity to make the navy my career. But could not see myself as a war machine and returned to Civvy Street.
So I guess religion’s associations with war does not impress me either.
There is of course the Jehovah Witnesses who were given a special dispensation during WWII as Conscientious objectors. But oddly enough, they condone corporal punishment of little children! Just another form of child abuse. A touch of hypocrisy I think. Besides they spend most of the time knocking on people’s doors like pestering salesmen!
"We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough religion to make us love one another."
Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745)
Religion is supposed to be about love isn’t it? But instead all I see is considerable affluence in some religions, with the leaders in all their wealth and refinery, dictating to and expecting the poor to come and kiss their hand as if they were something other than their equals. In fact with the exception of the “Mother Teresas” of this world, there is very little love to be found within any religion.
Well there’s got to be something in religion that would attract me!
"When lip service to some mysterious deity permits bestiality on Wednesday and absolution on Sunday, cash me out." Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998)
It does seem, at times, there is one law for the rich and famous and one for the poor. But it also seems at times that the church is above the law! Is that a good enough reason to join? Not really, because it also clashes with my LALL attitude. It has concerned me that child abuse can go on, and yet be covered up and allowed to continue. And what other crimes are being covered up?
No I don’t think I could be seen to condone that!
Ok then; what about fighting wars?
I don’t claim to be a top notch historian, but consider there has only been one just and necessary war since the turn of the 20th Century. That was WWII. Hitler was said to be an atheist. Well if he was, then that would explain why that particular war had to be fought. Pretty well every other war has been religious or anti religious.
And directly or indirectly all wars are driven by religious people.
Tony Blair, being responsible for the death of a few hundred thousand innocent lives, on his retirement declared he had no regrets, while preparing to become a Roman Catholic! No doubt the Pope will give him a thousand blessings!
George W Bush is a “born again Christian” and John Howard (Australia’s prime minister), well, whatever his religion, he preys for rain!
When I served my National service in 1949/50, I had the opportunity to make the navy my career. But could not see myself as a war machine and returned to Civvy Street.
So I guess religion’s associations with war does not impress me either.
There is of course the Jehovah Witnesses who were given a special dispensation during WWII as Conscientious objectors. But oddly enough, they condone corporal punishment of little children! Just another form of child abuse. A touch of hypocrisy I think. Besides they spend most of the time knocking on people’s doors like pestering salesmen!
"We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough religion to make us love one another."
Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745)
Religion is supposed to be about love isn’t it? But instead all I see is considerable affluence in some religions, with the leaders in all their wealth and refinery, dictating to and expecting the poor to come and kiss their hand as if they were something other than their equals. In fact with the exception of the “Mother Teresas” of this world, there is very little love to be found within any religion.
So I just cannot seem to find anything attractive with any religion, and there are too many negatives for me to become associated with them. Maybe, one day they will learn the folly of their ways and beliefs. Who knows?
As for me, I’m not much bothered about having a soul. And it is just as well I do not accept that we are all created by "God" and that my Mum and Dad had nothing to do with it! Otherwise I would be suffering severe withdrawal symptoms!
In conclusion it seems that my views are so diametrically opposite, I would have to stay with the Marxist (Groucho) philosophy and say,
"I would not join a religion that would have me in its flock". Brian Pay (1931 - )
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In conclusion it seems that my views are so diametrically opposite, I would have to stay with the Marxist (Groucho) philosophy and say,
"I would not join a religion that would have me in its flock". Brian Pay (1931 - )
(posted June 2007)
• return to My Home Page • Or check the Precis •
2 comments:
Hmm interesting
Just a few disparate (and possibly rather naive) thoughts on the subject of religion.
Unquestionably Christianity has been the impetus behind many of the great social reforms and the advancement of civilisation during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries but what a pity it couldn't have been done from exclusively humanitarian motives! Isn't it time we acted from our acceptance of our common humanity and empathy with our fellow creatures and not because we feel compelled to act in order to build up favourable marks towards the ultimate audit predicted by the religious cognoscenti? Do we neede this insurance policy now that we understand the physical world so much better than our supersticious predecessors?
Acceptance of the truth of the Scriptures demands a belief in a supernatural dimension for which no shred of evidence exists and is consequently totally unverifiable. Why should we believe it?
Is it not simply wish-fulfilment? i.e. This is the way I would like things to be, therefore it must be so. QED.... I will meet my loved ones in Paradise...all my anxieties will be over, and it will be roses, roses all the way from then on. Is it not simply that we cannot face up to the unpleasant fact of our own annihilation - that we are simply so unimportant that we vanish from the scene without trace? We are so egocentric, so self-important that the idea is unthinkable! Surely we deserve better than that!......eternal life at the very least!
Apart from its praiseworthy moral imperatives, isn't this what religion is all about?
Having established what would appear to be my own atheism, let me modify it a little. I accept the possibility, even the likelihood, of a fundamental mystery beyond our understanding. What I do reject, totally, is giving any credence to the scriptures of any religious teaching, of the "Wisdom of the Ancients", of any "insider" knowledge on the part of any of the quasi gurus that abound. We don't "know" and maybe we cannot "know". Our brains are limited to our own constructs, our own concepts. Our understanding is always in terms of space and time, cause and effect, reciprocity etc.
Agnostic would therefore seem to be a more appropriate term for me, though, evidently, exceedingly sceptical about the motives that lie behind religious belief.
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