paradox or hypocrisy?
May 3, 2009 by Betmo
my mom is my partner in crime. i wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her curiosity- and her admirable ability to stomach listening to hate media and christian media. i guess that i am perplexed at the christian right’s incredulity that more and more americans are turning away from their religion. i mean, despite their best efforts, folks are not sheeple to be fleeced. that’s reserved for special morons on the right- those twenty percenters who have difficulty spelling, i imagine.
anyhoo, many right wing christian types have argued that because the founders were largely christian or deist- the intent that america is a christian nation founded on christian principles is there. therefore, we should return to christianity to unite us in the common good through morals and ethics. except that argument falls very, very flat. the constitution may have been created by men who believed that there is a god- but they specifically, and deliberately stated that there will be no state religion. folks can worship as they please- but no one religion will dominate the other at the federal level. period. you can google it- it’s there.
and on the hypocritical end- well, let’s suffice to say- with all of the ‘family values’ scandals and the pious christian leaders succumbing to just about every deadly sin there is- and the fact that they assisted the politicians in ruining this once great country for worldly gain- that they are lacking quite a bit in the moral authority realm.
i guess that the biggest puzzle for me to try and piece together- is how they present christianity versus what they really stand for. i am going to guess that’s why folks are leaving in droves. the christian right alleges to stand for the right to life of all- because your life belongs to god and your body is his temple- and you need to keep it pure and clean for him. you don’t have the right to euthanasia or suicide- because your body isn’t yours to begin with. god will decide when you live or die. uh huh. jesus- and god- are love. they love you despite you being a sinner or a heathen- and flowers bloom and birds sing, yah, yah, yah. how then to explain the christian stance on 1) capital punishment and 2) torture.
so, let’s see- god is love but he sanctions the torture of other people at the hand of the folks who won. mmmmm…. which chapter and verse in the bible sanctions torture? i’ve read it through twice but i may have missed something. i do, however, distinctly remember something about ‘vengeance is mine, saith the lord.’ but it may be different now- i have a king james version bible. and please cue me in as to where god says- or jesus- that it’s ok to kill someone based on a crime they committed.
i am an admitted ‘heathen’- athiest, i suppose to those who must label. i oppose the death penalty and torture. i also would not personally have an abortion but i am completely in favor of contraception. i also support euthanasia- under restrictions and suicide- because it’s a personal choice. now, that’s not to say i advocate either- but each human being is autonomous. they have the right to decide their own fate. they do not have the right to torture and kill other human beings- or other beings- wantonly and at their whim.
i also have a real problem with christians blaming victims for man made disasters. for example, the christian right blaming the victims of hurricane katrina for the army corps of engineer’s failure to make the levees safe. their ’sins’ did not bring the wrath of god down upon them- climate change did. and the levees breaking was most decidedly not the fault of gay folks. get real.
i have a feeling that many run as far away as they can from christianity these days because these folks come off like a band of thugs- forcing their way of life on others and ganging up on minority groups- like gay folks, immigrants, non wasps, etc. they behave like the crazy relative that folks don’t invite to family holiday dinners. and it’s unfortunate because i really believe in the constitutional right for folks to worship as they please- but these folks are turning the houses of worship into extremist group havens where they are tax exempt- and can plot their course with impunity.
the ’say one thing and do another’ philosophy is what is driving thinking folks away from religion- especially christianity. just an fyi. my fervent hope is that religion extincts itself- and i hope i am around to see it happen.
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I was raised by a fundie Christian preacher dad. I read that book a few times and even studied it in a post secondary “school”. (lotta good that degree does this athiest)
Actually there are many passages where gawd “commanded” killing and even genocide, down to “nuking” the opposing tribes land. They used salt to destroy the land then but the destruction was devastating. Try this segement from I Samuel 15:1-3
“And Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore hearken to the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, `I will punish what Am’alek did to Israel in opposing them on the way, when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and smite Am’alek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”
For more check out this website. You will be amazed how bigoted and war oriented the Christian gawd is. http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/godbible.html#love
Alien Trucker´s last blog post..It’s A Sure Thing
As an atheist, I have to admit that the people working the hardest to keep religion out of the science classrooms and fighting to keep the wall of separation intact, are Christians. As Betmo’s well said comment indicates, it’s the whackadoodles that are causing the great majority of divisiveness and hatred amongst us all. I almost typed “far-right whackadoodles”, but increasingly, more and more “democrats” are jumping on the social conservative bandwagon, which is why the blatant unconstitutional actions of School Boards and state legislatures are occurring. There is a concerted effort by many ultra-conservatives to stack the boards and legs. with fellow believers, and until their more reasonable peers decide to grow some spines and denounce these theocratic power grabs, we’ll see more of the same crap.
whackadoodles..that is a very nice way of putting it Trog. Personally, I can think of many not-so-nice descriptions for the fucktards.
I agree with trog69 that most Christians want to keep religion out of the science class. Those that don’t seem hell-bent on humiliating themselves since science is fact-based and religion is hopeful thinking at best.
This atheist has no desire to rid the planet of religion, however. It’s way too entertaining and the masses do need an opiate to keep somewhat in line. I leave you with my favorite verse, which of course, came directly from God:
God or no god, I sure hope that’s chocolate….
mmmmm….. me too