I'm reading Christopher Hitchen's latest work, god is not great, and find it fascinatingly informative. Just today, coincidentally, the local newspaper ran a story, Catholic Bishop Bans Gay Ministry Talks. One of the missions of the Sisters of St. Francis, Tiffin, is a mission to gays and lesbians, but the long arm of the church closed their door.
Hitchens begins his book with the thousands of documented stories of 'religious' people and the hierarchy messing up [torture and murder] the lives of ordinary people throughout the centuries. He spares no religious movement, but is especially harsh on Islam and Christianity for their countless misdeeds and their continuing fouling of the waters of life. His subtitle states his theme: How religion poisons everything.
His book is apropos for American readership in that recent nationwide polling suggests that Americans are trending much farther away from religion, the church, faith and beliefs. The old 'fire and brimstone' embers nonsense has gone out for many Americans who find god/God less relevant in their lives.
One has to wonder if some of this falling-away can be attributed to the goofy evangelical ministers like Falwell, Robertson, Haggart and Bakker. Their hypocrisy, especially on the homosexual agenda, no doubt helped many Americans to realize just what charlatans these 'men of god' were. One recalls on the day of the 9-11 attacks, Robertson and Falwell blaming homosexuality and God's wrath for the attacks.
The old sing-song children's ditty, 'my god's better than your god' comes to mind. The Islamic terrorists on that day were, according to the holy imams, going to 'Paradise for their murders. Hitchens relates that a few days later, in a memorial to the victims of the Twin Towers, evangelist Billy Graham told those gathered that the 3000 victims were also in 'Paradise.' Odd place, Paradise.
Today's Republican Party finds itself in quite a bind as it flounders about trying to figure out exactly what they are all about. When they welcomed in the evangelicals to their tent, and flaunted their party as 'god's party,' their demise was already being written. Prayer in schools, public display of the 10 commandments, teaching of creationism in schools, blurring the line between church and state all have contributed to the swamp that the GOP finds itself adrift in. They ought to read James Madison to help them move to fresher waters.
Religious fanatics are always so righteous, as if they alone have the kernel of 'truth.' It's the snake oil product. Trouble is, that kernel has sprouted and fizzled thousands of times over the millennia, most often accompanied by great human suffering.
Yes, but.
Sorry, no more yes butts.
The old sing-song children's ditty, 'my god's better than your god' comes to mind. The Islamic terrorists on that day were, according to the holy imams, going to 'Paradise for their murders. Hitchens relates that a few days later, in a memorial to the victims of the Twin Towers, evangelist Billy Graham told those gathered that the 3000 victims were also in 'Paradise.' Odd place, Paradise.
Today's Republican Party finds itself in quite a bind as it flounders about trying to figure out exactly what they are all about. When they welcomed in the evangelicals to their tent, and flaunted their party as 'god's party,' their demise was already being written. Prayer in schools, public display of the 10 commandments, teaching of creationism in schools, blurring the line between church and state all have contributed to the swamp that the GOP finds itself adrift in. They ought to read James Madison to help them move to fresher waters.
Religious fanatics are always so righteous, as if they alone have the kernel of 'truth.' It's the snake oil product. Trouble is, that kernel has sprouted and fizzled thousands of times over the millennia, most often accompanied by great human suffering.
Yes, but.
Sorry, no more yes butts.
