I thought I would let people know why I started this thread, although some already know: A short time prior to this thread, a well known poster took sick on SI and subsequently passed on. I had followed many of this person's postings, as we had some common threads bookmarked. However, I had not spoken with her, so I cannot say that I loved her as I understand the word. However, like Donne I belive that every person's death diminishes all of us.
Anyhow, my experience with religious people has been that they are generally very comforting and kind in times of bereavement, so I was shocked and appalled (as were many) when someone made a statement(which he knew would be seen by friends and family), that was cruel and tormenting to those people.
I followed that person to a well known religious thread, where I saw racism and hatred and intolerance and hypocracy of the first rank. It is one thing to be aware of all the slaughter than the world has seen in the name of religion. It is qite another thing to see it alive and growing like a poisonous mushroom.
With respect to that thread, it has since calmed down a great deal, and (admitedly) some of the hostility was righteous indignation against the party that made that incredibly callous remark. However, it opened my eyes to the reality of the chosen people socio/politico dynamic of religion, and how it leads to inquisitions and silencing of rational minds.
Thus I believe it is extremely important to discredit Gods based on the vision of tribes of prehistoric nomads with all the wrath that that entails, and to encourage people to either find a replacement, or to do without the idea entirely...according to their own lights. What is important is that the God that justifies superiority and control over others--topples and falls.
Here is a reminder of how the church attempted to destroy rational men:
After surviving an assasination attempt, Spinoza (in the course of time) was brought before the Jewish authorities. They blew the horn and extinguished all the candles and read out the curse upon his name: "With the judgement of the angels and the saints we hereby excommunicate, execrate, and anathematize Baruch de Espinoz. Cursed be he by day and cursed be he by night, cursed in his lyind down and cursed in his rising up, cursed in going out and cursed in coming in. The Lord shall destroy his name under the sun and cut him off for his undoing from all the tribes of Israel. None may speak with him by word of mouth nor by writing nor shew any favor to him, nor be under one roof with him, nor come within four cubits of him, nor read any document written or dictated by him."
This was in 1656, before he wrote his great epics!! Talk about the milk of human kindness. Spinoza was one of the lucky ones. So many were tortured and killed. How many geniuses were lost?? How many others?? |
