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Politics : Should God be replaced? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LLCF who wrote (28367)	3/28/2010 8:22:47 PM
From: Solon	1 Recommendation Respond to of 28931

"What I have written in this essay is a summary of authenticated fact. It is fact gathered not by those seeking evidence to support a theory, as religionists too often do, but rather as scientists do, by gathering the evidence together and seeing what theories that evidence suggests. It is the latter process, a dedication to the truth, that enables human progress. This is because humility is the basis of all intellectual advancement, spiritual or scientific. The ability to admit that you are wrong is the absolute prerequisite to gaining understanding. The presumption that the answer is revealed, and must then be supported by seeking evidence, is a sure way to lead civilization down the blind alley of arrogant egotism and the institutionalized error that prevented the Catholic church from acknowledging for three centuries that it was wrong to punish Galileo for defying the pope in publishing the Dialog, when Galileo was right about the sun being the center of the solar system and everyone who read the book knew it. That is the position in which the dogmatic Christian now finds himself. It is up to the Christian to be honest with himself as to what this means for his faith. Believe what you want to believe, because it is what you have heard all your life, or accept what is real, regardless of how painful that may be." The following is a thorough and methodical overview of biblical development from at least 7000 B.C.E. (and the Epic of Gilgamesh) to the present proselytism in impoverished continents such as Africa. It is well worth 30 minutes of honest study to get once and forever a clear intellectual picture of the whole mess. Only people absolutely unwilling to face the evidence can fail to see that there is nothing of divinity in these stories. As the author shows, it is mainly a story of conquest and conquest and conquest... bidstrup.com

To: LLCF who wrote (28367)	3/29/2010 1:15:40 PM
From: average joe	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 28931

9 Christian militia members in U.S. charged in anti-government plot DETROIT - Nine members of a radical Christian militia were charged with plotting to kill police in Michigan and wage war on the government, an indictment unsealed Monday said. Prosecutors say the Hutaree militia considered law enforcement to be “foot soldiers” of the federal government and counted among their enemies anyone who did not share their beliefs or was participating in the “new world order.” They had allegedly been training for an attack since at least 2008 and planned to kill a member of law enforcement and then attack the funeral with home-made bombs. They would then retreat to one of several “rally points” to “wage war against the government and be prepared to defend in depth with trip-wired and command detonated anti-personnel Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), ambushes, and prepared fighting positions,” the charging document said. “It is believed by the Hutaree that this engagement would then serve as a catalyst for a more wide-spread uprising against the government,” the indictment said. Prosecutors said a weekend raid on militia members in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana was necessary because the group planned to kill anyone who got in the way of a “covert reconnaissance operation” planned for April. Eight of the militia members were arrested, but the leader’s son — Joshua Stone — is considered a fugitive. The Hutaree website says it is “preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive.” The group’s logo is a cross with the initials CCR, which stand for Colonial Christian Republic and its name means “Christian warrior.” A video posted on the website depicts a group of heavily armed men in military gear replacing a burning United Nations flag with their flag after pretending to kill soldiers wearing blue helmets. The group also warns of the coming of the Anti-Christ and the “Beast” and cites Biblical passages to prove that “Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves.” “This is an example of radical and extremist fringe groups which can be found throughout our society,” Andrew Arena, special agent in charge of the Detroit office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said in a statement. “The FBI takes such extremist groups seriously, especially those who would target innocent citizens and the law enforcement officers who protect the citizens of the United States.” The number of extremist groups and armed militias which advocate radical anti-government doctrines and conspiracy theories nearly tripled last year to 512 from 149 in 2008, according a recent report by to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks the activities of hate groups. The militia members face charges of seditious conspiracy, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. Those charged were: militia leader David Brian Stone, 45; his wife, Tina Stone, 44; his sons Joshua Matthew Stone, 21 and David Brian Stone, Jr., 19; Joshua Clough, 28; Michael Meeks, 40; Thomas Piatek, 46; Kristopher Sickles, 27; and Jacob Ward, 33. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison in convicted. © Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald Read more: calgaryherald.com