When the Homily is about Immunology

Atheism in politics

Is God dead? Atheism finds a market in U.S

Opening line: A fresh wave of atheistic books has hit the market this autumn, some climbing onto best-seller lists in what proponents see as a backlash against the way religion is entwined in politics.

There is a "huge visibility and political empowerment of religion.
President George W. Bush uses his first veto to deny funding for stem cell research and scientists everywhere are horrified," he [author Sam Harris] said in an interview.

Look, Sam, to this degree, religion will ALWAYS play a role in politics as surely as Atheism does and will;. Both form the human conscience, except that atheists almost always pervert their atheism in order to make it more palatable,for in reality it has no exterior moral guidance whatsoever. Interior (or self) moral guidance has a rich history of working rather poorly. Atheists tend to forget that much of what even they will embrace as moral common ground with theists is founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ as it has become ingrained in our formation as a culture. I would even argue that the notion of tolerance as seen in most western cultures is ALSO derived from the teachings of Jesus Christ. Now, by tolerance I do not mean acceptance...I mean that Jesus had the law put down its stones and speak to the heart of the adulteress saying: "Go and sin no more."

Furthermore, scientists "everywhere" were not horrified. How absurd. While I do not doubt that many and even a majority of scientists were perturbed, to imply that the entire scientific community was aghast at the decision is stupid. I type here as a living testimony to that stupidity.

Religious polarization is part of many world conflicts, he said, including those involving Israel and Iran, "but it's never discussed. I consider it the story of our time, what religion is doing to us. But there are very few people calling a spade a spade."

Wrong. I have often called a spade a spade. But here we see what I have oft feared would be the result of stupid and asinine instances of people making moral equivalences between the teachings of all religions. Even Rosie O'Donnell with her profound grasp of religious understanding has said on her silly little morning talk show that Christian fundamentalists are just as dangerous as Jihadists. Utter brilliance, but unfortunately more and more people are buying it and it is giving fuel to atheists to claim (as they have in the past) that religions have and are causing horrors all over the world. I would advise that in all the world's conflicts we see today that have the appearance of religious inspiration, that Mr. Harris and others determine what exactly is the common denominator of them all. DO THE MATH.

Paul Kurtz, founder of the Council for Secular Humanism and publisher of Free Inquiry magazine, said, "The American public is really disturbed about the role of religion in U.S. government policy, particularly with the Bush administration and the breakdown of church-state separation, and secondly with the conflict in the Mideast."

Besides the profound misunderstanding of the the First Amendment (which does not mean that religious convictions cannot guide the collective human decision making process) which I will not address, he seems to imply that our present policy in the Middle East is somehow being guided by American religious principles? I guess I missed the speech in which GW claimed he was going to depose Saddam in the name of Jesus. Or perhaps I skipped over the various bills passed by congress which began "In the name of Jesus, most merciful and compassionate..."

What is odd, in my silly little mind, is why Atheists are not TOTALLY and OVER THE TOP gun hung about the war on terror. I mean, have they read what the terrorists are fighting for? Stem cell research bans horrify us? Hell, how about getting your wives done up in Burkhas? How about stoning Monica Lewinsky for adultery? Legalize Pot? HAHAHAHAH...how about having your hand removed for smoking it? Separation of Church and State? HAHAHAHA...how about government religious police wandering the streets looking for dress code violations? Fond of your right to criticize Christianity...or even to create "piss Christ" art? HAHAHAH...how bout we pass a few blasphemy laws including death as a possible punishment. Hey, Atheists, I bet you are fond of tolerance and what not...how bout we ban the practice of all religions except Christianity...wouldn't that be fun!

You want to know how religion has played a role in our Middle East policy? I mean REALLY played a role? It has stayed our hand. Read it again: It has stayed our hand. Perhaps not enough, in the opinion of some, but none-the-less...take away our moral foundations as inspired (whether we remember it or not) by the teachings of Christ and we should have laid waste to the Middle East a long time ago. Taken over the oil, build some fences with machine gun nests to secure them and close down all traffic in and out save that which we need to get our oil. Let the Shia and Sunnis celebrate their fast together - and perhaps even watch the fireworks as some sort of reality TV program. What in Atheism would persuade us to do otherwise?

"I've published 45 books, many critical of religion," Kurtz said. "I think in America we have this notion of tolerance ... it was considered bad taste to criticize religion. But I think now there are profound questions about age-old hatreds."

I guess I missed seeing that notion that prevented people from freely criticizing religion here in America. Bad Taste, maybe...but never illegal...never dangerous. News in the last few years though has shown a particular problem with ONE religion and tolerance and freedom and danger. But, in the west, we have been free to crucify Christ over and over and over again. As we should be free to do so....that is the sort of long-suffering God we serve, decidedly NOT one subject to "age-old hatreds." Hatred is the fruit of atheism...whether we recognize it or not.