Posted by Henry Butz on September 17, 2005 at 05:50:13:
How many scientists and artists have been persecuted because their path differs from that of organized religion? How many wars have been fought, crusades started, and innocent people burned at the stake in the name of religion? I'm asking 'cause I fell asleep when they were teaching this stuff in school. Well... a lot.
Our science an technology was set back by many years because The Church decreed that the sun revolved around the earth, sparking a bitter controversy between themselves and Galileo. Sea exploration was hampered by a single phrase in the good book, "the four corners of the earth," implying that sailing ships would sail off the edge if they ventured too far.
Now, don't get me wrong. Christianity teaches us many good things. Not all of us are burning witches and persecuting scientists... well, not until this year, anyway. By the way, I'm using Christianity as an example here, although we are ideally a nation of many religions. In practice, not so much.
Since the times of Columbus and Galileo, we have wised up a bit. The separation of Church and State is not a unique concept, but one which we have adopted in the first amendment to the US Constitution. This protects both entities. On the one hand, we will not pass any law which hampers us from practicing our religion. On the other hand, government should not be influenced by religious beliefs.
The religious zealots continue to bring prayer into our schools and erect biblical statues at places of government. When I see a statue celebrating the Ten Commandments bolted to the steps of a court house, I am reminded of the Salem Witch Trials. Here, local government was forced to slaughter or imprison people on religious rather than legal grounds. It can happen again.
The Right Wing has written a book entitled, Of Pandas and People, preaching the religious belief of Intelligent Design - that is, a supreme being waved his magic hand and we came into existence. Ok fine; say what you like, but keep it away from the real science being taught in our schools. We have Bible Study and Sunday School for religious rhetoric and dogma.
God does not exist - this is fantasy. Get over yourself. We came into this existence through social order and an authoritative hierarchy. This is how we have survived and built our society. Prove it to yourself. Get ten people together for a hike through the woods. You are all issued maps and compasses. What is the first order of business? Elect a leader. Any pack of well-thinking mammals on this planet does the same. Every pack of dogs has a lead. Every group of apes has a dominant male. But, what happens when you are at the top of society? When you get to the head dog, whom does he report to? Answer: A Higher Authority.
The concept of a Higher Authority is what makes society work. We all answer to someone, often changing the lead to fit the situation. Mom is king of the kitchen, but Dad owns the BBQ grill. Dad may be lord of the manor at home, but he's middle management during the week at work. The CEO of Wal-Mart is the boss of many people working under his employ, but he ultimately answers to the consumer.
There are times when we need a lead person in our life - those times when we don't know the answers, don't know who to turn to, don't know which path to follow, and have a need to answer philosophical and moral questions. If your neighbor stops by and asks for a cup of sugar, do we feel good to help them out? Or, do we turn the hose on them? A good Christian loves his neighbor. See? This is good. It's a good book - provided we aren't inclined to hunt down and burn witches. That would be bad.
Who is the lead dog in your life? God? Sure, makes sense to have someone superior to everyone. God should be a superior being with superior powers. Most puzzle pieces on the board have a part which is plugged into and a part which plugs into something else. When we are alone, we feel the need to be connected and seek out the good book. I support your belief in a supreme being; I really do.
But, when you begin to set back science to the time of Galileo by preaching the concept of Intelligent Design and when you set back government to the time of the Salem Which Trials by erecting statues on the steps of the court house - wow. Screw you. There ain't no god. Get over yourselves.
I am willing to support you in your beliefs of imaginary super friends - to the point where you are damaging society. I support your teachings and preachings. Just do it at home or do it on Sunday. There are other religions out there too, besides Christianity, which many of you continue to plow under with steam rollers. Have religious tolerance for your Jewish, Muslim, and Atheist neighbors. Talk to them. You may learn something.
I believe there is no god and never was. We live on a godless planet of primitive beings. We are born from the fires of Eat or Be Eaten. While we love nature, we bring our insect repellent and watch out for bears because they are all trying to eat us. On the highways, we cut people off before they cut us off. We murder and steal from each other, sometimes just for fun. And, if we are deeply religious, we tend to go on crusades to convert everyone in the world to Christianity, else torture and kill them; or, we burn people at the stake because they're witches.
I am truly ashamed to be sharing the same planet with some of you.