Richard Dawkins explains why God is a delusion, religion is a virus, and America has slipped back into the Dark Ages:
That trend toward enlightenment has indeed continued in Europe and Britain. It just has not continued in the U.S., and not in the Islamic world. We’re seeing a rather unholy alliance between the burgeoning theocracy in the U.S. and its allies, the theocrats in the Islamic world. They are fighting the same battle: Christian on one side, Muslim on the other. The very large numbers of people in the United States and in Europe who don’t subscribe to that worldview are caught in the middle.
Actually, holy alliance would be a better phrase. Bush and bin Laden are really on the same side: the side of faith and violence against the side of reason and discussion. Both have implacable faith that they are right and the other is evil. Each believes that when he dies he is going to heaven. Each believes that if he could kill the other, his path to paradise in the next world would be even swifter. The delusional “next world” is welcome to both of them. This world would be a much better place without either of them.
Table of contents for Lest We Forget
- Lipstick
- Google - the evil empire?
- Presque vu XXXXI
- Himmler - Speaking To His Own
- Evil? I Don’t Think So.
- Can the President Pardon Himself?
- Bush Acting Strangely? - I Don’t Believe It
- Paul Wolfowitz and Accountability
- Presque vu XXXX
- Presque vu XII
- Subversive Vanity Fair
- Bush Lied
- Science and Reason
- The Dixie Chicks
- Egyptian blogger sentenced to four years
- Women at Work
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Jan 30th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Hi John,
I agree with your post in a different context.
To me, it is the thought of any robotic religion, that offers a complete delusion of the senses.
It commands one’s sanity to embrace ritual, tradition, superstition & folklore until the human spirit is tied up in a series of complicated knots from where it may never break free - metaphorically speaking. Everything else is then judged from each individual’s own assortment of complications.
I am of the belief that the universe should be explored for its wonder, glory & possibilities.
It can be done but only if someone wants to.
I broke free from traditional mindsets from where I was brought up, easily enough through the willingness to keep an open mind but mostly through books and travel.
One’s perception immediately claims change and seeks an independent self-contained thought.
In modern Asia today, where religion of every imagery still rules like an iron rod, the independent thinker who would dare suggest the above is immediately declared a misfit.
with regards
jb says: Hi Susan. I don’t think your remarks only apply to modern Asia, but to everywhere in the world and probably to all the ages our ‘civilizations’ have passed through. When was it ever otherwise that those who went against the prevailing orthodoxy were not immediately branded heretic and outcast? This sometimes takes the form of loss of life, other times an existential death is prescribed, but in one way or another the representatives of the orthodoxy have always marginalize an independent thinker.
Jan 31st, 2007 at 3:40 am
Hi John, You’re right of course.
I had quite forgotten.
Thanks for the reminder.
There are many layers to being ostracised.
I had selfishly recalled my own situation which now seems mild in comparison.
Jan 31st, 2007 at 8:06 am
Bravo!
jb says: Hi Trevor. Sounds like you just saw a crack of light.