MathGeek Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Think about it. Was the american political system founded on biblical ideals? Or were biblical ideals used as a form of domestic terrorism to force control on people? The american political system has drawn influence from many cultures both ancient and modern, it has changed and evolved over time into its current structure. Do you really think we have the same political system now that we did in 1776? A years crops to support his family and suddenly half his income is gone. Taken because of a stupid religious tenant. The man just wanted to work his field, support himself I wasn't suggesting that, Jincks. I know that it is not. I am just saying there are people out there capable of making it look that way. I even suggest that our system of government was started as a REACTION to the regressive policies and tactics used by the colonial order of old. Christianity has been used as domestic terrorism. I am saying that there are people out there revising history and distorting how secularism has been with the people of the USA and the world. I just suggesting that they can somehow "prove" we are in our system of government is rooted in Christian dogma and people buy into it. Christianity is a force that is hard to reckon with, and it seems to thrive under conditions of "persecution". To me, Christians will continue to distort history in their favor because history has been in their favor for the last 1500 to 2000 years, and this is why American history needs to have the Christian dogma rendered as a footnote on the very last page of every new history book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jincks013 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 I know there are people who want to make it look like the American politcal system is a derivative of the bible but to match them there are rational thinkers who know a great deal more went into making the orginal system and its continual evolution. No one doubts the first european settlers were religious nuts; even Holland threw them out because they were so intolerant of others. Sending the troublemakers across the sea was and out of sight out of mind issue for them. All those little fundies who want America to be a "Xtian nation" are merely engaging in self delusion. These days it is far more acceptable to openly admit I'm Wiccan or another that they are Aethist then it would have been 30 years ago. We grow over time to realize that things we once thought were scary monsters are actually the normal shadows on the wall. Though I do stay out of the bible belt myself. THere is only so much I can take at one time and not feel the painful bite of my brain cells dying prematurely or get a massive bruise on my forhead from impacts with the wall of bigotry and ignorance in some people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zenobia Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 No I don't think your little leather bound comic book full of sand dune superheros who prey on the minds of the weak was written by any 'god' anywhere. I think its all moonshine and mirrors thrown togather by a highly power motivated group of sadistic misogynysts back a few thousand years ago. Well said, Jincks... I would add that there is no way to follow every teaching in the bible because it contradicts itself at every turn. THOU SHALT NOT KILL is contradicted by numerous stories of the Isrealites killing/raping/plundering in the name of their god. They committed horrible atrocities. The bible also says adulterers, homosexuals, and witches should be stoned to death. Should modern adherants to the bible stone people to death for commiting these "crimes"? No. The church I belonged to took great pride in sticking to the "word" of the bible. We were probably one of the strictest religions you could find. We kept all the old testament laws - we were more kosher than any Orthodox Jew I've ever met. And we tried to combine that with the New Testament teachings. In fact, our church didn't recognize a division between old and new testament - we treated the whole book with the same respect. But we still couldn't follow every rule in there. We didn't wear "fringes" on our clothing for example. We didn't slaughter lambs, goats or doves and burn them on the altar. And we certainly didn't stone anyone to death. Our ministers had a way of "explaining away" any laws we didn't follow. Scriptures about stoning people to death were taken to be more "symbolic" than literal. Adulterers, homosexuals and witches were disfellowshipped from the church - our "metaphor" for stoning to death. We were taught to follow the "spirit of the law" versus the "letter of the law." But there is no getting around the fact that we still picked and chose which parts of the bible to stick to. So while I can understand your repugnance at people who call themselves "christians" yet only follow the teachings that are most comfortable for them, really they are not that much different from the other christians who are more strict. Everyone has to pick and choose. Personally I think its irrelevant which christians follow what because the whole book is a sham. It throws a few good ideas which were stolen from other cultures, into a vat of hateful fear-mongering patriarchial rubbish and churns it all together into a nonsensical, contradictory mess. Ideas such as "do unto others" did not originate in the bible - they are universal truths which were probably discovered by our most ancient ancestors while they sat around the campfire. They needed to survive - and killing each other didn't help them do that, so they learned to "do unto others" because cooperation was the best way to bring down a mammoth or keep warm during the glacial winter. That's why these basic truths can be found in almost any culture around the globe including native american cultures who never even met Jebus (ok according to the Mormons they did, but thats a whole other debate and I'm not going there). Anyway, my point is the same as Jincks' - christianity itself is a giant cult and I don't have any respect for its followers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jincks013 Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 After reading your latest update on Bonner about the stem cells being blocked " (illegal in our delightful fundy-neo-con-ruled USA), I can't think how they could possibly pretend to care about anything since his life is at stake, a real existing already born human life. I hate fundies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zenobia Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Yep... thats why we would have to go to Thailand and pay around $60,000... out of the question of course unless we win the lottery. He was feeling pretty good today, without the nasty drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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