Fear, Medicine, And Scientific Advancement

[JGJ@ReligionisBullshit]

I know that the subject of free will has been brought up before in other areas but it is such a good topic that I just had to say my piece.

 

Any religion that uses fear as the modus operandi is not worthy of respect. If people can be made afraid to question the teachings of a religious hierarchy, that religion can more easily become entrenched into the minds of a society. This religion in turn will gain influence and power over aspects of that society outside the spiritual arena. There is no free will in a religion that is based on terror tactics, that has used terror and fear, and that will always use terror and fear. You cannot have free will in a society if the only choice is follow or die. The church is a dictatorship with its sole aim being the subjugation of its followers into financial and ethical burdens so that those who are the leaders of such an organization can reap the benefits. “Dictatorship is a constant lecture instructing you that your feelings, your thoughts and desires are of no account, that you are a nobody and must live as you are told by other people who desire and think for you” Stephen Vizinczey. God does not give you free will if the only choice is follow or be punished eternally. That is an ultimatum. The Bible itself does not say that you have free will. It is a concept foreign to it. Jesus wants blind faith, robots, slaves to the will of God, unquestioning followers who will do his bidding just as the Church wants blind faith, robots, slaves to the will of the Church leaders and unquestioning followers who will do their bidding. That is ultimate power! And in return they cannot promise you a full life, no death, disease, prosperity and riches, but can only promise that AFTER you die you will be rewarded but even that is not guaranteed since NO ONE has ever come back from the dead to describe a year, a month, or a day spent in heaven or hell. So their promise is an empty one at best.

 

In the history of medicine we can look at how changes in diagnoses have changed the perception of sin. The further we investigate the workings of the human brain the further we can arrive at the conclusion that we have about as much control over who we are and how we behave as we have conscious control over our livers.

 

In ancient times many diseases of the body and mind were attributed to demons. Even the New Testament is chock full of this belief. Treatments for disease were often more severe than the disease itself. The body was beaten so badly by the “physician” that it was believed that the demon would no longer be able to possesses it; medicines would be given so that the patient would vomit the demons out; starving the demon of food, the person afflicted as well, until the demon was forced to come out or the patient died; cutting holes in the head so the demon could come out; all of these were methods used to “treat” a patient. Spells and incantations were used, ineffectively, and laxatives were popular. The Black Plague was blamed on the Jews and millions of Jews were burned alive or exiled because of it. Stories of werewolves, witches, vampires of the middle ages sometimes coincided with occurrences of hallucinogenic wheat fungus infestations. Multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, manic depression would have been considered either simple sinful behavior or demon possession are today accepted mental illnesses that can be treated and subsequent behaviors modified with medicines. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Will there ever be a day when any type of criminal or sinful behavior can be traced to genetic defects, brain damage, childhood illnesses, etc. and we advance enough in treatment and preventative measures that these problems can be eliminated?

 

If that day ever comes, what will happen to sin? Would sin and other aberrant behaviors become a choice rather than a treatable condition? What happens to the belief in God? Would hell get no more members because of sin? We have gone from demons to blood letting to chemical control in such a very brief amount of time, only a few thousand years and most of the advances in medicines and science in the last 100 years that it excites me to wonder at the next 100, or even 20 years. It is no secret that the religious right do what they can to prevent modern medical advances in areas such as stem-cell research, cloning, and other areas based solely upon their beliefs in a creator deity and the feeling that we are “playing God.” If we were to be ruled by the religious right we may end up back to a society that believed that demons are the cause of disease and that a mole or pimple upon the breast of a woman is a witch’s teat to feed her familiars. The church has tried to keep people ignorant for centuries because ignorant people are easily manipulated.

[Emperor Norton II]

There's always free will- it's a aprt of life, yo.

[Fweethawt]

The church has tried to keep people ignorant for centuries because ignorant people are easily manipulated.

And of course, lucky for them, ignorance (blank human minds from childhood) are a continuously renewed resource that is always there and ready to absorb their teachings.

 

Ever wonder why The Holy Bible™ has been so popular Throughout The Ages™? Well, that's why. Fresh minds are a continuously renewed resource for their parasitic teachings to latch onto.