I've acquired a new friend who took issue with me about my anti-theist point of view. Her argument was that belief in God saved her sanity following the death of her son.
Considering how great the loss she suffered, and wondering how I would handle it, I hesitated to tell her that not even this kind of tragedy could sway me. Then, accidentally, I came across a site labeled GrandfatherPolitics.com commanded by some guy called Gary and I realized that I can never sanction any form of religion because it just encourages the crazies.
This GP blog appears to be a political site where there is no citation made for any claim....just one opinionated anti-liberal screed after another, and drawing analogies that have little basis in logic.
It gives no information about the background or history of the author but, if you click on his name, that single bit of intelligence (and I use that noun with irony) leads you to AmericanVision.org
And there you find the genesis of the filth he and his followers spew in the ungrammatical, misspelled, hate-filled commentary we've come to expect from the Religious Right. (Because this URL ends in Org, I fear it might be an entity that is sucking away at government funding.)
Now, I must admit that I have risen on my high horse and called people like Limbaugh, Cantor, McDonnell, Thomas and others a lot of bad things such as stupid, assinine, batshit crazy and even twerp and turtleface. But I can't recall ever wishing that any of them get a disease and die. Nor have I ever threatened to knock anyone's teeth out. What a piker I must be.
But this is the kind of rhetoric that issues from the mouths of those who are filled with God's love.
Besides getting rid of Citizens United, we must start proceedings against the laws that allow religious entities to avoid taxes. If they want to function in society as a political force, they need to pay for the privilege of agitating for political candidates and issues.
And beyond that, I think I might start praying for the Rapture to be true.
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Love to read your comments, Jo Ann!
ReplyDeleteI, too, have wondered what I would do in your friend's situation.
ReplyDeleteI have a FB friend who recently lost her son. The first thing I thought of was that she has her religion and her faith that will get her through this tragedy. It seems like a comfort - - for her.
Those of us who haven't been brainwashed to think that God is taking care of everything, can't blindly retreat and hide within the arms of God. What gives non-believers the strength to go on in those tragic situations?
I envy those who can't see that there is no magical being calling all the shots, and comforting every little pain, once He/She have inflicted that pain.
That's so good to hear, Dick.
ReplyDeleteGreat observations, Evie.
Thank you both.
Everyone's faith is so different. I will go out on a limb and hope I don't get knocked off...I don't believe that God controls everything. I see God as the source of goodness. I believe that God gave us free will; we make our choices and deal with the outcome. Bad stuff happens either because of nature or as a result of our or others' poor or bad choices. I do believe in blessings--wonderful things that happen to us that can't be explained by anything we or others have done. Some people believe it's just coincidence. I have felt a connection to God in my life, and I won't apologize for it, but neither will I condemn anyone who doesn't feel it or believe in it. I try to be a Christian who filters the Bible through the teachings and actions of Jesus. Often I fail.
ReplyDeleteAnd since I don't believe that God is a wrathful, unloving mythology type God who toys with us by causing bad things to happen to us and seeing how we react, I do find comfort in my faith when I am hurting.
This is just one person's view...not an organized thing, although I currently belong to a Presbyterian church (raised Catholic).