Snakes and Ladders

[pan]

“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.”
Steven Weinberg

[BO]

The whole concept of religion is so foreign to my way of thinking that I simply can't view it as anything other than comedy.

[curt]

I need religion like I need drugs. In fact, the combination takes me to higher planes. I like to wander off in time, mostly backwards to partake in religious ceremonies of past cultures like that of the Celts. Honestly, I cannot stand any of today's religion except the religion of music, but my non-religic self is unable to escape the magnetism of some sort of cult.

Am I a religaholic? Better phrased, to make it less personal....does this make one a religaholic?

Let us look back upon ancient times where belief played a much greater role than today. There is no escaping it. One can at best play it to one's advantage.

Therefore, I believe. And that which I do believe...thou shalt also believe...

sounds so very medieval. My thoughts go far beyond that age, much further back.

Surely, rank played a major role in it all. As soon as one pushes ahead of another...to his advantage, religion will prevail and with it ......

I can't complete this no matter how hard I try. No, I try not to. I give up. An other one does know. He shall be the one to better explain. With this, I retire, a meager servant of truth and justice.

[BO]

Only two types of people:

Those that are crazy, and those that know they're crazy.

You have to know you're crazy in order to begin to heal.

That is, if you want to live your life free of delusions. Not many do.

That's what makes humans so damn dangerous.

"When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion."

[waldopaper]

beginning a ditty right now touching on the Greek Pantheon and Protean (check the deal about the bees!)... (wha- where's the "embed links" tool- oh well)... it's "Ancient Wisdom."

Very bright people throughout the ages looked at the stars and pondered. They wove their deep intuition into literature and art... in forms accessible to brainy and blockhead alike. naturally the blockheads take it "literally," which is fine... except they have a disturbing penchant for murdering people who do not. In the heady days after the election, I came out of the closet and proclaimed my "secular humanism."

Probably a bad idea... no offers for next sem from the katholik kollege. fuck it. the Truth is the truth. there are those (like Steven Pinker) who say the desire for "spirituality" may be innate. I believe that it is. It's not hard to imagine "Life of Brian" going "canonical" in the next few centuries... with the singers and whistlers replacing the acolytes and crucifers. Little Orphan Annie being beatified... the cult of Popeye and the Spinach Sacrament. There is some scholarly work bouncing around out there that speculates the Romans inventing the Christian cult as an antidote to the Jewish cult..

Usually the tapestry of a successful religion meme includes threads from others... Helios... Ra-Set... Apollo... The Son. Most incorporate the idea that altruism works... just now beginning to be proven in game theory. Wise people throughout the ages have grasped the deep workings of things... without the recent aid of Science. Alas, it seems the blockhead element will be with us for some time.

Thus Science becomes Scientology.

[BO]

Isn't slavery a form of religion?

I saw this photo from the G-20 dinner this weekend, and while people were/are bitchin' about the $500 bottles of wine that were served, it just occurred to me that the "White House" still appears to be using blacks exclusively for 'the help.' A not-so-subtle homage to the days of slavery, IMHO.

Struck me as a bit odd considering there's a black president close to moving in. A small detail with huge implications, methinks.

So, will Obama become Honky-ized and stay true to tradition? Or will we get to see some white horse jockey's on da lawn of the new head-pimp's crib?

I guess this new reality is finally settin' in.

[Mouse]

Soaping away your outer dirt may lead to inner evil

"Physical purification... produces a more relaxed attitude to morality. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Pontius Pilate is portrayed in the Bible as washing his hands of the decision to crucify Jesus. Something to think about for those who feel that purification rituals bring them closer to God."

The Economist

Ha, I've been saying it for years, people wash far too much these days.

[BO]

"Ha, I've been saying it for years, people wash far too much these days."

My wife would disagree with you.

[pan]

Jesus action figures At first blush this looks like a parody site but, looking at the Founders Message I think it might be real.

There are Jesus action figures for everybody:
Bullrider Jesus
QB Jesus throwing a Hail Mary
Biker Jesus
Beggar Jesus
Soccer Jesus
Jesus in Camos
Jesus Hangs Ten
Skateboard Jesus
Rockclimber Jesus

[BO]

The dude came up with the idea after he snapped. Considering the nature of his audience, I'm sure he's selling tons of plastic Jesus's. Doesn't surprise me a bit. Opportunism and christianity go hand in hand. As well as bad taste.

That said, I wouldn't mind having one of these...

[pan]

The Christian Church wasn't always homophobic

[pan]

More Americans Believe in the Devil, Hell and Angels than in Darwin's Theory of Evolution
Nearly 25% of Americans Believe They Were Once another Person

[BO]

The Root of All Evil? Part 1: The God Delusion. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
The Root of All Evil? is a television documentary, written and presented by Richard Dawkins, in which he argues that the world would be better off without religion.


The Root of All Evil? Part 2: The Virus of Faith. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)