Watch the video in five parts:
Introduction
This particular Blog is not anti religion, although the reader could certainly forgiven for believing this to be so. Instead my focus is on Fundamentalists and their inability to see beyond their own dogmatic point of view. If one closely examines any religion, you will find fault and contradictions.
The problem I have encountered with certain Christians is how they cherry pick the good book and yet attack me by arguing that certain passages are literally true and must be adhered to. Yet don't implement other more contraversal passages and complain that it was not literal or was in context with that certain time period and therefore not relevant to-day. If a holy text is divinely inspired, then every word is holy and must be adhered to. Since after all it is God's word. This Blog is a challenge to you, the fundamentalist to take a long hard look at yourself and see beyond your narrow minded sectarian viewpoint.
IS RELIGION REALLY THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL?
It has to be said that it has been my opinion that, indeed it is:
that is the root of "MANY" evils. Certainly religious fundamentalism gives a platform for the speaker to spread their own particular brand of sectarian intolerance. Often these people have their own agenda, but use the disguise of religion to spread their own selfish views to the masses.
This is true of both Christianity and Islam.
Let me first examine how certain Christians have used their fundamentalism to secure political gain. This mainly applies to the Christian right of the United States.
George W Bush - The poster boy for Christian fundamentalism in America.
I believe George W Bush to be the best possible example that I can use to back up my thesis. It is most certainly a truesism to argue that if you do not believe in God when running as a presidential candidate in the U.S. then your chances of winning would be zero. Some may argue that this is rightly so, but I find it deeply offensive and very narrow minded that it is more important that you believe in an invisible sky deity, are able to generate funds for your campaign and be a good public speaker, than to have a degree in politics, economics, social science etc. (See Sam Harris, End of Faith) Bush and his cronies meet every day for prayer meetings and ask the angry, jealous, vindictive sky God (there are texts to prove these characteristics of God) for guidance.
Next I am going to examine a theory of mine. Whilst admittedly is out of context with the rest of this thesis and a little mischievous, please excuse my indulgence and I will resume my tangent on religious fundamentalism shortly.
THE BURNING BUSH THEORY
All of us who has been brought up in the Christian tradition should be aware of the story of the Burning Bush from the book of Exodus in the Bible. If prayer is true and if George W. is indeed a Christian, should God not listen to his prayers especially as he is the president of perhaps the greatest superpower in the world? Should God not have lit up a "burning bush" (pun intended) on the lawn of the White house and told Bush, "Look George there is indeed no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and I advise you not to invade as it will lead to sectarian Islamic violence, tens of thousands of innocent lives and the deaths of thousands of U.S. solders"
Could this have not have been a more suitable time to prove the power of prayer?
I hope that everyone that is reading this Blog find this as deeply offensive as I do. Think how hot and uncomfortable this barbaric outfit would be in the hot sun. In recent scientific tests conducted, it was found that these woman where lacking in vitamin D, which the body naturally abstracts from the sun. Is it as Sam Harris suggests that, "God is concerned with hemlines." Instead the Koran clearly teaches that Muslims are to address modestly and it is the religious police fundamentalists of countries like Iran, that oppress, torture and rape innocent woman. Is it good religious practice to separate woman from men in the mosque?
Of course not and all of these types of practices only strengthen my view that indeed religion is man made!
Of course Islam does not have a monopoly on woman repression. Christianity states also that woman should be quiet and have their heads covered in Church.
First Corinthians 14 he says,
Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Mazri
Taken from THE BBC PRESS OFFICE
9/11 FUNDAMENTALISMS MOST SHAMEFUL ACT
I used to think that acts like this could only be perpetrated by people who where poorly educated and from improvised backgrounds. This has proven to be not the case. So if education does not eradicate fundamentalism, then it could be argued that there is something damaging to modern secular society in the texts themselves. How could well educated young healthy males make the decision to fly a plane into a building. Is it what Sam Harris and Prof Richard Dawkins suggests, in that they really believe that they will go straight to paradise? I think they are correct to argue this, as there is no other rational explanation. Faith certainly is a very difficult proposition to debate against. What is FAITH? Belief without evidence!
A 6,000 year old world?
I know well educated Christians that believe that the world is 6,000 years old, despite of all the evidence. Instead they believe in a supposed Holy text "Bible genealogy" over the mountain of evidence that supports Evolution.
Evidence is the key point that I am getting across. Certain people regard people like Dawkins to be Fundamentalist about Evolution or Atheism. Except that prominent scientists like prof Dawkins examines the evidence and is not stuck in a fixed position, like the Bible or the Koran.
CHERRY PICKING
It has often been argued that moderates have been accused of "cherry picking" the Bible. They are frowned upon by the fundamentalists and not regarded as real Christians. So let's take a look at the Bible and see what the real Christians still believe in if they are not Cherry picking the Bible.
Exodus 21:7-11 - Selling one's daughter as a sex slave.
Deut. 22:22 - The putting to death of protagonists of adultery
Deut 18-21 - The stoning on ones son for being a naughty boy
The list goes on for the monstrosities that are in the Bible. So the question to the fundamentalists must be, do you still endorse these laws?
Sam Harris: Holy Scriptures lose against Modernity
Fundamentalism in Judaism
Jews praying against the Western Wall or wailing wall in Jerusalem
"The fundamentalist view is that there is a single truth, that the people who share this truth are tied in an unbroken chain to the past, and that this truth is not limited to the private domain but can and should be imposed on the public square. This truth is articulated as fundamentals of the faith, which must be practiced or believed if one is truly to be among God's defenders. Of course, despite the fundamentalist assertion that these essentials are tied to tradition, and often demanded by an inerrant text, fundamentalism reinvents that past by selectively retrieving from it those elements that challenge alternative truths that are offered by contemporary culture."
Taken from Jerusalem Center Of Public Affairs
The single truth theory is something that I have fought against for a number of years and is consistent with fundamentalist thought, whatever brand of religion you follow. Think about this, "you cannot all be the one chosen true faith"! Rather, "There is one truth. But the wise speak of it in different ways." This is a quote from the Hindu texts and is quite pertinent. Fundamentalist Jews are willing to impose their religious beliefs on the generally secular public at large. This is morally wrong and flies in the face of modern democracy.
Zionism is a term I'm sure you have heard before. Click below to learn more:
WHAT IS ZIONISM?
In Judaism it is not just a religion, but an identity to a race of people. Strictly speaking you cannot decide to convert to Judaism (unless it is reformed) as Orthodox Rabbi's simply wouldn't allow this. We also have Ultra Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. Whilst Orthodox Jews still intregate with secular society, Ultra Orthodox Jews separate themselves in their own sectarian sect.
Generally speaking Jews believe (particular Orthodox) that the closer there practice is to the teachings of the Torah and when the temple mount is rebuilt, the sooner the Messiah will arrive.
Surprisingly this is what Christian fundamentalists generally believe and some of them take an active interest in the politics of Jerusalem. I find Christian Fundamentalists viewpoints on Judaism and Jerusalem particularly puzzling. Most Christians believe that along with all other non believers that Jews (keep in mind that Jesus was a Jew and never renounced his Judaism) will burn in hell! Many of these Christians that use this twisted logic are Zionists, just like their counterparts the Orthodox Jews. Talk to a reformed Jew about Israel and you will find their answers more complex than you can imagine. It is also worthwhile to note that Israel is largely a secular country, created by the U.N. due the Antisemitism pogroms of Jews from Hitlers Germany.
I hold Christianity partly responsible for antisemitism in their hatred for Judas and blaming the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Personally I rarely find someone (or a group of people) more arrogant, than the people that proclaim that they are a member of the one true faith. Fundamentalists argue that they are correct and that their particular holy book, written by God is the only one with authority. Of course they have NO EVIDENCE to back up their arrogant views.
One thing they do have is dogma, which under certain conditions can cause the deaths of tens of thousands of human beings. In this case I am talking about contraception and the Roman Catholic belief that contraception is in direct violation of God's plan. What happens when this seemingly harmless belief is imposed on undereducated Africans by white missionaries? Of course the aids virus multiplies, as infected husbands continue to sleep with their wives as the priests act as cheerleaders from the sideline. So consider this one example the next time you argue that belief or faith is harmless.
Faith is nothing more than belief without evidence and yet Christians arrogantly proclaim that they are the only true religion. When they are asked to back up that claim, of course they can provide no evidence. Sorry but an ancient text does not suffice as evidence. When they say they have faith, well as the best selling author Sam Harris explains:
"Faith is a conversation stopper."
Is it taboo to question religious beliefs?
Within the mindset of religious fundamentalists is most certainly is. If you don't believe me, just question one for yourself. They will act defensively, even get angry and accuse you of not respecting their religious beliefs. So is it correct to question religious beliefs? Most certainly so. Consider this. Is it correct for someone to arrogantly proclaim that you are going to hell unless you believe that someone was put to death on a cross? These people act with real arrogance and yet if rebutted with passages from their own scripture are offended. This type of behavior that can not be backed up with scientific evidence can be very damaging to a young mind, when they actually believe that an invisible sky God will send them to hell for not believing in him. Is the actions of a wise and loving God that Christians tell me about?
So is religion the, "Root of all evil as Dawkins suggests"?
Perhaps not and I'm not willing to let myself travel that far. I do however subscribe to the idea that religion makes good people do bad things. Still if one carefully examines this theory the politics can make good people do bad things. Most people seem to need some religion of some kind and I can't see science super seeding this. I do however like Sam Harris advocate a more mystical approach and I am an devote of meditation, which has been scientifically proven many times. So it my opinion that I have to disagree with Richard Dawkins on this. Still evidence is an ongoing affair and does not remain static like a dogmatic doctrine. Myself I consider myself to liberal to take the last step and it is my argument that the title should be called,
"Is fundamentalism that is the Root of all evil?"
In Conclusion
This brief look at fundamentalism is not meant to be a critique on religion, but rather a look into the mindset of the extremists that I believe to be very damaging to our society. Worse still they download their own narrow minded, arrogant virus into their children. This has to be a type of physiological child abuse, especially apparent from my point of view as this was the tradition I grew up in. I found this indoctrination intolerable and found my experience of Church troubling and frightening. If this brief look at religious fundamentalism seems to mirror an attack on religion, well religion is not beyond reproach or rebuttal. It is not disrespectful to question religion (even and especially if it is deemed to be contraversal) and I urge everyone to do so. Surely this is healthy and better than slavish conformity to a dogma that you cannot prove.
Please note that everything in bold text is a web link. Please learn as much as possible and continue to grow. Let never your thirst for knowledge be satisfied.
Related web link:
Big think
that is the root of "MANY" evils. Certainly religious fundamentalism gives a platform for the speaker to spread their own particular brand of sectarian intolerance. Often these people have their own agenda, but use the disguise of religion to spread their own selfish views to the masses.
This is true of both Christianity and Islam.
Let me first examine how certain Christians have used their fundamentalism to secure political gain. This mainly applies to the Christian right of the United States.
George W Bush - The poster boy for Christian fundamentalism in America.
I believe George W Bush to be the best possible example that I can use to back up my thesis. It is most certainly a truesism to argue that if you do not believe in God when running as a presidential candidate in the U.S. then your chances of winning would be zero. Some may argue that this is rightly so, but I find it deeply offensive and very narrow minded that it is more important that you believe in an invisible sky deity, are able to generate funds for your campaign and be a good public speaker, than to have a degree in politics, economics, social science etc. (See Sam Harris, End of Faith) Bush and his cronies meet every day for prayer meetings and ask the angry, jealous, vindictive sky God (there are texts to prove these characteristics of God) for guidance.
Next I am going to examine a theory of mine. Whilst admittedly is out of context with the rest of this thesis and a little mischievous, please excuse my indulgence and I will resume my tangent on religious fundamentalism shortly.
THE BURNING BUSH THEORY
All of us who has been brought up in the Christian tradition should be aware of the story of the Burning Bush from the book of Exodus in the Bible. If prayer is true and if George W. is indeed a Christian, should God not listen to his prayers especially as he is the president of perhaps the greatest superpower in the world? Should God not have lit up a "burning bush" (pun intended) on the lawn of the White house and told Bush, "Look George there is indeed no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and I advise you not to invade as it will lead to sectarian Islamic violence, tens of thousands of innocent lives and the deaths of thousands of U.S. solders"
Could this have not have been a more suitable time to prove the power of prayer?
Islamic Fundamentalism
I hope that everyone that is reading this Blog find this as deeply offensive as I do. Think how hot and uncomfortable this barbaric outfit would be in the hot sun. In recent scientific tests conducted, it was found that these woman where lacking in vitamin D, which the body naturally abstracts from the sun. Is it as Sam Harris suggests that, "God is concerned with hemlines." Instead the Koran clearly teaches that Muslims are to address modestly and it is the religious police fundamentalists of countries like Iran, that oppress, torture and rape innocent woman. Is it good religious practice to separate woman from men in the mosque?
Of course not and all of these types of practices only strengthen my view that indeed religion is man made!
Of course Islam does not have a monopoly on woman repression. Christianity states also that woman should be quiet and have their heads covered in Church.
First Corinthians 14 he says,
As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. (1 Corinthians 14:33b-35 NIV)
Again, in First Timothy 2 he says,
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (1 Timothy 2:11-12 NIV)
Recentally we have all had the misfortune to witness Islamic extremists deliver their own particular brand of religious intolerance.
Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Mazri
"Sheik Abu Hamza al-Mazri, an extreme Muslim cleric, has been accused of turning a London mosque into a place of hatred rather than one of religion.
He has been removed from his position as an agent of Finsbury Park Mosque. The cleric's dismissal was announced on Tuesday by the Charities Commission, which said its decision was based on Mr Hamza's consistently inflammatory remarks."Taken from THE BBC PRESS OFFICE
9/11 FUNDAMENTALISMS MOST SHAMEFUL ACT
I used to think that acts like this could only be perpetrated by people who where poorly educated and from improvised backgrounds. This has proven to be not the case. So if education does not eradicate fundamentalism, then it could be argued that there is something damaging to modern secular society in the texts themselves. How could well educated young healthy males make the decision to fly a plane into a building. Is it what Sam Harris and Prof Richard Dawkins suggests, in that they really believe that they will go straight to paradise? I think they are correct to argue this, as there is no other rational explanation. Faith certainly is a very difficult proposition to debate against. What is FAITH? Belief without evidence!
A 6,000 year old world?
I know well educated Christians that believe that the world is 6,000 years old, despite of all the evidence. Instead they believe in a supposed Holy text "Bible genealogy" over the mountain of evidence that supports Evolution.
Evidence is the key point that I am getting across. Certain people regard people like Dawkins to be Fundamentalist about Evolution or Atheism. Except that prominent scientists like prof Dawkins examines the evidence and is not stuck in a fixed position, like the Bible or the Koran.
CHERRY PICKING
It has often been argued that moderates have been accused of "cherry picking" the Bible. They are frowned upon by the fundamentalists and not regarded as real Christians. So let's take a look at the Bible and see what the real Christians still believe in if they are not Cherry picking the Bible.
Exodus 21:7-11 - Selling one's daughter as a sex slave.
Deut. 22:22 - The putting to death of protagonists of adultery
Deut 18-21 - The stoning on ones son for being a naughty boy
The list goes on for the monstrosities that are in the Bible. So the question to the fundamentalists must be, do you still endorse these laws?
Sam Harris: Holy Scriptures lose against Modernity
Fundamentalism in Judaism
Jews praying against the Western Wall or wailing wall in Jerusalem
"The fundamentalist view is that there is a single truth, that the people who share this truth are tied in an unbroken chain to the past, and that this truth is not limited to the private domain but can and should be imposed on the public square. This truth is articulated as fundamentals of the faith, which must be practiced or believed if one is truly to be among God's defenders. Of course, despite the fundamentalist assertion that these essentials are tied to tradition, and often demanded by an inerrant text, fundamentalism reinvents that past by selectively retrieving from it those elements that challenge alternative truths that are offered by contemporary culture."
Taken from Jerusalem Center Of Public Affairs
The single truth theory is something that I have fought against for a number of years and is consistent with fundamentalist thought, whatever brand of religion you follow. Think about this, "you cannot all be the one chosen true faith"! Rather, "There is one truth. But the wise speak of it in different ways." This is a quote from the Hindu texts and is quite pertinent. Fundamentalist Jews are willing to impose their religious beliefs on the generally secular public at large. This is morally wrong and flies in the face of modern democracy.
Zionism is a term I'm sure you have heard before. Click below to learn more:
WHAT IS ZIONISM?
In Judaism it is not just a religion, but an identity to a race of people. Strictly speaking you cannot decide to convert to Judaism (unless it is reformed) as Orthodox Rabbi's simply wouldn't allow this. We also have Ultra Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. Whilst Orthodox Jews still intregate with secular society, Ultra Orthodox Jews separate themselves in their own sectarian sect.
Generally speaking Jews believe (particular Orthodox) that the closer there practice is to the teachings of the Torah and when the temple mount is rebuilt, the sooner the Messiah will arrive.
Surprisingly this is what Christian fundamentalists generally believe and some of them take an active interest in the politics of Jerusalem. I find Christian Fundamentalists viewpoints on Judaism and Jerusalem particularly puzzling. Most Christians believe that along with all other non believers that Jews (keep in mind that Jesus was a Jew and never renounced his Judaism) will burn in hell! Many of these Christians that use this twisted logic are Zionists, just like their counterparts the Orthodox Jews. Talk to a reformed Jew about Israel and you will find their answers more complex than you can imagine. It is also worthwhile to note that Israel is largely a secular country, created by the U.N. due the Antisemitism pogroms of Jews from Hitlers Germany.
I hold Christianity partly responsible for antisemitism in their hatred for Judas and blaming the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Who killed Jesus?
"How does one kill God? An even better question, if this was preordained by God that Jesus was to die on the cross, were not those that carried out the act in fact operating in God's behalf? Is God responsible? Why would Pilot, a man known for cruelty who represented the most powerful world empire of that time, allow himself to be pushed around by a bunch of Jews he could order slaughtered with a single word. These questions should be troubling to Christians."
Taken from, Questions on Christian Anti-Semitism
That's an interesting question isn't it? How indeed does one kill God and did Judas not do his masters bidding and obey the will of God by sending his Rabbi to his death? By identifying Christ, this led to Jesus dying for our sins (if you believe that) Thus what Judas did was an act of bravery and should be regarded as a hero. History is written by the winners. Unfortunately for humanity in this case it was rewritten by dogmatic fundamentalists. Carefully consider the statement below:
"Crucifixion is a Roman punishment for rebellion as where stoning is the method used by Jews."
One has to bear in mind the battle for religious supremacy, when reading ancient Christian literature. These where early attempts to marginalize Jews and secure Christianity as the chosen empire of the Romans.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT HOW AND WHY THE STATE OF ISRAEL WAS FORMED
Personally I rarely find someone (or a group of people) more arrogant, than the people that proclaim that they are a member of the one true faith. Fundamentalists argue that they are correct and that their particular holy book, written by God is the only one with authority. Of course they have NO EVIDENCE to back up their arrogant views.
One thing they do have is dogma, which under certain conditions can cause the deaths of tens of thousands of human beings. In this case I am talking about contraception and the Roman Catholic belief that contraception is in direct violation of God's plan. What happens when this seemingly harmless belief is imposed on undereducated Africans by white missionaries? Of course the aids virus multiplies, as infected husbands continue to sleep with their wives as the priests act as cheerleaders from the sideline. So consider this one example the next time you argue that belief or faith is harmless.
Faith is nothing more than belief without evidence and yet Christians arrogantly proclaim that they are the only true religion. When they are asked to back up that claim, of course they can provide no evidence. Sorry but an ancient text does not suffice as evidence. When they say they have faith, well as the best selling author Sam Harris explains:
"Faith is a conversation stopper."
Is it taboo to question religious beliefs?
Within the mindset of religious fundamentalists is most certainly is. If you don't believe me, just question one for yourself. They will act defensively, even get angry and accuse you of not respecting their religious beliefs. So is it correct to question religious beliefs? Most certainly so. Consider this. Is it correct for someone to arrogantly proclaim that you are going to hell unless you believe that someone was put to death on a cross? These people act with real arrogance and yet if rebutted with passages from their own scripture are offended. This type of behavior that can not be backed up with scientific evidence can be very damaging to a young mind, when they actually believe that an invisible sky God will send them to hell for not believing in him. Is the actions of a wise and loving God that Christians tell me about?
So is religion the, "Root of all evil as Dawkins suggests"?
Perhaps not and I'm not willing to let myself travel that far. I do however subscribe to the idea that religion makes good people do bad things. Still if one carefully examines this theory the politics can make good people do bad things. Most people seem to need some religion of some kind and I can't see science super seeding this. I do however like Sam Harris advocate a more mystical approach and I am an devote of meditation, which has been scientifically proven many times. So it my opinion that I have to disagree with Richard Dawkins on this. Still evidence is an ongoing affair and does not remain static like a dogmatic doctrine. Myself I consider myself to liberal to take the last step and it is my argument that the title should be called,
"Is fundamentalism that is the Root of all evil?"
In Conclusion
This brief look at fundamentalism is not meant to be a critique on religion, but rather a look into the mindset of the extremists that I believe to be very damaging to our society. Worse still they download their own narrow minded, arrogant virus into their children. This has to be a type of physiological child abuse, especially apparent from my point of view as this was the tradition I grew up in. I found this indoctrination intolerable and found my experience of Church troubling and frightening. If this brief look at religious fundamentalism seems to mirror an attack on religion, well religion is not beyond reproach or rebuttal. It is not disrespectful to question religion (even and especially if it is deemed to be contraversal) and I urge everyone to do so. Surely this is healthy and better than slavish conformity to a dogma that you cannot prove.
Please note that everything in bold text is a web link. Please learn as much as possible and continue to grow. Let never your thirst for knowledge be satisfied.
Related web link:
Big think
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