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Sunday 16 September 2012

Sunday Sermon


Is religion the greatest barrier to peace that the world has ever known?
Virtually all religions push a loving message, but is that loving and inclusive message really just a veneer painted over what is in reality the promotion of a mindset that encourages violence and disharmony?
A mindset that is fundamentally incapable of respecting anyone who does not fall under the umbrella of a chosen faith.

This morning I am reading some news updates about the current situation in the middle east, and how the numbers of fatalities are rising in the aftermath of the offence cause by an anti-Islam film that originated from the United States.
Innocent parties, people who have no connection with those who created the film, have died.
Why is this acceptable?
Some of those who have lost their lives will not have seen this film, nor will they have any interest in it.
Why should their families be mourning the loss of their loved one over something that the person had no control over, and in all likelihood didn't support?
Where is the rational justification surrounding this ongoing misery?

I also see that Channel 4 have decided not to screen a repeat of their documentary Islam : The Untold Story after seeking security advice.
That translates to the personal safety of those involved cannot be assured, so best not to inflame the situation, and leave it on the shelf.
That decision is a blatant example of freedom of expression cowering under the boot heel of a threat of violence.
This reaction, while understandable, sickens me.
Do we really want to live in a world where we have to consider every single utterance in case it offends, as lets be honest some people can be offended at virtually everything?
This is not an attack on Islam in itself.
My issue is with religion in its totality.
For every fundamentalist Muslim who despises the west for not sharing their views, there's equally a Christian mirroring their hate speech and willing to back it up with physical violence.
I've heard all the arguments where people have asked me to provide evidence of Christians flying jets into the side of a building.
As if their chosen religion is guilt free from involvement in atrocities.
What they are trying to do is differentiate their religion from another.
To claim that one is bad and theirs is good.
Yet that's a twisted view that has more holes in it than the shroud of Turin.
If you want to take a big step back then historically what was the Crusades?
As a religion Christianity has as much blood on its hands as any other.
No one from the Middle East was clambering up the white cliffs of Dover to subjugate England.
Christians took the fight to the Muslims then.
Drop it down to a small scale and drag it into the present and certain Christians are still plotting to fire-bomb abortion clinics, murder doctors and nurses, beat to death homosexuals and vote for anyone who will promise to bomb certain portions of the middle east back to the stone age.
Everyone is guilty.
Or to be more exact everyone who nails their flag to a religion.
Even if they consider themselves a moderate, and would shy away from the worst excesses of their brethren, they are still complicit in a system that promotes misery.  

Any rational human being will be able to see that the common denominator in all this misery is religion itself.
Without it we would still have people dying violently.
That is the way of life.
It's the ugly side of human nature and it's doubtful that violence will ever be eradicated completely, but could we maybe manage to drop it a notch just by ditching religion?
I would think so.
Without religious people would be free from being stoned for being raped, free from being beaten for not covering their face with a scarf, free to marry anyone no matter where they came from or what gender they were, free to openly speak without being censured, and more.
Religion doesn't open a door for anyone.
It closes doors.
It drives a wedge between us all and creates disharmony at every turn.

So choose life.
Choose a future for us all.
Choose Atheism.

7 comments:

  1. You truly are the voice of Odd.And a complete cunt into the bargain.

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  2. An open response to all the Christians who have been posting.
    The reason that not one single reply has been upped is due to you all being unable to provide a name.
    (Unless of course you are all called anonymous. If so, then I apologies.)
    Once a name is tagged onto a comment then it will appear here.
    No one is silencing you.
    No one is trying to weaken your views by disallowing others to see them.
    There is no conspiracy.

    ..and for the guy who called me stupid.
    That's fine.
    At least there's one thing in your rant that could be considered provable.



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  3. You ARE stupid.
    Those who do the wicked things that you mention do not follow the true word of GOD.
    They are not my brothers.
    Not all Christians are as you describe at all.
    You are a foolish man who needs to open his heart to GOD and ask his forgiveness for spreading such a hateful message.
    Without GOD there is no LOVE.
    YOU SHOULD JUST SHUT UP.

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  4. Ah Azrael.
    Correct me if I am wrong, but that's the name of the Angel of Death isn't it?
    That sort of tickles me.
    Was it deliberate, or is it just one of those cosmic jokes?

    Okay. anyway, yes, I am stupid.
    Or to be more precise I sit on a sort of scale where I have more intelligence than some and far less than others.
    Everyone sits on this scale.
    For those above me on the scale I am stupid, and for those below me on it I am a genius.
    I'm also often ignorant in the true sense of the word.
    I am not all knowing, nor do I pretend to be.
    However I am entitled to say what I want on my own blog.

    Now to get to the rest of your comment.
    Crack open the old testament and I think you will find that some of those atrocities carried out in the name of your God are in fact pretty much by the book.
    Of course that might not be the one you use.
    The one that was revised to make it more palatable for modern tastes, but fair enough.
    You possibly follow the pg rated God rather than the old X rated video nasty one.
    That's fine.
    Oh, and when you said your 'brothers' you could have maybe added 'sisters' to.
    Sort of keep your Christianity gender inclusive.
    It helps get bums on seats.

    Next.
    Of course not all Christians are as I describe.
    I say that all are complicit by participating in a system that promotes misery, but I fall far short of claiming that all Christians are fundamentalists with a violent agenda.
    However little things like that don't support your view so you will just skip them wont you?

    Your last few sentences are just great.
    Love them.
    My only option is to seek the embrace of God you think.
    That's your opinion.
    I doubt that if I was to convert to Christianity today that my life would change much at all.
    I also have a great deal of love in my heart for many people so you are wrong that it can't exist without your God.
    It flourishes without your God.
    That you think otherwise is an arrogant assumption on your part.
    ..and finally you reveal your true colours.
    You don't like what I say so in block capitals you tell me to shut up.
    I have to accept silence rather than offend you.

    Well you offend me. Every death attributed to religious fundamentalism offends me, every mealy mouthed attempt to excuse the behaviour, or to distance those who follow a religion from the hateful actions of those who follow the same God, offends me.

    However, Don't shut up.
    You are free to say and think what you want, just don't treat people like shit because of your beliefs. It's when you guys jump from just thinking about stuff to acting on it all that I get worried.

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  5. I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off.
    So I ran over and said, "Stop! Don't do it!"
    "Why shouldn't I?" he said.
    I said, "Well, there's so much to live for!"
    He said, "Like what?" I said, "Well, are you religious or atheist?"
    He said, "Religious."
    I said, "Me too! Are your Christian or Buddhist?"
    He said, "Christian." I said, "Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?"
    He said, "Protestant."
    I said, Me too! Are your Episcopalian or Baptist?
    He said, "Baptist!"
    I said, "Wow! Me too! Are your Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?
    He said, Baptist Church of God!"
    I said, "Me too! Are your Original Baptist Church of God or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?"
    He said, "Reformed Baptist Church of God!"
    I said, "Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?"
    He said, "Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915!"
    I said, "Die, heretic scum!" and pushed him off.

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  6. Your just a sanctimonious cunt.With a religious fervour for posting bollocks.

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