Go to Religion in the Modern World
- Add a comment
- Go to Of course the bible thumping loonies weigh in on Katrina
good Christians
have called certain Christians "bible thumping loonies" so no one should take offense at it.
actually the lesson to be learned here is to listen when scientists predict that we will be having more numerous and more devastaing hurricanes for several years and maybe longer.
and that this is possibly a consequence of global warming, which is a consequence of our industrial pollution, which our president decided was "good for our nation" and that the Kyoto Protocol, which over 150 countries around the world signed onto, was "bad for American business", not once weighing the possibility of a catastrophe like this one.
The economic impact of this one hurricane has more than made up for the cost of the pollution controls that are needed, wouldn't you think?
posted by
Xeno-x
on September 3, 2005 at 3:35 PM
| link to this | reply
Bunny -- good one
Yep...maybe ol Satan knew this was coming?
posted by
gomedome
on September 2, 2005 at 10:13 AM
| link to this | reply
From Bunny: To add to what Xeno-x said
I've heard variants on the "if God wanted to smite something, it would have been L.A."
But I'll go you one better: What is the least-damaged part of New Orleans?
BURBON STREET!
Apparently the "other side" has better protection.
posted by
Bunny
on September 2, 2005 at 9:48 AM
| link to this | reply
Justsouno -- it really is a case of "if the shoe fits" -- I do not
intentionally try to hurt anyone specifically but I want you to do a bit of thinking here. Generally your postings are benigh in nature but does it occur to you that there is material you write constantly that I find just as offensive as you find some of the terms I use? I will bet that this has never occured to you and ultimately there is no difference in the type of offence taken. If we are both going to share the same planet, consideration for the beliefs of others cannot be a one way street. Some people are just going to have to accept that traffic is now flowing in the other direction.
posted by
gomedome
on September 1, 2005 at 10:26 PM
| link to this | reply
Bible thumping loonies-so that is who I am. You hurt my feelings when you
call me names because I don't agree with you. I don't expect you to agree with me and I don't call you names and I don't think you are smarter or dumber just different. Please do not call me ugly hurtful names.
posted by
Justi
on September 1, 2005 at 10:03 PM
| link to this | reply
Hemlocker -- we had a sort of town square meeting here in out city last
night. I always get the tap on the arm for such things. Our conclusion after throwing around lofty ideas for awhile was to just dump as much cash as we can into the Canadian Red Cross hurricane relief fund. As for the goings on in this comment section yesterday...I feel a little like the man who is having a little girl he has never touched scream rape for all to hear. Like I just got on this bandwagon yesterday and like I have a lot to gain by "capitolizing" on the grief of others....yeah right, but if I am to be called a bottom feeder ....I've been called worse things by better people ....as they say.
posted by
gomedome
on September 1, 2005 at 9:12 PM
| link to this | reply
Gomer
I think we should try to do as much as we can to help the victims. It is an credible disaster that scientists have been predicting for decades: As soon as New Orleans took a hit of this magnitude, it would be engulfed. For gosh sake, the entire city is being evacuated and may not be habitable again for years, if ever. By the way, sturgeon are bottom feeders, and they are a fine game fish and darn good eating. Be well. Perhaps your victory will be in the next life. Ha! Hemlocker
posted by
Hemlocker
on September 1, 2005 at 7:27 PM
| link to this | reply
Xeno-x -- I believe that we were sent a message but unfortunately too
many people are receiving the wrong message. God punishing people? That kind of thinking goes back to the stone age doesn't it? When you think of the entire global picture and how we have polluted our own environment, we have simply been sent a wake up call but a cloud of religious nonsense is obscuring this message.
posted by
gomedome
on September 1, 2005 at 6:21 AM
| link to this | reply
IF GOD WERE GETTING OUR ATTENTION FOR
conservative Christians' perceived "sins of our nation" -- acceptance of homosexuality, disallowing prayer in our schools, etc., wouldn't this god have wreaked his vengeance on Hollywood or New York or maybe the Supreme Court Building rather than on the god-fearing, Bush electing folks of Florida and Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana.
If there is a message from God here, might it just be that they did the wrong thing in voting for Bush (I mentioned that these are all red states that Katrina hit.
posted by
Xeno-x
on September 1, 2005 at 6:11 AM
| link to this | reply
mysteria -- I have a big challenge ahead of me -- I have to become a little
loud to get this message across but we have been dealt a huge wake up call. Blubbering to the gods isn't going to cut it this time. The challenge comes in at the point of making people aware that now is the time to begin to fix the problems.
posted by
gomedome
on August 31, 2005 at 8:13 PM
| link to this | reply
GomeDome
Boy! you sure know how ta rile some folk. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to a lot of things, but in my heart, even as a small child of 7 years old, I could tell that there was something V E R Y F I S H Y about what the God people were trying to tell, feed me...I mean, the absurdity of it all... I am forever ever flabbergasted at the opinions some of my fellows own... Incredible.
posted by
mysteria
on August 31, 2005 at 8:05 PM
| link to this | reply
JanesOpinion -- I sense the reservations of a fatigue I know all too well
best comment yet, I must add. Good night Gracie.
posted by
gomedome
on August 31, 2005 at 7:47 PM
| link to this | reply
Gome you've made some good points . . .
but since my bedtime is fast approaching I won't be addressing them, except to state that Christians and "bible thumpers" (among others -- we're not the only ones!) have done a disservice to the environment perhaps because it's very easy to be of the mindset of "well, I'm only here for 80 +/- years and in heaven for eternity so don't have to worry about this ol' earth. You, on the other hand believe you ONLY have this earth and desperately wish to care for it and its resources.
Perhaps it will help you to know that this Christian would dearly love to set up my very own windmill to capture the energy of the wind coming off Lake Michigan. I'd give my eye teeth to be involved in the R & D of converting household junk, waste products and corn into methane and other useful energy sources (just to name a few of my conservation interests). I very much wish to be a good steward of this earth. After all, I believe God did create it and clearly stated in Genesis that man should be good stewards of his creation. But so often we're not!
I did not intend to insult you by saying you were proud or arrogant. That was just my perception of the attitude I perceived in your writings.
And what little brain power I have is quickly fading so will say good night before I ramble on and say something I later regret.
posted by
JanesOpinion
on August 31, 2005 at 7:15 PM
| link to this | reply
JanesOpinion -- I hate to admit it but most of your comment is far
superior in terms of lucidity than anything my esteemed adversary put to print earlier today. That is not to say that there aren't the usual holes in your contentions but at least you gave it a decent shot. In answer to your first question: Yes, being in a small minority is very lonely at times but such is the life of a 2 percentile. The affirmation of others is almost always inadequate and there are so very few people that one meets who will not take offence to what are to me, nothing more than rudimentary enquiries. It is also incredibly frustrating fighting a battle that cannot be won. As your comment demonstrates with suggestions of "God is using this catastrophe to wake people up. Perhaps God's hand of protection is no longer on this nation......." you begin to drift into demonstrating the exact point of this posting. Responsibility for this catastrophe has been shifted to this unseen entity you refer to as God, that's my beef in it's entirety. We know that our species is having an effect on global weather patterns but nothing is done about it as this mindset of "God's will" runs interferance.
All I will say about this next line is don't manufacture contentions and then accredit them to me
"Of course, your answer to this is likely to blame it all on Bush and his rather weak efforts to control global warming -- as if five years in office can have that much of an effect in changing the weather patterns so drastically."
Global warming did not happen overnight, nor can any one administration be held responsible for it but they can be held responsible for inaction in the face of increasingly overhwleming evidence that something must be done. North America has just suffered a catastrophe, to return to the same old "head in the sand" routine in it's aftermath would be a second catastrophe.
I am cognizant of the importance of religion in the comfort of those who are grieving, it becomes a vital element for some in the healing process. Taking that comfort away from anyone can never be the intention of a caring person but consider one important factor. You so easily assume that I am filled with an arrogant self pride and suggest that I come across as pompous without stopping to think that you bible thumpers, who comprise the majority, are ruining this world and I have but 2 choices. I can interject an opinion of rational thinking and logic of which I am capable of, or I can go down with the ship that others are sinking......which one would you choose?
posted by
gomedome
on August 31, 2005 at 4:49 PM
| link to this | reply
Jumping into the fray here . . . .
I have a question for you, gomedome. Isn't it lonely being in the minority of folks who are areligious or above religion? You come off with some degree of pomposity with your statements that I find a bit irksome. I have had some similar thoughts as those you posted in your blog, i.e. perhaps God is using this catastrophe to wake people up. Perhaps God's hand of protection is no longer on this nation (woo hoo but that's a statement you'll have fun with!) and we'll see worsening weather patterns.
Of course, your answer to this is likely to blame it all on Bush and his rather weak efforts to control global warming -- as if five years in office can have that much of an effect in changing the weather patterns so drastically.
Anyway, because it seems to me that the majority of the world believes in some sort of religion . . . where does that leave you? Better than everyone else? Filled with pride in your presumed superior intellect for having seen the light and escaped religion? The fact is that, for many people, religion provides comfort. So in this dreadful time of suffering for so many thousands, please don't take that comfort away from people with your cynicism and unbelief.
I cannot go to bed at night comforted by a knowledge of the elements, of science and a slide rule. I can, however, sleep peacefully at night knowing that, without the shadow of a doubt, my life is in God's hands and there is nothing that can ever tear my soul from His love.
posted by
JanesOpinion
on August 31, 2005 at 3:11 PM
| link to this | reply
Dennison_Mann -- Okay, I think we have covered your objections
5 comments from a person that doesn't care and who obviously cannot handle receiving what he is trying to dish out is becoming tiresome. You can do us both a favour and go away now.
posted by
gomedome
on August 31, 2005 at 11:49 AM
| link to this | reply
Nice Try Bottom Feeder...
This isn't about me.
It's about you standing on a heap of human victims and claiming that anyone who prays for the victims is loony.
End of story.
Wrap your insenstitive, bottom feeding rhetoric in whatever silk you see fit. It still smells repugnant.
DM
posted by
Dennison..Mann
on August 31, 2005 at 10:30 AM
| link to this | reply
Dennison_Mann -- I can only recommend valium
Apparently your childishness knows no bounds. We have however gotten your message loud and clear, you've missed the point of religious beliefs not allowing too many people to accept and understand the real contributing causal factors to this disaster. The simple premise of collective denial as induced by those beliefs will virtually insure that those contributing factors that we are able to modify, will not be changed. You premise your indignation purely on emotion without giving vitally important consideration to my motives (nor did you clarify my motives before spewing your vitriol). That motive would be conquering the denial and a mindset that has contributed in a big way to this disaster. Where you view this as somehow being disrespectful to those who died and those who are suffering I contend quite the opposite is true. To allow the delusional cloud of antiquated religious beliefs to continue contributing to global disasters, by virtue of attributing responsibility to an invisible entity, is a much greater disrespect.
Grow up buddy. You are trying to take me to task for your own emotional shortcomings.
posted by
gomedome
on August 31, 2005 at 10:14 AM
| link to this | reply
Oh..Gee...Did I Insult You With My First Comment?
Awwww....poor baby.
Nobody can say anything about you, yet you don't mind exploiting the dead and suffering to further your philosophy.
We need to consider your delicate little feelings but screw the people who died in this catastrophe (or are still agonizing over family members in the afflicted area) as long as you can puke your irrelevant anti-God venom, right?
I caredmore about the victims and little about you. Now I realize that you'll never recognize how repulsive your methods of exploitation really are. I can only hope that other poeple see you for what you are.
You really are a bottom feeder...and this exchange has gone on way too long. You don't deserve this sort of attention.
DM
posted by
Dennison..Mann
on August 31, 2005 at 9:29 AM
| link to this | reply
Dennison_Mann -- you cared enough to leave 3 comments?
re-read your first comment before you suggest that I am relying on insults.
posted by
gomedome
on August 31, 2005 at 9:19 AM
| link to this | reply
No Matter How You Present Yourself...
rely on insults all you like...the bare minimum fact of YOUR post is that you're using this natural disaster, the suffering of humanity, and the death of people to further your anti-God message.
Use dead people to make yourself feel better.
I don't care.
DM
posted by
Dennison..Mann
on August 31, 2005 at 9:03 AM
| link to this | reply
Dennison_Mann -- now you are getting comical
You are trying to manufacture a plausible premise for insulting me which borders on childish. So you are repulsed and so you now assume a feigned indignation while ignoring the point, so what? Go be repulsed somewhere else if you have nothing but simplistic and misguided emotions to add.
posted by
gomedome
on August 31, 2005 at 8:59 AM
| link to this | reply
Go On With Your Bad Self...
bottom feeder.
Scour the world...I'm sure you can find plenty of human suffering to exploit in your effort to disprove the validity of spirituality.
I don't care how you couch it, using human suffering to further your anti-God rhetoric just repulses me.
DM
posted by
Dennison..Mann
on August 31, 2005 at 8:51 AM
| link to this | reply
Dennison_Mann - I always suspected that you were a poseaur as an
intellect but that moronic comment removes all doubt. People are only free to believe anything they want if actions (or inactions) derived from those beliefs do not contribute to common detriment or malaise. The contentions being put forward here are: that praying to an invisible entity is not action and that believing the cause of a natural disaster to be some manufactured being does nothing at all to modify the behaviours that contribute to these types of weather patterns.
Though admittedly all of this is possibly beyond someone pretending that they are much smarter than they actually are.
posted by
gomedome
on August 31, 2005 at 8:46 AM
| link to this | reply
Personally, I View Your Use Of Human Suffering...
to promote your anti-Christian message just as repugnant...and far more hypocritical. People are free to believe whatever they like regarding the supernatural causes of natural disaster. You, however, standing on the heap of dead bodies and personal suffering of the victims and jamming your flag of moral, philosophical, and non-spiritual victory firmly in the anus of one of the dead victims just makes me want to puke.
What a bottom feeder you really are.
DM
posted by
Dennison..Mann
on August 31, 2005 at 8:05 AM
| link to this | reply