Go to The Reverend Kooka Speaks About Religious Bulls#!t - Add a comment - Go to ATHEISM AND VENGEANCE DO NOT REALLY GO TOGETHER, UNLIKE MOST RELIGIONS

freerain - that's a very good comment and I fully agree

I'm not sure if Kooka_lives is actually proposing atheism as a solution though it did sound like that. Any one belief mindset, be it an adherance to a specific religion or non belief, will never be a workable solution for anything. People are all wired differently. For example; I could no more believe that the God as defined in the bible exists than I am capable of flying. I must also consider that others could not possibly hold my perspective pertaining to God. This deems any workable solution as being secular in nature, non religious and as the American forefathers so clairvoyantly articulated, not supporting any specific religion or conversely any non religion. If the day ever comes that we can seperate religion from politics, it will be a great day.

posted by gomedome on March 16, 2006 at 8:21 AM | link to this | reply

Beyond the Gates of Heaven

I highly recommend watching this movie for the very reason you made your post.  It is extrordinary in its reflection of where we are heading as a people who embrace vengence as a method or reason for violence against others.

Also, Atheism isn't the ONLY solution.  Our Constitution provides us with a gentiler personal approach to religion, that is we all have a right to it and our government "Shall not make any law respecting an establishment of religion." Religion is a private matter, should be held sacred to the believer and not spewed out onto others.  If religion and its dogma were kept private and not invested into our politics I don't think we'd be having the problems we are having (and have had throughout history) when vengence is invoked instead of sound political action for self preservation.

Atheism is a step toward enlightenment and understanding because it breaks the God Mind and allows human thought to solve problems.  Once broken, any form of spiritual definition one makes for ones self is the next step of possibilities, but, keep it private--sacred.

Love your work, and Dad's too

FR

posted by freerain on March 15, 2006 at 5:47 PM | link to this | reply

vengeance is a reproach to any person

everybody is a victim of their vengeful reactions to lsights real or imagined

in particular its the imagined that give us the most trouble.

but if you figure that the Hebrews, and in particular, the Jews, were pretty well overrun a few times, they would create a vengeance, a god that would wreak vengeance on those who oppressed them.

It halfway worked.

The Maccabees threw off the yoke of their Syrian oppressors.

and the Jews did give the Romans some pretty good fits twice.

and even now, holding onto the promises of a Messiah who will come to Jerusalem once the Temple is built, Jews flock to Palestine in expectation.

problem of course is . . .

they are uprooting Palestinian Arabs from their lands.

and now, Christians look forward with glee (YES WITH GLEE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY!!!) to the time when all those sinners get theirS!  -- AND PARTICULARLY ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT TREATED THEM SO VILELY THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES, FROM THE SCHOOL BULLY TO THE WOMAN AT THE CHECKOUT COUNTER WHO TREATED THEM RUDELY.

'THAT'S what vengeance is really for.

posted by Xeno-x on March 15, 2006 at 2:08 PM | link to this | reply

kooka_lives -- I can't disagree with most of this posting >>>

Ancient religious doctrine gives many examples of retribution and revenge being okay. An endorsement such as this, seeming to come from "official scriptural channels" has an effect on believing adherants. And I have to agree that if we ever live long enough to see our species shake this religious stupor that too many people seem intent on proliferating, the world will certainly be a better place .....it would have to be.

posted by gomedome on March 15, 2006 at 12:46 PM | link to this | reply