Unintelligible Design
First, let me say, I don’t believe in god.
It would be nice to, but I really can’t find any reason other than that it would be nice for me personally – but “nice for me personally”isn’t enough.
It would be nice to believe all sorts of things, but most of us don’t do that – unless we are high or drunk or deranged. So, why do it with god?
Which is not to say that I have any problem with otherfolks believing anything they want. You see, I was raised with the strange notion that we all have the freedom to believe whatever we want. You want toworship the Tooth Fairy? OK by me. I think you’re a bit “off,” but go for it.
This orientation is one of the few aspects of my being that (I think) is shared by a majority of Americans. Most of us don’t stay up late worrying about whether OTHER Americans worship the Tooth Fairy or not. We figure that if anyone is goofy enough to worship the Tooth Fairy (or handle poisonous snakes), that’s their problem and welcome to it.
The rest of us don’t have to (at least so far) bow down to the magnificent TF; we can concentrate on Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Boogey Man, or Paris Hilton – whomever we might choose.
Now, isn’t that pretty simple? Each one of us can believe whatever we want. We can even believe things that most people find revolting, evil, unethical,sinful, or illegal. AS LONG AS WE JUST BELIEVE IT!! We’re not allowed to ACT on just ANY of these things we believe! We’re just allowed to BELIEVE them. And that’s fine.
BELIEVING in the universal curative power of lying naked upon a bed of squirming porcupines is quite acceptable – as long as you don’t actually DO it. AND, I’d go so far as to say that, if you personally are prepared to either die from infection or pay your own medical expenses resulting from your faith in the curative essence of barbed quills, GO FOR IT! Just DON”T incorporate your personal faith into the schools or the government!
Don’t try to force ME or ANYONE ELSE into emulating your “truth.” Please, give us a break! All of us may not be as smart and authoritative as you, but we don’t really want you cramming your special “truth” into us or our children.
Now, there are a significant number of nut-cases out there, who mistakenly call themselves “Christians,”who believe that EVERYBODY has the right to their opinion, but that most other people’s opinions are WRONG, and therefore they don’t REALLY have the right to their opinions.
These folks have dedicated themselves to FORCING the "unenlightened" into the sunshine of truth (i.e. into believing in the Tooth Fairy/faith-healing/microfilm or whatever they personally have fixated on). I hate to say it, but these people are stupidly designed.
They“get” the idea of “Freedom of Religion” as far as meaning that THEY can believe whatever THEY want; but,somehow, they convince themselves that since only THEY are correct (and because ONLY they, as my dead soldier friend Gary Leach used to say, “have a hammerlock on the infinite”), THEY have the "freedom" to cram their “correct” views down the throats of all the less-enlightened, "incorrect" folks.
Somehow, because their view – which they DO have the right to have –includes the notion of suppressing heretics, they think they – unlike everyone else - are being persecuted if they are KEPT from persecuting every doctrinally “incorrect” soul on earth!
Don’t think so? Listen to them. They don’t complain that they are persecuted because they are not allowed to BELIEVE their idiotic,un-Christian tripe (they’d have one hell of a time backing THAT up)! Instead, they complain because people don’t readily and willingly allow them to IMPOSE their particular crazy views on their brethren.
They have this psychotic perspective that everyone can believe whatever they want, but nobody but THEY can ACT upon a personal view. Acting against THEM based on one’s personal views is "persecution." THEIR acting against everyone else based upon THEIR personal view is not only NOT persecution, but a justified, therapeutic, missionary action.
Well, fuck them! A dumb-ass can, as is presently apparent, grow up to be president, but stupid,arrogant, self-centered morons like Pat Robertson and Rob Parsley aren’t getting a pass from me.
- Uke Man
It would be nice to, but I really can’t find any reason other than that it would be nice for me personally – but “nice for me personally”isn’t enough.
It would be nice to believe all sorts of things, but most of us don’t do that – unless we are high or drunk or deranged. So, why do it with god?
Which is not to say that I have any problem with otherfolks believing anything they want. You see, I was raised with the strange notion that we all have the freedom to believe whatever we want. You want toworship the Tooth Fairy? OK by me. I think you’re a bit “off,” but go for it.
This orientation is one of the few aspects of my being that (I think) is shared by a majority of Americans. Most of us don’t stay up late worrying about whether OTHER Americans worship the Tooth Fairy or not. We figure that if anyone is goofy enough to worship the Tooth Fairy (or handle poisonous snakes), that’s their problem and welcome to it.
The rest of us don’t have to (at least so far) bow down to the magnificent TF; we can concentrate on Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Boogey Man, or Paris Hilton – whomever we might choose.
Now, isn’t that pretty simple? Each one of us can believe whatever we want. We can even believe things that most people find revolting, evil, unethical,sinful, or illegal. AS LONG AS WE JUST BELIEVE IT!! We’re not allowed to ACT on just ANY of these things we believe! We’re just allowed to BELIEVE them. And that’s fine.
BELIEVING in the universal curative power of lying naked upon a bed of squirming porcupines is quite acceptable – as long as you don’t actually DO it. AND, I’d go so far as to say that, if you personally are prepared to either die from infection or pay your own medical expenses resulting from your faith in the curative essence of barbed quills, GO FOR IT! Just DON”T incorporate your personal faith into the schools or the government!
Don’t try to force ME or ANYONE ELSE into emulating your “truth.” Please, give us a break! All of us may not be as smart and authoritative as you, but we don’t really want you cramming your special “truth” into us or our children.
Now, there are a significant number of nut-cases out there, who mistakenly call themselves “Christians,”who believe that EVERYBODY has the right to their opinion, but that most other people’s opinions are WRONG, and therefore they don’t REALLY have the right to their opinions.
These folks have dedicated themselves to FORCING the "unenlightened" into the sunshine of truth (i.e. into believing in the Tooth Fairy/faith-healing/microfilm or whatever they personally have fixated on). I hate to say it, but these people are stupidly designed.
They“get” the idea of “Freedom of Religion” as far as meaning that THEY can believe whatever THEY want; but,somehow, they convince themselves that since only THEY are correct (and because ONLY they, as my dead soldier friend Gary Leach used to say, “have a hammerlock on the infinite”), THEY have the "freedom" to cram their “correct” views down the throats of all the less-enlightened, "incorrect" folks.
Somehow, because their view – which they DO have the right to have –includes the notion of suppressing heretics, they think they – unlike everyone else - are being persecuted if they are KEPT from persecuting every doctrinally “incorrect” soul on earth!
Don’t think so? Listen to them. They don’t complain that they are persecuted because they are not allowed to BELIEVE their idiotic,un-Christian tripe (they’d have one hell of a time backing THAT up)! Instead, they complain because people don’t readily and willingly allow them to IMPOSE their particular crazy views on their brethren.
They have this psychotic perspective that everyone can believe whatever they want, but nobody but THEY can ACT upon a personal view. Acting against THEM based on one’s personal views is "persecution." THEIR acting against everyone else based upon THEIR personal view is not only NOT persecution, but a justified, therapeutic, missionary action.
Well, fuck them! A dumb-ass can, as is presently apparent, grow up to be president, but stupid,arrogant, self-centered morons like Pat Robertson and Rob Parsley aren’t getting a pass from me.
- Uke Man
3 Comments:
Your comments hit home! As a poet, I have touched upon this ubject more than once, and I think this piece says it best.....John O. Smith
Facets of the jewel
Taken away by means of force, into the ebony black,
my screams of outrage, through this tortured soul.
Happiness, why does thou desert us, who have hungered for so long?
Why do thou only give us a glimpse, before plunging us again into the abyss?
Perchance, are some never to see your light, which shines so brightly for others,
or are we not yet at the place to fully appreciate your full effect?
Whom shall ever feel your warmth, that taketh away the chill of love’s demise
Which fills that void in the heart so crushed, may it be we.
We, who have so long suffered, that pain filled circumstance
Of another who by very nature, sought to destroy our souls.
Not brought about by the evils, of which beliefs have upheld,
But that point of control.
That control which shackles the full voice that gives us happiness,
By singing the song of self which longs to be sung.
We, who along another path trek, to that very same place which others seek,
that place, where man one and all, shall live in peace.
Those, who travel this path, littered with the curses
that come from those, whose very path forbids this,
whose very honeyed words are as bitter poison, for they are filled with spite.
They, who say these hate filled words are those, whose gods look down upon
with anger, for it should be not so.
Tragic are these words that tear down the soul.
A soul whose utter purpose is to reveal that which is hidden,
hidden from the eyes of those, who choose not to see
those very beauties that lie there before thee.
Are all flowers of the same hue? Do they all smell as sweet?
For without that which is different, can true beauty be known?
Trials that we face, those who take this rocky path
only show us different facets thus, of the jewel
which is man.
© 2004 John O. Smith
The debate is raging strong and loud in South Central PA - and it's a classic one - but let's look at definitions -
Science - "that which is proved through evidence provided through the application of the experimental method" (at least that's how I recall it).
On the other hand we have:
Faith - "the belief without the need of evidence" -
The problem here is not which is right or wrong - it's the attempt to present that which is faith based as being science. Belief is a personal thing - and I'm not going to share mine - be it strong or abject lack thereof - the point is that Evolution is based on empirical evidence and by definition is science, proven and tested within the scientific community. Creation is faith based. Intelligent design is neither science nor faith, but a right wing fabrication pretending to be science.
Just a few thoughts from a guy who figures he knows a thing or two about the scientific method - having defended his thesis on statistical method ...
Steve
Hello Fellow Harkerites:
Let's start a Harkerite religion...maybe get some federal funds to do stuff to help those that need it? Much more desirable for me than the my previous religion (by birth AND before I saw the error of their RC ways).
After all, who'd argue with a religion that worshiped an intelligent-cute-as-the-devil-Ukele Playin'MAN! ? !
I can see the school district making the news with their intent to force feed intelligent design from my windows...LUCKILY for me, I live on the evolved side of the Darwinian line.
Let's just say that too many of the residents of THAT district have definite evidence supporting arrested evolutionary development.
That alone explains more that we really would want to know! I had shared some of this via past postings (maybe even here..but definitely on some friendly Yahoo groups).
See you in The Church of Help Us Get The Right Wing Re-Set!
I'll be in the back pew!
Or on the stool closest to the bartender!
Cheers! and Praise Tom!
Phyll
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