Religion is the cause
Not the cure for Middle Eastern violence.
Things CNN Will Never Tell You About Religion
By R. Joseph Hoffmann
1. That there is no God.
2. That you will not live forever.
3. That Noah’s ark will never be found because it never existed.
4. That Christianity began as a violent first century messianic sect which learned to cope peaceably when its messiah didn’t show up.
5. That most fundamentalists are rather stupid, Muslims and Christians alike.
6. That most evangelical Christians cannot describe what they mean by “inerrant” - speaking of the Bible.
7. That the vast majority of Christians opposed to stem cell research think it means killing babies for their brains.
8. That biblical Israel ceased to exist in 720 BC, lasted for less than two hundred years, and that modern Israel didn’t exist again until 1948.
9. That virtually no Jews use the phrase ‘Judaeo-Christian’, applied to ethics or anything else.
10. That Muhammad, a delusional first century Arab who thought the God of the Jews was speaking to him, was not a Muslim.
11. That Jesus, a delusional first century Jew who, if he existed, thought that the God of Abraham was his father, was not a Christian.
12. That most Arabs don’t like Palestinians.
13. That religion is the cause and not the cure for Middle Eastern violence.
14. That most Lebanese who are not Shi’a would rather be called Phoenicians than Arabs.
15. That the intellectual tradition in Arabia that is supposed to have given us everything from astronomy to the Zero and algebra…didn’t.
16. That not all religions are about peace, love and brotherhood—specifically, that the word Islam does not derive from the Arabic word peace but from the term for “Give up?”
17. That the term Jihad historically has never meant an inner struggle for spiritual perfection but killing the enemies of Islam before they can hurt you.
18. That almost no one in the Middle East believes that the future of the Middle East resides with “moderate” Muslims.
19. That atheism, secular humanism, and agnosticism are essential ingredients of the pluralist culture of modern Europe and America.
20. That when secularism and humanism fail, democracy fails.
21. That religious tolerance is not possible in the Middle East.
22. That unless the phrase ‘freedom and democracy’ includes the construct ‘secular’ neither term is meaningful.
23. That prior to the war on Iraq, the American president did not know that Iraq was biblical Mesopotamia, Eden.
24. That the American President thinks the distinction between Shi’a and Sunni is similar the distinction between Methodist and Presbyterian.
25. That the new ‘democratic’ regime in Iraq - Iraqi Shi’a - and Not Syria or Iran, were the staunchest supporters of Hezbollah prior to the invasion of Iraq.
26. That this means that the people we are calling the bulwark of freedom and democracy in Iraq are the terrorists of southern Lebanon.
R. Joseph Hoffmann is currently senior fellow and Chair of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion, at the Center for Inquiry, Amherst, New York. From 2000 until the break out of the war against Iraq, he was Professor of Civilization Studies at the American University Of Beirut.
An American Turning Point
By Peter Dyer
If and when President Bush is impeached and removed from office, the next step should be to arrest him and the other architects of the unprovoked invasion and occupation of Iraq.
If Americans ever find the will to do this, as we once did to German aggressors, history will remember it as a turning point in international relations. It will go down as one of the most spectacular and complete affirmations of the very best of American ideals.
Is Israel Good for the Jews?
By Norman Birnbaum
American Jewish citizens can be sure that a large number of Jewish organizations will claim to speak in our name--without being asked to do so. We can also be sure that should we dissent from the US Jewish community's central item of faith, that Israel can do no wrong, we will be pilloried. When our gentile fellow citizens express doubt, they are accused of anti-Semitism. Those of us who are Jewish are taxed with self-hatred.
Uncomfortable Truths about Israel
By Larry C. Johnson
We are faced with the spectacle of Hizbullah acting with statesmanship and restraint while the Israelis destroy their credibility among the international community -- and that's what Israel needs to hear from Bush.
What would we be saying if Hizbullah kidnapped the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and launched a daring raid inside Israel to disrupt a U.S. effort to resupply the Israeli Defense Force? We would be up in arms over their provocation and would be convening the UN Security Council to recommend new sanctions. Hell, we'd probably have the National Security Council in session and be ready to dispatch U.S. military forces to help Israel.
Not the cure for Middle Eastern violence.
Things CNN Will Never Tell You About Religion
By R. Joseph Hoffmann
1. That there is no God.
2. That you will not live forever.
3. That Noah’s ark will never be found because it never existed.
4. That Christianity began as a violent first century messianic sect which learned to cope peaceably when its messiah didn’t show up.
5. That most fundamentalists are rather stupid, Muslims and Christians alike.
6. That most evangelical Christians cannot describe what they mean by “inerrant” - speaking of the Bible.
7. That the vast majority of Christians opposed to stem cell research think it means killing babies for their brains.
8. That biblical Israel ceased to exist in 720 BC, lasted for less than two hundred years, and that modern Israel didn’t exist again until 1948.
9. That virtually no Jews use the phrase ‘Judaeo-Christian’, applied to ethics or anything else.
10. That Muhammad, a delusional first century Arab who thought the God of the Jews was speaking to him, was not a Muslim.
11. That Jesus, a delusional first century Jew who, if he existed, thought that the God of Abraham was his father, was not a Christian.
12. That most Arabs don’t like Palestinians.
13. That religion is the cause and not the cure for Middle Eastern violence.
14. That most Lebanese who are not Shi’a would rather be called Phoenicians than Arabs.
15. That the intellectual tradition in Arabia that is supposed to have given us everything from astronomy to the Zero and algebra…didn’t.
16. That not all religions are about peace, love and brotherhood—specifically, that the word Islam does not derive from the Arabic word peace but from the term for “Give up?”
17. That the term Jihad historically has never meant an inner struggle for spiritual perfection but killing the enemies of Islam before they can hurt you.
18. That almost no one in the Middle East believes that the future of the Middle East resides with “moderate” Muslims.
19. That atheism, secular humanism, and agnosticism are essential ingredients of the pluralist culture of modern Europe and America.
20. That when secularism and humanism fail, democracy fails.
21. That religious tolerance is not possible in the Middle East.
22. That unless the phrase ‘freedom and democracy’ includes the construct ‘secular’ neither term is meaningful.
23. That prior to the war on Iraq, the American president did not know that Iraq was biblical Mesopotamia, Eden.
24. That the American President thinks the distinction between Shi’a and Sunni is similar the distinction between Methodist and Presbyterian.
25. That the new ‘democratic’ regime in Iraq - Iraqi Shi’a - and Not Syria or Iran, were the staunchest supporters of Hezbollah prior to the invasion of Iraq.
26. That this means that the people we are calling the bulwark of freedom and democracy in Iraq are the terrorists of southern Lebanon.
R. Joseph Hoffmann is currently senior fellow and Chair of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion, at the Center for Inquiry, Amherst, New York. From 2000 until the break out of the war against Iraq, he was Professor of Civilization Studies at the American University Of Beirut.
An American Turning Point
By Peter Dyer
If and when President Bush is impeached and removed from office, the next step should be to arrest him and the other architects of the unprovoked invasion and occupation of Iraq.
If Americans ever find the will to do this, as we once did to German aggressors, history will remember it as a turning point in international relations. It will go down as one of the most spectacular and complete affirmations of the very best of American ideals.
Is Israel Good for the Jews?
By Norman Birnbaum
American Jewish citizens can be sure that a large number of Jewish organizations will claim to speak in our name--without being asked to do so. We can also be sure that should we dissent from the US Jewish community's central item of faith, that Israel can do no wrong, we will be pilloried. When our gentile fellow citizens express doubt, they are accused of anti-Semitism. Those of us who are Jewish are taxed with self-hatred.
Uncomfortable Truths about Israel
By Larry C. Johnson
We are faced with the spectacle of Hizbullah acting with statesmanship and restraint while the Israelis destroy their credibility among the international community -- and that's what Israel needs to hear from Bush.
What would we be saying if Hizbullah kidnapped the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and launched a daring raid inside Israel to disrupt a U.S. effort to resupply the Israeli Defense Force? We would be up in arms over their provocation and would be convening the UN Security Council to recommend new sanctions. Hell, we'd probably have the National Security Council in session and be ready to dispatch U.S. military forces to help Israel.
Imagine...
Rx at thepartyparty.com is at it again Lennon's Imagine with a little Walk on the Wild Side makes for a great video.
posted by Soldatensender at 8:38 AM
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