Creepy religious talk (was: Re: [lbo-talk] creepy journal)

[C. G. Estabrook]

I don't see what's gained by calling atheists' beliefs [sic] religious,
and I wasn't doing so.  I was instead quoting the observation that
practically all that's left of religion in English society is distrust of
and hostility to Catholicism -- given that relations between the Roman
church and English Christianity weren't particularly good for the last
four and a half centuries.  Orwell's remark (from an essay on his
contemporary Evelyn Waugh) seemed to me an example of that.

I like your suggestion, though: my office door has a quote from Chomsky
and one from the theologian whom I quoted in my last post.  --CGE

On Wed, 30 Jul 2003, budge wrote:


> Speaking of gibes, what is it with the devout, on both the left and
> the right, that feel this need to impute atheists with the accusation
> that their beliefs are 'religious'? I mean, really, it can only be
> said with the intention to insult, as it has no descriptive power and
> in fact serves to obscure the doubters' actual views.
> 
> The question came up a few weeks back as to why The Left is so hostile
> to religious faith.  Well I don't speak for The Left, but my personal
> story is: raised liberal socially active Catholic --> agnostic -->
> atheist w/o much opinion as to whether religion was a net evil or good
> --> actively hostile to religion (at least the monotheisms) and
> believes it on balance to be vile.  After that last 20 years of right
> wing Jews and Xtians polluting the political discourse and having
> lived those 20 years in various parts of the Bible belt, I'm fucking
> sick of people's religion.  People where I work have no compunction
> about having religio-political crap on their wall like Pompous
> Creepers posters and Pat Robertson effluvia.  We even had one of the
> Phuds here recently do a bicycle ride for Jesus sponsored by Focus on
> the Family for crissakes and littered everyone's mailbox with
> invitations to sponsor him.  I almost puked.
> 
> Can you imagine the uproar if I were to hang Chomsky's picture and
> some choice quotes on the wall?  They'd have a fucking hissy fit.  
> But they can hang the their religio-fascist stuff all around and we're
> just supposed to think it peachy.  Oh yeah, then they play all victim
> like the culture somehow is hostile to their superstitious nonsense.
> 
> Please.  I've had it with the religious playing victim in this
> offensively religious society.
> 
> BTW: yes, I still know devout Catholics that do good social and
> political work, but I now believe they do it in spite of their
> religious views, not because of them.  Somehow, enough of their
> humanity isn't damaged by the nonsense that they still have decent
> feelings and respect for other human beings.  And no, we don't usually
> talk about religion...
>