It isn't like this religion stuff is benign, taxpayers have to pay their institution's taxes. In a place like Manhattan, for example, that is substantial. I wonder how much that actually is. Non-believers are forced to subsidize this comic book stuff.
The fact is non-believers are imposed on all the time by the "believers." We are not to react, we are to quietly pay their bills and fake their rituals.
One nice bright side is that once a church does finally take over and become THE state church it begins its fade. Almost all of the countries I can think of with established religions nowadays have little religious influence in real life. The down side is that this takes a long time. The process of one Godly house becoming the THE Godly house entails a lot of destruction and strife. First all the other Godly houses have to be defeated. After that it also seems that THE newly sanctified state church then has to reach out and attempt to save the rest of the world and show them the errors of their ways. After the ensuing wars and disasters and ultimate defeat, THEN the public finally starts to ignore its State Godly house.
I thought that was part of the great American experiment, to find a way to avoid all of those intermediate steps.
Steve Gotzler
----- Original Message ----- From: <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 1:47 AM Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] "Damn, did God piss in your cheerios?"
> On 8 Jun 2005 at 19:37, B. wrote:
>
>> Here's a hint to all of you atheists: one, it's not
>> your damn business what I believe; two, you might do
>> yourself a favor by relating to religious people (the
>> vast majority of the people on this planet) in a
>> language they understand rather than being hostile
>> towards their viewpoints.
>>
>> -B.
>
> Heres a hint to all you xtians. I don't care if you believe the dead guy
> on
> a stick is going to come back and wisk you to Disney World in the Sky.
> Whatever supernatural beliefs you want to hold are none of my fucking
> business. I do however care when you claim city council meetings,
> schools, courts, etc. are appropriate place to codify YOUR beliefs. Why
> do I need to swear on a bible when I give testamony in a court of law?
> Why not the book "Dianetics"? Why do we need to have a prayer before
> a city council meeting? Why does the state pay its employees to stay
> home for some religious holidays but not others? If we have nonsensical
> religious rituals made mandatory in secular functions by people who
> believe in Santa Christ then THEY have just made their beliefs my damn
> business. When xtians stop cheapening their own supposedly sacred
> texts and rituals and put them where they belong I'll leave them alone.
> I've tried not being hostile but it doesn't work. This country is more
> xtian
> now than it was 175 years ago in many ways. Being nice to them doesn't
> work. It may be time to start referring to religious beliefs as
> dangerously
> dogmatic and archaic and "people of faith" as delusional.
>
> Maybe we should have a national holiday celebrating the re-birth of
> Horus? Would most xtians mind if we did that? After all, Jesus' followers
> stole most of Horus' gags for themselves so it would only be fair to let
> Horus get a little limelight time. Close schools and banks and business'
> and celebrate the re-assembly of Horus (minus his penis unfortunately)
> with an orgy of Horus images and references with state officials all
> declaring how important it is to remember the true meaning of this most
> important holiday. "We would all do well to remember the works of
> Horus and strive to live our lifes a bit more like his, except for the
> part
> where he loses his package." We can make it during the summer
> solstice. If we have a gift exchange maybe we can get the business
> community to back the idea. It could increase sales better than xmas in
> July specials. I'm sure xtians wouldn't mind letting others have their
> beliefs incorporated into state functions and every aspect of the public
> sphere. After all it is none of their damn business what Horus
> worshippers believe is it?
>
> Incidentally I am aware that there are many xtians and churches who
> support progressive causes. The people in them are almost never the
> ones who insist on putting the 10 Commandments in state buildings
> however. I have no problem with their beliefs in and of themselves. I find
> I have no use for them at all. Most of the anti-war demonstrators where I
> live are affiliated with one of three churches in the area. It is partly
> their
> belief that makes them oppose the war. Mostly it is because they think
> the war is wrong however. None of them want prayer in school and not
> one of them has asked me if I have found salvation in Jesus. I work with
> them just fine. They are a minority among the followers of Jesus. I am
> only hostile to those who feel the public interests are best served by
> adopting any of the codes, rituals, proscriptions, whatever of their
> religion into public spaces. Why do I need to be any MORE civil to them
> than I am to someone who favors school vouchers, privatizing Social
> Security and doesn't believe in anthropomorphic climate change? Those
> are all stupid beliefs and/or ideas and I have no problem telling
> someone that I believe this.
>
> John Thornton
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>
>
>