Never regarded religion as bad, per se.
Decades long in my life, I thought it would be helpful for my own 'spiritual' growth.
Coming towards the ageing phase, I realized none of it really matters on the outside.
Did dive deep into some meditation technique from India. Had that kundalini awakening.
Breathlessness. And deathlessness hoped for, but never ever encountering that silver-bearded God figure.
Able to communicate I am.
Did it change my character? My horniness of babes? My readyness to party or get wasted?
Well, it sure didn't.
In hindsight, years awakened haven't changed me all that much. What remains is a breath to take - the final one - to view the other side of the Rio Grande...
Meanwhile in Texas, Republicans just approved a party platform that thoroughly embraces right-wing Christian beliefs: “We affirm God’s biblical design for marriage and sexual behavior,” they aver. They would rescind no-fault divorce and same-sex marriage, declare homosexuality “an abnormal lifestyle choice,” and put “prayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments” in schools. Legislators around the country are passing laws that will force women to bear children they don’t want because, in Gov. Greg Abbott’s words, “Our Creator endowed us with the right to life.” And thanks to Christian nationalism and its allies on the Supreme Court, American women have just lost all federal legal protection against this God-given oppression, which former vice president Mike Pence, for one, wants to make into U.S. law.
jfc
Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King - indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Meanwhile in Texas, Republicans just approved a party platform that thoroughly embraces right-wing Christian beliefs: âWe affirm Godâs biblical design for marriage and sexual behavior,â they aver. They would rescind no-fault divorce and same-sex marriage, declare homosexuality âan abnormal lifestyle choice,â and put âprayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandmentsâ in schools. Legislators around the country are passing laws that will force women to bear children they donât want because, in Gov. Greg Abbottâs words, âOur Creator endowed us with the right to life.â
And thanks to Christian nationalism and its allies on the Supreme Court, American women have just lost all federal legal protection against this God-given oppression, which former vice president Mike Pence, for one, wants to make into U.S. law.
Meanwhile in Texas, Republicans just approved a party platform that thoroughly embraces right-wing Christian beliefs: âWe affirm Godâs biblical design for marriage and sexual behavior,â they aver. They would rescind no-fault divorce and same-sex marriage, declare homosexuality âan abnormal lifestyle choice,â and put âprayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandmentsâ in schools. Legislators around the country are passing laws that will force women to bear children they donât want because, in Gov. Greg Abbottâs words, âOur Creator endowed us with the right to life.â
And thanks to Christian nationalism and its allies on the Supreme Court, American women have just lost all federal legal protection against this God-given oppression, which former vice president Mike Pence, for one, wants to make into U.S. law.
kurtster wrote: ...... The primary goal of Socialism is to replace God with the State. The rest is easy after that. ...... That is incorrect. That description does not even accurately describe the former Soviet Union.
How about the left-wing Marxists in Latin America? Most are Roman Catholic. Liberation theology as espoused by radical, socially engaged priests is an important building block in the ELN, the National Liberation Army operating in Colombia and Venezuela.
The concern with popular ideological stereotypes is that they may lead to more violent conflict not less.
kurtster is confusing socialism with Henry VIII. Easy mistake to make.
Sorry it took so long to get back to you on this, but I did not forget.
I will repeat, ... the primary goal of Socialism is to replace God with the State.
And yes, it does accurately describe the USSR, up to Gorbachev. Things did change when Gorbachev took over at the end of the 80's, but before Gorby, things were very, very different. Churches and their private properties were confiscated and the public display of religious icons prohibited. Formal religious services prohibited. And much much more. I do not know on what basis or information you have as proof of otherwise.
You are correct about some Latin American Marxists, but they are the exception to the rule.
I became aware of Marxism and all it encompasses back in the very early 60's when a colony moved to Berkeley from Princeton and established their foothold on the west coast and opened up their food cooperative as a base and to finance their agenda. Before then organized colonies only existed in places like Boston and as noted Princeton, no thanks to Woodrow Wilson, once POTUS and a noted racist I might add.
The supposition I make above about the goal of replacing God with the State is what I learned way back then in the 60's. This is not a recent conclusion on my part. Material Atheism is the religion promoted by Marxists and Communist States such as the USSR and China. Yes, this was in my front yard and awareness from my preteen years going forward. Obviously not even a thought by most Americans in the rest of the country, let alone children, but that awareness was part of my childhood. Even worse is that this is obviously breaking news to you and many others at this point in time based upon the remarks directed at me so far in this thread.
The Twin Pines logo of the food coop I have seen since that time in the early 60's.
Here are two wiki pages that support my position. Read them and get back to me on this if any further discussion on this subject interests you.
kurtster wrote: ...... The primary goal of Socialism is to replace God with the State. The rest is easy after that. ...... That is incorrect. That description does not even accurately describe the former Soviet Union.
How about the left-wing Marxists in Latin America? Most are Roman Catholic. Liberation theology as espoused by radical, socially engaged priests is an important building block in the ELN, the National Liberation Army operating in Colombia and Venezuela.
The concern with popular ideological stereotypes is that they may lead to more violent conflict not less.
kurtster is confusing socialism with Henry VIII. Easy mistake to make.
Yeah, uh huh.
I'll have a reply to both of you subsequently, don't worry. Got a plate full o shit to deal with before I can get serious on this, which certainly warrants that.
...Worship the State, not God. The State is the Creator of everything you need including all the answers to your questions. Simply acknowledging God is not even allowed.
...We are now being trained to tolerate these same things here in this country. The Pandemic provides cover for this. The primary goal of Socialism is to replace God with the State.
God? Whose God? Your God? The invisible old white guy in the sky thang? Would you kill me if my God was portrayed differently, was called something different and I practiced different rituals than you? Wouldn't none of that matter if it resulted in kindness and good character? So why is the right so afraid of female power and different religions? Why so-called believers in the Prince of Peace place fear over faith and compelled to carry weapons?
Izzy ! Long time no see.
Really ? If not God, then how about just The Creator, what ever it happens to be ? A higher power, whatever floats yer boat.
"God" in my original statement should be taken as a metaphor, not one particular god versus another one.
So it is either The State is The Creator of all that life graces us with or there is another Creator out there.
Just to be clear, I do not participate in any organized religion, nor have I since Jr high school. I consider myself spiritual and I am open to the concept of Intelligent Design at the very least.
I've said this here many times before ... Back in the late 60's I saw a Rabbi on The Mike Douglas Show who offered his summation of things, to wit ... God created earth and man created religion. He had me at Hello on that and it has been the perspective I have carried forth ever since.
I also believe in the Founding as designed where government (The State) serves the people. Not the other way around where people serve the government, which is the goal of Socialism.
kurtster wrote: ...... The primary goal of Socialism is to replace God with the State. The rest is easy after that. ......
That is incorrect. That description does not even accurately describe the former Soviet Union.
How about the left-wing Marxists in Latin America? Most are Roman Catholic. Liberation theology as espoused by radical, socially engaged priests is an important building block in the ELN, the National Liberation Army operating in Colombia and Venezuela.
The concern with popular ideological stereotypes is that they may lead to more violent conflict not less.
kurtster is confusing socialism with Henry VIII. Easy mistake to make.
...Worship the State, not God. The State is the Creator of everything you need including all the answers to your questions. Simply acknowledging God is not even allowed.
...We are now being trained to tolerate these same things here in this country. The Pandemic provides cover for this. The primary goal of Socialism is to replace God with the State.
God? Whose God? Your God? The invisible old white guy in the sky thang? Would you kill me if my God was portrayed differently, was called something different and I practiced different rituals than you? Wouldn't none of that matter if it resulted in kindness and good character? So why is the right so afraid of female power and different religions? Why so-called believers in the Prince of Peace place fear over faith and compelled to carry weapons?
The Slaughter of the Crusades. The Horrors of both French and Spanish Inquisitions. 150 years of Protestants and Catholics taking turns burning each other. Over Ritual. 300+ years of 'witch' burning and 'spectral evidence.'
The most heinous acts perpetrated against mankind has been done in the name of Religion.
