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| English: J’accuse...!, Émile Zola's open letter to the President of the Republic, in L’Aurore. Français : J’accuse...!, lettre ouverte d'Émile Zola au President de la Republique, dans l’Aurore. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: Historian of science John Henry, during a talk on the religious beliefs of Isaac Newton at the 2008 History of Science Society meeting (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Traditional dance performance in the Iroquois Indian Village at the 2008 New York State Fair. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
An open letter to religious Americans
It's finally happened. I've actually become really angry, and that takes a lot.
I'm not angry about your beliefs. You are free to devote yourself to any faith you want. I realize that there are atheists who would like to dictate to you what you can believe, who would like to change your mind for you if you're unwilling to change it yourself, but I am not one of those. You will never get any quarrel out of me over how you spend your Sundays (or Saturdays, or whatever day you prefer to worship).
What I am angry about is the fact that the vast majority of you seem content to let narrow-minded bigots and blowhards be your spokespeople. Men and women make statements in public forums that would be (rightly) shouted down if they were generated by any other source than the majority religion; statements that marginalize those who don't share those beliefs, which question the intelligence, patriotism, and (even) the right to citizenship of those who dissent. And hardly a squeak of criticism is voiced.
I'm not angry about your beliefs. You are free to devote yourself to any faith you want. I realize that there are atheists who would like to dictate to you what you can believe, who would like to change your mind for you if you're unwilling to change it yourself, but I am not one of those. You will never get any quarrel out of me over how you spend your Sundays (or Saturdays, or whatever day you prefer to worship).
What I am angry about is the fact that the vast majority of you seem content to let narrow-minded bigots and blowhards be your spokespeople. Men and women make statements in public forums that would be (rightly) shouted down if they were generated by any other source than the majority religion; statements that marginalize those who don't share those beliefs, which question the intelligence, patriotism, and (even) the right to citizenship of those who dissent. And hardly a squeak of criticism is voiced.
.......My disavowal of a deity has nothing whatsoever to do with my devotion to my country, its people, or its laws. And it would be nice if some of the religious people in the United States would recognize that fact, and remind the officials they elected that the bully pulpit of American politics should never be used to ramrod religious beliefs (or disbelief, for that matter) down the throats of the American public.
..... We have enough divisive hate-speech in this country right now. Partisan politics has become the flavor-of-the-month, and the flames are being fanned by media. It's time for this to end. Religion has no place in government, just as government has no place in religion. Stand up for the commonalities that unite us all -- love of country, support of the rule of law, dedication to freedom of speech and freedom of belief.
Be willing to say, "You know what? The fact that I share your religious beliefs doesn't give you the right to question in my presence the morals, ethics, or patriotism of those who don't."
Be willing to challenge those who have already stopped listening to the likes of me, who have already decided that everything I say "is lies straight from the pit of Hell."
Be willing to stand up for the religious tolerance that the founders of this country wrote into law when they framed the Constitution.
Your silence just makes the fissures that divide this country wider. And it is time for that silence to end.
112593752258808499457October 6, 2012 at 1:51 PM
The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.
-- John Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" (1787-88), from Adrienne Koch, ed, The American Enlightenment: The Shaping of the American Experiment and a Free Society (1965) p. 258, quoted from Ed and Michael Buckner, "Quotations that Support the Separation of State and Church "
-- John Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" (1787-88), from Adrienne Koch, ed, The American Enlightenment: The Shaping of the American Experiment and a Free Society (1965) p. 258, quoted from Ed and Michael Buckner, "Quotations that Support the Separation of State and Church "
Angry gets you no points for understanding - which is not to say outrage is misplaced. In actual fact, the nut cases get the hype going for reasons of whipping up hate. AlterNet had an article some time back on the confessions of one George Orwell on his time as a hate radio announcer for the BBC. Religion - especially and in particular state religion - is propaganda,
Think about it. 'Christians' - and that is a not particularly helpful generic term as much as the 'atheists' label - read about the story who promoted teaching of love, healing and people caring for each other without keeping and accruing masses of personal property. For this representatives of the theocracy would try to trick him into open rejection of the tenets of the temple. Upshot ? Regardless, for his temerity the rebel was falsely charged, imprisoned, tortured and killed.
Moral ? The state is an a**hole that will keep you down.
I'm not sure where is best to go with this. Philosophically I have no doubt people have a common reaction to the idea of an invisible entity controlling their lives...but some of us don't attribute such an idea to a deity ( although such a proposition is a common proposal of Authority ) so much as collusion.
http://oldephartte.livejournal.com/7619.html
http://oldephartte.livejournal.com/5724.html
http://www.talk2action.org/
Americans United for Separation of Church and State https://www.au.org/
http://www.discernment-ministries.org/ChristianImperialism.htm
Some years ago I mentioned to a minister who flew for JAARS ( a Bible translation and distribution scheme to remote tribes rejecting white man's exploitation in Central and South America ) that there were accounts of Bible translation* being partly funded by the CIA .
Think about it. 'Christians' - and that is a not particularly helpful generic term as much as the 'atheists' label - read about the story who promoted teaching of love, healing and people caring for each other without keeping and accruing masses of personal property. For this representatives of the theocracy would try to trick him into open rejection of the tenets of the temple. Upshot ? Regardless, for his temerity the rebel was falsely charged, imprisoned, tortured and killed.
Moral ? The state is an a**hole that will keep you down.
I'm not sure where is best to go with this. Philosophically I have no doubt people have a common reaction to the idea of an invisible entity controlling their lives...but some of us don't attribute such an idea to a deity ( although such a proposition is a common proposal of Authority ) so much as collusion.
http://oldephartte.livejournal.com/7619.html
http://oldephartte.livejournal.com/5724.html
http://www.talk2action.org/
Americans United for Separation of Church and State https://www.au.org/
http://www.discernment-ministries.org/ChristianImperialism.htm
Some years ago I mentioned to a minister who flew for JAARS ( a Bible translation and distribution scheme to remote tribes rejecting white man's exploitation in Central and South America ) that there were accounts of Bible translation* being partly funded by the CIA .
* A biography of Nelson A. Rockefeller, once head of the CIA, loaned to me by a former international photojournalist who was not ( wink, nod ..l assumed; not done ) a CIA asset ( but who wrote for their in house news on occasion...per the deceased ) included allegations that Wycliffe Bible Translators were partly funded by the CIA without any such declaration to the recipients
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