You have it backwards. Faith is what is dangerous--religious faith especially. Institutionalized religion is a symptom of faith. Indeed, organized religion is probably a lot less virulent than the personal spirituality that many people might develop on their own, were they so inclined.
Don't get me wrong! I think faith is one of the most dangerous things out there! Even strong faith in Atheism can push you to do crazy things. But I still like faith because it can give things purpose and meaning. Its just the conformity of faith I have a problem with.
In your last sentence, I think you meant "organized religion" instead of "faith." That would be more consistent with what you've been saying, at least.
I'll grant your point: One million people's individual faith does not have the destructive, corruptive power of an organized religion of one million people. Nevertheless, organized religion far exceeds all other institutions, excepting the regular military, in the sheer scope of that destructiveness, that corruption. What makes organized religion so particularly threatening is the underlying religious faith. Faith--religious faith--is how the devour justify the craziest worldviews ever known, as well as the attempt to impose said views, and that is more of a threat in itself than the inevitable conformity and groupthink, and blunt mob power, that follows when a bunch of likeminded people get together to turn off their brains and turn up their emotions.
Religion without faith is just another sports stadium full of lunatics who yell at games and go home to yell at the television. It is religious people's faith that makes organized religion itself so dangerous. My point, is that your condemnations, however warranted, are focusing on a symptom rather than the source of this evil.
Whats going on Nov 7th? (I haven't been able too keep up with dates of important events lately)
The U.S. midterm elections.
This year’s elections are just so fucking important I almost can’t stand it.
If you are an eligible U.S. citizen, you need to vote this year. You need to have your friends vote. You need to put aside your childish cynicism against “the system” and just vote those goddamn Republican bastards out of power. Or don’t—I’m not the boss of you! But only an bamboozled idiot or a self-deluded fool could support the GOP right now. There are crucial races all over the country; both houses of Congress are in play. All across the states, governorships and ballot initiatives like Dakota’s will be decided. All of this will help shape the direction of the country for years to come.
We can’t cede much more ground. We’re already past the point of preventing irreversible damage that will plague this nation for decades. The ultraconservative religious fundamentalists have succeeded so wildly in their agenda that America is beginning to break down. The entire Democratic Party is, in my opinion, occupying what I could call the center of gravity between liberalism and conservatism—yet they still don’t have an elected majority! Many of today’s Democratic hopefuls have been forced to campaign so far to the right that I don’t even like their platforms. But I still have to support them, because at this point the only other choice is to emigrate. I won’t live in a United States where Republicans control the country’s direction for decades on end.
So let me just say it to you: 2004 was the year we could not afford to lose. Yet we lost seats in both houses, and of course we lost to George Fucking Dubya Bush. Now we’re at the point of implosion. Serious changes to the American way of life—all for the worse—lay in store for us and for subsequent generations, unless the conservative stranglehold on our national direction is broken.
Please vote this year. Even if you don’t care. Even if you don’t see the point. Even if you think it will do nothing to help in the end. As a personal favor to me, vote! And that goes for all of you who have American citizenship and a voter's registration.
That reminds me of another thing I hate: BEER. It tastes like carbonated earwax. Unless its Guinness. I love that for some reason.
Well said, you! Oh, it brings tears of joy to me eyes to hear such glorious praise of Guinness--the finest beer there ever was. I don't tend to like beer either, and I don't drink terribly often anyway, but Guinness...now there's a work of art brought out of the canvas and deposited upon our thirsty lips.
For your noble remarks, I am promoting you to the newly-created, special honorary post of Guru of Guinness!
