In Reply to: Wow. posted by TheHappyBurgermeister on May 02, 2024 at 08:53:16
conflict"
Anyway..
I am pretty sure I'm against bigotry. Not perfect of course. I do believe I've been very clear though, I am against Jews hating on Muslims because they think they're the chosen people and the Muslims are whatever. I am against Muslims hating on everybody else because they're infidels or whatever. I am against Buddhists hacking Muslims to death because God only knows why. I am against Modi and his Hindu nationalism. I am against GOPutins who pimp Israel to get evangelical votes and the idea to keep the 'holy land' away from the Muslims until Jesus comes down and sends both the Jews and the Muslims (and everybody else) to hell.
I am against the constant battles worldwide between these factions.
I am against the problems it causes right here in Westwood and how mostly right-wing politicians use these conflicts to gain and hold power all across the world.
Is DSC's progressive congregation directly responsible (as you attempted to misstate my position) for all the worlds problems surrounding religion? No. Are peaceful Buddhist monks living in their monastery directly responsible for hacking Muslims to death? No. Are Jews in Brentwood who are simply wearing their yamakas directly responsible for bombing Gaza back into the stone age? No. Are Palestinians who just want a peaceful life Hamas? No.
But make no mistake, this is worldwide tribal warfare, and if you're actively promoting your tribe you're contributing to the division, you're empowering the leaders (who are generally rich and powerful because of it) who most often are directly responsible, and you're doing it on purpose. What you're NOT doing simple exercising your faith between you and your God.
And as I said very clearly in the OP, there are obviously various degrees of contribution to the war. Simply wearing a cross outside your shirt everywhere you go (instead of inside your shirt or inside your house) to show the world you're a Christian is on a lower end of the scale than some Christian zionist GOPutin scumbag or a right-wing Jew scumbag saying all the Palestinians must be killed. Which is in on a lower end of the scale than actually killing Palestinians.
But it's all contributing. It's dividing the teams. It's all professing the superiority of the teams. It's all stating the one true God is on your team (and not on the other teams). And it's all contributing to this bullsh!t. Clearly.
So I don't think simply pointing out this obvious fact is bigotry. But you can have your opinion.
Now, of course we can't deny people their religion. Many need it I guess. It's absolutely a human right. It's causing untold misery but so is climate change and I'm still driving my gas car (I mostly blame Elon Musk acting like Dr Evil for that...). But let's not deny reality about how this all works. And there's no denying the world would be a better place if there was nobody on the street corner screaming at me about hell but instead 'Matthew 6:6: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.'
You also, after complaining about ad hominem attacks called me/my views whackadoodle. As I said in my OP, I'm agnostic, so I'm not sure what happens when we die, I'm not sure the Christians are right or wrong, the Muslims, the Buddhists, whatever. I don't profess to know. But I'm fairly sure those who claim God told them what is right are whackadoodle. I'm sure the guy with the giant "GOD HATES FAGS" sigh is whackadoodle. I'm fairly sure whomever is hanging the signs over the 405 that are telling me I'm going to hell is whackadoodle. I'm equally convinced the ideas that if I convert to Islam I will be greeted in heaven by 40 virgins is whackadoodle or that Jesus walked on water or that I will come back to life as a dolphin (could be worse things I guess) are whackadoodle. So there's that. I'm not sure what in my direction you're saying is whackadoodle, but that one did make smile.
Anyway, yeah, Peace. God willing...