There's a lot of things about this world I don't like. I don't like how corruption is prevalent in any hierarchical structure, especially with one vast enough to encompass thousands of employees (I'm not an advocate of smaller government, though). I don't like how romanticized ideals of how romantic relationships should go, and when that fades, everyone accepts that it was inevitable. I don't like the idea that pricks seem to be the most ahead in life, but squander it more than others. I don't like how you have to choose between been successful (rather, being perceived as successful and accomplishing a lot) and living a life you want (for those who lives don't revolve around their work). I don't like the fact that faith is lauded in the face of evidence and reasoned arguments. I don't like that some truths and facts that seem like basic ideas to me, escape those wiser or smarter than me. I don't like the best of our kind doesn't feel like they are worth anything, because they don't conform to the ideal set forth. There are a lot of things about this world I do not like, but accept these things as fact. Just because you don't like something doesn't make it not true. It's a sentiment I see a lot from people, where if they just ignore a problem, it no longer exists.
People need to understand the reality we live in. Things about human nature, social behavior, etc. We've conquered the planet, now we need to conquer our own understanding of ourselves. I wish I could see if these behaviors are solely attributed to human beings, or if they are sentient qualities. What I wouldn't give to know such answers. But I don't and, as much as I don't like something, it doesn't make it not true. Does accepting these things make me bitter? Perhaps. The optimistic often seem hopeful, right? They *hope* things get better or something will happen. Most hope that a higher power intervenes, which is the most pointless thing in the world, because hoping non-existent creatures intervene is hoping against knowing. I see the world as it is, as reality has been demonstrated to me in all my experiences. And all this shit is now becoming too predictable.
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
God: Unknowable Variable; People: Knowable Asshats
I always hear this from the Christians "Don't judge Christianity on the interpretation of people" which is stupid, because they turn right around and call Islam evil because of al-Qaeda, Taliban, and Hamas. That generally hypocrisy is too obvious to point out. But what I say is that, okay so we can't know if a god exists, what he wants, how he judges, etc. We can't know about God, but we can know about the people who follow. My contention with religion is not that it is unprovable and nobody should follow, it's the acts that are carried out (and sanctioned by military powers) in the name of it. Did the Crusades prove or disprove God? No, it proved that religious fanatics are assholes. Take any organization. Would you judge it solely on its leader and that's it? What if you judged countries solely on their leaders? Would that make any sense?
I don't care what it says in the sacred texts or what the leaders profess or what they say God put into our morality. It's about what people do either because of or justify because of it. Hell, if people killed because of a Care Bear book, I would hate that, even though it says positive things. Qu'ran, Bible, Torah, whatever your brand of crazy religion is, it's not what it says, it's what people do because of it.
I don't care what it says in the sacred texts or what the leaders profess or what they say God put into our morality. It's about what people do either because of or justify because of it. Hell, if people killed because of a Care Bear book, I would hate that, even though it says positive things. Qu'ran, Bible, Torah, whatever your brand of crazy religion is, it's not what it says, it's what people do because of it.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Purgatory
Ever since I became self aware at 16, I've always this vision of how the afterlife would truly be if it were possible. And no, I call on no divine being to dream it up for us, nor is this even spiritual or religious (or emotional). The one thing that has been a problem with me for a long time is that my conscious and my subconscious - "conscience" if you will - are constantly at war. See, I do have a morality that was taught to me and that I learned, that through cooperation, we achieve 'x' times more progression than alone (x = how many people are involved). But I also know that I cannot live for the group, that I have to do things in my best interest, and my best interests, especially in the long term, are not that of the group's best interest. So that causes a short of riff between the waking me you see everyday and the other side that surfaces when my conscious mind is too busy or is "out". Anyway, on the afterlife.
I think that the thing that would cause this afterlife is nothing more than our own minds and imaginations. Using the first law of thermodynamics (matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed), I am inferring that consciousness cannot be destroyed, but changes into something else. To deal with this new change (and subsequent lack of a physical presence), it goes back to its life on Earth.
Basically, I think that, if you led a good and virtuous life, you will imagine up a paradise where all your friends and family live or what have you. Your mind will be "pure", as dictated by itself, and therefore you will want to reward yourself, as a result. Conversely, if you had a lot of regret and guilt over the things you did, you may enter a sort of nightmare world, filled with things to punish yourself with. Either way, you get the consequence you feel you deserved. I think I came to this conclusion after hearing "At least I can sleep at night" too many times. Could you ever do so much wrong as you deprive yourself of sleep or food, in some cases? Not consciously, but subconsciously, your body taking cues from your "conscience". I think it's a fair question and whether or not this is a possibility for the afterlife, I don't know.
I'm sure I'm not the first person to think this up and maybe somewhere, there is an actual name for this idea, maybe it's in a book or something. But think about it.
I think that the thing that would cause this afterlife is nothing more than our own minds and imaginations. Using the first law of thermodynamics (matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed), I am inferring that consciousness cannot be destroyed, but changes into something else. To deal with this new change (and subsequent lack of a physical presence), it goes back to its life on Earth.
Basically, I think that, if you led a good and virtuous life, you will imagine up a paradise where all your friends and family live or what have you. Your mind will be "pure", as dictated by itself, and therefore you will want to reward yourself, as a result. Conversely, if you had a lot of regret and guilt over the things you did, you may enter a sort of nightmare world, filled with things to punish yourself with. Either way, you get the consequence you feel you deserved. I think I came to this conclusion after hearing "At least I can sleep at night" too many times. Could you ever do so much wrong as you deprive yourself of sleep or food, in some cases? Not consciously, but subconsciously, your body taking cues from your "conscience". I think it's a fair question and whether or not this is a possibility for the afterlife, I don't know.
I'm sure I'm not the first person to think this up and maybe somewhere, there is an actual name for this idea, maybe it's in a book or something. But think about it.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Cosmological Struggle: Bible Is Just Propaganda Against Satan
What if Satan and Yahweh are not who they seem? What if Satan was not a fallen angel, but, like Yahweh, a creator of sorts? It seems in lot of the dead religions, good versus evil had equal forces, thus both could exist separately. That is not the case with Christianity, Yahweh allows Satan to exist and be evil.... for whatever purpose, but that's not the point of this. What if they are just two sides of the same coin?
Here's my idea:
Now, firstly, I don't know how they came about, but I'll assume there was a whole race of people like Yahweh and Satan, who for the purposes of this story has the exact same powers as Yahweh, and that they either died out or are given divisions above "garden" or life sustaining planets of inferior and primitive species. Satan and Yahweh were given Earth to have domain over. Now, with this theory I can't explain much..... but I'll just do the Christian thing and say that my finite, limited, mortal brain can't even possibly conceive of the glory of Yahweh and Satan. What I want to focus on here is the book and how it intentionally treats Satan as an inferior creature, even though he has the opposite "job" of God and that's maintaining Hell (personally, I think that, in the context of the accepted idea of God, he just couldn't be bothered with the upkeep in Hell, especially since he's used to dealing with the very exclusive ELITIST club of Heaven). It's just propaganda.
See, they say Hell is an evil place where you will burn for eternity and is hot and basically appeals to the fears and emotions of the weak-minded. Fire, which was still a remarkable discovery in those days, is magical and symbolizes burning and the pain that goes along with it. Also of the most excruciating pain you've ever felt..... without saying how or why. Yet it's infinite, we cannot die, but pain is basically "killing" the body, so this doesn't make sense. But I digress. What if it's just Yahweh writing propaganda against his competitor? You see this between the same businesses in a particular region. Attack ads and such. The duties of Satan, maybe they don't allow for him to speak to people or interact, thus Yahweh can make him seem as he pleases.
Also, look at what God has you do to get into Heaven. I bet 95% percent of Christians won't get in, at least 30% on ONE mistake, alone. All that praying and praising and preaching..... to an egotistical maniac. And when you get there, you're the only person you know there! Yet what are the qualifications for going to Hell? Doing stuff, taking risks, making advancements, fuck, even enjoying life will get you there. What if Hell merely symbolizes reality as we know it? What if Hell is just another "club" like Heaven? Ha, even on the occupants alone, I'd rather be in Hell than Heaven. But notice how first, Hell is not descript, just described as an appeal to emotion, also the huuuuuge list of things NOT to do to get into Heaven, and also how many of your friends and family most likely, won't make it to the Yahweh's jerkfest in the clouds.
Bonus note: What if Satan corrupted the message of Heaven? I mean, the qualifications are impossible to be held, by a mortal, normal being but he couldn't just say Hell is cool, maybe that would be breaking some cosmological pact that the deities made. Instead he has to vaguely say how bad Hell is to sort of equal it out.
Hmmm, something to think about.
Here's my idea:
Now, firstly, I don't know how they came about, but I'll assume there was a whole race of people like Yahweh and Satan, who for the purposes of this story has the exact same powers as Yahweh, and that they either died out or are given divisions above "garden" or life sustaining planets of inferior and primitive species. Satan and Yahweh were given Earth to have domain over. Now, with this theory I can't explain much..... but I'll just do the Christian thing and say that my finite, limited, mortal brain can't even possibly conceive of the glory of Yahweh and Satan. What I want to focus on here is the book and how it intentionally treats Satan as an inferior creature, even though he has the opposite "job" of God and that's maintaining Hell (personally, I think that, in the context of the accepted idea of God, he just couldn't be bothered with the upkeep in Hell, especially since he's used to dealing with the very exclusive ELITIST club of Heaven). It's just propaganda.
See, they say Hell is an evil place where you will burn for eternity and is hot and basically appeals to the fears and emotions of the weak-minded. Fire, which was still a remarkable discovery in those days, is magical and symbolizes burning and the pain that goes along with it. Also of the most excruciating pain you've ever felt..... without saying how or why. Yet it's infinite, we cannot die, but pain is basically "killing" the body, so this doesn't make sense. But I digress. What if it's just Yahweh writing propaganda against his competitor? You see this between the same businesses in a particular region. Attack ads and such. The duties of Satan, maybe they don't allow for him to speak to people or interact, thus Yahweh can make him seem as he pleases.
Also, look at what God has you do to get into Heaven. I bet 95% percent of Christians won't get in, at least 30% on ONE mistake, alone. All that praying and praising and preaching..... to an egotistical maniac. And when you get there, you're the only person you know there! Yet what are the qualifications for going to Hell? Doing stuff, taking risks, making advancements, fuck, even enjoying life will get you there. What if Hell merely symbolizes reality as we know it? What if Hell is just another "club" like Heaven? Ha, even on the occupants alone, I'd rather be in Hell than Heaven. But notice how first, Hell is not descript, just described as an appeal to emotion, also the huuuuuge list of things NOT to do to get into Heaven, and also how many of your friends and family most likely, won't make it to the Yahweh's jerkfest in the clouds.
Bonus note: What if Satan corrupted the message of Heaven? I mean, the qualifications are impossible to be held, by a mortal, normal being but he couldn't just say Hell is cool, maybe that would be breaking some cosmological pact that the deities made. Instead he has to vaguely say how bad Hell is to sort of equal it out.
Hmmm, something to think about.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Why Religion Should Be Mocked
I often take a lot of crap from people - atheists and theists alike - that I should "respect" religion more. Well, I don't because it doesn't fit into my morals or values. Same thing with family. The majority of people would put some sort of bond or connection to their other family members, because of "blood". But why? They share genetic lineage but what else? A lot of people's values and morals -especially traditionalists- comes from some law or way of living in the past that has no bearing on now. For instance, marriage widely came about from warring tribes making alliances, or an ensured genetic heritage for a man, which had a lot more value then than in modern culture. Hell, love was put into it later, much later, from the English. I'm not going to go into each little tradition, but you get my point. You have to live with the times and in today's world - quote "age of reason" - religion is losing more and more creditability. Let's use the family analogy. You look at your mother - your religion - with fondness because of it's all you ever know. But to me, your mother - your brand of fairy tale - is just another ordinary, insignificant human to me.
You have your brand of highly improbably circumstances, yet you think because so many people fawn over the ever-lasting life and "morality" taught, that it should be respected as a creditable idea? That's insane. Flying Spaghetti Monster is exactly a good example of what I'm talking about. Theists will laugh and scoff at that being a credible idea, but go back to their brand of Bronze Age fairy tales, like it's gospel (quite literally!) and have absurd claims to back it up.
I don't respect religion because I wouldn't respect a church of Dr. Seuss or the Congregation of Mother Goose. They're fables and imaginative stories created at a time before knowledge was able to spread, en masse, and a lot of the advances we know today, were not. Or some, like Scientology, are intentionally put out just malicious take advantage of people, while I think most in Christianity or Islam maybe not, as that is far more "spiritually" driven. I find the notion absurd because they didn't have the explorers, philosophers, scientists, and the knowledge we have gained in the 2000 years since is so extraordinary, you cannot even fathom what life was like back then. To actually live it.
I will continue to mock and laugh at Christianity, Islam, Scientology, Hinduism and any other religion that preaches whimsical stories for profit or power. They're fucking absurd stories, people. If you can't understand that, there's no need for me to acknowledge you as any kind of equal being to myself, intellectually.
You have your brand of highly improbably circumstances, yet you think because so many people fawn over the ever-lasting life and "morality" taught, that it should be respected as a creditable idea? That's insane. Flying Spaghetti Monster is exactly a good example of what I'm talking about. Theists will laugh and scoff at that being a credible idea, but go back to their brand of Bronze Age fairy tales, like it's gospel (quite literally!) and have absurd claims to back it up.
I don't respect religion because I wouldn't respect a church of Dr. Seuss or the Congregation of Mother Goose. They're fables and imaginative stories created at a time before knowledge was able to spread, en masse, and a lot of the advances we know today, were not. Or some, like Scientology, are intentionally put out just malicious take advantage of people, while I think most in Christianity or Islam maybe not, as that is far more "spiritually" driven. I find the notion absurd because they didn't have the explorers, philosophers, scientists, and the knowledge we have gained in the 2000 years since is so extraordinary, you cannot even fathom what life was like back then. To actually live it.
I will continue to mock and laugh at Christianity, Islam, Scientology, Hinduism and any other religion that preaches whimsical stories for profit or power. They're fucking absurd stories, people. If you can't understand that, there's no need for me to acknowledge you as any kind of equal being to myself, intellectually.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
My Problem With The Judeo-Christian God
This is just a personal piece, filled with why I don't like the aforementioned deity.
To start off with, if he exists, he has rigged the system against people like me. He is omnipotent, sees all, past, present, and future. He already knows what decisions I'll make, what I'll believe and what it will take to make me believe. He created me, knowing full well that I would never accept him as reality because of his perchant for skewing his own believability by having so much evidence stacked against him and yet, not even close enough for him. He knows that I won't believe without enough evidence and has set me up to fail, no matter what! That's the move of a sadistic, cruel asshole. He, instead, rewards blind obedience and faith based on feelings, emotions, and selfish desires. If you believe that you are going to heaven to spend eternity in paradise, that is selfish. That means you will forgo doing the necessary things to ensure that everyone else will have stable real lives. Think of the benefits of abortion, condoms, and other forms of birth control, fuck, population control. That alone makes you selfish. And if you are for those positions, by God's standards, you're going to Hell. Great choice for a benevolent God, eh?
Next point is Hell. You steal a candy bar, you pay a small fine for your transgression. You rob a store at gunpoint, you take a much harsher punishment as the punishment fit the crime, by human standards. Could you possibly see a finite crime used to judge us for eternity, in punishment? Much less, simply "thinking" bad thoughts? What kind of God, LOVING at that, would set up such a system where you would have eternal torment, based on a finite crime? Hell, even the Greeks didn't have a system that fucked up. Then of course, this goes back to my previous point of God setting up people like me to fail and spending an eternity in hell.
Last point, I think it's kind of silly of us every knowing just what God wants or what he could possibly be like. Don't you find it a little convenient that we happen to know JUST what is bad and what is not, in his eyes? It goes back to an original post of mine (The Human Perception), that you cannot attribute human qualities to God and still call him mysterious. I think the deist position is more likely, if anything. Sure, there *might* be a divine being, but as limited humans, mere playthings, could be we ever hope to understand? I doubt it. We just have to leave it up to chance, because with all the choices of different religions, it's just a choice, usually based on your regional preference among your indigenous tribe.
Final thoughts: if God did exist, he has long abandoned us. While, in the golden years of the Old Testament, he was talking to everyone "Hey, Samuel.... what's up? I'm kinda bored now", now he has erased all pure evidence to his very existence, signaling to me, he either doesn't want to be found or he isn't quite the god we all know him as.
To start off with, if he exists, he has rigged the system against people like me. He is omnipotent, sees all, past, present, and future. He already knows what decisions I'll make, what I'll believe and what it will take to make me believe. He created me, knowing full well that I would never accept him as reality because of his perchant for skewing his own believability by having so much evidence stacked against him and yet, not even close enough for him. He knows that I won't believe without enough evidence and has set me up to fail, no matter what! That's the move of a sadistic, cruel asshole. He, instead, rewards blind obedience and faith based on feelings, emotions, and selfish desires. If you believe that you are going to heaven to spend eternity in paradise, that is selfish. That means you will forgo doing the necessary things to ensure that everyone else will have stable real lives. Think of the benefits of abortion, condoms, and other forms of birth control, fuck, population control. That alone makes you selfish. And if you are for those positions, by God's standards, you're going to Hell. Great choice for a benevolent God, eh?
Next point is Hell. You steal a candy bar, you pay a small fine for your transgression. You rob a store at gunpoint, you take a much harsher punishment as the punishment fit the crime, by human standards. Could you possibly see a finite crime used to judge us for eternity, in punishment? Much less, simply "thinking" bad thoughts? What kind of God, LOVING at that, would set up such a system where you would have eternal torment, based on a finite crime? Hell, even the Greeks didn't have a system that fucked up. Then of course, this goes back to my previous point of God setting up people like me to fail and spending an eternity in hell.
Last point, I think it's kind of silly of us every knowing just what God wants or what he could possibly be like. Don't you find it a little convenient that we happen to know JUST what is bad and what is not, in his eyes? It goes back to an original post of mine (The Human Perception), that you cannot attribute human qualities to God and still call him mysterious. I think the deist position is more likely, if anything. Sure, there *might* be a divine being, but as limited humans, mere playthings, could be we ever hope to understand? I doubt it. We just have to leave it up to chance, because with all the choices of different religions, it's just a choice, usually based on your regional preference among your indigenous tribe.
Final thoughts: if God did exist, he has long abandoned us. While, in the golden years of the Old Testament, he was talking to everyone "Hey, Samuel.... what's up? I'm kinda bored now", now he has erased all pure evidence to his very existence, signaling to me, he either doesn't want to be found or he isn't quite the god we all know him as.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion
That was a quote from the founder of the Church of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard.
I don't think it's fair to hate on Christianity alone, so I thought I would look deeper into the pseudo religion of Scientology (Islam, YOU'RE NEXT!). And what I found was shocking.
The year is 2005. Widely famous actor Tom Cruise is on the Oprah show, promoting War of The Worlds, when in a fit of passion, leaps on the couch exclaiming his love for his drone, Katie Holmes. I heard about this, thought nothing of it. Cruise who was normally composed in interviews in the past years, has been looking more and more crazy. He was on the Today show later that year, debating against psychiatry, as "there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance in a body". Of course, I thought this was hilarious. Research and science has proved that that the human body is riddled with chemicals and an odd mix due to genetics is bound to occur. Shaking my head again, I thought nothing of it.
Then later that year, I seen the now notorious Scientology episode of South Park. This is the first time I have heard of this and thought it was a joke. The way they described it, I thought it was a parody. Even the "THIS IS REALLY WHAT THEY BELIEVE" flashing on the screen, I STILL thought it was parody. Over the years, I have heard various things about them, but nothing substantial. Until I found out someone I knew was one. The language they spoke of it was very.... entrancing. It wasn't a personal way of telling, it was talking points (A talking point is a neologism for an idea which may or may not be factual, usually compiled in a short list with summaries of a speaker's agenda for public or private engagements. Public relations professionals, for example, sometimes prepare "talking points memos" for their clients to help them more effectively conform public presentations with this advice). I didn't even know Scientology talking points, but I knew political talking points and they sounded just the same. I recognized the arrogant delivery.
This is when I wanted to start on this, find out what it is. One need not look long before you see an indoctrination about a million times less subtle than the typical Christian's. And then after that you see the mafia-esque - tax fraud, bribing and intimidating the authorities, wiretapping members and dissenters, extortion, calling the works of those who defected aptly named "suppressive" (which is a term they use for anyone who is openly against the church, including ex-members), making false legal claims, etc. This isn't buried knowledge or hearsay. And it's definitely not isolated. It is ingrown into the society, itself.
Next, their ideology. Fuck it, I'll just copy from Wikipedia
Now there is auditing, probably the biggest farce and scam and oddly enough, probably it's biggest draw. Okay, so a "thetan" is a spirit sort of creature that never dies, apparently, and goes in search of a baby in the womb after death. This spirit creature records all the experiences of it's "owners" and is sort of a tablet for memory. Thus, through this psycho hypnotic therapy session, known as auditing (which they themselves refuse from the IRS, go figure), you can recall past events of your life as a thetan. To the lamen, this is intriguing. It's identical to reincarnation, except they just gave the spirit of a scifi name and the ability to remember...... which you can through therapy sessions too. Basically, this where Hubbard got a bit lazy and just stole the entire reincarnation thing for himself.
To someone like myself, who is familiar with the human brain (or at least, the mental aspect of it), it's seen as trickery. People are creative. It's just in our very being, to create elaborate tales for entertainment. Look at religion. It has existed ever since man has and wonder why? Auditing only gives people the reason to think up elaborate stories. There is only one way to prove auditing and thetans. Get someone who lived a past life, with full details of that person's life which they could not know. Say a Californian businessman with the memories of 1920s hooker in Brooklyn, which we could go back and track exactly what he said. Do they do that? No. If they did, do you not think they would publish that in some medical journal in a heartbeat? Obviously they would, it would give them validity amongst the science community and the world. Why WOULDN'T they do that? Because it all is a farce.
They also attack psychiatry, as a means to discredit their competitors to their "You can make yourself feel better if you just think it". Didn't work when Peter Pan suggested it, it isn't going to work now. And they blame those among their members who are sick. They cloud people's minds who could be getting proper treatment, much like Christians and praying, except worse.
Finally, the things that Scientologists say to reference or read up on their "religion". They lure in the weak with simple questions, make them seem like they need the help of the church to fix them, then offer ways of trickery to coerce buying their material. And they, of course, tell you to read the books, look on the website, which completely over complicates things and is intended to show that the person is not adequately able to handle all the material and some get impressed by it. This is not an adequate way of representing your beliefs. Any atheist you talk to will instantly tell you of his beliefs, his thoughts, his "religious" stances. Hell, even a Christian would. But when even the most knowledgeable Scientologist, who are really into, would STILL reference you to the website, that tells you a lot right there.
There's more I can say. But I am already repulsed at this point. Had they had the history of the Christianity, I no doubt think more and worse atrocities would have been committed and WILL be committed. But I think this video sums up my opinion on Scientology, as well as the video producer in the clip.
Also, I read a 19 year old TIME article on it. Check it out as well, as well as anything I said. Just look into it and if there's anyone you know in it, get them out and get them help.
I don't think it's fair to hate on Christianity alone, so I thought I would look deeper into the pseudo religion of Scientology (Islam, YOU'RE NEXT!). And what I found was shocking.
The year is 2005. Widely famous actor Tom Cruise is on the Oprah show, promoting War of The Worlds, when in a fit of passion, leaps on the couch exclaiming his love for his drone, Katie Holmes. I heard about this, thought nothing of it. Cruise who was normally composed in interviews in the past years, has been looking more and more crazy. He was on the Today show later that year, debating against psychiatry, as "there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance in a body". Of course, I thought this was hilarious. Research and science has proved that that the human body is riddled with chemicals and an odd mix due to genetics is bound to occur. Shaking my head again, I thought nothing of it.
Then later that year, I seen the now notorious Scientology episode of South Park. This is the first time I have heard of this and thought it was a joke. The way they described it, I thought it was a parody. Even the "THIS IS REALLY WHAT THEY BELIEVE" flashing on the screen, I STILL thought it was parody. Over the years, I have heard various things about them, but nothing substantial. Until I found out someone I knew was one. The language they spoke of it was very.... entrancing. It wasn't a personal way of telling, it was talking points (A talking point is a neologism for an idea which may or may not be factual, usually compiled in a short list with summaries of a speaker's agenda for public or private engagements. Public relations professionals, for example, sometimes prepare "talking points memos" for their clients to help them more effectively conform public presentations with this advice). I didn't even know Scientology talking points, but I knew political talking points and they sounded just the same. I recognized the arrogant delivery.
This is when I wanted to start on this, find out what it is. One need not look long before you see an indoctrination about a million times less subtle than the typical Christian's. And then after that you see the mafia-esque - tax fraud, bribing and intimidating the authorities, wiretapping members and dissenters, extortion, calling the works of those who defected aptly named "suppressive" (which is a term they use for anyone who is openly against the church, including ex-members), making false legal claims, etc. This isn't buried knowledge or hearsay. And it's definitely not isolated. It is ingrown into the society, itself.
Next, their ideology. Fuck it, I'll just copy from Wikipedia
Xenu, also Xemu was, according to the founder of Scientology and science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of his people to Earth in a DC-8-like spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and killed them using hydrogen bombs. Official Scientology dogma holds that the essences of these many people remained, and that they form around people in modern times, causing them spiritual harm. Members of the Church of Scientology widely deny or try to hide the Xenu story.That pretty much sums up that. Hubbard was a SCIENCE FICTION WRITER. I mean, once you hit this part of it, you should see that it's just tacked on to give it religious validity, even though it's complete nonsense. Like I said, it was his intent to create original material to entertain the public and that's what he did.
Now there is auditing, probably the biggest farce and scam and oddly enough, probably it's biggest draw. Okay, so a "thetan" is a spirit sort of creature that never dies, apparently, and goes in search of a baby in the womb after death. This spirit creature records all the experiences of it's "owners" and is sort of a tablet for memory. Thus, through this psycho hypnotic therapy session, known as auditing (which they themselves refuse from the IRS, go figure), you can recall past events of your life as a thetan. To the lamen, this is intriguing. It's identical to reincarnation, except they just gave the spirit of a scifi name and the ability to remember...... which you can through therapy sessions too. Basically, this where Hubbard got a bit lazy and just stole the entire reincarnation thing for himself.
To someone like myself, who is familiar with the human brain (or at least, the mental aspect of it), it's seen as trickery. People are creative. It's just in our very being, to create elaborate tales for entertainment. Look at religion. It has existed ever since man has and wonder why? Auditing only gives people the reason to think up elaborate stories. There is only one way to prove auditing and thetans. Get someone who lived a past life, with full details of that person's life which they could not know. Say a Californian businessman with the memories of 1920s hooker in Brooklyn, which we could go back and track exactly what he said. Do they do that? No. If they did, do you not think they would publish that in some medical journal in a heartbeat? Obviously they would, it would give them validity amongst the science community and the world. Why WOULDN'T they do that? Because it all is a farce.
They also attack psychiatry, as a means to discredit their competitors to their "You can make yourself feel better if you just think it". Didn't work when Peter Pan suggested it, it isn't going to work now. And they blame those among their members who are sick. They cloud people's minds who could be getting proper treatment, much like Christians and praying, except worse.
Finally, the things that Scientologists say to reference or read up on their "religion". They lure in the weak with simple questions, make them seem like they need the help of the church to fix them, then offer ways of trickery to coerce buying their material. And they, of course, tell you to read the books, look on the website, which completely over complicates things and is intended to show that the person is not adequately able to handle all the material and some get impressed by it. This is not an adequate way of representing your beliefs. Any atheist you talk to will instantly tell you of his beliefs, his thoughts, his "religious" stances. Hell, even a Christian would. But when even the most knowledgeable Scientologist, who are really into, would STILL reference you to the website, that tells you a lot right there.
There's more I can say. But I am already repulsed at this point. Had they had the history of the Christianity, I no doubt think more and worse atrocities would have been committed and WILL be committed. But I think this video sums up my opinion on Scientology, as well as the video producer in the clip.
Also, I read a 19 year old TIME article on it. Check it out as well, as well as anything I said. Just look into it and if there's anyone you know in it, get them out and get them help.
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Afterlife Is Not Human
Every religion does this bullshit. They equate human wants and needs to that of when you die. Spirit or whatever. What you think, feel, want, need, all of that is HUMAN. And all of that is for the living and mortal. Even an immortal human wouldn't have the same wants and needs as a regular human. It's all based on our experiences and the chemicals in our bodies and the biological functions necessary to survive, i.e. we won't go up to heaven and eat or want sex or have to dispose of wastes. Because THEY say we become ethereal. So how are we going to want those same things? We take on a whole different set of values, wants, and needs, then.
I watched a creationist video and he said that humans crave more of what they get, i.e. if you get a promotion, you'll be looking forward to the next promotion. Yes, it's ambition which drives us. Without it, the world would be filled with slackers. Most of the time it's for vain reasons, but benefit society as a whole. What I took issue with really, was his next point. He said that once we get to heaven, we'll stop wanting more.
WHAAAAATTTTTT?!
Wait a minute, here. So you say we will have the same wants and needs as we do, in the living? But we won't go "well, it's pretty boring here, I want something more than this". If you are to say we exist the same in heaven as we do on Earth, and you deny that human ambition will be the ONE thing not carried over, you're a goddamn cherry picker and have absolutely zero sense and credibility.
I watched a creationist video and he said that humans crave more of what they get, i.e. if you get a promotion, you'll be looking forward to the next promotion. Yes, it's ambition which drives us. Without it, the world would be filled with slackers. Most of the time it's for vain reasons, but benefit society as a whole. What I took issue with really, was his next point. He said that once we get to heaven, we'll stop wanting more.
WHAAAAATTTTTT?!
Wait a minute, here. So you say we will have the same wants and needs as we do, in the living? But we won't go "well, it's pretty boring here, I want something more than this". If you are to say we exist the same in heaven as we do on Earth, and you deny that human ambition will be the ONE thing not carried over, you're a goddamn cherry picker and have absolutely zero sense and credibility.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Christianity Works
I say Christianity because it's the one I'm most familiar with, but we need all religion. I had a thought that we should just kill all the stupid people. Make stupidity illegal, by penalty of death. It would solved a lot of problems, but I now realize we need a unit of measure, for one. We also need the dumb people to do all the menial jobs that people like me don't want to do. See, if they realize they're stupid and their life is pointless, they might kill themselves. We would have mass suicide on a scale the likes we've never seen. But I figured out we need theists, we need them to think there is a higher purpose that they are "getting", that us high and mighty atheists won't get. Hey, I'm just fine with that illusion, dumb people sustain society. They also drag it down, but killing them all isn't the way. Now, stopping the lineage of some, however, is an idea I am not against, but for.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Is Human Life Sacred?
To everyone I know (almost everyone), they would say that human life is sacred automatically, without thinking. But it's the same as saying "I love my family". You don't think about it, you just say/feel it. What makes human life sacred? The fact that we live and are aware? This may be the case thousands of years ago, but now with overpopulation, it seems that fact is flawed. Humans breed rapidly, among the other species. It's not because of a short gestation or maturation span, it's because of our ability to survive and endure longer than any other species. When I hear of another random dead human, I think "one down, 8 billion to go". Okay, not that extreme but if an even more aware species came along, they might view us as we view lesser species. Run rampant and out of control, we hunt to control the population and restore balance to nature. Who makes the call that we are different from this law of nature? I guess the fact that we are superior has something to do with it, but if a more advanced race comes along, nature will take its course.
Religion and medicine say that all human life is sacred. That we are all equal, in God's eyes or when ill. I spoke of value before, so obviously, I don't think this is so. What makes us sacred? The millions, billions, who are just placeholders for the continuation of our species, why do they matter? So what if you didn't stop that robber from shooting and killing that man, there are plenty more of him out there. The fact that it isn't hard to make life - at least, for the living beings - devalues it and the evil that resides in all of us devalues it further.
If you think that all human life is sacred, stop lying to yourself. And if you truly, truly believe it, then you are an even bigger fool than you can possibly imagine.
Religion and medicine say that all human life is sacred. That we are all equal, in God's eyes or when ill. I spoke of value before, so obviously, I don't think this is so. What makes us sacred? The millions, billions, who are just placeholders for the continuation of our species, why do they matter? So what if you didn't stop that robber from shooting and killing that man, there are plenty more of him out there. The fact that it isn't hard to make life - at least, for the living beings - devalues it and the evil that resides in all of us devalues it further.
If you think that all human life is sacred, stop lying to yourself. And if you truly, truly believe it, then you are an even bigger fool than you can possibly imagine.
Friday, October 2, 2009
The Human Perception
Humans can only perceive things in the human universe. We can't think of what it's like to have pincers, wings, fins, or long tails. We can only comprehend things, through the filter of human and life. We can't comprehend death because we have only experienced things, through life. It's like saying you can successfully pilot an aircraft, when the most complicated machine you've driven was a bicycle.You just can't comprehend not existing. Really ponder it. Imagine dying and just not existing. That's right, can't do it. Now, from that detour, my main focus:
Deist argue that God did this, God did that. God seems less like a supreme being and more like a human with powers. A supreme being would not be doing things we comprehend. To lump God with some sort of extraordinary purpose, when all he does is punish those he doesn't agree with. "God is mysterious" no. God is maniacal, not mysterious. You can say the same thing about serial killers. Were they not mysterious, with unknown motives?
And now the afterlife, my biggest peeve with humans perceiving otherworldly events, with a human bias. If you transcend your species into something else (aka the afterlife), will you still crave the same things? Being a completely spiritual entity, will you still want 72 virgins? Would you still want humanly pleasures? No, you would fundamentally change, based on what you would become, in the afterlife. You wouldn't have the same biological urges, because urges are for living beings. Don't you see? What would drive you in this life, wouldn't in the after. What you want out of everlasting life in your human form, would change. There's really no way I can explain it better. Urges, wants, needs... they are for living creatures, with chemicals in their brains driving such forces.
Deist argue that God did this, God did that. God seems less like a supreme being and more like a human with powers. A supreme being would not be doing things we comprehend. To lump God with some sort of extraordinary purpose, when all he does is punish those he doesn't agree with. "God is mysterious" no. God is maniacal, not mysterious. You can say the same thing about serial killers. Were they not mysterious, with unknown motives?
And now the afterlife, my biggest peeve with humans perceiving otherworldly events, with a human bias. If you transcend your species into something else (aka the afterlife), will you still crave the same things? Being a completely spiritual entity, will you still want 72 virgins? Would you still want humanly pleasures? No, you would fundamentally change, based on what you would become, in the afterlife. You wouldn't have the same biological urges, because urges are for living beings. Don't you see? What would drive you in this life, wouldn't in the after. What you want out of everlasting life in your human form, would change. There's really no way I can explain it better. Urges, wants, needs... they are for living creatures, with chemicals in their brains driving such forces.
Friday, August 7, 2009
A Refusal To Withdraw
This is why I refuse to stand down towards conformity's ringdings. This is why I choose to question, not with a polite stance, but with an angry fist. This is why I seek not only to better mankind in all areas, but to keep con artists and other "unsuitable" people from gaining from the lame and common (I just said that, huh? Must be getting soft, in my old age).
My recent bout with Scientologists has taught me a great deal in the way of human understanding. Here I thought Christians were bad. Sure, Christians half-ass spirtuality with their God talk and their lack of comprehension of even the simplest scientific "theories" (just because, unlike religious zealots, we KNOW we can't possibly explain or know everything for sure). It pains me to see people fall to such madness, without even fighting. Now, if you are either/or of the previous mentioned religions, I won't sway your mind. You'll see me as a spiritless heathen and disregard every word I said. Good. Stay your course and fail your entire life.
This is for everyone else. While you sit idlely by and let our labour people get caught up in nonsense, our civilization slows down. Now, before ever, we need to combat these fallacies and get knowledge out. In the information age, misinformation is being shared more than real information. It is YOU, who I blame. Those who religion is not really a factor for. "Let them believe what they want to". Funny how if I said I was going to commit suicide, how many people would object, strongly? Isn't that hypocrisy? I want to, it's my decision. If I was going to, who are you to tell me not to. They are "hurting" society by following the drivel the past founders who really were just making stuff up, for vain reasons, anyway. Lucky thing about religion, no matter how many facts, no matter how many truths, no matter how many just basic logical conclusions, they always stick to their faith. How noble.
I call it cowardice. Face the truth and if you can't handle it, take some pills until you can.
My recent bout with Scientologists has taught me a great deal in the way of human understanding. Here I thought Christians were bad. Sure, Christians half-ass spirtuality with their God talk and their lack of comprehension of even the simplest scientific "theories" (just because, unlike religious zealots, we KNOW we can't possibly explain or know everything for sure). It pains me to see people fall to such madness, without even fighting. Now, if you are either/or of the previous mentioned religions, I won't sway your mind. You'll see me as a spiritless heathen and disregard every word I said. Good. Stay your course and fail your entire life.
This is for everyone else. While you sit idlely by and let our labour people get caught up in nonsense, our civilization slows down. Now, before ever, we need to combat these fallacies and get knowledge out. In the information age, misinformation is being shared more than real information. It is YOU, who I blame. Those who religion is not really a factor for. "Let them believe what they want to". Funny how if I said I was going to commit suicide, how many people would object, strongly? Isn't that hypocrisy? I want to, it's my decision. If I was going to, who are you to tell me not to. They are "hurting" society by following the drivel the past founders who really were just making stuff up, for vain reasons, anyway. Lucky thing about religion, no matter how many facts, no matter how many truths, no matter how many just basic logical conclusions, they always stick to their faith. How noble.
I call it cowardice. Face the truth and if you can't handle it, take some pills until you can.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Creationist + Evolutionist = F@#%ing Moron
We know what Creationism is all about. That God (or more specifically, a deity) created the world. Designed all the animals, by hand.
We know what evolution is all about. Came from atoms, adapted to survive.
Now, when a Christian (a Creationist) says they believe in evolution, it makes me want to end a small puppy's life. How can you believe two contradictory things? It's like being a Jewish Nazi. Or being a Log Cabin Republican. Just doesn't make any sense. "God made things to evolve" No, he didn't. He made the things as they are, because it's HIS design. Gods are egotistical asses. They aren't going to allow their creation to "evolve" out of the exact thing that it is. It would defy God, and if he is defied, the world ends.
So tell me, you crazie. Does it make sense, to YOU?
We know what evolution is all about. Came from atoms, adapted to survive.
Now, when a Christian (a Creationist) says they believe in evolution, it makes me want to end a small puppy's life. How can you believe two contradictory things? It's like being a Jewish Nazi. Or being a Log Cabin Republican. Just doesn't make any sense. "God made things to evolve" No, he didn't. He made the things as they are, because it's HIS design. Gods are egotistical asses. They aren't going to allow their creation to "evolve" out of the exact thing that it is. It would defy God, and if he is defied, the world ends.
So tell me, you crazie. Does it make sense, to YOU?
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