It astonishes and revolts me that seemingly intelligent people can swallow this hocus-pocus, until I remember the four elements that are present in religion - fear, hatred of the non-believer, money and power.
Medjugorje illustrates this unholy alliance all too clearly. Remember the horrors of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Closer to home, remember Northern Ireland. In Britain, Blair's faith schools inculcate the inherently divisive doctrines of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, of whatever sect. In Iraq and Afghanistan, believers kill believers, and Israelis and Palestinians murder each other. And all of them believe that God - their God - is on their side.
The Catholic Church are still investigating - investigating what? The money grubbing, the nasty underlying political agenda, the exploitation of the credulous and the fanatical? No, just whether a new miracle can be verified to add to the irrational core of its belief systems. You can bet that the Pope will have nothing to say about it on his visit.
The Church plays a long game - after all, as Macaulay observed, the Papacy is a monarchy that has outlived every other empire and monarchy for over two millennia.
In Scotland, we may rejoice that the nationalist movement does not have a religious basis, and that it is secular and tolerant of all religions and beliefs, including atheists and humanists. That is exactly what a vociferous and bigoted minority of its unionist opponents cannot stomach, prisoners of ancient feuds and indoctrination through generations in segregated school systems.
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"Regrets: That I didn't see the light sooner ...”
ReplyDeleteIt’s never too late, Peter.
Thanks, pilgrim
ReplyDeleteIt's never too late to abandon ancient, divisive superstitions from the dark ages of history and embrace the truth of reason and humanity.
When we embrace Jesus, we embrace the fullness of humanity. We embrace the Truth, and the reason for living, even though our own knowledge is imperfect. But there will be a time, as St Paul says, when “I shall know as fully as I am known.”
ReplyDeletepilgrim, there is little useful I can say to you, since I live in a world of empirical experience, reason, evidence and fact.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to offend,since I know you mean well, but what you say is a meaningless incantation to me, and there can be no dialogue between us, since you can retreat into the bolt hole of faith (belief without evidence) and personal revelation, when the facts don't fit. I have had many such discussions with believers over a long life, and they are ultimately sterile and non-productive.
But thanks for your contribution...
Peter, I can accept that you may find faith meaningless.
ReplyDeleteBut why the intolerant rant against “seemingly intelligent people” who “swallow this hocus-pocus”?
Where does this fit in with your proclamation that the Scottish nationalist movement “is tolerant of all religions and beliefs”?
But thank you for your time.
The Scottish Government upholds the right of people of all faiths to follow their beliefs and worship as they choose, and for people of no faith to hold an atheist or agnostic position.
ReplyDeleteNothing in that policy prohibits individuals from expressing their views about the nature and validity of the beliefs of others(as I have done)providing that they act within the law of their country.
I do not propose or demand that the people who visit Medugorje be prohibited from attending or for expressing their beliefs, but I do reserve my right to say that they are irrational and profoundly mistaken. They have the same rights of expression about my beliefs, and organised religion has never been reluctant to attack the position of non-believers, and to proselytise vigorously to change them.
Thankfully, organised religion in the West - and in Scotland - has in the main abandoned the practice of burning, hanging, imprisoning and generally harassing those of no faith or competing faiths - religious behaviour to which history amply attests - and at least does not try to subvert the political and democratic practices of their country and the will of the people, although America, much more of Christian country than Britain, regularly slips back dangerously close to the practices.
Let me take one example of how the rule of law and the practices of good government differ from the rights of the individual to express views and opinions.
I detest the British National Party and all that it stands for, and express my views regularly on their contemptible beliefs and policies, as do many other commentators. But while they are a legal political party, Government must defend their right to campaign for election to our governing bodies and to express their views publicly, providing they obey the law and at all times act within it.
I take the position attributed to Voltaire - "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."