Was America created to destroy Islam?
John McCain,
who says he agrees with the majority of Americans who erroneously
believe the US Constitution established the United States as a
Christian nation, is endorsed by a powerful Christian preacher
who believes America was founded, in part, to destroy Islam!
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Why Deism? Atheism didn't suit me.
How I Became a Deist
by Richard Orr
How I became a Deist? Like so many other things in my life, I just
kinda stumbled onto it.
Born and raised Catholic in a very strong Catholic family, the only
thing Mass on Sunday meant to me was whether there were two lighted
candles lit on the altar or six. If two, it meant a "low Mass"
that'd be over in about 45 minutes. If six, it'd be an hour and a
half.
In grade school, we had to go to Confession every Friday afternoon.
What does anyone know about sin in second and third grade? We made
up stuff - at least I did - like I swore 17 times or I disobeyed my
parents seven times. I felt weird because surely the priest must
know I was lying.
The prayers were rote. Just a bunch of words. No feelings involved.
No connection to anything in my life.
I can't even say I was afraid of going to hell. It held no meaning
for me. Nothing about the Church or religion in general had any
substance to it. In short, I couldn't relate.
Later, as a young adult, I couldn't understand why an all-loving,
all-compassionate, all-forgiving, all-knowing God would demand
constant praise and blood sacrifice - animals in the Old Testament,
his "only begotten son" in the New.
Or why the Jews and Romans are condemned for crucifying Christ. If
he died to atone for our sins, they should be hailed as agents of
God and thanked instead of vilified.
It occurred to me that the reason the Jews are "the chosen people"
is because Jews wrote the Bible.
In college, I came across a book by historian-philosopher Barrows
Dunham titled "Heroes and Heretics," which traced the first heretic
back to the Egyptian pharaoh who took his people from multi-theism
to mono-theism - on through such religious and scientific
heretics as Christ, Newton and Einstein.
Since Catholicism virtually ruled the world during a large portion
of that period, Dunham dissected the Church, pointed out the horrors
it committed in God's name during the Dark Ages and noted that the
seven sacraments were designed not to tie us to God, but to the
Church.
You couldn't be born, get married or die without a priest at your
side. You had to have all the children God wanted you to have and
you had to raise them Catholic because "Catholicism is the only true
religion."
If it worked in real life like it does on paper, the whole world
would eventually be Catholic and the Church would rule it. I began
to see the light, but it wasn't the one people normally talk about.
Atheism didn't suit me. It's just as intellectually unsound to
insist there is no God as it is to insist there is.
I toyed with agnosticism for a while, yet couldn't get away from the
fact there was this fantastic thing called the universe and a world
teeming with life of all kinds, forms and functions exquisitely
balanced so that no one group could take over the planet.
Even human life was kept in check by disease - at least until the
past 100 years or so. Now look where we are in terms of a population
trampling other forms into oblivion and, ultimately, our own.
It's dangerous to mess with Mother Nature.
I really don't remember when or where
I heard the word Deism. I do recall that it was portrayed along the
lines of God creating the universe, winding it up like a clock, then
taking off to play golf in Acapulco and not looking back.
Something clicked. Deism doesn't answer all the questions. Nothing
does. But it serves to explain how the universe came to be and why
good people have bad things happen to them and why good things
happen to bad people.
I don't put down people who believe
in religion and I don't go around trying to deconvert anyone. Deism
cleared my mind about a lot of things, and George Carlin showed me
how to accept religion when he said:
"Religion can be likened to elevator shoes. If they make you stand
taller, walk straighter and feel better, by all means wear them. But
keep in mind that elevator shoes can cripple and for God's sake,
let's not go around nailing them to the feet of natives."
Pretty insightful for an atheist.
(Richard Orr is a
reporter-columnist for the Plainview Daily Herald in Plainview,
Texas. Contact him at royko@sptc.net)
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Latest News of Interest to Deists
Both Democratic candidates promote the nonsense of
the Bible!
Hilary Clinton says, "I think the whole Bible is real." So she believes in the talking donkey (Numbers 22:28), that any nation that will not serve Israel should "be utterly wasted" (Isaiah 60:10-12), among many other ridiculous claims! Based on the blank check both Democratic and Republican politicians give to Israel, it appears they're all strong believers in the Hebrew Bible!
Barack Obama gave a speech in which he used the genocidal maniacs, Moses and Joshua, as great examples to be followed! It's pathetic and dangerous when in this nuclear age politicians still cling to the insanity found in the Bible, Torah and Koran! Here are just two examples to demonstrate that Moses and Joshua were murderous butchers. Deuteronomy 2:34 in which Moses brags about killing "men, women and the little ones", and Joshua 6:21 which says the Hebrews "utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword." How Obama can think this is good is beyond reason!
Hilary Clinton says, "I think the whole Bible is real." So she believes in the talking donkey (Numbers 22:28), that any nation that will not serve Israel should "be utterly wasted" (Isaiah 60:10-12), among many other ridiculous claims! Based on the blank check both Democratic and Republican politicians give to Israel, it appears they're all strong believers in the Hebrew Bible!
Barack Obama gave a speech in which he used the genocidal maniacs, Moses and Joshua, as great examples to be followed! It's pathetic and dangerous when in this nuclear age politicians still cling to the insanity found in the Bible, Torah and Koran! Here are just two examples to demonstrate that Moses and Joshua were murderous butchers. Deuteronomy 2:34 in which Moses brags about killing "men, women and the little ones", and Joshua 6:21 which says the Hebrews "utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword." How Obama can think this is good is beyond reason!
At least 50 people were blinded due to religious
superstition!
50 people who believed there was an image of the fictional virgin Mary on the sun were blinded due to looking directly at the sun while trying to see the image! Our God-given reason is the only thing that will protect us from such ignorance and superstition - if we decide to use it!
50 people who believed there was an image of the fictional virgin Mary on the sun were blinded due to looking directly at the sun while trying to see the image! Our God-given reason is the only thing that will protect us from such ignorance and superstition - if we decide to use it!