Biblical America: the social movement that seeks to use the Bible as the
sole basis of all governance and social interaction. BARF:
a resource for all who work to monitor and counter the
Biblical America movement. No white
flags: Individually or socially, never give
in to, nor accomodate, this movement's extremist demands.
Also
from the creators of barf.org: |
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"Right" and "Wrong" 1
By Mike Doughney
Time: Tue, 17-Aug-1999 01:31:26 GMT
IP: 207.239.111.82
Y'know, sometimes I think the most offensive
part of the evangelical's repetoire is his
or her insistence that the prospect doesn't know
anything, or is incapable of even beginning to
discern right from wrong without their own
particular brand of absolutism.
Fact is, we know a great deal.
I'm sitting here surrounded by and using
advanced technology, living comfortably, with
the lights on, clean water, food, and warmth (or
even cooling!) if I need it. For the most part
I live in safety, not in a war zone with bands
of people burning and looting in the name of
some ideology. And most people in this country,
as well as many parts of the world, can say the
same.
Some things are almost too obvious to mention or
even think about. Peace and prosperity and
wealth almost fade into the background if you
don't take a moment to consider what we should
be thankful for. And that peace, prosperity and
wealth is the product of billions of individual
human decisions, most of which have been made by
people with little or no religious faith - and
certainly not that extreme absolutism of the
evangelical.
What we know is that as a result of what people
do on their own, without the aid of your
particular faith, we have what must be called a
"right" outcome. Measure that against the
poverty and destruction generated as the result
of various faiths and mass movements throughout
history - movements that rewarded obedience and
punished people for thinking about the
consequences of their actions. All of which were
"wrong" outcomes, if you ask me. Can the deaths
of millions and the suffering of millions more
ever be called "right" by any possible standard?
Now let me tell you what I've seen with my own
eyes. I've seen the leaders of a movement
insisting that America is evil and must, or
will, be destroyed, displaying a curious
anti-patriotism and ignorance of just what a
fortunate and good nation we have. I've watched
them demand blind obeidence, and acting without
thinking; I've watched them demand the wearing
down of the individual, to subsume them into the
corporate mass, the mob. And mobs have no
conscience; only individuals who think before
they act do. This type of obedience doesn't
allow for that, only an unthinking frenzy of
activity.
Seems to me these evangelicals are gearing
up to cause as much suffering as they possibly
can. And when you see Christian pop culture
embrace violent language, videos that emulate
the violence of "Clockwork Orange" as an ideal,
a visual language of broken necks, shotguns to
the mouth, and pools of red as part of
"spiritual warfare" (images that come only from
assaults to flesh and blood if you ask me) then
poor old atheist me is going to stand up and
demand to know what the hell it is you're trying
to accomplish.
You can take your moralizing about right and
wrong and stuff it in the meantime.
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