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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
 Posted - 01/09/2006 : 01:39:40
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Great program on tonight. The website is getting maintenance so I can't link to it.
Except they kept putting the tsunami in as weather, the rest of the show was really good. They covered all the religious and conspiracy beliefs about all these weather events.
I had no idea how many different ways the religious among us could spin the stuff. 
Then there was everything from that guy who sees squares in the clouds, (remember him?) to the folks who are sure someone blew a hole in the New Orleans' levee.
Aren't humans just the strangest group?
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2006 : 03:35:01 [Permalink]
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Strange enough indeed.
It's almost an argument against creationism: if we were created in The Sacred Image, as is stated often and ad hilarium, then that creator would have to be an utter dingbat, gullible to the point of buying inexpensive, Pacfic beach front property in Arizona, as well as having the personality and temperment of a glorified street thug.
Just a thought: Religions are about politics as much as anything else. Each strives to exert authority over as many as possible (along with their checking accounts), and does this by exploiting the gullibility of their adherents. They are and always have been quite successful at it simply because so many people want to believe that they are something special, hence the "In His Image" booshwah. It works like a charm almost every time.
Sometimes I wonder if the word, 'Believer' isn't a synonym for 'Pigeon.'
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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ronnywhite
SFN Regular
501 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2006 : 05:43:32 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
Just a thought: Religions are about politics as much as anything else.
Seems it always has been. Marcos wasn't popular in poor, underdeveloped areas of the Phillipines as even though the US was dumping money in that direction intended to improve the quality of life of people in such areas (in addition to other money we dumped there, not the least of which including that intended to keep him and Imelda content) Marcos was pocketing the whole wad of bills instead of throwing a buck or two their way, except for maybe a nickel here-and-there, the event probably including much ceremony and press coverage for propaganda purposes. Knowing these peoples were highly religious, predominately Christian, and prone to belief in mysticism in general (the kind of ignorance that education would have helped alleviate- as the monies were partly intended for, in addition to combating poverty and improving sanitation and health) he had a squad of his lieutenants start churches in these communities with premises including Marcos being the reincarnated Jesus Christ, and his wife ("of 1000 shoes") Imelda the reborn Virgin Mary. The henchmen were so successful, they had a contest to see who could start the most such churches! That's the weirdest (and maybe the funniest) I've read, but likely no less sad and unfortunate than many of the rest.
quote:
Sometimes I wonder if the word, 'Believer' isn't a synonym for 'Pigeon.'
Sometimes, but such poor, impoverished circumstances where life is genuinely a struggle are very different than religion as it applies to the life we know, of course. I think "here and now," people believe in such things with varying degrees of seriousness... there's the "true believer" crowd, but I suspect they're a small minority. Perhaps most convince themselves "there's a chance it's true"... a form of comforting self-delusion that helps them get "from one day to the next"... but when "push-comes-to-shove," their ambivalence about it all comes through loud-and-clear (they're scared shitless of dying, for one thing, which is a damn healthy sign they haven't completely lost their senses.) Definitely easier on their livers (and their families) than accomplishing the same with a bottle of Stolie or Jack Daniels every night, and it won't run their bank accounts dry (or land them in jail) like illegal drugging or other illicit activities might. The bottom line as I see it (in modern Western societies of present, anyway) might be... "Beneficial- sometimes. Harmless enough- in most cases... but not always." I can see how such a comforting "pillow" could have its advantages occassionally depending on the situation, but I'll take a pass anyway. |
Ron White |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2006 : 04:45:09 [Permalink]
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I'm not so sure the missionary on the 30 year mission in some village in Africa is on a political mission.
People just beleive weird things. |
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