Religion vs Death

Anyone who still thinks religion has been a benign force in this world need to read the compilation that James Haught made in a 1990 edition of the Skeptical Review.  Below is a segment to whet your appetite:

“– The Thirty Years’ War produced the largest religious death toll of all time. It began in 1618 when Protestant leaders threw two Catholic emissaries out of a Prague window into a dung heap. War flared between Catholic and Protestant princedoms, drawing in supportive religious armies from Germany, Spain, England, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, France and Italy. Sweden’s Protestant soldiers sang Martin Luther’s “Ein ‘Feste Burg” in battle. Three decades of combat turned central Europe into a wasteland of misery. One estimate states that Germany’s population dropped from 18 million to 4 million. In the end nothing was settled, and too few people remained to rebuild cities, plant fields, or conduct education.”

I’ve had people tell me that it is men doing these dastardly deeds and not God or the religion.  I have to disagree with this interpretation.  There are passages in the Bible and Koran that are constantly interpreted / misinterpreted and used as an excuse to maim and kill those who believe differently.  The Catholics and Protestants still barely talk to each other, and the Muslims still kill anybody that disagrees with them.  The Muslims kill the Hindus and the Hindus kill the Muslims

“It’s fashionable among thinking people to say that religion isn’t the real cause of today’s strife in Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Northern Ireland, India and Iran — that sects merely provide labels for combatants. Not so. Religion keeps the groups in hostile camps. Without it, divisions would blur with passing generations; children would adapt to new times, mingle, intermarry, forget ancient wounds. But religion keeps them alien to one another.

Anything that divides people breeds inhumanity. Religion serves that ugly purpose.”

Remember this was written before  9-11

A passing thought as I go to close this post.  The Republican Religious Right wing wants to return a measure of religious control to America

Atheism In The 1700′s

 ABSTRACT OF THE TESTAMENT OF JOHN MESLIER

By Voltaire

Excerpted from a longer volume

In regard to the Lord’s Supper, the first three Evangelists note that Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of His body and His blood, in the form of bread and wine, the same as our Roman Christ-worshipers say; and John does not mention this mysterious sacrament. John says that after this supper, Jesus washed His apostles’ feet, and commanded them to do the same thing to each other, and relates a long discourse which He delivered then. But the other Evangelists do not speak of the washing of the feet, nor of the long discourse He gave them then.

On the contrary, they testify that immediately after this supper, He went with His apostles upon the Mount of Olives, where He gave up His Spirit to sadness, and was in anguish while His apostles slept, at a short distance. They contradict each other upon the day on which they say the Lord’s Supper took place; because on one side, they note that it took place Easter-eve, that is, the evening of the first day of Azymes, or of the feast of unleavened bread; as it is noted (1) in Exodus, (2) in Leviticus, and (3) in Numbers; and, on the other hand, they say that He was crucified the day following the Lord’s Supper, about midday after the Jews had His trial during the whole night and morning.

Now, according to what they say, the day after this supper took place, ought not to be Easter-eve. Therefore, if He died on the eve of Easter, toward midday, it was not on the eve of this feast that this supper took place. There is consequently a manifest error.

They contradict each other, also, in regard to the women who followed Jesus from Galilee, for the first three Evangelists say that these women, and those who knew Him, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary, mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children, were looking on at a distance when He was hanged and nailed upon the cross. John says, on the contrary, that the mother of Jesus and His mother’s sister, and Mary Magdalene were standing near His cross with John, His apostle. The contradiction is manifest, for, if these women and this disciple were near Him, they were not at a distance, as the others say they were.

They contradict each other upon the pretended apparitions which they relate that Jesus made after His pretended resurrection; for Matthew speaks of but two apparitions: the one when He appeared to Mary Magdalene and to another woman, also named Mary, and when He appeared to His eleven disciples who had returned to Galilee upon the mountain where He had appointed to meet them.

Mark speaks of three apparitions: The first, when He appeared to Mary Magdalene; the second, when He appeared to His two disciples, who went to Emmaus; and the third, when He appeared to His eleven disciples, whom He reproaches for their incredulity.

Luke speaks of but two apparitions the same as Matthew; and John the Evangelist speaks of four apparitions, and adds to Mark’s three, the one which He made to seven or eight of His disciples who were fishing upon the shores of the Tiberian Sea.

They contradict each other, also, in regard to the place of these apparitions; for Matthew says that it was in Galilee, upon a mountain; Mark says that it was when they were at table; Luke says that He brought them out of Jerusalem as far as Bethany, where He left them by rising to Heaven; and John says that it was in the city of Jerusalem, in a house of which they had closed the doors, and another time upon the borders of the Tiberian Sea.

Thus is much contradiction in the report of these pretended apparitions. They contradict each other in regard to His pretended ascension to heaven; for Luke and Mark say positively that He went to heaven in presence of the eleven apostles, but neither Matthew nor John mentions at all this pretended ascension. More than this, Matthew testifies sufficiently that He did not ascend to heaven; for he said positively that Jesus Christ assured His apostles that He would be and remain always with them until the end of the world.

“Go ye,” He said to them, in this pretended apparition, “and teach all nations, and be assured that I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Luke contradicts himself upon the subject; for in his Gospel he says that it was in Bethany where He ascended to heaven in the presence of His apostles, and in his Acts of the Apostles (supposing him to have been the author) he says that it was upon the Mount of Olives.

He contradicts himself again about this ascension; for he notes in his Gospel that it was the very day of His resurrection, or the first night following, that He ascended to heaven; and in the Acts of the Apostles he says that it was forty days after His resurrection; this certainly does not correspond.

If all the apostles had really seen their Master gloriously rise to heaven, how could it be possible that Matthew and John, who would have seen it as well as the others, passed in silence such a glorious mystery, and which was so advantageous to their Master, considering that they relate many other circumstances of His life and of His actions which are much less important than this one?

How is it that Matthew does not mention this ascension? And why does Christ not explain   clearly how He would live with them always, although He left them visibly to ascend to heaven? It is not easy to comprehend by what secret He could live with those whom He left.

I pass in silence many other contradictions; what I have said is sufficient to show that these books are not of Divine Inspiration, nor even of human wisdom, and, consequently, do not deserve that we should put any faith in them.   JEAN MESLIER

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

This piece was reformatted. Words are in the same order, none are added or subtracted, but paragraphs were changed for easier reading on-screen.

Should Religion Be Exempt From Criticism

“I look forward to the day when violence done under the influence of religious passion is considered more dishonorable, more shameful, than crimes of avarice, and is punished accordingly, and religious leaders who incite such acts are regarded with the same contempt that we reserve for bartenders who send dangerously disabled people out onto the highways.

I also look forward to the day when pastors who abuse the authority of their pulpits by misinforming their congregations about science, about public health, about global warming, about evolution must answer to the charge of dishonesty. Telling pious lies to trusting children is a form of abuse, plain and simple. If quacks and bunko artists can be convicted of fraud for selling worthless cures, why not clergy for making their living off unsupported claims of miracle cures and the efficacy of prayer?”
Daniel C. Dennett Co-director, Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts University

And the Catholic Church keeps asking for free speech to be censored.  And the Republican religious right wants to put people in jail for blasphemy and other religious/church crimes.  The future is indeed going to be interesting…and maybe deadly.

Catholic Church Investigators: Children Were Castrated

Dutch government inspectors were aware in the 1950’s that the Catholic Church was castrating young boys and doing it without informing parents…and surely against the boys wishes.

Young boys were being sexually abused by Catholic priests and if they complained to authorities they were involuntarily placed in Catholic run psychiatric institutions and castrated to ‘help’ their homosexual feelings or behavior.

A committee was set up by the Catholic Church itself in 2010 when the abuse scandal broke. It is said to have identified some 800 priests and monks in the Netherlands who were actively abusing children in a 40 year period from 1945 to 1985.

Among other things it found was that church officials, bishops, and lay people were aware of the evil going on in the church and church institutions, but failed to take action

This committee is now under fire for glossing over many incidents and not giving proper weight to the allegations and incidences.  One politician  involved in the original inspection, Vic Marijnen,  was even elected as prime minister of the Netherlands in the 1963.

This politician had tried to get charges dropped against several Catholic priests accused of child sexual abuse.

So again we have the ‘universal church’ showing just how holy and spiritual the Christian religion really is.  Apologists for the Church say it’s not the church, but the humans involved.  However it has been proven that this crap is known by all members of the organization all the way up to the Pope and they all try to wiggle out from under any responsibility, and hide it as much as possible.  This Church is evil from top to bottom (talking church executives, priests, bishops, etc…not congregations) and why any moral and righteous citizen would want to listen to or join with these evil people is beyond me.

The Catholic Church has a very long history of murder and assassinations, priestly misconduct, slave holding, Popes having mistresses and little boy companions, priestly homosexual pimping for the hierarchy, in short they are the least compliant to the supposed  will of God of all the Christian denominations.

They are currently behind the American Republican parties assault on women’s right to control their own sexuality, reproduction, and bodies.  In attempts to control African reproduction, the Pope lies about the effectiveness of condoms in controlling the spread of AIDS.

Polls have consistently found that 90% or more American Catholics use birth control in defiance of Catholic dogma…I suppose the Pope is worried that there won’t be enough little Catholic babies to take up the slack.  Catholics are responsible, at least in part, for the overpopulation of the earth.

They are evil..from beginning times to now.

Parts adapted from DutchNews.nl

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2012/03/catholic_church_abuse_inspecto.php

This Is Not A Difficult Concept

Republicans Don’t Care If You’re Raped

Those darn ol’ Republicans are at it again trying to make abortions illegal in another state…it’s because they care so much for the little folk…  Not

“Florida state Rep. Charles Van Zant (R) is starting 2012 with yet another radical effort to ban all abortions in the state unless the woman’s life is in danger. Declaring that “the Legislature acknowledges that all persons are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that first among these is their right to life,” the Florida for Life Act would essentially (and unconstitutionally) make it a felony to perform an abortion except when a physician meets very specific circumstances. The Florida Independent reports.”

This is all brought about by Evil Christian religion and ruthless sycophant politicians who don’t really care for their constituents.  The British call them Arse lickers, some politely call them brown nosers, lackeys or toadies…I go along with the Brits.

Doctors would face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Raped or molested you say…tough sh_t.

And ‘we the people’ just bend over and take it with a smile.  

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Catholic Pedophiles On The Lose Again

BBC news Europe is reporting on another Catholic scandal.  I think we can now safely assume that the Catholic Church employees are molesting young children all over the world.  And probably ever since the church was formed well over a thousand years ago

If you’re Catholic don’t let your children out of your sight while in your church. You might want to consider leaving the Catholic Church altogether.  They are definitely not the Holy Place you thought they were.

From the BBC website here:

“The report estimates that 10,000-20,000 minors were abused in the care of Catholic institutions between 1945 and 1981, when the number of Church-run homes dropped. In the years between 1981 and 2011, several more thousands suffered at the hands of priests and others working for the Church.”

That’s an amazing number of children abused.  I guess up there near the Arctic Circle they don’t have much else to do.

And, once again it was not the church revealing the culprits…it was an independent commission investigating complaints against the church.

Shame Shame

My emphasis on the BBC clip.
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Atheist Blogger Up For Adoption

Hey all you Catholics out there…I’m a lonely atheist and I want to be adopted by one of the Catholic followers of Bill Donohue.   Come get me!!!

Bill, I tried your website and all methods of contacting you seem to be down  so you’ll have to come here to get me.

To those of you who are wondering whats going on…Bill Donohue, Catholic apologist extraordinaire, and writer for the ‘Catholic League’ has challenged his followers to ‘adopt an atheists‘ so that they can make us ‘see the light’–so to speak.   To let us know what we are missing by denying God.

Create Universe

Women…Religion Wants To Control YOUR Body

The Religious right (most of whom are Republicans) are out to take away women’s right to their own body. In states around the country they are trying to get ‘personhood’ laws passed. This is a law that says that as soon as an human egg is fertilized it is a human and therefore has the same rights as you and I.  Following this line of reasoning if a pregnant woman somehow endangers her unborn baby…maybe having a few alcoholic drinks or smokes a cigarette  she is liable to be arrested for child abuse.

Following this malevolent line of reasoning to it’s evil and barbarous end we find that a women can be arrested for murder if she exhibits the above behavior and then miscarries.  Don’t laugh…just watch the video and maybe go to rhrealitycheck and read the full expose of religions evil plan to control  the bodies of all fertile women in the country.

And you thought the Dark Ages were long gone…

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Behind all this is the ‘Lying for Jesus’ people and this is only a small sample of their deceptive agenda.