Commerce versus Religion

Unfortunately the religion in question isn't George Bush's so....ignorant fuckers take charge

"After a witness described how the spraying of wastewater to make artificial snow would defile the sanctity of medicinal plants gathered on the mountain, a government lawyer asked if the medicine man knew he could purchase herbs at health food stores."

If you want to try to help, go here

With thanks to Edward for linking me to the story here

I was doing my best to be polite and not to get irate, but this was the last straw. Sorry Count, my friend. I'll keep it off your LJ from here on out.

Most people who have loudly condemned it have been to frightened of religion to ever give it a thorough read and too interested in carnal pursuits to take the time and think through the words.

I was gonna drop it and I swear I am, but here's a bit of insight for you..... many people that I know personally have no interest in the Bible not because they are "frightened of religion" or just didn't read it well enough, or are interested in carnal pursuits. They aren't interested in Christianity because, for them, it is not the answer.

To suggest that Christianity is rejected because of any one of the reasons you put forth and that the lack lies in the individual is arrogant, condescending and straight up bullshit. You've quite nicely shown how you are one of the ugly Christian Americans who think they have a strangehold on truth - not just for themselves but for everyone else.

Is there no mention of modesty in that book of yours?

Now I'm off to try to convince the Buddhists to stop being all fraidycattish about religion and to knock it off with those wet t-shirt contests.

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I know that there are Christians in America who are not arrogant fucks who climb on the cross every chance they get should one person breathe a word of criticism about Christianity in general or Christians in specific. I know there are Christians in America who get off their asses and confront those that claim to portray Christianity and say to their public officials and to the general populace that the Religious Right does not represent them or their faith (I just don't know many of them..... and that pisses me right the fuck off and is the topic for another day). I know that there are Christians who don't offer as "proof" to their argument quotes from the fucking Bible as though that ends all discussion and is some sort of trump card. I know that there are Christians who don't pontificate about how "we" "all" need to let God into "our" lives. I know there are even ones who realize why the above is fucking offensive.

I know this. I really do.

It's just fucking hard to remember it right now.

There are Christians like dear friends of mine, there is the Sojourner, there are those that are Christian and did not vote for Bush, and there is Garrison Keiller. There are millions of Christians that live their lives the best they can and think it's great that you do the same. There are Christians that are quietly active in making this world a better place - for everyone - regardless of faith, gender, or sexual preference.

I think the key to all of this - as our society faces changes from within and forces that want things that inhibit freedom - is that we must remember that those that shout the loudest about their faith and how it must control all of our lives - believers or not - do not represent true Christianity - not the heart of it, not the spirit of it, not the meaning of it.

This I truly believe.

From Homegrown Democrat by Garrison Keiller

"Legal abortion is due to Roe v Wade, not to Democrats, but we have defended it, even those of us with moral reservations about it. As the teen pregnancy rate declines and the abortion rate along with it, we can see the day approaching when this angry issue recedes, and we pro-choice Democrats can reconcile with our natural allies in the Catholic Church. The Church is morally offended by abortion and it is also offended by poverty and social injustice in ways that Republicans never could be: to oppose abortion, as they do, and also promote low wages and harass welfare mothers and hack away at public services - this is moral dishonesty that staggers the mind. This is stepping on the drowning woman's hand as she grabs onto the gunwale."

"What bewilders me about the Republicans is the coalition of the corporate Bourbon wing of the party and the Bible wing, two groups with little in common, but the Bible wing supplies the votes and the Bourbons take most of the booty. The Bourbons get tax cuts and deregulation and the Bibleists get a few vague gestures on symbolic issues such as gay marriage and school prayer. Like the Pharisees, the Bibleists enjoy public displays of religion. A roomful of movers and shakers gathered for a prayer breakfast that is all about bonding, backslapping, hobnobbing, and the prayers are read off 3X5 index cards, and there is a complete lack of heartfelt witnessing as you'd find among people of faith. At the prayer breakfast, if the Holy Spirit speaks, it is always in favor of tax cuts and less government regulation and preemptive military action. The Holy Spirit never comes out in favor of anything without clearing it with the Republican Party.

The Bibleists vow to put God back in the public schools, as if He were a small plaster icon and not the Creator of the universe. Evidently when they hear public prayer, they sense the Spirit's presence. I don't. The public invocation....is a piece of sanctimonious boilerplate wiht the spiritual weight of a postage stamp. It has no connection to true prayer, the throwing of myself down in the presence of the Creator.... Saying the names of loved ones, putting myself wordlessly under God's wing. That is true prayer. Pharisee prayer is simply a political speech that is addressed to God, as if He needed instruction. Why are the Pharisees so wiling to exploit the Christian faith for political mileage? They will have to answer to that; I can't. But God is not mocked and does not find political cynicism appealing in any way.

Faith is private. It demonstrates itself in good works and love of neighbors but it doesn't need to puff up and blow a horn and bang on kitchen pans...the Republican Party: its Christianity is about half fake because it scorns Jesus's command to love thy neighbor as thyself and it abuses any who take the commandment seriously. Better to be a principled atheist than a Christian for show. A man who employs the Lord as a special effect and makes a public performance of piety deadens his spiritual life and puts his own soul in danger."

Sent by the ever-alert Edward:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/NEWS01/50817015/-1/RSS

Glad that the retarded stupid first ruling got overturned - though still rather annoyed that the stupid judge made the ruling in the first place.

I especially appreciated this part: "Judge Patricia A. Riley, writing on behalf of the three judge appeals court panel, wrote that trial courts can limit parent’s authority if it’s necessary to prevent endangerment to a child’s physical health, or significant impairment of the child’s emotional health.

However, Marion Superior Judge Cale Bradford did not determine that was the case, the judges ruled.

Wiccan beliefs center around the balance of nature and a reverence for the earth. They do not worship Satan."

I'm assuming the last line was an add-on by the paper and not a warning to Satanists that should they divorce and have children, either keep the Satanism on the downlow or be viewed as endangering your children. Wonder how pagans that are not the sold-as-being-completely-innocuous-and-mild-mannered Wiccans would be viewed.