Goddess Above, Here I Go Again...

You know, I know better than this. i know I need to just shut up sometimes. But if there's one thing that really gets my Scottish up, it's closed-minded people, mindlessly spouting off about how 'evil' something is, when in reality it's basically innocuous, and they back it all up by quoting their religion at me.


How long will it take before the people of this world open their eyes and see that there are many religions around, and not a single one of them can PROVE that they are 'correct' and the others are 'wrong'? Worship who or what you want, and more power to you, I defend your right to do so, but shut the bloody fuck up about how 'right' you are! You are only right to do so for yourself. You are not right to ask me to do so, or to go forcing others to do so by any means.

Incidently, what I'm spouting off about is a journal I came across today, that of eyesofdavid. David is Christian, and I defend his right to worship Jehovah as I defend anyone. But David has lately gotten his dander up about Harry Potter, and how Satanic it is, and evil, and wrong, and how God hates those who like it.

Now, I personally couldn't give a Rotting Rat's Hindparts about Harry Potter. I haven't read the books. I haven't seen the movie. Maybe I will when it hits video. But mindless Bible-verse spouting (or Torah-spouting, or Bhagavad Gita-spouting, or any other text) that is used to 'prove' your point just drives me apeshit. Especially a text as self-contradictory as the Bible.

We have brainwashed so many people with the concepts of modern organized religion, that the sheep are walking off the cliff and they do not even see it. There is a line in the movie 'In The Mouth Of Madness' that sums this up so well: "We've poisoned our air, we've poisoned our water, our food, why don't we finish it off by just flushing our brains down the toilet?"

I've made a few key points to David, in a civil, open, and willing-to-discuss manner, without accusation or derogatory remark (well, maybe some minor ones!). I've even challenged him to an open debate on the subject. we'll see what he says.

You can find this comment here, but, I've noticed he has an annoying tendency to delete comments that he doesn't like, so, if mine is gone, you can read the text below.

"You know, I'm not certain if this is even worth the time I'm gonna put into this. But what the hey, anything's worth a shot.

"Frankly, I could care less whether you like Harry Potter or not (in case you are curious, I don't). But you appear to have some incorrect ideas about it, and are hiding behind someone else's words in defense of them.

"For instance, you make a lot of claims about this and other portrayals of magick as 'satanic', a word that comes quickly and glibly from your vocabulary. And yet, magick predates both Satanism and Christianity, and even Judaism. Therefore, while there may be magick in the Satanic tradition, it cannot be called strictly Satanic. Especially since much of the Christian tradition is based heavily on magickal happenings (resurrection, transubstantiation, omens, possession and exorcism, stigmata, just to name a few).

"Also, I notice that your defenses to your points are, for the most part, either someone else's words or Bible quotes. There are other texts, just as Holy, and just as adamant about being the word of the One True God as this, and just as vehemently supported. Now, I have nothing against the quoting of text for reference, but there has to be some meat, some substance, some proof that what you are saying and quoting is relevant and correct. If not, then you might as well quote Disney films and Spiderman comics. I'm in no way discounting your choice of religion, but at least have the decency and common sense to observe and accept that your choice is not everyone's choice, and therefore cannot be promoted as 'right' without opposition. And you can delete as many posts as you like (including this one), but that doesn't stop the Truth.

"You also speak of Christianity as though it were perfect, as if other traditions are the source of suffering in this world. And I'm by no means saying that other traditions have no responsibility in things. And yet, while most larger religions teach that those who do not believe in their own teachings are heathens and infidels, what religious tradition sent their believers to the other side of the known world, and ravaged soldier and civilian alike, looted, pillaged, burned, raped, destroyed and slaughtered both combatants and innocents, all at the command and wish of it's earthly leader? Christianity. I can't say that the followers of Shinto have ever raised up and invaded neighbors for religious reasons. Never seen the Hindi declare war on the Shaolin. The bloodiest times in world history have been at the hands of Christianity, a tradition that has, at it's core, the teaching 'thou shalt not kill'. It seems the quoting of verse works in both directions.

"Your text also points out that, one, you should clean up your own backyard before pointing out the mess in other's, and , two, that you should practice humility. You mention to other that if they had read the Bible, they would know things within it, and yet you seem to slide around some of it's most basic concepts (and yes, I have read the Bible, cover to cover, more than once, more than one translation, and including the Apocrypha and The Book Of Mormon). If you would expound upon it's teachings, at least have the guts to follow them.

"I would actually enjoy an open, frank, civil, and in-depth discussion of religion with you, if you would like. Perhaps we could teach each other a few things; I'm always up for learning and expanding my knowledge.

"Question is, are you man enough to do it? Or would you rather delete my post and make up a response?"