By Fu Ceyi
Below is a copy of an email I received a few times a few weeks ago. I believe it has been circulating in Singapore for a few months.
“This is an interesting Article and is well worth reading. The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States, especially in the minority races!!!
Allah or Jesus? By Rick Mathes
Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their belief systems.I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video. After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers.
When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked: "Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world. And, that by killing an infidel, which is a command to all Muslims, they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?" There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, "Non-believers!" I responded, "So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can go to Heaven. Is that correct?" The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
He sheepishly replied, "Yes."
I then stated, "Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering Protestants to do the same in order to go to Heaven!" The Imam was speechless.
I continued, "I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me. Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah who tells you to kill me in order to go to Heaven or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to Heaven and He wants you to be with me?" You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame.
Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were not happy with Rick's way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslim's beliefs. I think everyone should be required to read this, but with the liberal justice system, liberal media, and the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized.
Please pass this on to all your e-mail contacts.This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well known leader in prison ministry.”
I first received Rick Mathes controversial article two years ago. This incident did not happen last month but in early 2004. hhtp://www.truthorfiction.com categorized it as "disputed". I remember reading other versions of the incident which raised doubts on Mathes' story and I am surprised that it is still making its round.
One reason the Muslim religion is the fastest growing in the United States could well be that the innate compassionate human spirit tends to sympathize with victims of tragedies or the poor tends to sympathize with each other. Let us look at the macro picture within history and now to get a better perspective. Yahwehists (Jews, Muslims and Christians) have since the time of Moses been locked in internecine wars and conflicts. Since the days of Moses, the lands on which Yahweh fought for his chosen people, Jesus walked and taught and Mohammed drove his camels until today have been drenched with blood by devotees of Yahweh. Even today, if you put a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim in the same room and even though they all worship the same god Yahweh and no matter how devoted they are they would not be able to agree on what is truth and on how Yahweh is to be worshipped.
One reason the Muslim religion is the fastest growing in the United States could well be that the innate compassionate human spirit tends to sympathize with victims of tragedies or the poor tends to sympathize with each other. Let us look at the macro picture within history and now to get a better perspective. Yahwehists (Jews, Muslims and Christians) have since the time of Moses been locked in internecine wars and conflicts. Since the days of Moses, the lands on which Yahweh fought for his chosen people, Jesus walked and taught and Mohammed drove his camels until today have been drenched with blood by devotees of Yahweh. Even today, if you put a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim in the same room and even though they all worship the same god Yahweh and no matter how devoted they are they would not be able to agree on what is truth and on how Yahweh is to be worshipped.
Yahwehism was founded on war; in the days of Moses, god himself was actively involved in battles. It took Yahweh and his chosen people forty years to conquer Canaan (present day Palestine) and created Judea. Yahweh if he is a god appears human and inhuman; a cruel, hateful, destructive, vengeful and jealous one. He is portrayed in Exodus, Isaiah and Zephaniah as a man of war, living in the midst of his people and as a warrior who gives victory.[i] Isaiah 42:13 proclaims his human characteristics, “The Lord goes forth like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his fury, he cries out, he shouts aloud and he shows himself mighty against the enemy.” The bad side of his human characteristic showing his vengefulness and hatred for his enemies is apparently reflected in Deuteronomy 32: 41-42, “...When I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgement; I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders…” That was god speaking 3,500 years ago, is it not strange that a god that is attributed with creating the universe with billions and billions of suns can have mere humans as enemies?
Taking the heads of their enemies is still being practiced today by his Muslims devotees. I recall watching a video clip on the Internet two years ago when a Korean citizen was beheaded; I was upset for two days, then I realized that there were tens of thousands of Iraqis who were bombed to death by Americans and many of them in direct hits were torn to pieces. Prior to the beheading of the Korean and others in the Iraq war by Muslim terrorists, born again Christian American president George Bush II has acutually called for a world wide "jihad" or rather "crusade" on world wide TV stations against "Muslim terrorism" in 2001. Both "jihads" and "crusades" are terrorism dressed up in different clothing, one appears to be illegal, the other legal; both are certainly wrong, vulgar and cruel. The war on Iraq was initiated by Bush & Co. on lies, the official report on the 9/11 destruction of the Twin Tower in New York is now disputed by many professional engineers and specialists in explosives. Imminent American and European scholars have raised serious doubts on the official 9/11 report and many others have condemned it outright.
Refer http://911research.wtc7.net/index.html. and other internet sites.
Christianity was likewise established by Constantine in 325 (C.E.) in Nicaea. He declared Jesus divine and thereafter went home the same evening and murdered his mother and brother. Jesus’ cross became the Romans’ sword and the Roman Catholic Church became the state religion of the Roman Empire. All other competitive religious brands were ruthlessly wiped out by 391 (C.E.) under the rule of Theodosius and their properties confiscated and handed over to the Roman Catholic Church. Today, the Roman Catholic Church jealously guards its position as the mother of all Christian churches and is offended when other denominations referred to her as a sister church. Until today it teaches that the pope is "infallible" and there is no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church and other protestant Christians were proclaimed "defective" as recently as in 2000 and non Christians beyond redemption as they and their ancestors are deemed devil worshippers.
Christianity was likewise established by Constantine in 325 (C.E.) in Nicaea. He declared Jesus divine and thereafter went home the same evening and murdered his mother and brother. Jesus’ cross became the Romans’ sword and the Roman Catholic Church became the state religion of the Roman Empire. All other competitive religious brands were ruthlessly wiped out by 391 (C.E.) under the rule of Theodosius and their properties confiscated and handed over to the Roman Catholic Church. Today, the Roman Catholic Church jealously guards its position as the mother of all Christian churches and is offended when other denominations referred to her as a sister church. Until today it teaches that the pope is "infallible" and there is no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church and other protestant Christians were proclaimed "defective" as recently as in 2000 and non Christians beyond redemption as they and their ancestors are deemed devil worshippers.
Prior to the advent of Christianity, the earlier Pagan ancestors of Christians were likewise considered devil worshippers; it is the only religion in the world that deemed its members' ancestors as devil worshippers. It was pope Innocent III elected pope in 1198 who fist proclaimed himself Vicaris Christi, Vicar of Christ. He believed at the age of 38 that as ‘supreme pontiff’, he had authority over the whole world. In his own words, ‘lower than God but higher than man: one who judges all, and is judged by no one’.[ii] By this announcement and other legislation at his Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 he elevated himself from a mere successor of Peter, the apostle to that of being the deputy of god and established his absolute power and the Church’s subsequent hegemony over Western Europe.
He now had both spiritual and temporal political power, the supreme monarchical authority – societas christiana, the feudal overlord of Europe; emperors, kings and barons submitted to him.[iii] Innocent III was the nephew of Pope Clement the III who made him a cardinal in 1190 when he was not even a priest but the incredible thing was that the cardinals elected him as pope in 1198 at the young age of 37 and before being consecrated as pope, he had to be ordained to the priesthood.[iv] His family produced eight popes. Despotism, nepotism and cronyism were rife in the Church in the dark ages. John Wycliffe (1329 - 1384 C.E.), a priest and lecturer in Oxford University called his pope the antichrist.
He now had both spiritual and temporal political power, the supreme monarchical authority – societas christiana, the feudal overlord of Europe; emperors, kings and barons submitted to him.[iii] Innocent III was the nephew of Pope Clement the III who made him a cardinal in 1190 when he was not even a priest but the incredible thing was that the cardinals elected him as pope in 1198 at the young age of 37 and before being consecrated as pope, he had to be ordained to the priesthood.[iv] His family produced eight popes. Despotism, nepotism and cronyism were rife in the Church in the dark ages. John Wycliffe (1329 - 1384 C.E.), a priest and lecturer in Oxford University called his pope the antichrist.
The corruption and decadence in the Roman Catholic Church led to its schism and finally to reformation and revolution which brought about the demise of the papacy and monarchy system of government in Europe and the establishment of secular democratic humanist system of governments. Voltaire in rallying the forces for change cried "Remember the cruelties". Many are familiar with Lord Acton's axiom, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely" but not many may realize that he was referring to popes. According the Roman Catholic Church’s dogma, its authority comes from the first pope, Peter, the chief apostle of Jesus. Peter as we all know was a liar; he denied he knew Jesus three times before the cock crow to protect his own skin. Cain the first proverbial murderer on earth who murdered his own and only brother and sibling was also the fist builder of western civilization i.e. if you believe in the Old Testament.
Even when Europe was a Christian hegemony, Christians could not live in peace amongst themselves. The Roman Catholic Church had a monopoly for 1200 years as the only Christian church in Europe until 1520 when Martin Luther broke away and started the first protestant church. The founding father of Christian Protestantism when secured enough from the inquisitors of the Roman Catholic Church denounced all Christians who remained Catholics, all Jews who refused to accept Jesus as Messiah, and all other "protestant" Christians who were not Lutheran as "agents of Satan".
Even when Europe was a Christian hegemony, Christians could not live in peace amongst themselves. The Roman Catholic Church had a monopoly for 1200 years as the only Christian church in Europe until 1520 when Martin Luther broke away and started the first protestant church. The founding father of Christian Protestantism when secured enough from the inquisitors of the Roman Catholic Church denounced all Christians who remained Catholics, all Jews who refused to accept Jesus as Messiah, and all other "protestant" Christians who were not Lutheran as "agents of Satan".
Now there are more than 2000 different denominations in the world. Some such denominations accuse each other of not being true Christians. Likewise, Muslims and Jews are similarly fragmented though not as much as Christians. The periods of the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, the Thirty Years War, the dark ages of the inquisition, the wars between England, France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, the hundreds of thousands of known battles in Europe and the Middle East had almost always been fought in the names of Jesus and Yahweh; the six centuries of colonialism world wide by the six Western Christian nations all indicate a propensity for lawlessness, torture, burning at the stakes and cannibalism; manifesting a culture rooted deeply from the beginning in religious violence based on their violent “holy” scriptures with harsh pronouncements, which sadly continues until today.
All three sides have a long list of deeply resented abuses committed by the other sides since ancient times. Every-time there is an abuse by one side, there will be a reciprocal abuse by the other side. With so much historical wars and genocides between them and amongst themselves, both real and imaginary, there are many nations and people of different races and religions suffering from wounded pride and perceived moral rectitude. Each knowing very well in details even the minor malefactions of the other but hardly ever admits its own sins and the sufferings its own policies have caused its people and especially others on the receiving end and the large majority of Earthlings caught in between. There are good and decent people in each side but they are usually subdued by the more ruthless hardliners and corrupted opportunistic characters who would not hesitate to use brute force, both physical and psychological to achieve their private agendas.
All three sides have a long list of deeply resented abuses committed by the other sides since ancient times. Every-time there is an abuse by one side, there will be a reciprocal abuse by the other side. With so much historical wars and genocides between them and amongst themselves, both real and imaginary, there are many nations and people of different races and religions suffering from wounded pride and perceived moral rectitude. Each knowing very well in details even the minor malefactions of the other but hardly ever admits its own sins and the sufferings its own policies have caused its people and especially others on the receiving end and the large majority of Earthlings caught in between. There are good and decent people in each side but they are usually subdued by the more ruthless hardliners and corrupted opportunistic characters who would not hesitate to use brute force, both physical and psychological to achieve their private agendas.
The hardliners and political opportunists on all sides either directly or through proxies in their respective national agencies of national propaganda fanned the hatred and fear of their people intentionally and misled them into believing their adversaries to be devilish and beyond redemption thus setting the conditions necessary for wars and conflicts. Each nation has its military and intelligence establishments usually working closely with large private sector defense contractors and manufacturers with vested interests, especially in the United States that evaluate dangers posed by the other sides. Such entrenched agencies have obvious incentives to exaggerate their adversaries’ capabilities and intention, they have in the past and present imagined and created enemies and dangers in order to boost military and intelligence spending and enriched themselves at the expense of tax payers.
America was likewise founded on war amongst Christians. When it was established, they promptly and ruthlessly proceeded to wipe out the Native Americans and stole their land. It does not matter that they have been living on their land for the last 20 - 30,000 years, way before the times of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Here again and again they did it in the name of Yahweh and Jesus. Here are some examples of the typical Christian attitude as illustrated by John Winthrop, the then governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony and others towards the destruction of Native Americans. In 1634 he wrote: "But for the natives in these parts, God hath so pursued them, as for 300 miles space the greatest part of them are swept away by the small pox which still continues among them. So as God hath thereby cleared our title to this place" and puritan minister Increase Mather hailing the "miraculous" sign from god wrote: "God ended the controversy by sending the small pox amongst the Indians. Whole towns of them were swept away in some of them not so much as one soul escaping the destruction." Puritan author of On Plymouth Plantation (1632), William Bradford wrote: "... for it pleased god to afflict these Indians with such a deadly sickness, that out of 1,000, over 950 of them died, and many of them lay rotting above ground for want of burial."
America was likewise founded on war amongst Christians. When it was established, they promptly and ruthlessly proceeded to wipe out the Native Americans and stole their land. It does not matter that they have been living on their land for the last 20 - 30,000 years, way before the times of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Here again and again they did it in the name of Yahweh and Jesus. Here are some examples of the typical Christian attitude as illustrated by John Winthrop, the then governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony and others towards the destruction of Native Americans. In 1634 he wrote: "But for the natives in these parts, God hath so pursued them, as for 300 miles space the greatest part of them are swept away by the small pox which still continues among them. So as God hath thereby cleared our title to this place" and puritan minister Increase Mather hailing the "miraculous" sign from god wrote: "God ended the controversy by sending the small pox amongst the Indians. Whole towns of them were swept away in some of them not so much as one soul escaping the destruction." Puritan author of On Plymouth Plantation (1632), William Bradford wrote: "... for it pleased god to afflict these Indians with such a deadly sickness, that out of 1,000, over 950 of them died, and many of them lay rotting above ground for want of burial."
Those not killed by the plagues were wiped out by Winchester rifles as the puritans moved further west into deep Indian territories. The Catholic Spanish conquistadores single handedly wiped out the ancient Incans and Aztecs in Mexico, stole thousands of their golden artifacts of tremendous archeological value and melted them into gold ingots, almost an entire cultural legacy vanished in their greedy hands .The plunder and destruction of ancient texts, relics and monuments of great archeological values by fervent Christian conquerors were lost forever, and with it the opportunities to decode their meaning and learn the truth about their ancient past and origin. According to author William McNeil, the native population of the Americas was about 100 million when Europeans first began their aggressive colonization in the early 1600s, today there are less than one million pureblood Native Americans left.[v] Charles Darwin in his travel and research observed in 1839, "Wherever the Europeans had trod, death seems to pursue the aboriginal."
The incredible folly is that in the 21st century, Americans elected a Yahwehist "born again Christian" as president of the United States who went on world wide TV and called for a crusade against Muslim "terrorism" and threatened other sovereign national leaders and peoples with "You are either for us or against us". This brings us back to the days of pope Urban II who in 1095 called for the first crusade against the Muslims to recover the tomb of the pacifist Jesus. A few hundred thousand Muslims and thousands of Jews and Eastern Orthodox Christians along the way were put to the sword. Priests stationed along the route to Jerusalem kept reminding the crusaders who were given indulgences by the pope that "to kill an infidel is not murder."
The incredible folly is that in the 21st century, Americans elected a Yahwehist "born again Christian" as president of the United States who went on world wide TV and called for a crusade against Muslim "terrorism" and threatened other sovereign national leaders and peoples with "You are either for us or against us". This brings us back to the days of pope Urban II who in 1095 called for the first crusade against the Muslims to recover the tomb of the pacifist Jesus. A few hundred thousand Muslims and thousands of Jews and Eastern Orthodox Christians along the way were put to the sword. Priests stationed along the route to Jerusalem kept reminding the crusaders who were given indulgences by the pope that "to kill an infidel is not murder."
George Bush believes that Yahweh wanted him to be president of the United States and to war against Afghanistan and Iraq. He claims he speaks for Yahweh. The first "holy" war and ethnic cleansing is recorded in Exodus 23: 33 when Yahweh screamed for the extermination of all Canaanites. The Israelites were told that the native Canaanites must not be permitted to live in their own country and the prophet Joshua was the chosen terminator: "Then Joshua came and wiped out the Anakim from the highlands, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anoth, from all the highlands of Judah and all the inhabitants of Israel; he delivered them and their towns over to the ban. No more Anakim were left in Israelite territory except at Gaza, Gath and Ashod."
If Bush really believes Yahweh speaks to him than the world is really in danger. Nothing in the world is more dangerous than having the most powerful man in the world with his finger on the nuclear buttons than a man who is motivated emotionally by sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. If he is just a typical proxy politician playing a dangerous game manipulating the neo-conservative Christian Zionist religious fundamentalists then we are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Removing him alone would not stop this dangerous game as there are more dangerous and powerful manipulators behind him.
If Bush really believes Yahweh speaks to him than the world is really in danger. Nothing in the world is more dangerous than having the most powerful man in the world with his finger on the nuclear buttons than a man who is motivated emotionally by sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. If he is just a typical proxy politician playing a dangerous game manipulating the neo-conservative Christian Zionist religious fundamentalists then we are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Removing him alone would not stop this dangerous game as there are more dangerous and powerful manipulators behind him.
Religion is without a doubt still a most powerful and pervasive force in the minds of humans; history has shown that religion has often been linked to the worst examples of human behavior. Religious ideologies and messianic missionary devotions are indisputably the core factors in the escalation of violence and evil on Earth. Right wing neo-conservative Christian coalition comprising the Catholic north and Southern protestants have hijacked the Republican party and with Bush as spokesman for Yahweh, the Republican party is now also referred to as GOP (God's Own Party).
American politicians driven by greed and self interest have forgotten and discarded Abraham Lincoln’s “With malice towards none and charity for all”. He spoke those words after experiencing the painful American civil war. Lincoln’s observation and caution “As a result of the war, corporations have now been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow … until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is destroyed” [vi] may destined to become a reality, not only for the USA but for the whole world as well if not prevented by independent thinking people in the world, especially by Americans, Britons and Australians.
Samuel Huntington in The Clash of Civilization gives us an extremely useful analysis of the huge nine civilization blocks: Western, Latin American, African, Islamic, Sinic, Hindu, Orthodox, Buddhist and Japanese. The interactions amongst these nine blocks would determine the direction of international politics, commerce, war and diplomacy. He correctly observed that what is often called "universalism" is in fact cleverly disguised western imperialism that is one civilization trying to impose its values on all others. He rejected the monotheistic western universal hegemony model and advocated a plural universalism integrating all the nine blocks; each mutually accepting, honoring and cherishing their differences and similarities, a kind of unity in diversity as manifested in the laws of nature, as is practiced in Freemasonry, a wonderful diversity, where we all have our own unique perceptions of the universe and truth yet united together in unity by our tenets of universal love and relief, fraternity, equality, liberty and justice. Such tenets and principles provide comfort, meaning and purpose in life without the false promises and threats of eternal salvation or damnation. It lifts us out of our narrow "holy" straits-jackets, helps us live together in unity - and that means not just the absence of conflict but the deep fellowship we enjoy when we relate cheerfully, positively and harmoniously to one another; on virtues that bring people together and not differences that keep us apart.
There will never ever going to be an absolute truth from one civilization block that will be accepted by everyone on earth. Absolute truth is for God alone, we humans will just have to live with our different religious "truth". Ask a person "What is truth?" and you would very likely get different answers from different people living in different parts of the world. There is no founder or leader of truth; there are only honest men and liars. Every one will consciously or unconsciously live his truth or lie. Only you can discover and live your truth, others can’t discover and live your truth for you and your “truth” will change with the shifting dynamics of the world. According to John the evangelist, two thousand years ago, at his trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus claimed, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” In response, Pontius Pilate, the brutal governor of Judea (26 - 36 C.E.) exonerated by gospel writers asked “What is truth? (It estin aletheia?) Unfortunately, there was no response from Jesus.[vii] According to the gospel of Matthew Jesus “gave no answer” and “made no reply, not even to a single charge, to the great amazement of the governor”.[viii]
Ask any person from any part of the world "Should a person be honest?" and the answer would invariably be "Yes". To be honest, I cannot possibly feel comfortable with some of the stories in the bible and the teachings of the church. We are not the center of the universe, our existence is not essential to God's existence and there is no reason to believe that a man now orbiting space in the flesh would return to destroy the existing universe and save only 144,000 Christians. 144,000 are about half the population of Toa Payoh town in Singapore. Billions who died would not be allowed to rest in peace; it is not enough that they were brutally tortured, burned on the stakes or violently murdered or simply died of diseases or old age, they would have to be resurrected to be sent to a newly created eternal hell.
Samuel Huntington in The Clash of Civilization gives us an extremely useful analysis of the huge nine civilization blocks: Western, Latin American, African, Islamic, Sinic, Hindu, Orthodox, Buddhist and Japanese. The interactions amongst these nine blocks would determine the direction of international politics, commerce, war and diplomacy. He correctly observed that what is often called "universalism" is in fact cleverly disguised western imperialism that is one civilization trying to impose its values on all others. He rejected the monotheistic western universal hegemony model and advocated a plural universalism integrating all the nine blocks; each mutually accepting, honoring and cherishing their differences and similarities, a kind of unity in diversity as manifested in the laws of nature, as is practiced in Freemasonry, a wonderful diversity, where we all have our own unique perceptions of the universe and truth yet united together in unity by our tenets of universal love and relief, fraternity, equality, liberty and justice. Such tenets and principles provide comfort, meaning and purpose in life without the false promises and threats of eternal salvation or damnation. It lifts us out of our narrow "holy" straits-jackets, helps us live together in unity - and that means not just the absence of conflict but the deep fellowship we enjoy when we relate cheerfully, positively and harmoniously to one another; on virtues that bring people together and not differences that keep us apart.
There will never ever going to be an absolute truth from one civilization block that will be accepted by everyone on earth. Absolute truth is for God alone, we humans will just have to live with our different religious "truth". Ask a person "What is truth?" and you would very likely get different answers from different people living in different parts of the world. There is no founder or leader of truth; there are only honest men and liars. Every one will consciously or unconsciously live his truth or lie. Only you can discover and live your truth, others can’t discover and live your truth for you and your “truth” will change with the shifting dynamics of the world. According to John the evangelist, two thousand years ago, at his trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus claimed, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” In response, Pontius Pilate, the brutal governor of Judea (26 - 36 C.E.) exonerated by gospel writers asked “What is truth? (It estin aletheia?) Unfortunately, there was no response from Jesus.[vii] According to the gospel of Matthew Jesus “gave no answer” and “made no reply, not even to a single charge, to the great amazement of the governor”.[viii]
Ask any person from any part of the world "Should a person be honest?" and the answer would invariably be "Yes". To be honest, I cannot possibly feel comfortable with some of the stories in the bible and the teachings of the church. We are not the center of the universe, our existence is not essential to God's existence and there is no reason to believe that a man now orbiting space in the flesh would return to destroy the existing universe and save only 144,000 Christians. 144,000 are about half the population of Toa Payoh town in Singapore. Billions who died would not be allowed to rest in peace; it is not enough that they were brutally tortured, burned on the stakes or violently murdered or simply died of diseases or old age, they would have to be resurrected to be sent to a newly created eternal hell.
The universe would not be destroyed just because a few evangelists 2000 years ago said so. If our civilization as we know it is wiped out by nuclear winter or global warming, the sun and all the planets including Earth would still be around. Scientists estimate that our sun burns about 400 tons of nuclear fuel every second. It may take another 5,000 or 20,000 years for earth to rejuvenate itself, 20,000 years is but a split nano second in the 6 billion years history of earth. There are about 6.4 billion of us on earth and earth is but a pale blue dot in our solar system and our sun is but one of the billions of suns in the Milky Way.
The other dangerous dogma is that we are born sinners and evil and only the Roman Catholic Church could provide salvation by baptism and confession, earth is a temporary abode ruled by Satan. This gives psychological license for humans to do evil and inevitably leads to corruption; "if we do not take advantage of the opportunity to enrich ourselves someone else will, we are naturally evil, selfish and opportunistic." Confucius teaches the opposite that humans are naturally born good, guided by our innate conscience; if you disagree with him, you may wish to consider that children are neither born good nor evil but will grow up to be good or evil according to their family upbringing, social and religious environment. We will then at least be empowered to take responsibility for our conduct and face the consequences of our wrong doings govern by the natural law of action and consequences, cause and effect.
The other dangerous dogma is that we are born sinners and evil and only the Roman Catholic Church could provide salvation by baptism and confession, earth is a temporary abode ruled by Satan. This gives psychological license for humans to do evil and inevitably leads to corruption; "if we do not take advantage of the opportunity to enrich ourselves someone else will, we are naturally evil, selfish and opportunistic." Confucius teaches the opposite that humans are naturally born good, guided by our innate conscience; if you disagree with him, you may wish to consider that children are neither born good nor evil but will grow up to be good or evil according to their family upbringing, social and religious environment. We will then at least be empowered to take responsibility for our conduct and face the consequences of our wrong doings govern by the natural law of action and consequences, cause and effect.
There is absolutely no reason to degrade ourselves, believing ourselves to be weak and defective and live in fear of death, hell or Yahweh. There are nobility and strength in us, we all have the right to pursue our happiness differently here and now with duty and responsibility to each other, mutually respecting, searching and expanding the common values inherent in us, enjoying the rich tapestry of unity in diversity with equal emphasis on both diversity and unity thus centering us on a solid foundation of peaceful co-existence
Huntington’s analysis though brilliant, however, did not go deep enough in the exploration of the profound impact Yahwehism has on western minds that resist the harmonious integration of peoples of different races and religions. Yawehism represents the dark ages of inquisition, violent wars and destruction, ethnic cleansing, jealousy, bigotry and brutality. Yawehism is foreign to native Pagan Europeans. Countries in the Middle East are geographically referred to as Asian countries by Europeans though Asians would have a problem accepting countries in the Middle East as being part of Asia.
Huntington’s analysis though brilliant, however, did not go deep enough in the exploration of the profound impact Yahwehism has on western minds that resist the harmonious integration of peoples of different races and religions. Yawehism represents the dark ages of inquisition, violent wars and destruction, ethnic cleansing, jealousy, bigotry and brutality. Yawehism is foreign to native Pagan Europeans. Countries in the Middle East are geographically referred to as Asian countries by Europeans though Asians would have a problem accepting countries in the Middle East as being part of Asia.
The high culture of Europeans is represented by the ancient Greeks, the Renaissance and the brief period of brilliance in the 18th century. It was the many philosophers and scientists including freemasons who risked their lives, the lives of family members who bravely resisted and toppled the corrupted powerful church and established the more tolerant and humane secular democratic forms of governments. Such democratic institutions are now once again threatened by the rise of the neo-conservative Christians working hand in hand with greedy capitalists who seek to establish a theocracy in the United States. Pat Buchanan, a Republican presidential candidate in 1993 chose the Christian Coalition national convention to state his stand clearly: “Our culture is superior because our religion is Christianity and that is the truth that sets men free.” Their goal for a Christian America seems to be the same as that of their Muslim and Jewish counterparts in wanting to establish a divinely ordained Islamic state and an expanded biblical state of Israel.
The obvious problem confronting us today is that we are armed with 21st century weapons of mass destruction and some of our world political and religious leaders are still being driven by violent intolerant primitive superstitious religious “absolute truth” dogmas written by dead men 2,000 years ago about dead men living 3,500 years ago when they then believed and practiced animal and human sacrifices to god, rode on camels, lived in tents and stoned members of their tribe to death when they were caught gathering firewood on Sabbath day. Our spiritual development is so lacking behind our scientific development, we have thousands of ready to launch nuclear guided missiles aiming at each other and many misguided politicians in power.
Extremes bring changes and the changes may be for the better. I am an optimist. More and more Americans are now awakening to the extreme folly of the Bush administration. His popularity is now at its lowest, hovering at about 35% approval. Putting Americans and everyone on earth in danger may be the catalyst that will awaken the people to transform their way of thinking. We need to think differently if we are to live harmoniously together; as Martin Luther Jr. put it, "We either learn to live together as brothers or die together as fools."
The obvious problem confronting us today is that we are armed with 21st century weapons of mass destruction and some of our world political and religious leaders are still being driven by violent intolerant primitive superstitious religious “absolute truth” dogmas written by dead men 2,000 years ago about dead men living 3,500 years ago when they then believed and practiced animal and human sacrifices to god, rode on camels, lived in tents and stoned members of their tribe to death when they were caught gathering firewood on Sabbath day. Our spiritual development is so lacking behind our scientific development, we have thousands of ready to launch nuclear guided missiles aiming at each other and many misguided politicians in power.
Extremes bring changes and the changes may be for the better. I am an optimist. More and more Americans are now awakening to the extreme folly of the Bush administration. His popularity is now at its lowest, hovering at about 35% approval. Putting Americans and everyone on earth in danger may be the catalyst that will awaken the people to transform their way of thinking. We need to think differently if we are to live harmoniously together; as Martin Luther Jr. put it, "We either learn to live together as brothers or die together as fools."
Earth, beautiful and sacred, created by God is cursed by Yawehists. It has supported life for millions of years; it now supports 6.4 billion of us and other species and asked for nothing in return. As Ghandi said, "There is enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed." There is no reason why tens of thousands of us are dying of starvation; billions are living below the poverty line whereas a few hundred Wall Street conglomerates, mostly American, own most of the wealth on earth. Change we must and we will.
Endnotes
[i] Exodus 15:3, Zephaniah 3:27
[ii] Cited by Saperstein, Moments of Crisis, 19; James Carroll, Constantine’s Sword, 281.
[iii] The Templars (2001) 178, Innocent III, Sermon on the Consecration of a Pope, quoted by Brian Tierney, Englewood Cliffs, (N.J. Prentice Hall 1980), The Crisis of Church and State 1050-1300, 132, James Carroll, Constantine’s Sword 280.
[iv] Cohen, The Friars and the Jews, 248 – 49, James Carroll, Constantine’s Sword, 282.
[v] William McNeil, Plagues and Peoples, Doubleday, New York, 1997.
[vi] Quoted by Thom Hartmann, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, Hodder & Stoughton, 2001, 103.
[vii] John 18: 38.
[viii] Matthew 27 : 12-14
Endnotes
[i] Exodus 15:3, Zephaniah 3:27
[ii] Cited by Saperstein, Moments of Crisis, 19; James Carroll, Constantine’s Sword, 281.
[iii] The Templars (2001) 178, Innocent III, Sermon on the Consecration of a Pope, quoted by Brian Tierney, Englewood Cliffs, (N.J. Prentice Hall 1980), The Crisis of Church and State 1050-1300, 132, James Carroll, Constantine’s Sword 280.
[iv] Cohen, The Friars and the Jews, 248 – 49, James Carroll, Constantine’s Sword, 282.
[v] William McNeil, Plagues and Peoples, Doubleday, New York, 1997.
[vi] Quoted by Thom Hartmann, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, Hodder & Stoughton, 2001, 103.
[vii] John 18: 38.
[viii] Matthew 27 : 12-14
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