Religion & Politics

[Al arafat]

Religion & Politics are in the same way .they are polluted by the leaders in every era.

[eyeball]

I always thought religion and politics were the pollution.

[Topaz]

Well, we'll see if the abortion comes up on the agenda in the House.

[Guest Peeves]

Religion & Politics are in the same way .they are polluted by the leaders in every era.

A convoluted premise and conclusion.

[TheNewTeddy]

The only thing Religion and Politics have in common is the inability for the stupid among us to discuss them civilly.

[Guest Manny]

The only thing Religion and Politics have in common is the inability for the stupid among us to discuss them civilly.

Clearly there's more to it than just that. Look at organized religion, for example the catholic church. There's a lot of politics involved in the organization. They even have elections.

And in politics, we see religious leaders try to spread their moral ideas through political influence. Like, for example Preston Manning, "the doctor of divinity".

[kimmy]

I know a couple of people here are regular readers of "The Friendly Atheist" blog, so they probably saw this already. For everybody else, I'd like to present this video by Nina Paley, illustrating the stupidity of over 3 millennia of people killing each other over a piece of land the size of Vancouver Island because they believe God promised it to them.

Youtube link for the lazy...

...and Nina's page, which includes an illustrated guide to "who's killing who", because as Nina puts it, "you can't tell the players without a pogrom!"

-k

Edited October 9, 2012 by kimmy

[-TSS-]

For the first time ever protestants are not in the majority of followers of religion in the USA:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215025/Protestants-longer-majority-U-S-time--rising-number-Americans-religion.html

This trend is more than likely to continue.

[Guest Peeves]

"I'd like to present this video by Nina Paley, illustrating the stupidity of over 3 millennia of people killing each other over a piece of land the size of Vancouver Island because they believe God promised it to them."

A slight correction. Israel was declared a democratic state and is not killing anyone over a promise by god.

"On May 14, 1948, the last British forces left through Haifa. The next day, in a public ceremony in Tel-Aviv, Ben-Gurion read out the Israeli Declaration of Independence, naming the new country, Israel.

Both superpower leaders, U.S. President Harry S. Truman (de facto) and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, immediately recognized the new state.

Cute cartoon though.

Which countries in the United Nations voted for Israel to become a state?

Best Answer

The 33 countries that cast the "Yes" vote were: Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine, Union of South Africa, USSR, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela. (Among other countries, the list includes the US, the three British Dominions, all the European countries except for Greece and the UK, but including all the Soviet-block countries.)

[eyeball]

The 33 countries that cast the "Yes" vote were:

A small minority in other words. By the way, how many of these offered or denied the land a brand new country required?

In any case, the least they could have done is create another new country for the people they dispossessed by recognizing Israel.

[Moonlight Graham]

A small minority in other words. By the way, how many of these offered or denied the land a brand new country required?

In any case, the least they could have done is create another new country for the people they dispossessed by recognizing Israel.

In 1948 I believe there were only 56 countries as members of the UN. Remember many countries were still European colonies at that time.

[eyeball]

A minority of Earth's people's then. That works even better for me now that I think about it.

[Guest Manny]

Of course, our wars were ended decisively when we wiped out our enemy, the Indians down to the very last man, woman and child.

No more reason for stupid people to argue over things like land.

[Guest Peeves]

A minority of Earth's people's then. That works even better for me now that I think about it.

You thought about it?

You're so cute and naive. Like the majority of Earth's people had a clue.

Arabs were offered the same opportunity to a state as Israel at the same time, by the U.N. They wouldn't take it.

[eyeball]

You're so cute and naive. Like the majority of Earth's people had a clue.

So says the ugly know-it-all looking down his nose at the great unwashed masses.

[-TSS-]

All countries become secular sooner or later. If Islam ever becomes the largest religion on Earth, which I very much doubt, it wil happen when most of the Islamic countries have become secular. There is a clear correlation between growth of wealth and secularism.

It wasn't that long ago, less than 100 years ago here in Europe when religion was a major part of everyday life and reluctance to have anything to do with religion or even hostility towards religion could land you in a serious trouble. Today all of the European countries are very secular in character. I'm not sure about the Latin-American Catholic countries but I am inclined to believe that they are also much more secular than they used to be only 10-20 years ago.

[Mr.Canada]

All countries become secular sooner or later. If Islam ever becomes the largest religion on Earth, which I very much doubt, it wil happen when most of the Islamic countries have become secular. There is a clear correlation between growth of wealth and secularism.

It wasn't that long ago, less than 100 years ago here in Europe when religion was a major part of everyday life and reluctance to have anything to do with religion or even hostility towards religion could land you in a serious trouble. Today all of the European countries are very secular in character. I'm not sure about the Latin-American Catholic countries but I am inclined to believe that they are also much more secular than they used to be only 10-20 years ago.

How many secular people are willing to sacrifice in slaughter before the Islamic countries become secular?

[Bonam]

All countries become secular sooner or later. If Islam ever becomes the largest religion on Earth, which I very much doubt, it wil happen when most of the Islamic countries have become secular. There is a clear correlation between growth of wealth and secularism.

Actually, in terms of demographics, Islam may very well become the largest religion in the near future, long before any significant societal reform or secularization is likely to happen in most Muslim nations.

[eyeball]

How many secular people are willing to sacrifice in slaughter before the Islamic countries become secular?

That mostly depends on how many people are willing to continue supporting and wheeling and dealing with the dictatorships that inspire so much of the slaughtering.

[Michael Hardner]

Actually, in terms of demographics, Islam may very well become the largest religion in the near future, long before any significant societal reform or secularization is likely to happen in most Muslim nations.

The key assumption is that Islam somehow is unable to adapt. I have yet to see people explain why this might be. Sometimes they start to blame the holy books for the culture, but when it's pointed out that other holy books have violent prescriptions, they come out with other content differences that supposedly make a difference.

I would counter that if all world religions are eventually to dissipate, along with other superstitions, then somebody has to go first and somebody has to go last. Islam is last.

[GostHacked]

I know a couple of people here are regular readers of "The Friendly Atheist" blog, so they probably saw this already. For everybody else, I'd like to present this video by Nina Paley, illustrating the stupidity of over 3 millennia of people killing each other over a piece of land the size of Vancouver Island because they believe God promised it to them.

Youtube link for the lazy...

...and Nina's page, which includes an illustrated guide to "who's killing who", because as Nina puts it, "you can't tell the players without a pogrom!"

-k

Good find Kimmy.

[-TSS-]

I think it is funny that both Christianity and Islam implicitly hint that the life they offer is miserable as their reward of a paradise differs completely from this mundane existence. I wonder is there some sort of masochism-gene implanted in the human psyche as people take pride in telling how much they have suffered. Similar with religions; a cult which believes that the main-stream religion is too soft and that cult promises to make your life as miserable as possible with rewards of a better life after death enjoys a lot of popularity.

[Guest Peeves]

So says the ugly know-it-all looking down his nose at the great unwashed masses.

Unwashed, not sure, but you could use a deodorant and some book learning.

[Guest Peeves]

I think it is funny that both Christianity and Islam implicitly hint that the life they offer is miserable as their reward of a paradise differs completely from this mundane existence. I wonder is there some sort of masochism-gene implanted in the human psyche as people take pride in telling how much they have suffered. Similar with religions; a cult which believes that the main-stream religion is too soft and that cult promises to make your life as miserable as possible with rewards of a better life after death enjoys a lot of popularity.

Well since Islam 'borrowed' from Christianity and Judaism, it's bound to some of the same tenets.

Promise some reward and you get a following. That's what politicians and religious leaders do.

I understand there's a difference though.

Christians believe good deeds lead to paradise while Islam's surest way to reach the highest level of Paradise is jihad.

Quite a distinction.

Since there's no reports frum the beyond , there's no limits to promises.

[Moonlight Graham]

Youtube link for the lazy...

...and Nina's page, which includes an illustrated guide to "who's killing who", because as Nina puts it, "you can't tell the players without a pogrom!"

-k

Brilliant, thanks for the links Kimmy!