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> The Poisoning of the Well

19 January 2006, 10:55

An excellent, clear and well thought out article, from a reasoned secular viewpoint. I am envious of the clarity of thought shown here. Of course, the fundamentalists will call it "anti-religious." A fiew thoughts occured to me while reading it:

1. "... most learned nation the world has even seen." This is a nation in which 25% of the population is functionally illiterate (they can understand "No Smoking," but reading a novel is way beyond them). The only reason that America is still "ahead" is because they buy the knowledge and brains of foreign nationals; how many scientists have names like Furumoto, Braun, Gruenbaum, Chang or Vishvasara, and speak with foreign accents?

2. "... never been attacked on its continental soil." Sorry, but what about the invasion of America by the Europeans, and the attacks on the Native American population? And what about the invasion of America by the predecessors of the Native Americans over the Berring Straits?

3. Fundamentalist religions appeal to those who are not prepared to reason things out for themselves. And America has been working hard, through its decaying education system, to discourage independent thought.

4. "... false prophets and corrupt high priests". There is even a warning in the Bible about this. Of course, this is in the New Testament, and fundamentalists qoute either the Old Testament, or St. Paul, who was himself something of a fundamentalist after his conversion.

5. "America had been allowed to fall away from its Christian ways ...". America was not intended to be a Christian society, but rather a secular one, with religion relegated to its correct area in life, and not in command of society.

6. "... the always psychotic God had, once again, wrought violence, death and destruction". This is the God of the Old Testament, not the one of the New. In fact, some comedian (unfortunately I don’t know who) stated: "If God was responsible for the attack on the World Trade Center, he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology!"

7. "... with truth an enemy of those seeking the control of thought." How true. And today, using mass media, how much more simple than in earlier times to suppress the truth.

8. "... those seeking control and power consider true education and knowledge the enemy". See point 3. Independent thinkers make up their own minds and follow their own moral codes. No power available there for the power-hungry!

9. "... the tentacles of neoliberalism." Can anyone tell me the actual differences neoliberalism and neoconservatism? Not the ones they talk about, but the actual, practical differences. I have not been able to see how their effects on the common people differ.

10. "... nations with the lowest per capita investments in education also have some of the highest percentages of their population who are deeply religious". This is why the American government keeps reducing the money that is being set aside for education. It keeps the masses dumb, and allows the fundamentalists easier control.

11. "This so-called god ...". I think it was some Christian heretic sect (the Gnostics?) who believed that the world had been created by some mad and evil demi-urge (half-god), rather than the *real* God. In fact, this demi-urge was even identified as Yahweh, who was only one of a group of gods!

12 "... it is a god concocted in man’s own image, not the other way around." Very true. Perhaps more people should read Scott Adams’ books (the creator of "Dilbert") entitled "God’s Debris" and "The Religion War." These books have some interesting points to make on the subject of man’s understanding of God.

13. "In its story lies not literal truth but myth and fable ...". Exactly. The fundamentalists are incapable of differentiating between allegory and metaphor on the one hand and reality on the other, prefering the former because they require less thinking for themselves.

14. "... the diversity of humanity that we see today ...". We must take into account that some anthropologists now believe that anything up to 90% of the human races died out in the last ice age. We are the surviving remnants of a once far more diversified species, according to this theory.

15. "... following the examples of Lucifer." Actually, the Lucifer refered to in the Bible was probably Nebuchadrezar (yes, the spelling is correct). The Adversary, to use another name, is never actually named, not even in the Book of Job, where his function is more that of the Devil’s Advocate (to coin a phrase) in the Pope’s court when elevating someone to sainthood, pointing out weaknesses and errors, and even testing, in the candidate.

16. "... Jesus Christ, the most anti-war political activist to ever exist." Well said. Somehow, these fundamentalists seem to have forgotten the concepts of turning the other cheek and brotherly love, both of which were extolled by the Christ. The latter is especially true, considering that all three religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) claim the same patriarch: Abraham.

17. "They have declared war upon homosexuals ...". How many of us, were we totally honest, could state categorically that we have not had a homosexual or bisexual thought in our lives. I know that I have, on very rare occasions, wondered what it must be like.

18. "... woman was born from a single male rib ...". Interestlingly enough, the female is actually the base form of humanity. There is a genetic weakness that appears in some people who are genetically male, but somatically female. It seems that their bodies were not able to respond to the wash of testosterone that passes through the foetus at about 14 weeks into the pregnancy. As a result, the body continues to develop as a female, instead of converting into a male.

19. "... eternal banishment from Eden ...". In some cultures, the snake is a symbol of wisdom. Wisdon and females is a combination that the fundamentalists cannot handle. The banishment from the Garden of Eden can be looked at as an allegory of the development of consciousness and self-consciousness. We are all banished from the Garden as we become aware of ourselves as mortal beings. And anyway, what about Adam’s first wife Lilith? There is even a rumour of a third, unnamed wife between the two. Is that the reason why so many fundamentalist leaders turn out to be philanderers?

20. "... in science and knowledge they see a threat ...". Interestingly, some scientists are among the most *truly* religious people there are, believing that science is the best way to understand God’s handiwork.

21. "... new spiritualities will be born ...". The New Age movement is perhaps an attempt to move from the one paradigm (religion) to the other (science), without actually losing the "advantages" of religion.

One last thought: a book well worth reading is "Our Masters’ Voices," which is about how politicians and others seek to control us through their words.