Letters to the Editor
ELYDOG
Published Letters: 487 Editor's Choice: 43
-
Pyromania
[Read the article: Thinking weaselish thoughts at Eastertide]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What I find odd about liberal religious people is that they, A, seem to be blissfully unaware how their 'private' ideas and practices affect the social world and B, that the tradition they are part of is actually part of the world which has been surpassed intellectually, scientifically and in reality, for many years.
A, if everyone, even in a 'kind' way, believes in made-up things; in old, erroneous books, in myths of life ever after, in a pick-and-choose religion, what impact do you think that has on the society and those around you? A lot! Remember that whole 'organized religion' thing that somehow seems to be part of the ruling establishment in this country? Who gives them intellectual credence? You do!
I had a little "AHA" moment watching "Elizabeth" the other night. Cate Blanchett is addressing her ministers as the Spanish Armada is coming into view off of England's coast.
She said, "Make no mistake about it, hidden in the holds of those ships is the Inquisition."
Gives a whole new meaning to the Protestant Reformation, doesn't it?
B, Have you heard of the Englightenment? Scientific revolution? Reason? Logic? It seems, simply, philosophically immature to moon about life after death, an ahistoric Jesus, the New Testament, etc. Come on, what about Easter is really true? What do you actually 'believe'? It is really an old pagan spring ritual, folks. Jesus died, yes, and was buried in a crypt in Jerusalem with his family. They even have his bones in a small box in a museum in Jerusalem. Good guy? Maybe. But there have been plenty of other very good guys recently - history is full of them. Why not worship them? Would not it be more relevant?
Maybe you just want to fit in. That is our problem in America. Too many people 'fitting in.'
-
Capitalism needs growth ...
[Read the article: Easy money days are here again?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...any kind of growth, like a plant needs sunshine. Because of this, shopping and consumerism are the heart of American culture. Nothing else is as relevant. Which may be why our culture is so cheap.
The U.S. has made 'debt' it's Miracle Grow. The U.S. is the biggest debtor in the world now, and the monied world, by negative gravity, is interested in us not falling on our face too much. Which is why Dubai et al. rescued some of our banks prior to the Federal Reserve (Wall Street private entity) stepping in. Of course, they are also looking over their shoulder for a way out of holding up this 'drunk.' Dollars anyone?
The fate of countries in debt is not kind. Debt is one of the guardians at the gates of imperial decline. We have embraced the guardians deeply, getting a kiss like like those given by a Mafia don.
U.S. imperialism will become weaker because debt and the environment and oil shortages will make capitalism's inherent need to grow crazily ... slow or stop. Bernake is not going to keep it going forever. Party's winding down. Is our fate the fate of world capital? I think so.
Next?
-
Lost Tomb of Jesus
[Read the article: Thinking weaselish thoughts at Eastertide]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I like pyromania better as I can't spell the other so easily. Ms. Prytania, you seem very educated. And you believe in stories that you don't really believe in. Just like I believe in James Joyce stories or Richard Russo stories.
St. Augustine, however, would be crying. I guess Christianity has turned into the Brothers Grimm.
At any rate, James Cameron, of "Titanic" fame, did a Discovery Channel show on the "Lost Tomb of Jesus." Essentially, a group of scientists and historians of various stripes claim, and I think they are quite right, that they found the Jesus family tomb. It was wedged into and under a Jerusalem apartment building. They went into the original, and then were chased out by the government. They then investigated the history of the tomb. The Israeli government preserved the 'ossuaries' - small boxes of bones used in ancient Palestine, in a warehouse, and handled them pretty well, though there was one theft.
To make a long story short, through carbon dating, historians, DNA experts, linquists, mathmeticians, and just plain common sense, they deterimined this tomb WAS the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother, some other family members, his wife, and his son.
You can buy the DVD on the internet. As an atheist, I believe Jesus existed. However, the bible stories about him are second hand, written dozens of years later. They are jammed into the bible with many contradictions, which certainly show the Bible is not 'inspired by God' but written by men. Unless of course, God makes massive amounts of mistakes, that is...
But I do not believe he was the son of God. Seems pretty reasonable to me, as there is no evidence of that.