A Rant about Religion and Politics

On the AOL screen: "Panel Believes There May Be No Connection Between 9/11 and Iraq."

All I have to say is: DUH!!!

I was just reading an article in Time about politics and religion. I feel very bad for Kerry. The guy is obviously very religious himself, but he just doesn't advocate mixing it with religion-- which is what I would do. I think it's right. Separation of Church and State. Yet then all the religious folks are like, "Ooh, Bush, lead our Biblical crusade against the Evil Empire." Gaa . . .

The whole denying communion thing sort of pisses me off, too. I mean, I understand that the church, being separate from the state, can do whatever the hell it wants, but, from my religious perspective-- they're punishing Kerry for taking a pragmatic stand. That's what it is, after all-- people are going to abort whether you allow them to or not, so you might as well let them do it legally and let them save one of possibly two lives. Sure, you can ENCOURAGE them not to, but you can't ban it. It won't change a thing-- just get less women killed. ALL KERRY IS DOING IS TALKING ABOUT IT. It's not like he's out there aborting babies. He's never killed one personally . . . sheesh, and isn't that what God cares about more, anyway? Actions speak louder than words. Also-- enabling an abortion, perhaps that is blameworthy in the eyes of the church, but until he IS president, until he actually HAS that power, they shouldn't be doing this.

Of course, not having any power over the church and not even being a Catholic myself, I have nothing to say, really. I just feel bad for the guy that the church he belongs to, the faith he supports, the God he believes him, is rejecting him-- isn't denial of communion like one step away from excommunication?

Then again, there's my church-exploring friend and me, who inadvertantly denied communion just because we didn't know how to do it . . . um . . . God understand my ignorance.

That's another thing. I like to think I know God, and the God I know doesn't get pissed off and deny people communion or condemn them for trying to keep him out of politics, because he knows we're human, and our human-like systems demand that sort of separation.

Religion is a personal thing. One of my friends and I discussed this earlier this week . . . otherwise it becomes a weapon in the hands of men and just leads to un-Godly action. The Inquisition, the Crusades, the terrorist attacks . . .

Heh, anyone ever consider that Kerry is a martyr? In the opposite direction, of course? Though not really . . . he's just trying to keep it separate, and he has a political stance. He's entitled to have one without God striking him down, sheesh . . .

I don't think I want to be Catholic. I am glad I am unaffiliated. Kind of . . .

I thought of a really burning statement to retort to someone who goes, "God told me . . . " I go, "Well, God trusts in me enough to know stuff out of my own conscience and he doesn't have to TELL me anything."

Burn!

Well, kind of . . .

Ironically, after reading the article, I get online to a message from my friend, who's at this service camp, going on about how she feels so changed and much more in touch with God. Oh . . . I hope she doesn't come home all pious and evangelical-- or, if she does, she keeps it to herself. Apparently the speaker she loves the most like "holds your faults right in your face and then tells you that with God you can fix them" or something-- now, see, that sort of thing would just make me curl up in a ball and get all defensive. I hate being found fault with-- at least by mortals. By all means, God can do it, but I don't want some guy doing it for him-- isn't that against the Bible anyway? Plus she said something about how tonight they were having a speaker who would tell them, "facts about God and the Bible." Facts about the Bible, sure, but FACTS about God? You can't have facts about God. We don't know.

Lol, I'm sure that was just a typo on her part . . . but still. I get scared. Fanatical religions.

Mmmm that captive man in Saudi Arabia . . . I'm worried for him. "We don't negotiate with terrorists." We're either negotiating with them, or, even if we do, nothing will work . . . but they don't want to back down, look weak, look forgiving . . . and we won't, either. We're screwing ourselves over, both of us, like Kennedy and Kruschev and America and Russia and New York and Moscow and huge atomic bombs and the conference line in "Fail-Safe."

I wish I could say I thought the goodness of humanity would triumph. Yet in this case, fear, pride, and human weakness will foil it.

Pessimism, note the pessimism . . . (Fate, are you listening? Spite me, oh spite me please, for that poor man's sake . . . ).

Though we have behaved shittily over there. We're all being shitheads. All of us. Everybody, both sides.

Cavelliera Rusticana is in the Midsummer Night's Dream movie.

That went well today, by the way.

I have a broken taste bud on my tongue. I hate those.

Well, wow, I had a lot more to rant about, but this is already so long and my hands are tired.

A Rant about Religion and Politics

On the AOL screen: "Panel Believes There May Be No Connection Between 9/11 and Iraq."

All I have to say is: DUH!!!

I was just reading an article in Time about politics and religion. I feel very bad for Kerry. The guy is obviously very religious himself, but he just doesn't advocate mixing it with religion-- which is what I would do. I think it's right. Separation of Church and State. Yet then all the religious folks are like, "Ooh, Bush, lead our Biblical crusade against the Evil Empire." Gaa . . .

The whole denying communion thing sort of pisses me off, too. I mean, I understand that the church, being separate from the state, can do whatever the hell it wants, but, from my religious perspective-- they're punishing Kerry for taking a pragmatic stand. That's what it is, after all-- people are going to abort whether you allow them to or not, so you might as well let them do it legally and let them save one of possibly two lives. Sure, you can ENCOURAGE them not to, but you can't ban it. It won't change a thing-- just get less women killed. ALL KERRY IS DOING IS TALKING ABOUT IT. It's not like he's out there aborting babies. He's never killed one personally . . . sheesh, and isn't that what God cares about more, anyway? Actions speak louder than words. Also-- enabling an abortion, perhaps that is blameworthy in the eyes of the church, but until he IS president, until he actually HAS that power, they shouldn't be doing this.

Of course, not having any power over the church and not even being a Catholic myself, I have nothing to say, really. I just feel bad for the guy that the church he belongs to, the faith he supports, the God he believes him, is rejecting him-- isn't denial of communion like one step away from excommunication?

Then again, there's my church-exploring friend and me, who inadvertantly denied communion just because we didn't know how to do it . . . um . . . God understand my ignorance.

That's another thing. I like to think I know God, and the God I know doesn't get pissed off and deny people communion or condemn them for trying to keep him out of politics, because he knows we're human, and our human-like systems demand that sort of separation.

Religion is a personal thing. One of my friends and I discussed this earlier this week . . . otherwise it becomes a weapon in the hands of men and just leads to un-Godly action. The Inquisition, the Crusades, the terrorist attacks . . .

Heh, anyone ever consider that Kerry is a martyr? In the opposite direction, of course? Though not really . . . he's just trying to keep it separate, and he has a political stance. He's entitled to have one without God striking him down, sheesh . . .

I don't think I want to be Catholic. I am glad I am unaffiliated. Kind of . . .

I thought of a really burning statement to retort to someone who goes, "God told me . . . " I go, "Well, God trusts in me enough to know stuff out of my own conscience and he doesn't have to TELL me anything."

Burn!

Well, kind of . . .

Ironically, after reading the article, I get online to a message from my friend, who's at this service camp, going on about how she feels so changed and much more in touch with God. Oh . . . I hope she doesn't come home all pious and evangelical-- or, if she does, she keeps it to herself. Apparently the speaker she loves the most like "holds your faults right in your face and then tells you that with God you can fix them" or something-- now, see, that sort of thing would just make me curl up in a ball and get all defensive. I hate being found fault with-- at least by mortals. By all means, God can do it, but I don't want some guy doing it for him-- isn't that against the Bible anyway? Plus she said something about how tonight they were having a speaker who would tell them, "facts about God and the Bible." Facts about the Bible, sure, but FACTS about God? You can't have facts about God. We don't know.

Lol, I'm sure that was just a typo on her part . . . but still. I get scared. Fanatical religions.

Mmmm that captive man in Saudi Arabia . . . I'm worried for him. "We don't negotiate with terrorists." We're either negotiating with them, or, even if we do, nothing will work . . . but they don't want to back down, look weak, look forgiving . . . and we won't, either. We're screwing ourselves over, both of us, like Kennedy and Kruschev and America and Russia and New York and Moscow and huge atomic bombs and the conference line in "Fail-Safe."

I wish I could say I thought the goodness of humanity would triumph. Yet in this case, fear, pride, and human weakness will foil it.

Pessimism, note the pessimism . . . (Fate, are you listening? Spite me, oh spite me please, for that poor man's sake . . . ).

Though we have behaved shittily over there. We're all being shitheads. All of us. Everybody, both sides.

Cavelliera Rusticana is in the Midsummer Night's Dream movie.

That went well today, by the way.

I have a broken taste bud on my tongue. I hate those.

Well, wow, I had a lot more to rant about, but this is already so long and my hands are tired.