I’m consistently amazed by the audacity of organized religion and the amount of steamy-ripe-bullshit that it forces down our society’s throat. The fetid promotion and glorification of ignorance coupled with the consistent denial of science and fact is a burgeoning cataclysm for the human race. Organized stupidity, if left unchecked, will be the end of us.
There are bright spots though, in Canada organized religion is hollowing out as people move away from being scared of lights and ancient shadows (worshipping capitalism instead – woo-haa…). Baby steps and what not. Our progress though seems fruitless though as we live in the shadow of the towering mass of religious stupid that is the United States. In the US it seems as if the powers of fear and magic are still on the rise despite the fact that the rest of the world is gradually becoming more rational and more secular.
That is worrisome to say the least, as our blessed bible believers have access to enough nuclear weaponry to sterilize the earth several times over. Earth wiping out capacity isn’t something you give to people who believe in ghosts, magic, and assorted Ooga-Booga. It is unsettling to watch what is going down the GOP side of the run up to the presidential elections. There is no ‘safe’ candidate in this field of republicans, as all are afflicted, to one degree or another, with the virus of organized religious belief. Further comment on the republicans and their suicidal commitment to unreality is the topic of another post because the amount of stupid involved with their political strategy would break my blog if discussed all at once. Perhaps a more simple start to the religious problems in the US is answer?
I’m thinking that a good start in the US would be to remove the tax-exempt status of the Churches. If this info-graphic is even half true, it would be a step in the right direction for the people of the US.
I might (well not really) become a believer if the various testaments to human gullibility decided to dismantle their superstructure and actually help the poor.
bleatmop
Mystro
The Arbourist
Dead Wild Roses 
13 comments
January 3, 2016 at 5:49 am
john zande
in the shadow of the towering mass of religious stupid that is the United States.
Brilliant line! Made my Sunday :)
In the US it seems as if the powers of fear and magic are still on the rise despite the fact that the rest of the world is gradually becoming more rational and more secular.
Not sure this is exactly right. The US is jettisoning religion at a healthy (and increasing) rate of knots. What does appear to be happening is blowback of colossally proportioned stupid. This shrinking population of Oogity-Boogity is just getting louder as they double down on their crazy.
Now, may Veles (Blessed Be He) shine His Awesomeness on your Sunday.
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January 3, 2016 at 7:13 am
robert browning
Tax them we should. Property taxes plus income taxes (even after deductions for charitable expenses) might be a bigger windfall than that estimate.
JZ is accurate- While only one in five are active churchers( seems even less), the corporate media here has painted the picture favoring those in charge, religious and corporate, for 30 years at an increasing rate. Bush Jr., in 2000, was aided by 65% right wing air time- including C-SPAN. In 2004 the nearly half million anti war demonstrators in D.C. got exactly equal air time on network media w the 12 to 15 tee shirted paid lackeys counter demonstrating.
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January 3, 2016 at 7:40 am
The Arbourist
@JZ
I base my observation on the political power the religious right is currently able to exert. I’m glad their are people find their way out of the religious corn maze of stupidity at significant rates, but they are unorganized and unrepresented in the halls of power right now, thus seemingly invisible.
My thanks, we’ll see what thee rest of Sunday has to bring. :)
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January 3, 2016 at 8:33 am
roughseasinthemed
I read the ‘Christian Nation’ list. It read what the British welfare state was set up to do in the 1940s. Health care from cradle to grave, education, housing, full employment. It even worked for a while.
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January 3, 2016 at 8:36 am
The Arbourist
@RSitM
Welcome back. :>
Before the neo-liberal/libertarian outgassing of stupid in the 70’s things were fairly decent.
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January 3, 2016 at 9:20 am
carmen
Arb,
I have LONG said that if the tax exemption for churches is removed, we’d soon see how many christians there are. . ;)
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January 3, 2016 at 9:22 am
The Arbourist
@Carmen
Faith being predicated on economic advantage? Unpossible! :)
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January 3, 2016 at 3:39 pm
Bill Malcolm
Why single out the US? Canada was just as bad when I grew up.
However, in the main, this post exactly mirrors my sentiments about organized religion, which I have held since I was about 14 years old, and that’s well over 50 years ago, since about three hours after I was confirmed in the Anglican church, and realized I’d been had.
And it was the bishop, secularly complaining to the parish priest about this and that, uncomfortable seat, heat, poor lunch and so on, that made me realize that he couldn’t have cared less about the laying on of hands and all that horse manure. It was just a job to him, and as the boss, he didn’t like the accomodations and driving 160 miles into rural Canada to enlarge his committed flock – no religion involved. Well, screw this, I thought – I’d been led to believe it was all a bit higher-minded than that, a turning point in my life. Nah, it was just like handing out prizes for achievement at 4H, no more, actually quite a bit less.
Have only been back to church (of all denominations) for weddings and funerals since. They’re only businesses with policies, organizational structure, income and expenses just like any other, but with pre-dazed sheeplike customers.
Organized religion tries to make you have faith in an unbelievable notion which cannot be verified. Once you’re a member of the church, you are then subject to its rules. Just another example of the few holding power over the many and getting them to run around like chickens with their heads cut off, and thus having no independent brain. Give for the organ fund! Organize jumble sales! Cut the crusts off those dainty sandwiches! Jesus loves you! I cannot tell who is more cynical, the church employees, or me coming at it from the opposite angle.
Ooga-booga sums it up.
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January 3, 2016 at 4:20 pm
john zande
“since about three hours after I was confirmed in the Anglican church, and realized I’d been had.”
I know that feeling! For me it was about an hour after my First Holy Communion, when I was attacked by a particularly grumpy kangaroo whom I was trying to befriend and cheer up because, well, I’d just been told I was now God’s Warrior and Jesus was my wingman. It occurred to me as the kangaroo was trying to tear my 7 year old body apart that those frocked fuckers from earlier in the day had no idea what they were talking about, and things weren’t precisely as they’d said things were.
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January 3, 2016 at 4:27 pm
carmen
John, I know for a fact that you are the ONLY person I know who experienced a kangaroo conversion. . :)
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January 3, 2016 at 4:31 pm
carmen
. .wait a minute. . that would be more like a DEconversion by kangaroo. . something like that. . or maybe a marsupial demystification. .(?). . :)
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January 3, 2016 at 5:55 pm
john zande
Wise old grey, he was ;) But seriously, that did happen. I write about it in my first post:
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January 3, 2016 at 6:19 pm
carmen
yes! I read it! Very entertaining, that! :)
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