Thom Hartmann recently
quoted some Pastafarian (those who believe in the Flying Spaghetti
Monster) beliefs on XM radio. His point was obvious; to show that the
recent absurd “Supreme” Court decision on Hobby Lobby has
potentially serious consequences... But the very first comment call
he got was somebody trying to shut him up – not about the “Supreme”
Court decision – but about even mentioning the Flying Spaghetti
Monster.
All I can say about this
offended caller is that he really needs to study history and current
events about what supposedly good Christians have done – and are
still supporting – before he goes off about playful criticism.
I get Thom's point. If
Hobby Lobby doesn't have to pay for womens' health care because it's
against their religious viewpoint, that opens a huge can of worms on
other religious viewpoints.
But that was of no concern
to this caller. Though it was obvious that Thom picked Pastafarian
beliefs as an absurd example of how far this could go, all the caller
cared about was that Thom Hartmann dared to talk about the Flying
Spaghetti Monster in the same paragraph as Christianity.
The caller was incensed
that Thom would even mention what is blatantly a made up religion
along side his authentic religion. This caller tried to
convince us that somehow, Thom Hartmann said something horribly
insensitive and politically incorrect.
Now wait a minute...
First; if somebody
out there wants to start a religion just to point out how silly it is
to believe in something without any proof, maybe they have a point.
And if they do have a relevant point, it is repression to keep the
Pastafarians from making it – not the other way around. I'm sick
and tired of hearing religious zealots claiming they are being
oppressed by being prevented from essentially oppressing others. And
that's exactly what this guy was trying to do. He didn't want anybody
to even know there might be alternative viewpoints to his. And I bet
I know where he learned his tactic. The Christians learned it from
the Jews.
For decades now, anybody who
says anything negative about Israel is immediately branded an
anti-Semite – thus inferring they are a Nazi. The tactic has worked
time and time again – no matter what Israel has done.
Now; before you brand me
an anti-Semite, allow me to say this. There are good and evil people
who are Jewish, just like everybody else. Some Jews have a heart of
gold. Some Jews have a heart of stone. And the Jews who misuse the
anti-Semite accusation just to shut people up are evil. And borrowing
this tactic to shut up free thinkers is just as evil.
Second; this
“offended” Christian has no sense of history. My ancestry is
Native American. Christians crushed my Native culture. My
grandparents were both (legally) kidnapped and forced to attend
Indian Schools – run by “good” Christians. My grandmother once
told me that if they spoke their Native language, they would be
beaten. In fact, if they were caught holding onto any
of their Native culture, they would be beaten. By any reasonable
standards, if this were to happen to adults; this kind of treatment
would be considered systematic torture and
brainwashing. But they were heathen children, so it was OK –
even commendable. My culture was stolen from us by Christians – who
used ridicule and abuse (not humor) to force my people to assimilate
to their way of thinking. And moreover, no Christian church has ever
spoke out against this kind of hideous behavior while it was
happening. The silly acts of Pastafarians are in no way even close to
injustices Christians have committed.
Third; what does
this type of offended behavior actually represent? Was it an
attempted act of repression? I would surmise what this caller was
trying to tell us is: “Don't even think about questioning my
perception of reality.” I guess I can see that point. Everyone has
the same vantage point – through our own eyes. We're all only
human. Maybe we don't have a right to question each others'
perception of reality. But what if one of us were wrong, and the
other saw that? Don't we have a duty to help each other? Don't we
have a duty to help each other find the truth. If I worded this
comment as a strategy for spreading his religion, the offended
Christian would likely agree with me fully. But if I worded this as a
strategy for changing his religion, the offended Christian might
literally be willing to go to war with me. What does
that tell us?
It sounds like this
offended Christian has been brainwashed to me. (Let's face it,
Christians use a milder form of the same manipulative techniques that
they used in Indian Schools – on their own children.) And what
shows me that he might be brainwashed? His anger at those who would
question his perception of reality – which almost blatantly
obviously is a psychological defense mechanism to keep him from even
considering any alternative world view.
If someone made a point
that challenged my personal beliefs, I would consider
the point's merits and adjust my beliefs if necessary.
Yet, if someone were
brainwashed; one would expect them to be programed to resist all
efforts at reason. In that way, the brainwashing will hold.
But it isn't the churches
I'm afraid of. For the most part, they really do want you to do good.
But what if someone saw the power of the churches and decided to use fundamentalist religious manipulative techniques for political aims?
I'm suspicious that the
powers that be (the oligarchy) saw that the religious fundamentalists
were easy to manipulate, so they decided to create a political party
based upon fundamentalist religion manipulation techniques. It
wouldn't be necessary to start a political party from scratch (the
oligarchy is inherently lazy and corrupt). So, they just took over a
party. You know, like the Tea Party.
I'm suspicious that this
offended Christian is a product of political manipulations that have
driven him to outrage over anything that doesn't fit into his
handlers' (the oligarchy's) political agenda (getting even richer –
at the expense of everyone and everything else). This offended caller
sounded so committed to his beliefs that it would be easy to consider
the possibility that rather than question his own faith, he might
kill anyone who did. I'm not exaggerating. There are plenty of
examples of violent behavior at the hands of Christians.
My ex-wife once told me of
her grandfather, who was an outspoken atheist. They found his dead
body hanging upside down with a cross carved in his back.
Religion does not always
manifest itself as sanity.
...Or as Hunter S.
Thompson used to say; “When the going gets weird, the weird turn
pro.”
Was this offended caller
sane? We don't know. All we know is that he was willing to go on a
nationally syndicated radio talk show and claim that an injustice was
made by the reading of an article about a silly religion (not his
own). Just the implied comparison to his own religion was enough to
send him on a rant. Could he be a homicidal maniac? Thom Hartmann
sure backed off quick.
Now before you go and call
me a communist (the Christian propaganda equivalent to anti-Semite),
remember; what we should be after is the truth.
I don't care what religion
you are.
As long as your religious
acts don't detrimentally effect me.
Be Pastafarian. Be
Christian. Be Jewish. Be Muslim. I don't care.
Just don't mess up my
life.
But the fanatics are never
satisfied with that.
For the fanatics, like
those in the Tea Party; it's either they rule or they tear down the
walls. It's either they rule, or they shut down the country. It's
either they rule, or those who do run things are the Antichrist –
even if they're Christian too.
Finally, getting back to
Thom Hartmann's point; a number of religions have religious beliefs
that don't coincide with America's policies. No religions believe in
unjust wars. Some religions don't believe in war at all. But let's
just talk about one war for now.
There is a “war” going
on in Palestine and Israel now. A very one-sided war.
America, for decades, has
been giving Israel billions of dollars in military aid. And the
Palestinians are no match for the military might of Israel. As a
Native American, I see this occupation of lands in Palestine as a
similar situation to what America did to Native Americans in the
1800s. The Palestinians were living in Palestine, bothering no one.
Suddenly, some foreign country claimed that their land was now the
property of Jewish settlers. The Palestinians didn't like it. So they
were forced onto what looks a lot like Indian Reservations or even
Nazi Concentration Camps. They didn't like it. So now they're being
forced into the sea.
As a Native American, it
is a fundamental conviction (call it religious if you want) that I
not support the military invasion of an indigenous people by an
aggressive culture. As the Jews once said; “NEVER AGAIN!” The
repetition of the pain of what happened to my ancestors goes deeply
against my personal beliefs. I can't think of any American foreign
policy that would offend me more.
I suspect that many Native
Americans find it repugnant that their tax dollars are going to
support the violent oppression of a Native people in the Middle East.
Native Americans should
not have to pay taxes to support the oppression of the Palestinian
people. In a way, it is a further oppression of us – by forcing us
to pay for the oppression of others. In time, I hope
that some Native American religious organization will challenge this
outrage, this oppression, this sacrilege; by utilizing the Hobby
Lobby decision.
...And I bet this “war”
would end in a heartbeat if America threatened to cut off our
military “aid” to Israel.
