Saturday, January 29, 2011
The dignity of the believer: An illusion?, by Tania Tokarski
The dignity of the believer:
An illusion?
Some movies show the human misery, The Passion of Christ and Spartacus to name a few. They remind me of that period, shortly before the end of the Roman Empire, the Romans threw the Christians in the Colosseum to feed the lions. Not only are these traitors in Rome continued to defy the order and with their beliefs, despite their plight, but more and more fans subscribed to their religion. "Religious belief is it a consolation for the weak?" The sick, the poor and unfortunate they drew their courage against Rome with a promise of a better world after death? Even today, many people continued to keep the faith when everything goes wrong. Well, I think, as Dr. Sigmund Freud, that religion is a fiction drawn from the mind of a group that wants to better live the harsh reality. Religion is a sedative, it can not be reality.
First, Freud explains the purpose of religion:
"Human beings working together in large numbers to ensure happiness and protection against suffering through a fanciful distortion of reality. But the religions of mankind must be regarded as collective delusions of this kind." (The concepts of human being, p. 74)
Indeed, when everything goes wrong, the man thinks about God, her protective father, and the joy he will experience when he joins. Freud explains that there are three types of sedatives which are used to reduce human suffering: strong diversions such as work, the subjective satisfactions that might be the practice of an art and drugs that affect the body chemistry (morphine, etc..) Religion is in one of these categories. It explained the reason for the existence of human, because it would be untenable to think that the only purpose of existence is survival. The human, after all, sucking the happiness and ways to achieve this are, first, to find more sources of enjoyment possible (eg a family, learning to play an instrument) and secondly, reduce the sources of discontent by the use of sedatives, named above. After all, in the words of Freud, to think that our existence is protected by a father that no one sees can only dream of "children" in need of consolation. For this purpose, religion can not be anything but a consolation for the weak.
However, John Paul II has a different opinion. The teachings of the Bible hold the truth. The Bible can not be fiction as it brings wisdom. The wisdom it speaks introduces the concepts of "human dignity" and "pity" and "equality." The human being is worthy, because God has willed for itself. A responsible person can not be weak. According to the Bible, there exists no weak or strong, because all men are equal before God. The human being is worthy and his ability to think for himself he was left, making sure he can use his intelligence to good or bad choices and travel to learn and exploit its potential. The Bible also reveals that human beings have been created in respect of life. Thus, it mentions solidarity, communication to each other and give what belongs to him, because "God has created in his image." For all these reasons, it can not be weak and religion could not be fictional. Finally, religion is no consolation for the weak as it is one explanation of the mystery of life. Just as valid as the theory of evolution, it remains inécartable.
Now, what concept is most valid? Make a brief return. Freud believed that religion is a sedative for humans, who did not experience the difficulties that life offered him. Man is created a "chimera" collective, ie, religion. It would be a comfort to him. The consequence it (the vision of Freud) results, in my opinion, is good: it encourages the subject to become aware of the means available to it to be happy (ie to find a better job) rather than joining a religious group (which encourages more sharing of experiences as the action on the problem.) However, the ideology of John Paul II is also attractive: all men are equal before God, there is no strong or low. Religion is not a consolation, she teaches the virtues of selflessness, equality and respect for life. It is not fiction, because it is one explanation for the purpose of life. To this end, it brings great value to humans in addition to the hope of life after death. When I think back to what has made the great religions, like Christianity, I integrate the theory of John Paul II. Religion is no consolation for the weak, because it brought about many times. When Rome fell, the Christians have built a new order. Charity to the poor is born of religion (selflessness). Schools, hospitals and other public institutions also started bridge with religion. After these achievements, it would be unfair to compare the weak believers. Persons who perform such great and beautiful things as well as education, health care and public charity (an ancestor of welfare) can not but be strong.
In conclusion, I am, after all, agree with Freud who think religion is a sedative for the people. Religion provides the contrary, explanations of the mysteries of life. It sends fine values and social systems parties such as schools, hospitals and charity. Of course, the religious zeal has had unfortunate consequences, including the genocide of Native Americans or the enslavement of Africans. However, properly used, maybe that religious beliefs could restore hope and zest for life to suicide, often atheists, Quebec. Our statistics on suicide seem to correspond well with the release of religion from our government. Now, if a new religion should be adopted that would best meet the human needs? Christianity, Buddhism or any new religion approaching agnosticism? One day will we know perhaps.
Labels: Atheism, Christianity, Religion and fanaticism, Tania Tokarski
'Christmas is evil': Muslim group launches poster campaign against festive period, by Francis Chartrand
Fanatics from a banned Islamic hate group have launched a nationwide poster campaign denouncing Christmas as evil.
Organisers plan to put up thousands of placards around the UK claiming the season of goodwill is responsible for rape, teenage pregnancies, abortion, promiscuity, crime and paedophilia.
They hope the campaign will help 'destroy Christmas' in this country and lead to Britons converting to Islam instead.
Labour MP and anti racist campaigner Jim Fitzpatrick branded the posters 'extremely offensive' and demanded they were immediately ripped down.
The placards, which have already appeared in parts of London, feature an apparently festive scene with an image of the Star of Bethlehem over a Christmas tree.
But under a banner announcing 'the evils of Christmas' it features a message mocking the song the 12 Days of Christmas.
It reads: 'On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me an STD (sexually transmitted disease).
'On the second day debt, on the third rape, the fourth teenage pregnancies and then there was abortion.'
According to the posters, Christmas is also to responsible for paganism, domestic violence, homelessness, vandalism, alcohol and drugs.
Another offence of Christmas, it proclaims, is 'claiming God has a son'.
The bottom of the poster declares: 'In Islam we are protected from all of these evils. We have marriage, family, honour, dignity, security, rights for man, woman and child.'
The campaign's organiser is 27-year-old Abu Rumaysah, who once called for Sharia Law in Britain at a press conference held by hate preacher leader Anjem Choudary, the leader of militant group Islam4UK.
Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson banned Islam4UK group earlier this year, making it a criminal offence to be a member, after it threatened to protest at Wootton Bassett, the town where Britain honours its war dead.
Mr Rumaysah told the Mail that he was unconcerned about offending Christians.
He said: 'Christmas is a lie and as Muslims it is our duty to attack it.
'But our main attack is on the fruits of Christmas, things like alcohol abuse and promiscuity that increase during Christmas and all the other evils these lead to such as abortion, domestic violence and crime.
'We hope that out campaign will make people realise that Islam is the only way to avoid this and convert.'
Mr Rumaysah, who said his campaign was not linked to any group, boasted that the posters would be put up in cities around the country, including London, Birmingham and Cardiff.
The campaign was highlighted by volunteers from a charity which distributes food and presents to pensioners and the lonely at Christmas.
Sister Christine Frost, founder of the East London Neighbours in Poplar charity, said: 'The more posters I saw, the more angry I got.
'Someone is stirring hatred which leaves the road open to revenge attacks or petrol bombs through letter-boxes.
'I told the Mayor we are all scared.
'If we said such things about Muslims, we'd all be hanging from lamp-posts.
'The posters appear to be professionally printed'.
Poplar and Limehouse MP Mr Fitzpatrick said: 'These posters are extremely offensive and have upset a lot of people - that's why we jumped on it and asked the council to remove them.
'Sister Christine is rooted in the community and doesn't take offence lightly.
'But these hate posters really upset her. Christmas is close to her belief.'
A Met Police spokesman said they had received complaints and were investigating.
He said: 'We are investigating allegations of religious hate crime in Tower Hamlets following complaints about posters displayed in and around the Mile End area.'
Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman said the posters had 'upset and antagonised many residents'.
He added: 'The messages on these posters are offensive and do not reflect the views of the Council or the vast majority of residents.
Link
Labels: Christianity, Francis Chartrand, Islam, United Kingdom
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