Under the magnifying glass

Hey Hey

In regards to the last post...everything turned out alright. We came back after my sister and her family left and spent some time with my parents. Hope everyone kept their limbs and other losable appendages!

As usual something's been bugging me and this issue strikes a little closer than I'd like. I was looking over the new songs out and came across the user reviews/comments. Usually I don't care what other people think of some of my favorite bands but ever since the last two purchases of what I once considered good bands...well yeah I was iffy. To make a long story short there were some songs on the cd ripping into the blind followers of religion. After the third or fourth review (out of nearly 200) it went from music to religious debate.

I've seen the movement for a while now and for lack of speaking power I've been sitting back and watching it burn through America like Nero and the burning of Rome (fiddle not included). The movement of course is what I'll coin the 'blind faith' movement. Christianity... flagship of peace, salvation, and love. That is...if the fear of death and eternal damnation is salvation and sitting on a pedestal while conveniently judging others is love. I've heard it and seen it... 'God Bless America'...'God is with us...' It seems like we're too busy invoking the image and name of God to notice that we're not with him.

Why do I say that? It's hard to swallow... and unfortunately it involves a myriad of broad topics. I'd invite you to take a look at why 9/11 happened, why we actually invaded both Afghanistan and Iraq, the history of terrorism, and past actions of the US in regards to the 'freeing' of the non-democratic world. They don't tell you that we bombed crowded mosques back in the 70's and 80's in your history class...well before the modern era of the 'war on terrorism'. Like it or not...we vote based off religion and the Christian belief that the end is near. I've seen and heard of tithe offerings to go towards the rebuilding of the temple of Jerusalem for no better reason than to hasten the second coming of Christ. The history of how this came about is a broken record. Take a look at the times before the dark ages and then what happened to the knowledge when the church took control. We still have no idea how the ancients built most of the marvels we now seek to rival. And while now and then have some parallels there are also different paths taken...but still history repeats itself. A faltering empire overstretched...a strong religious undertone waiting to replace its power.

The point is religion is going awry...unchecked and full of unthinking zombie followers who's faith is blind and dependent not on God or the love of one another, but the belief that God is with them in all they do. Legislation is passed to cage the unethical, sinful beasts and keep free will in check. Religious rights? What are those, the right to think like I do? Sermons are based around guilt and fear rather than truth...truth rarely pays the bills. Free thinking is chastened to favor the blind hypothesis of religious fanatics who have no real experience in any scientific field. Don't get me wrong...I think that there can be some reconciliation between the two but not when one or both sides go about it without thinking is when I want to rip my hair out. Thus we have this blind faith movement pushing legislation, tipping the votes (that don't really count anyway--blame the electoral college for that), attacking free thought in any arena, and thus stripping what little civil rights we have to begin with. We're lead by the leash of fear...by the leash of a false religion and by the leash of ignorance. We're about to fall...dependent on this fear to drive us forward while our technology (the true American god) falters. We're dependent on a fuel that is about to be replaced. If history repeats itself once again in that respect...we're in for a bumpy ride. We have everything in front us...but while 'religion' dictates the events of this country we'll never see the signs until it's too late.

What will it take? Will it take another round of the dark ages and its accompanying perverse religion that has little to do with God and more to do with control? When all the thinkers are dead...when all the men and women who favored free will and free thought are gone who will break the chains of your self imposed slavery? Think quick....

PS- For all of you crazy bastards who thought NOFX was getting old and bitchy about religion. Introspect kids... If your faith can't be tempered through fire then you better take a look at why.

Feenix