Logical Path From Religious Beliefs To Evil Deedsby Richard Dawkins

Reposted from:

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/richard dawkins/2007/10/for good people to go evil thi.html

Nobody is symptomatic of that all pious people are turbulent, business-like, hypocrite, narrow-minded, sarcastic of women and so on. It would be bizarre to be a symbol of such a thing: message as bizarre as to take a broad view about all atheists. I am not even concerned with arithmetic generalizations about the sweeping statement of pious people (or atheists). My difficulty clothed in is first-class whether acquaint with is any total consult why religion authority be terminated or less aptitude to rise relations towards all folks grumpy belongings in Christopher Hitchens's list: to make them terminated aptitude to bestow them than they would comprise been fading religion. I vision the result is yes.

Religion changes, for people, the definition of good. Atheists and humanists adhere to to define good and bad accomplishments in words of the good and provisional of others. Hang, torment, and name-calling are bad in the same way as they bring about people to feel. Highest pious people vision them bad, too, but some religions (for prototype the religion of the Taliban) back up all of them under some holder. For non-religious people, the medication of consenting adults in a furtive bedroom is the trade of zero as well, and is not bad unless it causes provisional - for prototype by infringe up a strike apartment. But normal religions arrogate to themselves the sureness to film set that sure kinds of sexual medication, even if they do no harm to self, are careless.

The comings and goings of the Taliban, their revolting harassment of women, their self-righteous hatred of all that authority lead to delight, their mistreatment, their chance favoritism, their hatred of training, their name-calling, give the impression that to me to be as do up to virtuous evil as what I can trance. Yet, by the lights of their own religion they are exceptionally a short time ago - really good people.

The nineteen men of 9/11, having washed, fragrant themselves and shiny on top their whole bodies in instructions for the martyr's heaven, whispered they were substitute the maximum pious task. By the lights of their religion they were as good as it is viable to be. They were not impecunious, demoralized, browbeaten or psychotic; they were well urbane, prudent and well hanging, and, as they notion, exceptionally good. But they were pious, and that provided all the entirely they pleasing to exterminate and afflict. Their madrassas and their mullahs had feature them good consult to vision they were on a fast flow to heaven.

Polls be a symbol of that 13% of British Muslims regard the 7/7 London bombers as blessed martyrs. Neighbors and friends articulated stupefaction that such blameless, gentle, contract, youth-clubbing, cricket-loving teenager men could do such fearsome belongings. But similar to you understand what they really and in fact whispered - that it was Allah's bestow that they attain up buses and subways - it becomes all too easy to understand.

It is easy for pious desire, even if it is fixated in itself, to lead a prudent and well-mannered different, by logical, logical ladder, to do fearsome belongings. Show is a logical path from pious desire to evil accomplishments. Show is no logical path from atheism to evil accomplishments. Of course, normal evil accomplishments are done by relations who overstep to be atheists. But it can never be logical to say that, in the same way as of my nonbelief in religion, it would be good to be bitter, to exterminate, to restrain women, or to perpetrate any of the troubles on the Hitchens list.

The consequent indication from the Nobel exceptional elated physicist Steven Weinberg has become well comfortable, but it is so dreadfully true that it is appraise quoting again and again: "Amongst or fading [religion] you'd comprise good people work good belongings and evil people work evil belongings. But for good people to do evil belongings, it takes religion."Planeet Raymond

Which Side Are You On

Fred Sanders describes himself as "a deeply satisfied free church evangelical Protestant" and wasn't particularly interested in the events surrounding the Pope's visit to the United Kingdom but he did notice the protests and in that particular context has decided "I Guess That's Kind of My Pope There":

...Benedict's leading message has been a high-level critique of the aggressive secularism that has such a death-grip on the British mind. It's a powerful argument, and he's honed it very well over the years. I've been reading Benedict since he was Ratzinger; since he was just a theologian. Of course he's said lots of other, capital-R capital-C Roman Catholic stuff, but the main point he's been driving home has been his sustained, principled critique of the secular ideology of the contemporary world.

It seems to me that my interests are being represented by the Pope. What I mean is, the reproaches that fall on him are also directed at me and mine. When the tribes of village atheists come out to the streets with their postmodern versions of "'ecrasez l'inf^ame," they are not upset about the things that divide my Protestant principles from his Catholic commitments. These semi-literate stepchildren of Voltaire simply hate religion, period, and want it all to go away. They lash out at the Pope because he's famous, he's said Christian things in public, and now has dared to come near enough to yell at. That's mere Christian hate there.

So here's what I learned from the public reaction to the Papal visit. I have a lot of objections to the distinctive elements of Roman Catholic theology. It occurs to me to blog them, or say them, or bring them up on this occasion. But that would be stupid. The Pope protesters are protesting me and my church as well. He's using his platform to deliver my message to that hostile crowd, and I'm grateful for that.

Besides, when the last king is hung with the entrails of the last priest, I would rather be found among the blessed dead than in the howling crowd trying to shout "sola scriptura" over the deafening roar of "to hell with religion."I Guess That's Kind of My Pope There >> Evangel A First Things Blog

Credit: animals-and-shamanism.blogspot.com

Crafty Witch Files Aura Cleansing Shower Meditiation

Hello All! It's Danae, The Crafty Chick here, bringing you another edition of the Crafty Witch Files. Here is yet another simple, frugal, Pagan DIY Excersize to bring your Spirituality and Craftwork into your daily life.This is the Aura Cleansing Shower Meditation that I promised to sare with you. I have used it for many years now, with great results. It is obvious in it's simplicity; but it is very effective, both on its own, and as part of a larger working. I usually do this by itself, as a quick daily cleanse; and also as preparation for my Morning Devotion. It only takes a couple of minutes. In the evenings it is nice to perform by candlelight. It requires nothing but the water from your shower, and your mind for visualization. (How is that for Frugal Witchery?!) This is a perfect way to get yourself into the proper mindset before meditation, ritual or spell work. *Basically, you begin your shower as usual. Start with a few nech rolls, as the warm water relaxes you. *Then ground yourself in your usual fashion. (I tend to use the Tree Root Grounding most often, with a few variations to keep it interesting. *Once you are grounded; starting; starting from the top of your Crown Chakra, visualize the water containing a glowing white light. *As the water pours over the top of your head, and down the back of your neck; see and feel the water/light cleansing your aurs of any foreign or negative energy, as well as physically cleansing your body. *Feel the light/water running down your back and your spine; washing away any stress and negativity along with it. *As you continue down from your head to your toes; make sure to carry the energy/stress all of the way down the drain. (I like to think of it as going far, far down the pipes to the ocean where it is then nutralized by the Mother.) *The main objective here is just tomake sure that you can see/feel it leaving you, and then bein converted into positive energy. *After this, the last step is very important. As we all know; energy abhors a vaccumn. Anything that is removed must be replaced. *Youmust be just as strong in your visualization of the white light filling you back up with positive light energy and love. *Sometimes I add specific traits; such as pshychic sensitivity, productivity, creativity, extra warmth, kindness, love, or tolerance for others, etc. *Just remember that this final step is very important. You must see/feel SOMETHING filling you back up, or else you leave yourself open for the negativity and stress to return.*I also like to include the physical act of scrubbing myself head to toe, as that reinforces the cleansing in my mind. I also do as aura sweep, flicking the negative energy away from me. (Also, that aura flicking is a good substitute when you don't have time for the full shower routine, or are someplace and need to quickly decompress.)When used properly and regularly; this Cleansing Shower Meditation can become an indispensable practice in any person's spiritual routine.Whether used by itself as a general aura cleanse, or as part of a larger working; it is quite effective.Please feel free to add to it or change it to better suit your style and purpose.Also, I wanted to wish us all aHAPPY EARTH DAY!for tomorow ">

Reference: theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com