It appears Muslim fundamentalists just assassinated Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. It is not entirely clear they were responsible however. Not only was there a bombing (usual trademark of fundamentalist attacks), but Bhutto was also shot. So, it could be some other forces in Pakistan who were opposed to the former Prime Minister, including the government of Pervez Musharraf (after the assassination, Bhutto supporters were chanting, "Dog, Musharraf, Dog.").
If it was religious fundamentalists, it wouldn't be the first time. It would be about the one billionth time religious folks have resorted to violence to settle disputes. And they usually kill people trying to bring peace or empower others. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was killed by a Muslim fundamentalist for making peace with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was killed by a Jewish fundamentalist for trying to make peace with the Palestinians. While Christian fundamentalists are busy trying to create the next Armageddon so we can all die. What a pleasant lot.
Why do they do this? Because they're supposed to. Read the Bible, the Torah and the Koran. They are all full of violent, bloody fantasies that teach you over and over to kill your enemies. Christians love to think they are the exception to this rule. They'll say the Old Testament doesn't really apply anymore because the New Testament overruled all the gory, masochists violence of the earlier book. So, then I guess Genesis isn't true either since that's in the Old Testament? Oops.
Then, you'll get the excuse that Jesus was the Prince of Peace. Yeah, I know, that's why in Matthew 10:34 he says, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Sounds down right Christian of him.
But even if you can make up pathetic excuses for this obvious blood-lust and call to violence, it doesn't matter. Because in the end Jesus murders almost all of us anyway. Jesus doesn't just kill the "liars" and the "sexually immoral" and the eight other categories of people who get thrown in "fiery lake of burning sulfur." He kills all of the "unbelieving" folks as well. If you don't believe in Jesus, you get the lake of fire! What a swell guy.
In most interpretations of Islam, Jesus is the prophet that returns at the end of time to kill everyone, too. The fundamentalist Jews also believe in a Messiah that comes to kill everyone and start the world over again. So, pretty much every major religion agrees -- God is a murdering tyrant.
If you don't kiss God's ass enough, he will kill you. And then for good measure, he will roast you over an open fire for the rest of time. You know who does torture? God does. If you don't believe in him and grovel at his feet for eternity he will torture you forever. That's what your religion teaches you and you want me to respect that?
You know what I say to that -- Hell no!
If Jesus really comes back to kill everyone (except his sycophants who sucked up to him enough to earn his pitiful mercy), then I'll fight him. He is a ruthless, bloody, senseless killer. The worst tyrant the world has ever seen. All of the religions believe in this absurd, sick fantasy. Then they wonder why their followers wind up starting wars and killing people who disagree with them.
Plenty has been written about how Christianity was made up in the Council of Nicaea by a bunch of bishops who cherry-picked inconsistent accounts to serve their political purposes (that is a slightly over-simplistic account, but everyone acknowledges that the Bible was written decades after Jesus died and was assembled by others who never knew Jesus or heard what he actually said).
How can anyone know this, and still believe in this nonsense? For the sake of sanity, I will assume that people who still believe in organized religion are ignorant of its history (and believe me, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism have equally ridiculous histories -- to people who aren't brainwashed by these cults, the most amusing thing is to watch one cultist claim that all the other religions are wrong but his is right).
But you can't claim you don't know the ending. Everyone knows what happens at Armageddon. Almost all of us get killed by God. Knowing this, you expect us to respect that guy? Why should I? He plans to murder me.
This is the point when believers will tell you that you have a choice and you can avoid Jesus killing you if you just promise your unending loyalty to him (and presumably watch him kill the rest of humanity in front of your eyes). I think Saddam Hussein used to say something similar. So did Stalin and Mao and every other dictator in the world. If you promise me your loyalty, then I won't murder you.
No thanks. I don't have to respect that. In fact, we are doing the world a great injustice by still respecting this lunacy.
The funny thing is how touchy religious people are. They will get offended at the drop of a hat. Christians reading this now are so mad they can hardly contain themselves. Just calm down, your God promises to torture me forever anyway. What can you do to me that he can't?
Meanwhile, Muslims are sharpening their swords as we speak. They get to shoot people in the neck and watch them bleed to death, as they likely did to Bhutto today, but we can't publish a frikin' cartoon of their prophet? Muslims who don't understand the irony of saying, "I will kill you if you say my religion is violent" are the dumbest people on earth.
So, we have to live with these barbarians. But I don't have to respect them. They can say anything they like about us and even look forward to the day where we all die a fiery death at the hands of their Leader. But we can't offend them? Please.
If you are offended by the fact that your religion is made up, cruel, violent, barbaric and ridiculous, that's your problem, not mine. If I'm right, you're living your life based on a silly lie. If you're right, I'll be murdered by your prophet and then roasted in hell for eternity. I think it's fair to say I should be the one offended.
For the record, I'm not. Harry Potter is just as likely to come to life and kill me for not believing in him as Jesus Christ is. I'm not offended by your sad, little fantasies. But please spare me your righteous indignation about how I hurt your feelings.
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I Don't Respect Your Religion
Posted Dec 27th 2007 12:44PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: Young Turks, Religion, Islam, Christianity
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Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 49)
31. I wish I was on drugs, then I would have an excuse. Solar winds, rock, planets, molten core, sun. Happened all over the universe. No big bang. That was egypt, Moses' idea of how the universe began using people in 12 Exodus' not one like reported. Each exodus had a different religion to keep people divided. suck on it for a while.
Eric at 2:24PM on Dec 27th 2007
32. hmmm. Islamic fundamentalists kill Bhutto and it Jesus that you'd fight? wow. Brilliant column, dude. So, if Hitler murders Jews; then do you fight Churchill? Just Curious.
Jack at 2:25PM on Dec 27th 2007
33. Believe as you will, even if it's based on ignorance, as this so obviously is. But please don't expect me to keep reading your blog. I avoid anyone who uses hate speech.
Jeffrey Smith at 2:35PM on Dec 27th 2007
34. I pray for you and suffered on the cross for your sins. I died for you. But you don't believe in me or in your sinfulness either. I still love you, but you have not encountered me, until now. You see other's sinfulness, but you need also to acknowledge your own and to be merciful and thus receive mercy. Even though you will die, you are being offered the gift of eternal life. This is the gift that only I can give to you. It is not politics. It is an encounter with ME. It takes so mcuh humility to recognize ME! I did my best to teach you humility. It is hidden underneath your pride. Look for it and I can assure you that you will find it where I left it just for you. It is your true greatness. With all my love, Jesus
I wrote my comment in the First Person. The First Person is not ME. It is the FATHER IN HEAVEN. I AM HIS ETERNAL SON. WE ARE UNITED IN LOVE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. I am also human, like you.
Carlos at 2:38PM on Dec 27th 2007
35. Who is the cochon grande? YOU ARE. I don't give a shit for zionism. Not the purpose of the post. It's the horrors of antisematism (that by the way, gave rise to militant jews a la zionism).
You need to learn a little history. "palestinians" didn't even exist. They had no state. Only once terrorist antisemites organized them did they even bother to realize that the jews had a state.
Maybe you should stay in Germany. Your quite the jew-hater. They like them in Germany.
Linda at 2:45PM on Dec 27th 2007
36. Zeig Heil, Rhodalee
Linda at 2:46PM on Dec 27th 2007
37. The E still stands in the UK and many former colonies, but if Noah Webster declares it superfluous then his word is law.
Mokele-Mbembe at 2:50PM on Dec 27th 2007
38. " suspect you are proud to be a member of the latest rendition of "atheist shek""
atheist what????
"you've been able to figure out that it is GOD's fault that humans have been/are as violent as they are"
No, he's an agnostic. No god to blame.
"jim coster, attorney and harvard honors graduate"
Either Jim is lying, or Harvard has some 'splaining to do.
And, Gassbagg is right: "Religion is the most powerful force for evil in human history"
Linda at 3:05PM on Dec 27th 2007
39. Jim Coster...
You must be the first 8 year-old to graduate from Harvard Law because only an 8 year-old would premise their point of view with some sort of juvenile attempt at ridiculing another person's name.
I'll be sure to advise my rather LARGE family in the 412 area code that they should avoid putting you on retainer. But don't despair too much, buddy-boy...I'll tell them, "Yeah, if you want to settle some playground dispute with shouts of 'I know you are, but what am I?' then Jim Coster is your man!"
Paul at 3:07PM on Dec 27th 2007
40. One thing stands out pretty much in common with the religious posters who have chosen to contribute to this thread - they certainly don't respect anyone who disagrees with them, to put it mildly.
Dominionism is an unamerican and treasonous philosophy. If the same person says the kingdom of god is not a democracy and separation of church and state is just an opinion, that's a litmus test failure. A person who acts out on such a belief should not be respected.
If the same person uses phrases like 'you atheists' he is fantasizing that disinterest in his dogma implies an organization.
If he characterizes that organization as dangerous, you ought to be prepared for eventual civil war.
If fundamentalism steps one inch out of church it is dangerous, un-american and should NOT be respected! I've tolerated holy rollers and glossolalia babblers and benny hinners and hell threateners and rattlesnake kissers and salvation cocktail suckers for all my life as have most of us, but look what's happened! Now creationism is science, the speed of light is 380 billion miles a second, there's a death cult running the air force and there's no such thing as immunology.
Fundamentalism of any kind is a social threat if it gets outside church. Look at who's fundamentalist on this thread and try to feel any respect at all.
I expect big trouble in the future if sanity doesn't return soon. You can't fly for shit on one wing.
Clif Kuplen at 3:29PM on Dec 27th 2007
41. Somebody named Jim Coster called. Wants directions to the court house.
Clif Kuplen at 3:38PM on Dec 27th 2007
42. Carlos, egypt originally was a prison before metal bars. Peoples skin darkened because they were without clothes. They became emanciated because they were without food. A grecian/phoenician/viking had children with these slaves. We are all human now. The same way the first white ape went extinct, the same way the greeks went extinct, the same way the english went extinct, the same way the american pioneers went extinct. Jesus is just the passing down of what's left of the original genes. Education defeated intelligence.
Eric at 3:39PM on Dec 27th 2007
43. If you had any guts at all you'd publish the MoeHamHead cartoons - but you know you'll earn the Muslim death fatwa. Why wait until Jesus comes to murder you when Islamic fanatics can get it done next week by publishing a cartoon?
Jon at 3:46PM on Dec 27th 2007
44. Cenk, methinks thou doth protest too much.
Still in all, it is nice to hear a Moslem (albeit purportedly a former one, or "non-practicing" one) speak a few truths about the so-called religion of peace.
I enjoy your blog. What your back, okay?
Mike at 3:47PM on Dec 27th 2007
45. Ahhh...just another crank writer with a bone to pick at religion. If you guys would get past anecdotal analysis, one-sided research, and do just a modicum of homework, you wouldn't write articles like this one. It is just plain embarrassing to see someone display this kind of ignorance and bias.
It isn't religion, but wicked people who politicize religion that are the problem. Cenk and his ilk apparently have no apprehension of the fact that secular humanism (i.e., communism, fascism, and totalitarianism) were the leading causes of bloodshed in the 20th century - not religion. ANY ideology can be bent and used for evil ends.
If you people don't quit blaming religion for everything, you might miss the one that sneaks in under the radar. Men want power and they'll use anything to get it. Economics, military might, religion...whatever is at their disposal. So go ahead keep that view very narrowed. Put your blinders on and blame it all on God.
JSL at 3:55PM on Dec 27th 2007