Deus ex machina

The ultimate cop-out. Invoking an unprovable, metaphysical reality (God) to explain empirical realities is a desperate attempt to salvage and justify religious belief in an era when we have outgrown it. There is no such thing as--nor a need for--'Christian science'.

Ugly Face of Theocracy

Republicans of the Christian right lament the loss of their religious liberties. Actually what they are lamenting is the slow demise of their power to control the rest of us with their religious bigotry and exclusivity. The Republican candidates this year are pandering to this vocal minority. Their desire to legislate morality for the non-vocal majority threatens to return us to the Dark Ages. Unfortunately, so many liberals fail to see the real danger here. From my own experience among fundamentalists, I know how insidious and malicious these folks can be. Far from harmless, these folks wish to control our lives, all the while promoting--hypocritically--less governmental interference.

These Republicans really do want to interfere, especially when it comes to issues of sexuality. Here they want absolute control over women. What is it with old white men that so fascinates them about a woman's uterus? I wonder.

Viva Chile!

Great time in Chile with new friends! It was great to be out of the United States and feel the refreshment of another culture and language. It was also a nice break from the stench of American exceptionalism.

Viva Chile!!!

I was nevertheless compelled to teach you your religion and to carry out that false duty that I had committed myself to as the vicar of our parish . . . I had the displeasure of finding myself annoyingly obliged to act and speak totally against my own feelings, to entertain you with foolish nonsense and vain superstition that I hated, condemned and disliked in my heart. . . This is why I hated so much the vain functions of my ministry, particularly all those idolatrous and superstitious celebrations of masses, and those vain and ridiculous administerings of sacraments that I had to carry out. I cursed them thousands and thousands of times in my heart when I was obliged to do them.

Jean Meslier (1678-1733)

Prudentius, writing years after Julian's death, proclaimed of him: False to the Lord, although true to the world

An apt summary of humanism. I love it.

Thank you Julian! May your tribe continue to increase.

My favorite Roman Emperor, Flavius Julianus, was a true philosopher king. Though trained in Christianity, he rejected its exclusivism and advocated the resurgence of the 'pagan' cults. The 'bearded one' also threw his support into a campaign to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

He is the kind of leader we need for such a time as this, when militant, angry fundamentalist Christianity threatens to create a new theocracy in America.

May God bless to our lives the memory of his short life!!

If there were such a place or thing as 'hell', then the lowest rung would be reserved for this SOB--Flavius Theodosius, Spanish General who was appointed Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire by Gratian.

To him we owe the finalization of the church-state merger, based on his decree that anything contrary to Nicean theology (Jesus=God) was to be accounted heresy. On his watch Arian Christians (and Jews) were persecuted; buildings destroyed and dogma enforced.