Douglas Ruskoff Has Had It With Religious Tolerance
May 1, 2006 | People & Society
Being a contrarian is always good for traffic.
I think it's time to get serious about the role God plays in human affairs, and evaluate whether it's appropriate to let everyone in on the bad news: God doesn't exist, never did, and the closest thing we'll ever see to God will emerge from our own collective efforts at making meaning. [...]
Like any other public health crisis, the belief in religion must now be treated as a sickness. It is an epidemic, paralyzing our nation's ability to behave in a rational way, and - given our weapons capabilities - posing an increasingly grave threat to the rest of the world.
He lays out an interpretation of the Bible and the Torah to support his argument. From his bio: "Douglas Rushkoff is an author, teacher, and documentarian who focuses on the ways people, cultures, and institutions create, share, and influence each other's values. He sees "media" as the landscape where this interaction takes place, and "literacy" as the ability to participate consciously in it."
Comments
I'm a Christian. Sometimes I wonder, should I apologise for this, or disguise this and become a "closet Christian"? There is so much antipathy aimed at us, that when I read things like this makes me feel saddened and alienated.
Why are people who believe in something relegated to a position of being intellectually impaired, or backwards as this article assumes? I never expect someone else to believe the same thing as me, nor would I try to impose that on anyone...I just ask for a little respect. Is that too much...?
Posted by: Katrina at May 2, 2006 03:16 AM
For me, the thing about religion is: Let a thousand flowers bloom. On a person-to-person basis it rarely comes into any friction in my life. In America right now it's a rather scary time if you think about the consequences of an "American Theocracy."
But no, I don't think you should apologise, or disguise your faith. Nor should you apologise for the crazies who share that faith. Not your problem. Live by example, and demostrate your beliefs by your actions. You do that well in the blogosphere, so I'm guessing you do it pretty well in day-to-day life too.
But what do I know, really? My two big connections with God come from being in nature, and the power of music. Non-traditional churches both, and easily riduculed in a strict interpretation of religion....
Posted by: Michael J. at May 2, 2006 08:05 AM
Thank you...*breathes a sigh of relief*
I must admit, I do agree with you about music and the natural world...sometimes I feel much closer to God sitting out in the middle of a field, than in some contexts where religiosity itself is the focal point, and thereby loosing it's meaning. Church, for me, is simply a community of people who share the same love, and the same hope.
Posted by: Katrina at May 3, 2006 03:34 AM
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