I’m inclined to mostly agree here, though I don’t have any particular troubles with those who utilize their religious beliefs in a way that promotes a healthy psychology, minus the superstition and the supernatural, and the absurd. Actually, taking all of that away does leave something for those who can realize it, but I would say it’s more a philosophy that what I would think of as the standard religion.

Matter of fact, I remember reading some excellent books that were able to accomplish this, a couple by M. Scott Peck. I’m not even sure they’re still in print, but I appreciated them at the time that I read them.

Meantime, I only said that to say that I especially like this prose. I’m going to remember this, and keep it…

“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.”

Very insightful.

Thanks…

So, I guess I would put it more line with philosophy than religion.

Re: Epicurus Comment On Religion & Dandruff

Religion isnÂ’t really the problem. ItÂ’s the abuses of religions by self-serving individuals that is the problem, particularly by people holding powerful and trust positions in a society. Our nationÂ’s founders certainly understood this, which is why they supported freedom of religion and separation of church and state.

In this particular video, itÂ’s Christianity and Islamic beliefs that are being abused. For example, most people know that ChristÂ’s teachings encourage things like humility, forgiveness, turning the other cheek, and love for everyone - including oneÂ’s enemies.  But, clearly, this is not the kind of guidance Parsley provides in his sermon. In fact, when you think about ParsleyÂ’s sermon, one could easily conclude he has opted to ignore the teachings of Christ altogether. He preaches under ChristÂ’s logo, but clearly promotes something else.

As voters, we need to ask ourselves why McCain has sought out this particular preacher. Since Parsley doesnÂ’t really promote ChristÂ’s teaching, we know it canÂ’t be related to his so-called moral compass. No, there has to be another reason.  We know politicians really love money so maybe McCainÂ’s endorsement involves money . . . maybe McCainÂ’s wife has a big financial interest in the preacherÂ’s “Miracle Prayer Cloth” business, and feels the endorsement of her husband, the U.S. Senator, will attract more sick people, and, ultimately, increase her profits.  Whatever the reason for McCainÂ’s endorsement, we need to know more about it.

And after your long absence, Lefty, your first post from among all the threads on this blog is one that attacks Islam. May you be consumed by your hateful bigotry and Islamaphobia till you drop dead and we don’t have to put up with your sickening bigotry again! Amen!

And where do bad jews stand Lefty? Aren’t they always cheering, plotting and inciting the way you always do yourself on this blog?!

Sometimes, I think I’m the only “Christian” around. I think Jesus was a remarkable, profoundly insightful person. I don’t believe in nonsense like the Trinity (Jesus never mentioned this silliness, either), but I do think Jesus was one of history’s most original thinkers.

I think Jesus would hurl if he saw how today’s religious leaders use his name.

The news media goes on and on about ObamaÂ’s crazy preacher.  So why is this video not being shown? 

People talk about the “liberal” press but in reality that is a sham.  The news media is overwhelmingly conservative.

Hagee, Parsley, Sharpton, Wright, and the lot of them have proven to me they are in the entertainment business more than espousing the word of god.

Benny Hinn is fabulously wealthy and does not hide the fact he likes to live in luxury and yes it is all about the money.

My personal religion is the Margaritaville type with Jimmy Buffet as my personal communicator with god.  He makes more sense than the rest of them.

I hope the IRS sees it my way.

•  “The fact that fanatic Christian Zionists such as John Hajee and Rod Parseley are sought for endorsement by people like McCain, running for the highest office, is indeed the most troubling signs of what is wrong with America.”

Fadel,

It IS troubling, because of the fact that they have so many flippinÂ’ supporters that buy into this nonsense. Think about just that couple of minute clip, and put it in a totally different environment.

If I said stuff like that, say standing on the street, they would have me in an emergency psych ward in less than the time it took him to say this stuff. And, if I was walking along and heard somebody shouting this crazy stuff on the street, IÂ’d have them enroute to the same facility.

But, these guys spew their hate from a pulpit, dressed up in business suits, and the stuff is transmitted through any and all airwaves available. How are they different from the propaganda machines of former Fascist and Totalitarian Regimes? I would submit that they ARE NOT! This is just more state sponsored propaganda, through state a state sponsored propaganda machine that is our media. It is not the least bit different than Hitler, or Stalin, or any other Fascist entity. If it wasnÂ’t the media wouldnÂ’t be blasting these people over all of the airwaves, and we wouldnÂ’t have somebody running for the highest office in the land, actually soliciting these wild and crazy hate mongers!

I contend, (as I have many times before) that we have become normalized to the Fascism that took over our country in the final Coup that put them in power in September 2000. So now, instead of these people being either jailed or permanently committed to facilities for the insane, we have presidential candidates actually courting them.

These guys are TERRORISTS, and weÂ’ve got this so-called American Patriot, American War Hero, long time member of the US Congress, candidate for the highest office in the land, actually introducing these guys, and calling them LEADERS! If that isnÂ’t the most insane thing that one could ever have conceived of, then I donÂ’t know what is!! And yes, I have a pretty damn good imagination, because my life experiences have put me in touch with just about ALL of it. Now these are some seriously dangerous people, certainly not any LESS dangerous than the sliver of dangerous fanaticism on the fringe of Islam, (Western dialect refers to them as the Wahhabists) and there are a hell of a lot MORE of these crazos than there are of the Wahhbist extremists of Islam.

How much farther down in the rabbit hole does the American population have to fall? Of course itÂ’s SAD. ItÂ’s beyond SAD. If this many Americans were afflicted with cancer or some other deadly disease, weÂ’d know it was an EPIDEMIC!! How exactly do we ignore THIS as anything more than the same?

What is it going to take for Americans to ‘get’ that we are in deeper shit than we’ve ever been in, if they can ignore such incredibly blatant signs?

This is terrorism, and a sign that terror has now become the law. Instead of a team shipping John McCain off to some facility (with heavy duty security so that he can never escape) this insane dude is actually running for President.

Can’t tell ME America hasn’t fallen completely into the rabbit hole.

Jeremiah Wright, quoting Jesus, said in his Palm Sunday Sermon to avoid criticizing the mote (splinter) in your brother’s eye, when you have a beam in your own eye.

Before Christians condemn Islam’s history of violence, they should consider their own sordid lapses. In the Crusades, for example, the great Christian Knight known as Richard the Lion Heart ordered the beheading of five thousand Muslim prisoners in a single day.

In the Bible, God orders King Saul to attack a village; kill all the men, women, and children; and then (for good measure), kill all the livestock and burn the fields. Saul is punished when he decides to save the livestock.

Today, Muslims sometimes kill helpless captives by beheading them. Their Christian and Jewish counterparts kill by dropping bombs from twenty thousand feet. Is one act really more ethically reprehensible than the other? 

Compared with Rod Parsley and John Hagee, Jeremiah Wright looks positively reasonable. He at least tries to understand the point of view of people from different cultures. Parsley and Hagee are unrepentant bigots.

I would debate that.

The slave trading and usury issues of old europe and the early history of American have several examples of Jewish influence.

Re: Spiritual Guide Comment by Rus7355

Your comment attempts to minimize and rationalize what Senator McCain is actually doing. In the video clip, Senator McCain describes Parsley to we the people, as being one of our truly great leaders in America . . . a moral compass . . . a spiritual guide.”  The problem is the Parsley is none of these things.

Rob Parsley is a man who promotes hatred and intolerance toward his fellow citizens, including civil libertarians who advocate the separation of church and state. He is a man who distorts the founding principles of America; He is a man who promotes religious “Holy Wars” against other nations;” He is a man who claims special powers, peddles cheap “Miracle Prayer Cloths” to the sick and tells religious assemblies “I am superior to the forces of darkness.”

As a U.S. Senator, John McCain has certain civic responsibilities, which include upholding our basic founding principles, demonstrating respect for religious freedom in America, and promoting good citizenry at all times. To bestow this kind public praise on an individual like Parsley is careless, irresponsible and opportunistic.

To Phil:

But you’ve been hearing your elitist elected leaders calling whole nations and countries “axis of evil,” “terrorist nations” and what have you done about that. With certain people, like the ones leading this country for almost a decade, calling a spade a spade is the most courageous thing to do, for per chance they might start thinking about themselves as God’s given gift to humanity.

Don’t preach to me how I should combat evil when I see it! Unfortunately, words are my only weapons; and I wish I have more than words to combat evil when I see it spreading in the world and affecting my life and the lives of millions of people around the world!

If you think Parsley is bad google ‘John Hagee on youtube.’  Hagee is McCain’s other spiritual mentor.

All religions are a danger to mankind not soley the United States. Wake up, there is no god or gods. Once that can be realized then the shroud of lies will fall and young people of all nations will not be turned into cannon fodder at the whim of the elite in their quest for power. How many Pat Tillmans are out there? Willing to give up this life with the knowledge there is no next.

The more I see McCain, hear his views on economics, the war, and social issues, the more I am convinced that he is ignorant about a lot of things. In fact, I wonder if his intelligence registers any higher than George W. Bush.

How can you explain his associating himself with 2 ministers with such hate-mongering views unless its an ignorance about what they stand for.

The danger of McCain is a bit different than Bush. McCain is fond of the maverick image and buys votes by having convinced the public he is a moverick while the media perpetuates that fraud. Bush with Rove’s help embellished the image of “everyman.”

Both actually support the same wornout neocon ideas.

If you want Bush III, vote for McCain. That should pretty well finish off our country.

With men like Parsley in the pulpit, itÂ’s no wonder the number of “hate groups” in the U.S. have increased this past year. 

I mean what kind of preacher tells his congregation “we get off on war”? He’s certainly not the kind that should be praised, revered and sought out by a U.S. Senator. Parsley’s kind of “moral compass” belongs more on the FBI or law enforcement’s “watch list” of hate groups – next to the skinheads etc.

And one would think McCain would be a little nervous about the fact that ParsleyÂ’s Center for Moral Clarity also called for prosecuting people who commit adultery. I mean what if ParsleyÂ’s views became law and McCainÂ’s own spiritual advisor prosecuted him retroactively?

The word “weather” in the last paragraph of my post above should have been spelled as “whether.” These are examples of similar pairs in languages that learners get mixed up if they are not extremely careful.

No Surprises!

This devil Rod Parseley is just one of so many Christian Zionists who would not rest till they see America and the West enter into an open new era of Crusades against the religion of one fifth of humanity, including an approximately seven million Muslims here in these sad United States of America.

I say these sad United States of America because the devils of the like of Rod Parseley are constantly on the increase with every passing day. The fact that fanatic Christian Zionists such as John Hajee and Rod Parseley are sought for endorsement by people like McCain, running for the highest office, is indeed the most troubling signs of what is wrong with America.

Now that all this evil is out in the open, thanks to Brave New Films and Mother Johns, two things need to be seen: Firstly, how and weather the corporate media will play out this news as they did with the previous revelations about Obama’s connection with Rev, J. Wright. And secondly, how McCain will be hard pressed to distance himself from those two devils who recently he sought their support and got it.

Is there a connection between McCain’s wish for at least a hundred years of war in Iraq and the advice he gets from this border-line psychotic?  Since the msm has decided to apply different standards to Obama and McCain, we will never know.