[MD] False Messiah

[david buchanan]

DM, Scott and all y'all:

DM said to dmb:
...Here's an example from New Zealand: http://sof.wellington.net.nz/ ...What 
are you trying to prove and how would you like to set about banning theism? 
Personally I suggest encouraging radical theology of which there is a great 
deal. Have a look at Don Cupitt's After God.

dmb tries this one again:
I looked briefly at the 'sea of faith" web site and at Don Cupitt a bit too. 
Again, to the extent that that these organizations and authors are not 
theists they are not the target of my criticisms of theism. But just in case 
there is any chance that you're actually interested the real target, you 
might want to check out a book called AMERICAN THEOCRACY" by Kevin Phillips, 
a long-time Republican and former Reagan Administration offical. That's how 
bad its getting gents. Supreme Court Justice O'Connor, who was appointed by 
a Republican, recently complained about the death threats leveled against 
her and explained how it was part of the American right's attack on the 
Judicial branch, and how that attack was part of a movement toward a 
dictatorship in the United States. Justice Ginsberg has also had death 
threats and agrees with her more conservative peer. John Dean, another 
long-time Republican and former Nixon Administration bigshot recently wrote 
a book about the present administration called "Worse than Watergate". 
President Dumbass says Jesus is his favorite philosopher, "because he 
changed my heart". Again, when this thread began I hoped it would be a 
discussion of neo-Victorian moral decline. And the current tendency to 
theocracy is at the heart of this moral decline, the slipping back to the 
last static latch. It tends to undo the intellectual principle upon which 
the US was founded AND tends to result in a rather aggressive foriegn 
policy. And the wider global tensions and downright bloodshed also happens 
to involve some theism of a different flavor. See, the Republican Party is 
run by literalist (Its true. There are hard numbers on this. 55% of them 
believe in the "end times" prophecies, for example) And presently the 
Republican party has control over all three branches of government so that 
they control the nation with relatively unchecked power. International 
checks and balances on their power are relatively inert too, given the sheer 
size of the US military and, more specifically, the administration's 
contempt for the United Nations, the Geneva Conventions, and such. Gents, 
when you add it all up, we're talking about religious fanatics with nukes, 
fanatics on a mission from God. And I don't mean Islamic fundamentalists. 
I'm talking about how dangerous our own Christian fundamentalist are. That's 
the target. OK?

If you think Don Cupper or anybody else can help to diagnose or treat that 
problem, feel free to explain. Personally, I like the MOQ, Wilber, Campbell, 
Watts, and lots of other thinkers. I think they offer something like a 
diagnosis and a recommendation for treatment. But again, if you have your 
hands on a better idea, or even just a pretty good idea, bring it. I've been 
bringing plenty and boy are my fingers tired.

"The selling out of intellectual truth to the social icons of organized 
religion is seen by the MOQ as an evil act." RMP

Thanks.
dmb

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