Fundamentalism is religious racism

Racists erroneously believe that there is proof one race is superior to another. Fundamentalists erroneously believe that there is proof one religion is superior to another.

Thus there’s a natural affinity between fundamentalism and racism. This is one reason, among many, why fundamentalism in any form—Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, whatever—can’t be tolerated by tolerant people.

On my other weblog, HinesSight, I recently wrote about the danger of “Religious right on a crusade.” Now, many people would accuse me of overreacting to the attempts by Christian fundamentalists to take control of the political, educational, and judicial systems in the United States.

“Why don’t you just let those on the religious right do what they want and focus on your own spiritual path?” goes the argument. I can understand this point of view, but I can’t accept it.

I try to be a tolerant person. However, it’s extremely difficult for me to be tolerant of intolerance. That’s when I become an extremist—when I see that someone else’s basic human rights are being attacked by an intolerant “ism” such as racism or fundamentalism.

There are clear connections between the two. This study found a positive correlation between fundamentalism, authoritarianism, homosexual discrimination, and racism, noting that “Results support the previous research of the fundamentalism-authoritarianism-racism relationship.”

The Fundamentally Aware web site discusses the connection between fundamentalism and racism, as does the article “A theology for racism: Southern Fundamentalists and the civil rights movement.”

So toleration of fundamentalist faith-based religions is dangerous. For anyone who blindly believes that his or her religion is superior to all others will find it easy to blindly believe that his or her race (or sex, country, sexual orientation, etc.) is superior to all others.

As I noted in my afore-mentioned other post on this subject, fundamentalism is inherently opposed to reason. So scientific facts aren’t going to convince a closed-minded fundamentalist that races and religions are much more similar than they are different, and that there is no basis for considering that one race or religion is superior to any other.

Fundamentalism is based on faith. Thus faith is the root of prejudice and intolerance, as Sam Harris persuasively argues in his book “The End of Faith.” Faith isn’t a positive thing. It’s horribly negative, responsible for countless instances of killings, tortures, hatred, discrimination, and such.

Fundamentalist extremism is kept afloat by an ocean of faith. Eliminate the faith and the extremism would be left high and dry. For example, the August 8/15 issue of The New Yorker quotes a Marine lieutenant general:

“This is no more a war on terrorism than the Second World War was a war on submarines. The decisive terrain in this war is the vast majority of people who are not directly involved but whose support, willing or coerced, is necessary to insurgent operations around the world.”

If this is true of the Muslim people who tolerate Muslim extremists, it is equally true of the Christian people who tolerate Christian extremists. The intolerant fundamentalist religious right in the United States is being supported by the passive tolerance of what likely is a majority of Christians who are opposed to Christian theology being forced down the throats of unbelievers.

Just as the Ku Klux Klan remained a powerful force until the broader culture disowned racial intolerance, religious intolerance will be with us until believers of all faiths say to the extremists among them “We won’t put up with this any longer.”

I hope that day is coming soon. I fear that it is a long way off.

Comments

[Who Are You ?]

Church of the Churchless wrote:
"...religious intolerance will be with us until believers of all faiths say to the extremists among them “We won’t put up with this any longer.”
I hope that day is coming soon. I fear that it is a long way off."

That day will come when 'what goes around' .... finally 'comes around'. In other words, when the "faith-based" assaults and attacks upon good sane people, which are resulting from the faith, self-righteousness, and intolerant facism of right-wing conservative phony "Christians", comes back to bite them, which it surely will.

If anyone wishes to bring that day sooner, then don't give these misguided fools a chance. Just turn on the light, and turn up the heat. ... But be sure to first cleanse oneself of similar hypocrisy and self-righteousness.

[Netemara]

LOL, I would have to rearrange it to read that "religious racism is fundamental." I mean when you think of the Christians who went to church on Sunday and the KKK meeting that night and all of the churches in the South and the North that are totally white or black you have to freaking laugh out loud.

Where's the faith? Where's the love? That is why I have no problem telling them to their faces that they are living a big lie and the Bible is also full of omissions and lies. But they do not believe it holds partial truths as I do--they don't want to hear that one. The Bible is racism 101 in my book.

Netemara

[velneeta russell]

Dear Friends,

Our prayers have been answered.

I am so thrilled to tell you that my son has just received word that he successfully completed his studies at Liberty and will be ministering right here in our hometown come Fall.

I also wanted to share with you the exam he was able to procure and the one on which he scored the highest grade. It is fascinting to get a glimpse of all the vast knowledge we worked so hard to secure for him come alive through his heart and mind. I think you will find the concept and content extraordinarily interesting and marevelously complex. Who knew the rigors our good pastor’s go through to become instruments of faith and guidance.

This truly is a heavenly blessed day.

Valneeta snd Joe “Rusty” Russell
Crawford, Texas

FINAL EXAM, Spring 2005

The Counter Argument; The Snare of Satan.

Instructions: (Read carefully and completely so that your answers apply to the question asked. This can be challenging in that the argument you put forth is based on the antithesis of this statement. The process and the narrative are then true expressions of the course of thought necessary to become untangled from Satan’s masterful snare of tangible evidence, objective deduction, and the most deadly poison to faith of all, critcal thinking.)

This exam follows a sermon format whereby appropriate verses are inserted for justification and obsfugation of glaring flaws in logic that can often derail the most earnest of preachers. When considering your answers are choice points and therefore can be arbitrary.

You may only use the verses referenced in the exam questions. Use of any other biblical quote will result in the deduction of 50 points per usage. You must have 250 points to pass the exam.

Question: Why aren’t all biblical laws proclaimed as current and enforceable as other more oft quoted ones regarding human relations, morality, character, and deed? If you legislate, ratify, and enforce laws based on few of the many, what is the rationale? [i.e., Leviticus 18:22. Leviticus 20:13.] {Historical context is a spurious argument, so avoid using it here as an answer.} 25 points

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail, Luke 16:17

Question: “Love thy neighbor as they self.” Would this not account for the extraordinary amount of self-hatred in this country now as exhibited by the levels of violence, including rape and domestic abuse, serial murders, gun ownership, adultery, graft, corporate corruption, ad infinitum? {You are strongly encouraged to use current census, justice department, federal, local & state crime figures, in your answer.} 25 points

Of 284 million Americans ninety three percent or 264 million of them are Christians.

Question: Explain the divorce rate under one man - one woman marriage laws. 10 points

The US has the world's highest divorce rate, bar none--twice as high as the next highest country (Sweden) and 50 times higher than some countries.

What impact does this have on the children from one man - one woman intact family units? How will it impact those children with same-sex parenting and behavior modeling? And, most importantly, describe how the crime numbers are so high. 50 points

EXTRA CREDIT QUESTION: Why does crime news, often of a heinous nature, include the following variations of the same declaration; “she / he (the criminal) was a good christian” or “she/he comes from a good Christian family,” and never ‘she/he is a good Buddhist (Jew, Bahai, Catholic [except the priests], Wiccan),” or comes from those families of faith? Are they really “good christians” if they had the propensity, capability, and take action that results in the crime? 50 Points

Question: Rationalize all these statistical facts. Place responsibility and accountability for these failing nnumbers on a third party or entity (i.e., the media, gays, Jews, liberals, and or activist judges). 25 points

IMPORTANT: {100 Points will deducted if there is even the slightest mention of any facet that could be related to evolution or an evolutionary process. Intelligent Design is the only acceptable framework for any argument structure or choice point.}

Lev 21:14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or a harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

If a man cheats on his wife, or vise versa, both the man and the woman must die. (Leviticus 20:10)

If a man has sex with a woman on her period, they are both to be "cut off from their people" (Leviticus 20:18)

Deuteronomy 21:18-21. If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard."  Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.

Ecclesiasticus 30 -- Whoever loves his son will beat him frequently, so that in after years his son will be his comfort.

Ephesians 5:24 -- Wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands just as the church submits itself to Christ.

Question: What impact do these infaliable and sacred texts have on the children from one man - one woman intact family units? 50 points (Female students can earn 75 points)

Religious or church leaders who preach that divorce is acceptable are guilty of apostasy. By not enforcing the law, or even perhaps a more lienient act, ostracize and lock out offenders, they too are quilty eventhough they do not preach the words directly.

Num 30:2 When a man voweth a vow unto Jehovah, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

Question: Discuss the above freely as they apply to the question preceding. 25 Points

Question: Pick three of the biblical references / laws below and explain how they are not relevant today and why they should not be enforced. 75 Points

Don't have a variety of crops on the same field. (Leviticus 19:19) {there goes what little is left of the Oregon agri-economy}

Don't wear clothes made of more than one fabric (Leviticus 19:19)

Don't cut your hair nor shave. (Leviticus 19:27)

Any person who curseth his mother or father, must be killed. (Leviticus
20:9)

People who have flat noses, or are blind or lame, cannot go to an altar of God (Leviticus 21:17-18) {This would considerably diminsh the “offerings” collected by televangalists during their tent healings.}

Anyone who curses or blasphemes God, should be stoned to death by the community.† (Leviticus 24:14-16)

Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations.

You may sell your daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7.

Burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, as it creates a
pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9.

Exodus 35:2 clearly states one should be put to death if found working on the Sabbath.

Eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10

YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE EXAM. Turn your answers face down on your desk and signal the proctor that he may collect it from you. Once he has your exam in hand you are to leave the testing room immediately and go directly to the chapel where there are prayer services in progress.

[Netemara]

"Take as needed"

I know the writer is being facetious but you make a good point that can be easily pointed out to the "New-Testament Christians." And what is that point? That the laws found in the OT especially Leviticus are just that old Jewish laws that were replaced by the covenant with Jesus' (who was dark, swarthy, nappy hair etc.)and St. Paul's New Testament for the white gentile [primarily] Christian world.

We know how they feel about how Jesus really looked because there is no depiction to be found in the Western world that is even near accurate what an Israeli Jew, especially back then before the mixing, must have looked like. I left the church mostly because I got tired of looking at the false images.

The Christian is apt to quote often the sins as transgressions found in the OT as it suits them. Out of their own mouths say that you must accept all of the teachings of the Bible as truth. Does this include the OT or not is my question. Or is it only prn? That's medical speak for "take as needed."

Netemara

[Who Am I ?]

valneeta russel wrote:

"Our prayers have been answered....
....It is fascinting to get a glimpse of all the vast knowledge we worked so hard to secure for him come alive through his heart and mind. I think you will find the concept and content extraordinarily interesting and marevelously complex. Who knew the rigors our good pastor’s go through to become instruments of faith and guidance. This truly is a heavenly blessed day."

Response: I can't figure this out. Is this for real ? Are you kidding ? Was this comment merely a joke ? Do you really consider this prejudiced bible dogma and antiquated nonsense to be relevant to anything, especially in terms of Truth and genuine spirituality ? If you are really serious, then I really wonder how you ever thought to post that on this particular site.

If you are not serious, and you are making fun of biblical dogma, then it is a bit difficult to tell precisely what your point is.

[Who Am I ?]

For all those who are interested in educating themselves in the real understanding of the nature and function of Belief Systems and Social Perception Structures:

http://www.trufax.org/general/beliefsystems.html