Should religious belief preclude you from military or public service?
Lets try the military first. If you are of such a weak mind to actually hold any religion as true you should be banned from joining any of the military services. The last thing we want is crusaders with a god on their side, sure of a pleasant afterlife and reckless because of it. If we are to arm some of our populace i want them to be stable realists with a healthy regard for life. Not semi litterate dimwits programmed to do their deities dirty work and convinced if they die doing it they will be rewarded in the hereafter. As we well know, religion has been used to demonise enemies since time immemorial. The crusades were a fine example with both sides shouting to their prefered invisible friend as they went into battle (Allah Akbar! (god is great!) and Deus vult! (God wills it!). Convinced that the crimes they were commiting were sanctioned by their religion and therefore were above normal codes of decency. The same thing is happening now in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyone who says these current conflicts are not a theistic squabble between christians and moslems is lying. Any theist, on either side, is too personally involved to think straight, and probably too damned stupid to think at all. If your gullible and unquestioning enough to swallow a religion whole without a question, then your too damned stupid to be trusted with weaponry (or a belt and shoelaces come to think of it!)
Now, public service. Much the same applies here. Our legislators need to evaluate complex social and societal problems and do their damndest to solve them. The last thing they need is a list of do's and don'ts from the late bronze age. Not only are these theistic rules and regs often biggoted, short sighted or downright nasty they also were written by men who had no idea of the way the our planet is or how the universe works, how societies are changing, technology, family changes, medicine... The list goes on and on. If Mr. Blair ignored the house of commons and tossed the entrails of a goat on the floor to see what should be done about, say, unemployment, he would be removed from office pretty damned quick. Now, how different is kneeling down, putting his hands together in front of his face, closing his eyes tight shut and mumbling to an invisible, fictitious father figure with superhero powers. We need legislators with some smarts! Again, the test is easy. If you think there is a god, you can't be in any government that has me as a citizen. Religion is something that may not harm an already irrevocably stupid drone but that programmed, empty shell should not be given power over his fellows.
Les
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4 comments:
Here here! I like it! Unfortunately, not in our wildest dreams will could something like this ever come to pass. I fear we are likely condemned to having to deal with the poor decisions made by god belief-addled minds for the foreseeable future. But, we can fantasize, can't we?
Did you have your eyes cast to the Western side of the waters when you wrote that?
Personally, it scares the living hell out of me that a fundamentalist Christian has his finger on the big red Americal nuclear button.
The one consolation is that there will only be three minutes in which to panic.
Of far greater concern than religious people should be the recruitment of people in society who are not mentally fit or intelligent enough to represent that state abroad during peace time, but now seem to find themselves standing on our front line.
Religious people, in theory should have morals and principles, as part of their religion.
As for reckless behaviour look no further than the west over the last 50 years. The problems in the Middle East (over the last 100 years) have less to do with religious beliefs and more to do with geo-political fuck ups. Be it Israel, Overthrowing puppit governments which then lead to revolution, or the constant marginalisation of a people through the one strategic ally (which also happens to be the wests greatest weakness)
The fundimentalist Christian does not have his finger on the big red button, yes they have dissproportionate amount of influence in American politics, but lets not forget that the Senate and House of Representatives (backed by massive MNC's are just as crucial too deciding American foreign policy)
Anyone who seriously believes that a prime Minister or President or other leader acts under what he believes are Gods orders are just as naive as those they are trying to criticise for having a faith.
This is a greatt post
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