I wonder if the zealots described by our planetary sister realize they sinned massively and doomed themselves to hell.

militantliberal - "Denouncing the Quran as blasphemous" might not be racist, but it's pompous and elitist. Who is one person to call another's "blasphemous"?

I question the legitimacy of Christianity as the word of god. I question the bible as the word of god, and I question the legitimacy of the Quran as the word of god, too. I don't believe that Muhammed was a prophet of god, either. But "blasphemous" has some kind of moral overtones.

Questioning polygamy might also not be racist, but it, too has an unfortunate moral and cultural self-righteousness. Marriage has not been, as the rightwingers like to think, always throughout history between "one man and one woman." There have been a vast variety of relationships, and there is nothing morally superior to the one currently in fashion.

If polygamy involves brutality, child molestation, or holding a person against his or her will, then morality comes into the picture.

But I agree with Mr. Hedges and doughyden. The anti-Muslim movement among the rightwing Christians and neocons is racist in that it portrays Muslims as Arabic or Middle Eastern in nature, even when it is not.

I have a friend who, as time goes on, reveals himself to be more and more of a nutty rightwinger (as as a result has become so offensive that it interferes with our friendship in spite of his being a very nice person in his relationships with his friends and family). He has made a number of remarks about Islam, and his Islamophobia is mindless and irrational. He absolutely equates Islam with Arabs, and he is obviously convinced that both are the ultimate threat to Our Way of Life.

I've heard working class people who really have no contact with any Muslims talk about all Muslims as "ragheads." They get this from the media and word of mouth, of course; otherwise they wouldn't know anything about Islam or the Middle East. I doubt if most of them could find Iraq, Iran, or even the United Kingdom on a map.

Ignorance is rampant, and because of that, anti-Islamic beliefs are often connected to racism.

Actually doughyden, your way of 'arguing' is bullshit. I sometimes fail to remember that we are not all academics in the world, and as such, all cannot be counted on to maintain a professional aura.
You want to be aggressive. Fine. Let's be aggressive!

"Well, Massoud, the Radical Christian Right, in its profound and perhaps willful ignorance, stereotypes all Muslims as Arabic."

Ok Einstein, you win the creative licence of the year award! First, what the f*ck is the 'Radical Christian Right' exactly? You refer to it in the singular. Elaborate please. Also, whatever it is, you claim that *it* stereotypes all Muslims as Arabic. What is your source? PROVE IT. Or even, cite an example. I never heard, nor seen, anyone state that all muslims are arab stock. So basically you just stated an opinion(a very unscientific and prejudiced one at that)as absolute fact. Translation: you're talking out your ass. Having done that, you advance this conclusion.

"In these circumstances, when virtually all the members of the religion are said to be members of a single ethnic group, then, yes, defaming this particular organized religion is racist."
Again, said by 'who'? This theory is founded on the presumption that some 'entity' of great social relevance does this. So, all Muslims are said to be Arabs. Put up or shut up.

I will believe that Islam is a tolerant religion, the moment it is possible for a Muslim to convert to another religion in a public square in Mecca, without being be-headed.

I am also seriously unimpressed with the reaction of reactionary Muslims when they move to the West. There is singular lack of recognition of our pluralistic values. We are forced to conform to their values when in their countries yet expected to allow the application of Sharia Law and other practices that violate the laws and norms of our civilization. I don't even want to get into the idea of "free press" and the supposed denigration of Mohammed that occurred in the European press.

Screw all reactionaries, Christian or Muslim!

"Shoebat!?" Who writes this shit?

Mr.Hedges, there is nothing racist about defaming an organized religion. Or should all freethinkers be 'racist' for for speaking against fundie christians?

"...Masssud, all your second post did was point out that Muslims do not constitute an ethnic group..."

Would it not be correct to assert that the Muslim identity comprises of many ethnic groups? Much of the radical Christian rhetoric appears to focus on the Arab Muslims or the Persian Shias. This is in itself unfortunate as the largest muslim population lives in Indonesia, and the next largest in the Indian subcontinent.

The most unfortunate failing of such rhetoric is the diversion of discussion away from the underlying issue of "violence as an instrument of social policy."

The United States has killed over a million Iraqis, and apparently this Holocaust wasn't enough to satisfy the insane hate of the so-called "religious right," because now they want to demonize Islam everywhere, from Nigeria to Indonesia and back.

There is absolutely no limit to the malice and stupidity of those bigots masquerading as Christians.

Well, Massoud, the Radical Christian Right, in its profound and perhaps willful ignorance, stereotypes all Muslims as Arabic. This is inaccurate, of course, but no matter. In these circumstances, when virtually all the members of the religion are said to be members of a single ethnic group, then, yes, defaming this particular organized religion is racist.

In late November 2002 in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq - John Hagee stated that George Bush had been divinely commissioned to expand the 'Kingdom of Israel' by turning Babylon into a howling wilderness where not even an insect could survive. He conceded that to expand Israel to encompass a territory from the Nile to the Euphrates would entail the massacre of many millions of people, mostly Muslims but that this wiping out of whole nations was a necessary part of bringing on the big rapture. As I heard Hagee's murderous oratory in broad daylight on an upstate New York religious radio station...I wondered where the FCC inspectors were. This pervert's radio station had an FCC license to spew murderous hatred. This monster was advocating genocide and ethnic cleansing in the name of Jesus and the American Administration and for the sake of Israel.

We all know by now that when fascism arrived in America it was 'wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross'.

Its all about control. The electorate is susceptible to being controlled through fear of another 9/11. Bush and Cheney have been hammering away at this theme since that date. If you believe that no reasonable people can condemn about 1.4 billion followers of Islam because of the actions of a couple tens of thousands then you also must conclude that there is a great scarcity of such reason out there....

Christianity has been against tolerance for centuries.

Christian Dominion is nothing new. Now it has been elevated as a part of a comprehensive plan that includes government, corporations, and religion. http://tinyurl.com/mrg4m

Canuckchuk, you're smearing Christianity with the same sort of language that, I presume, you object to concerning Islam. If it's okay for you to say Christianity teaches intolerance, why isn't it okay to say the same about Islam? Religion doesn't teach intolerance; people do.

Well, well.

I guess massud and barely human demonstrate the depth of support that exists for those opposed to any knd of tolerance.

doughyden- canuck chuck is right. I don't remember seeing whwere Islam started the crusades or the inquisition or forced wholesale expulsions as the Jews and Muslims were made to leave Spain after 1492, etc......

Hedges lost me when he complained about "racist filth about Islam." Islam is not a race. Objecting to polygamy, jihad or sharia is not racist. Contesting the legitimacy of Muhammad's supposed prophethood is also not racist. Denouncing the Quran as blasphemous is also not racist.

But of course our Christian jihad faction isn't engaging in straightforward religious polemics. They and their Republican associates like to connect things that don't belong together, like 9/11 and Iraq and North Korea, or Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Or "Islam is unfair to women," is followed by, "so it's okay to drop bombs on them accidentally on purpose." Islam and fascism don't belong together except in the sense that they're both opposed to liberal democracy. But so are lots of doctrines and belief systems. Maybe we should say Islamo-fascism-communism-tribal patriarchy-racism-caste society-monarchism-oligarchy-feudal warlords-military dictatorship-one party state-Bush ueber alles. Did I leave anyone out?

I'd be very happy to hear that all Muslims/Christians/Jews had converted to peaceful, rational, non-tribal secularism.

The Three Stooges mentioned above are standard religious tools. Islam's got it's own versions of these men. Religion is the problem, not the fact that one side's playing unfair. Both sides have always played unfair!

I work with a right wing christian. She started ranting about muslims, and I thought I'd shut her up by saying, "what do you want to do, kill a billion people?"

She said "Yes".

That's when I realized how far the propaganda has gone. It is indeed scary. These people are vicious.

Doughyden,

Christianity doesn't teach tolerance, huh? Where did you pull that out of? Maybe a good Christian should read the Bible? You will then learn about Jesus professing tolerance. I was raised Christian, and the fact that Christianity is touted by political bigots to hide their brutal oppressions against others has corrupted the values on which I was raised. The modern complaints about Christianity stem much from the hypocrisy of those who claim to do God's work while operating in a morally bankrupt worldview. Historical criticism of Christianity is well-documented. Read about the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition for starters. I'm sure others have some reading suggestions that might bring some light to the darkness of ignorance. Until then, do you sell any boat insurance? I was going to go sailing and wanted to be covered in case I fall off the end of the world.

curmudgeon, please.
"I don't remember seeing whwere Islam started the crusades or the inquisition or forced wholesale expulsions as the Jews and Muslims were made to leave Spain after 1492, etc……"

Yeah, Islam never had any 'crusades'. Then how did Muslims find themselves the conquerers of lands from Spain to China? There were MANY programs against non-muslims by muslims over the centuries. And once conquered, non-muslims were DENIED equal rights to Muslims and were forced to live as second class citizens. You seem to think that only Western religion is bad, far from it. Be objective and secular.

P.S. doughyden, don't worry I am well aware of the distinction of attacking a religion vs. an ethnic group. Attacking arabs(or anyone else) as an ethnic group is of course wrong. I was simply saying Muslims are not an ethnic group. :)
And militantliberal, thank you.

In spite of some of the excessive polemics in the article, Mr. Hedges has a very important point.

The progression of intolerance and insularity in America has accelerated rapidly over the past several years and shows no signs of abating. Collective self worship combined with militarism has taken a nation that was once esteemed into becoming one that is, at best, increasing irrelevant, and, at worst, much reviled in the world.

At present, this insular, self destructive juggernaut has simply gone too far to be stopped by the political process. Unfortunately, it will only be stopped instead by economic crises and financial insolvency.

Wars and a massive military will become impossible to fund, and America will be seriously challenged with taking care of the very basics of her own society. America will certainly be in no position to affect the course of world events other than simply existing as a drag on the international economy.

The American century will end before it has barely begun.

wow. the rapture cant come fast enough for these hypocrites.

It took me 50 years to learn this-

Heat is energy. Cold is not. Cold is simply the relative absence of heat. One cannot manufacture a machine that produces cold. To make something cold, remove the heat.

Light is energy. Darkness is not. Darkness is simply the relative absence of light. One cannot manufacture a machine that produces darkness. To make something dark, remove the light.

Compassion (love) is energy. Evil is not. Evil is the relative absence of compassion. To make something evil, remove compassion.

The degree to which one lacks compassion is the degree to which one serves evil. This is true regardless of religious beliefs, political alignment or anything else.

Imagine yourself in a giant auditorium with all of the lights turned off. Total darkness. In your hand is a flashlight. A flick of the thumb sends a beam through the darkness. While the flashlights beam is not infinitely powerful, all of the darkness in the universe, if you could bring it into the auditorium, would have no effect on it whatsoever. There is no battle between darkness and light. Darkness is powerless. The battle takes place in the thumb.

The same thing can be said for the trigger finger. The battle between good and evil does not take place "out there" where the bullet is. It takes place in the finger.

The battle is between that which is separate from all else (ego) and that which is connected to all else (spirit).

To borrow from Joseph Campbell-

"…every failure to cope with a life situation must be laid, in the end, to a restriction of consciousness, Wars and temper tantrums are the makeshifts of ignorance; regrets are illuminations come too late."

"Totem, tribal, racial, and aggressively missionizing cults represent only partial solutions of the psychological problem of subduing hate by love; they only partially initiate. Ego is not annihilated in them; rather, it is enlarged; instead of thinking only of himself, the individual becomes dedicated to the whole of his society. The rest of the world meanwhile (that is to say, by far the greater portion of mankind) is left outside the sphere of his sympathy and protection because outside the sphere of the protection of his god. And there takes place, then, that dramatic divorce of the two principles of love and hate which the pages of history so bountifully illustrate. Instead of clearing his own heart the zealot tries to clear the world. The laws of the City of God are applied only to his in-group (tribe, church, nation, class, or what not) while the fire of a perpetual holy war is hurled (with good conscience, and indeed a sense of pious service) against whatever uncircumcised, barbarian, heathen, "native," or alien people happens to occupy the position of neighbor."

Open the door to a dark room. Does the darkness flow out or the light rush in?

Truth Faerie
The_truth_faerie@yahoo.com

Aaah, now why do we expect religious tolerance when much of religion focuses around promulgating a vision that places one or more beings (deity or deities) over every other being? This is why some feel justified in flying planes into buildings or claim to be righteous while dropping bombs on a population.

The Truth faerie: One does not need a complex model to express your position. Quite simply, it is about discarding the model of interaction that advocates a hierarchy of beings, in favor of a model that includes a hierarchy of actions and values. And...compassion is the highest virtue (value).

Well said, truth faerie!

Mahaffey--reread my post. I never said Christianity teaches intolerance. Here's exactly what I said : "If it's okay for you to say Christianity teaches intolerance, why isn't it okay to say the same about Islam? Religion doesn't teach intolerance; people do."

I don't know where you can get out of that that I believe Christianity teaches intolerance. Perhaps you're aware of alternate reading? Could you point it out to me?

And Curmudgeon99, think! The crusades were not started by Christianity. They were started so-called Christians, just a 9/11 was started by so-called Muslims. If you can blame the crusades on Christianity, then you can blame 9/11 on Islam. To do otherwise is to accept a double standard.

Finally, Massud, I never said that Muslims constitute an ethnic group. You're either stupid or deliberately distorting whhat I said. I said that the Radical Christian Right TREATS Muslims as an ethnic group and, to that extent is racist.

See the UK this weekend for utterly hysterical and belligerant islamophobia. The danger in which ordinary muslim families now live thanks to the relentless pro war propaganda put out by the media is terrifying. Merely mention a word like "sharia" and the lynchmob starts baying.

AH! The Truth Faerie February 11th, 2008 2:29 pm clearly states Truth. We are asking for Light to be shone into the darkness of ignorance. More negativity will not change the hearts and minds of those we classify as evil or wrong. Only shining more light into the areas calling for Light will make a difference. Start with the Inner Light and watch it expand.

peace,
st john

st john: "...More negativity will not change the hearts and minds of those we classify as evil or wrong..."

While, I like the attitude of the post, this is exactly the framework that creates the problem in the first place. We ought to stop classifying people (moral agents) and instead classify actions and values. No moral agent is evil or good, only actions are harmful or beneficial.

Genocide is harmful regardless of who does it, so is indiscriminate bombing, or flying planes into buildings. To continue to be trapped in the "good guys vs. evil guys" model is itself the problem. It is time the human civilization discarded this model in favor of an action and values based model.

"George W. Bush has, in the same vein, assured Americans that terrorists hate us for our freedoms, not, of course, for anything we have done." so by eliminating freedoms, G.W. Bush is cowtowing to the same terrorists he claims to be fighting against.

until the terrorists in washington d.c. are forcibly removed, there will be no democracy in america and will always be a haven for more terrorists.

sorry if the truth hurts.

"While, I like the attitude of the post, this is exactly the framework that creates the problem in the first place. We ought to stop classifying people (moral agents) and instead classify actions and values. No moral agent is evil or good, only actions are harmful or beneficial."

Absolutely correct: I stand corrected. Even as I sent the post, there was something that went "Klunk". Thanks for pointing out the misstatement. We can re-language and therefore shift the conversation in our own minds, which sets the tone for shifts within others.

peace,
st john

doughyden;
"Finally, Massud, I never said that Muslims constitute an ethnic group. You're either stupid or deliberately distorting whhat I said."

Please re-read my three posts. Note that my first post challenged Hedge's assertion that attacking Islam was racist. Your response was, more or less, that attacking Islam WAS racist(because some individuals may or may not think Muslim=Arab). I gave a civil and polite rebuttal to your claim, that appears to have gone over your head. And further, civil and polite discourse seemed like something you could not recipricate.

I experienced my first Mardi Gras in New Orleans, LA this year.

Sober. I took my camera and I rode my bicycle around the city of New Orleans and just observed. One of the most interesting things I noticed was the amount of children and families that make up the Mardi Gras experience.

I was taken back (once again, as I have seen this form of pathological behaviour before in the Quarter) by the lack of tolerance in the French Quarter by the Christian zealots. How ironic, that the teachings of Jesus, who came in the name of peace, could be used to desecrate his very message by those who claimed to come in Jesus' name.

At one point a local parade was trying to march through the Quarter whilst a man with an amplifier and a guitar sang songs of Jesus. He had to be asked to stop. I watched and listened to Christian zealots who used their amplified bull horns to shout out epitaphs of hate in the middle of Royal Street. They came with pre-printed banners with their messages of hate for all to see. I was amazed at the tolerance of the gay population in response to these Christian zealots who set up in their neighborhoods and taunt them hours at a time, with hate and insults for being who they are. I was truly awed at their tolerance.

I photographed 2 Christian zealots who took the time to have INTOLERANT printed on their t-shirts whilst they stood amongst their religious brethren who had 15' crosses which they had desecrated with words such as "One Nation Under Jesus" on them in red paint. The men in the t-shirts with INTOLERANT printed on their chests had amplified bullhorns also. They raged out at the crowd with declarations of hate in the name of Jesus.

Zealotry in any religious affiliation is dangerous. This type of Christian religious zealotry desecrates not only the name and teachings of Christ Jesus, but also our Constitution, where zealots demand that they be allowed to hate and be intolerant in the name of freedom.

I know I used the word desecrate 3 times in this posting. I feel dirty even recalling their deeds.

peace.
a planetary sister

Masssud, all your second post did was point out that Muslims do not constitute an ethnic group. Duh. That did not go over my head; I thought it was too obvious to even need mentioning. I can't understand why you thought you needed to belabour the point. That doesn't change the fact that Mr. Hedges is correct; radical right wing Christianity's assault on Islam is fundamentally racist.

I'm sorry you don't like my way of arguing. Perhaps you could come over, have a spot of tea, and we can talk about the weather. That polite enough for you?

Chris Hedges is the author of "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on Ameirca" in which he posits the notion that the only people deserving of tolerance are those who are tolerant in return. To read Chris Hedges above is to understand the extent that this of which he is critical has taken hold of him as well.

Save us from stupity and ignorance. These Christo-fascists
are a disgrace to Christianity.

St John:
["While, I like the attitude of the post, this is exactly the framework that creates the problem in the first place. We ought to stop classifying people (moral agents) and instead classify actions and values. No moral agent is evil or good, only actions are harmful or beneficial."

Absolutely correct: I stand corrected. Even as I sent the post, there was something that went "Klunk". Thanks for pointing out the misstatement. We can re-language and therefore shift the conversation in our own minds, which sets the tone for shifts within others.]

Precious few get this point even among people who support a progressive approach. A sample of posts on Common Dreams reveals the same. One mind at time, eh?

You don't need to call it "war", since we progressives don't like to adopt fascist lingo. What is progressive is to call it a boycott of tolerance. Progressives boycott tolerance because tolerance is the generality under which liberal capitalism, militarism and imperialism, in a nutshell, liberal elitism, get away with their crimes against humanity. We've had our fill of liberal elitism. We tolerate liberal elitism NO MORE.

I thought this was an excellent article. I think the ideology of the Christian far right is really vile, whether one deals with people like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, John Hagee etc etal.

Certainly the ideology of the Christian Right represents a perversion of the basic doctrine of Christianity. How can these people claim to be Christians when they support oppression, occupation, mass murder, illegal wars etc etc. My understanding that Christ taught compassion and kindness to all humans irrespective of their ethnic/religious/national background.

The dehumanization of Muslims and Arabs and the delegitimization of their numerous legitimate grievances against the West ( whether the occupation of Palestine, the dispossession of its people, the devastating sanctions against Iraq, the senseless attack on Iraq, the support for tyrants like Saddam, the overthrow of the emerging democracy in Iran, the downing of a civil Iranian airliner ) is very central to the ideology of the Christian right and the American right in general.

I visited a church the other day which gave the opportunity for Zionist and a Palestinian the opportunity to speak their points of view. The Palestinian, unfortunately was unable to make it due to extreme weather, while the Zionist talked for a whole hour, with many of his assertions and statements ( from his inclusion of the illegally occupied territories as part of Israel proper, to his talk of Israel inviting Palestinians to return to their homes and lands in Israel proper, to his allegations of Palestinian schoolchild al Dura's murder being framed ) being just plain wrong.

One of his statements was that the media in the Middle East indoctrinate the young to hate America and Jews. I can only wonder if he has the chance to watch the Club 700 to appreciate the virulence of Pat Robertson's hate sermons, the chilling threats against Muslim Americans by the buffonish Glenn Beck, or the incitements to genocide by the likes of talk radio host Michael Savage who once called for the deaths of 100 million Muslims.

Back to the original subject. That people like Walid Shoebat who, by his own personal admission spent the best years of his life organizing and executing terrorist activities is now living in the US, perhaps even as a US citizen at a time of President Bush's self styled ``War on Terror'' is paradox that is almost as fascinating as it is disturbing. Worse still, one is at a loss to explain how a ``sleeper cell'' inmate could even set foot in the US at a time when according to immigration regulations, tourist visas are meant to be denied to anyone with a criminal record.

That such individuals with a self confessed record of terrorist related activities could be manipulated as ideological pawns to vilify millions of Arab and Muslim Americans, almost none of whom are guilty of any real wrongdoing is yet another one in a long list of reasons why the ``War on Terror'' and it's ideological cheerleaders are fast losing credibility.

The anti-Muslim effort is echoed in the legislation creating a commission to identify "extremist ideologies" that could radicalize young people to become terrorists (HRes 1959; now being considered in the Senate by a committee headed by Joe Lieberman).

And echoed again by Bush and by Republican candidates McCain and Romney, who speak of "Islamist extremism." Others call "Islamofascism" the greatest danger in the world.

Looks like a search for scapegoats to me. Or a stirring up of high-level fear to encourage votes for those who would "keep us safe."

I would guess we'd avoid a lot more terrorism and a lot more death if we became a more welcoming culture. Those who feel at home are not "radicalized" by "extremist ideologies."

2007 Deaths from terrorism worldwide: approximately 20,000.
US deaths from terrorism since 9/11: zero
US deaths from murder in 2006 alone: approximately 170,000

Wouldn't we be a lot better off with a Department of Peace to address the kinds of violence that are actually being used to kill Americans?

I simply must address the characterization of 'hysterical islamophobia' relating to the Archbishop of Canterbury's statements. I promise, if not hysteria, outrage and action, should anyone seriously suggest that any religious code should be introduced into the law of the US - for a start.

Lee Ann said "There have been a vast variety of relationships, and there is nothing morally superior to the one currently in fashion.
"If polygamy involves brutality, child molestation, or holding a person against his or her will, then morality comes into the picture."

Polygamy is an inherently unequal arrangement, reflecting a lowered feminine status and (though it is rarely mentioned) also a hierarchy among males, since the practice obviously means that some men will not have the opportunity or the money to marry.

Chris Hedges, whose books I have read, does not know that the 3 patriarchal monotheistic religions were derived from a blend of Zoroastrianism and Judaism begun in 538BCE in the Persian liberation of Jewish intellectuals from their Babylonian captivity.
All three share with the monotheized Persian root religion a strong tendency to scapegoat other religions as "evil" that must be destroyed. They have this pathological tendency because their followers are raised in a Manichean fear of death where they are deluded into thinking that they can dump all their own animalistic and hateful tendencies onto scapegoat peoples. This is an imaginary fantasy immortality system that breeds intolerance and genocide as deluded escapes from mortality. Their fear of their own death is so terrifying that they follow one of the 3 scapegoating religions
as a purification practice to escape the horror of death by dumping it on infidels or secularists.
These are emotionally sick people who fuel the genocidal tendencies of their leaders because they are taught that they will have eternal life for faithful compliance with the written commands of their militaristic heavenly almighty father-substitute.
This is all explaind with supporting data on my website, which explains the psycho-pathology of crusading,holy wars, and world dominance drives.
The multi-millionaires who own the military-industrial-governmental-mass-media complex promote and protect this insanity because they can borrow trillions from future generations by keeping the death-phobia defense-mechanisms alive and pumping money into their estates.
Google psycho-imperialism.com
Dr. Robert K. MacDonald

Chris Hedges, whose books I have read, does not know that the 3 patriarchal monotheistic religions were derived from a blend of Zoroastrianism and Judaism begun in 538BCE in the Persian liberation of Jewish intellectuals from their Babylonian captivity.
All three share with the monotheized Persian root religion a strong tendency to scapegoat other religions as "evil" that must be destroyed. They have this pathological tendency because their followers are raised in a Manichean fear of death where they are deluded into thinking that they can dump all their own animalistic and hateful tendencies onto scapegoat peoples. This is an imaginary fantasy immortality system that breeds intolerance and genocide as deluded escapes from mortality. Their fear of their own death is so terrifying that they follow one of the 3 scapegoating religions
as a purification practice to escape the horror of death by dumping it on infidels or secularists.
These are emotionally sick people who fuel the genocidal tendencies of their leaders because they are taught that they will have eternal life for faithful compliance with the written commands of their militaristic heavenly almighty father-substitute.
This is all explained with supporting data on my website, which explains the psycho-pathology of crusading,holy wars, and world dominance drives.
The multi-millionaires who own the military-industrial-governmental-mass-media complex promote and protect this insanity because they can borrow trillions from future generations by keeping the death-phobia defense-mechanisms alive and pumping money into their estates.
Google psycho-imperialism.com
Dr. Robert K. MacDonald

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MacDonald February 11th, 2008 6:04 pm
Edit This
Chris Hedges, whose books I have read, does not know that the 3 patriarchal monotheistic religions were derived from a blend of Zoroastrianism and Judaism begun in 538BCE in the Persian liberation of Jewish intellectuals from their Babylonian captivity.
All three share with the monotheized Persian root religion a strong tendency to scapegoat other religions as "evil" that must be destroyed. They have this pathological tendency because their followers are raised in a Manichean fear of death where they are deluded into thinking that they can dump all their own animalistic and hateful tendencies onto scapegoat peoples. This is an imaginary fantasy immortality system that breeds intolerance and genocide as deluded escapes from mortality. Their fear of their own death is so terrifying that they follow one of the 3 scapegoating religions
as a purification practice to escape the horror of death by dumping it on infidels or secularists.
These are emotionally sick people who fuel the genocidal tendencies of their leaders because they are taught that they will have eternal life for faithful compliance with the written commands of their militaristic heavenly almighty father-substitute.
This is all explaind with supporting data on my website, which explains the psycho-pathology of crusading,holy wars, and world dominance drives.
The multi-millionaires who own the military-industrial-governmental-mass-media complex promote and protect this insanity because they can borrow trillions from future generations by keeping the death-phobia defense-mechanisms alive and pumping money into their estates.
Google psycho-imperialism.com
Dr. Robert K. MacDonald

Dr. Robert K. MacDonald

Well I guess I know why you said it - but why did you say it three times? Not superstitious are you?

It may help to distinguish between Christians and Christian radicals. Check this link from the Jan. 8, 2008 Minneapolis Star Tribune.

http://tinyurl.com/26kel4.

"6 million Muslims who live in the United States..."

Kind of has a ring to it, doesn't it? We gonna do the "up in smoke" movie on the Muslims like we did to the 'Injuns' or are we just going to lynch them like us good Xrstians do to the Black Americans?

BTW, where's the list of the Arab or Muslim GENOCIDES? The Habiru and the Aryan (nice white folks from Europe -> W. Hemisphere) have committed several genocides apiece. We're quite good at it. Accomplished even. Maybe if they've actually done genocides like we have, we could compare notes, maybe learn from their experiences. History does have its uses. I just can't think of any at the moment.

RIP.

Is there some planet somewhere we can send all these fundie know-it-alls to so they can kill each other and no one else?

Will the Middle Ages never end?

Sheesh.