Conspiracy Theories: Sunday Law Conspiracy

The thing about most conspiracy theories, particularly religious conspiracy theories, is that they crumble when even a modicum of logic is applied.

Granted, there are no doubt some extremists who would like to push the agenda being discussed in this video. However, it is highly unlikely that the majority of people would stand by and allow a law to be enacted that would put people to death for not keeping their Sabbath as they see fit. 

When I was young, I had a relative who had been brought up with some very extreme beliefs. She was actually a rather kind and tolerant person, but she read books which made claims such as everyone would bear the Mark of the Beast by 1984, and would be forced to do so in order to buy groceries. The UPC symbol was proof that this end times prophecy was coming true.

This woman truly feared such things happening, and gave away thousands of dollars to con artist preachers so they could keep up the fight to  "Keep the Devil Away from our troubled world."

Lack of education and willful ignorance both tend to make people vulnerable to con artists and extreme beliefs.

Watch with me now, if you wish, the Sunday Law Conspiracy.

~Helena~

The Hate that Hate Bred

I will state right up front that I don't know what it's like to be black in America.

I believe I have an idea of where this kind of extremist thinking comes from. White people in Western society have caused a lot of grief to people of other races. The European settlers stole the land from the American Indians and destroyed their society. They enslaved the African people. 

Generations later, there are still pervasive racial issues that desperately need to be addressed. Some of what this man says makes a lot of sense, but then he drowns out the sensible parts of his argument with hateful rhetoric. I can't bring myself to believe that hate can ever be the answer.

I am not a Biblical literalist by any means. However, I feel that he is taking certain passages from the bible and using them to suit his belief system. The Bible can be interpreted a million different ways. It can be used to promote peace or spread hate.

Why would a creator deity make a variety of races and then hate certain of those races? That makes no sense to me. Why would you hate what you have created?

The actions of certain white people in the past created this climate of hate. However, responding with more hate can't be the answer.

Extremism is never the answer.

~Dolly~

Apocalyptic Beliefs Lead to Tragedy

This certainly isn't the first story of this kind, and it probably won't be the last.

A follow-up article appears here, explaining that the parents apparently believed in some sort of impending apocalypse. The wife had been communicating with Dan Lafferty who, along with his brother Ron, murdered their sister-in-law and her fifteen-month-old child, stating that they had received a "revelation from God."

These sort of scenarios are always sad. It's frightening how deeply indoctrinated people can become when they hold extremist religious beliefs.

~Wanda~

Terrorism and Hate

The violence in Syria continues. The video shows a man firing an RPG-7 warhead and he and his group are eventually taken out by a tank.

The hatred and prejudice in the comments is quite disturbing as well.

Extremism and bigotry will never lead to solutions.

~Helena~

Kurdish Fighters Attempt to Reclaim Territory Seized by ISIS

A terrible situation brought about by the actions of misguided people. I hope that ISIS is stopped sooner rather than later.

~Aurora~

Rotting Christ: Visions of the Dead Lovers

The old glory is failed
The old emperor in a lonely empire
Eternity so shiny
But followed by noone

Among the crowd
Princes & kings
Those who defeated
All lovers... of monarchy

The sky is mourning
Near to the sun... human blood
It's too late for nation

After this misery
A bigger one is coming
The promised centuries... recycling

The dog have died
Around the tyrant

Mythic sovereigns
In sea and land
Shout loud
But voices come back

The eagle has throwned
The beast has enough
The days of the omen
Visions of the dead lovers

Read more: Rotting Christ - Visions Of The Dead Lovers Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Here is why I have no problem with this video, although I still identify as Catholic, albeit a very unorthodox one.

The video was not disparaging the suffering that Jesus endured. In fact, it showed a fairly accurate depiction of the horrors of crucifixion. Anyone being killed in this manner would have suffered greatly. 

Whether or not they believe in Jesus as the Messiah, they respect the fact that Jesus the man suffered. This video in no way mocks that suffering. In fact, it asks us to examine whether any of the followers of Jesus truly realize what he endured, or if he is for them simply a symbol of their belief system. To make him simply a symbol is to deny the real horrors he was subjected to.

The band professes anti-religious beliefs, stating that Christianity is one of the worst things to happen in human history. In many ways, they are correct. For the most part, Christianity has had nothing to do with Jesus other than to use him as sort of a holy enforcer. In other words, if you don't do what we say  Jesus says, you are going to endure eternal torment in the fiery pit.
Jesus the activist, Jesus the kind, forgiving person, Jesus the evolved soul would have deplored the tactics of the so called "Christian" church. Jesus loved the outcasts. The "flock" of most churches sanctimoniously pushes the outcasts away. They do not want the homeless, the mentally ill, the unpretty making their house of worship look bad.
Jesus would deplore the existence of mega-churches.

In any case, I have a much bigger problem with the theocratic extreme right in the United States today than I do with the viewpoint of the members of Rotting Christ that religion is a social negative. It is a social negative because of the fact that it has been primarily used as a political tool to control people, no matter what the claim may be.
I actually do believe in a "great beyond," although I have no way of knowing what it is really like. I like the imagery used in depicting Heaven. I like the positive messages that Jesus left for us. I do not like those who use his name as an excuse to act like bigoted assholes.

~Viki~