Religious Right

On Being Cheerfully, Obliviously, Dangerously Religious

This is a frightening idea, and probably quite true. From a 17th century French theologian, philosopher, scientist and mathematician.

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.

– Blaise Pascal

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  • “He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” MICAH 6:8

  • Success, which touches nothing that it does not vulgarize, should be its own reward… the odium of success is hard enough to bear, without the added ignominy of popular applause.
    -Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham-
    Success

    Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himslef shall be exalted. Matthew 23:12

    How seldom are men shaped by their own religion, how often are they willing to shape it. The house that is divided retains not whole power, but has the power of those wish to further its division to meet their lust for power. A kingdom divided cannot stand as a whole kingdom, and so to toss another scripture in, “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered togther.” Matthew 24:28 So is it with those who use religion for self gain. Vultures at the feast of the corpse of a religon, to gain in power, and to tare truth apart, as if it were possible. “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Daniel 11:32
    Remeber Christ sat with the criminals, and the whores, and the theives and murderors, and he rebuked the leaders. The religous, and political leaders did he rebuke. But he sat with the sinners, and ate. God bless all of his Muslim, Jewish, Christian, atheistic, pagan, hindu, buddhist, children. We are all sinners, and we are all the 100th sheep in our own ways.

  • Don’t give “quasi”-religions a pass. There were Nazis who were loving parents and good neighbors, and Stalinists who were fine folk.

    The problem is any ideology that encourages self-righteous thinking.

  • Here’s another one, from much more recently:

    With or without religion you would have
    good people doing good things,
    and evil people doing evil things.

    But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

    -Steven Weinberg

 
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