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This week's editor
Tahrir Square meme: Event
openAwakening in conjunction with the University of East London is organizing a three-part event series on ‘The Tahrir Square Meme’ to be held at UEL's Dockland Campus.
Our first event is Rap and the Arab Spring.
The Long Revolution
The Long and the Quick of revolution Anthony Barnett
We live in revolutionary times... but what does this mean? Anthony Barnett
The precariat: why it needs deliberative democracy Guy Standing
The Long Revolution Raymond Williams
Occupy movement
Our Authors
Jim Gabour Sunday Comics
James Warner Standing Perpendicular, as books do
Markha Valenta Inter Alia: religion, politics, culture
Paul Rogers on Global security
Li Datong on China from the inside
Mary Kaldor on Human security
Daniele Archibugi on Cosmopolitan democracy
For England's Sake!
Book - Fred Halliday's oD essays
Postcards from the future
Demotix: photo partner
So now you're saying that praying and worship is like a race, and that the most worthy 'win' their way into heaven? Seriously, if your god was so all-powerful, why would he care whether you worshipped him or not?
Religion has hurt others, even those of the same faith. I refer to my last posts in the 'Iran is not the enemy' thread, where a high profile muslim admits that much blood was shed during the formation of Hezbollah - not that of Israelis, but that of other muslims while Hezbollah fought it's own people and palestinians in order to extend its influence. As Hezbollah is supposed to be THE shia representative in Lebanon, and also the representative for the Islamic Republic, why must they kill their own people in order to gain power? How does that demonstrate good religious values?? As they worship the same god as you, are you able to enlighten us as to their thought process?
The same goes for those in certain Christian faiths where child abuse goes on unchecked. What in god's name is good and holy about that??
I don't know about you, but I don't obey rules because of the fear of what will happen if I'm caught, I simply do the right thing because it's common sense. Can you explain to me why it is a good idea to believe in something which hasn't been proven? I can understand the desire to try and prove something, but if I can live my life in a good and reasonable way and that the only thing different between me and you is that I do not worship but you do, then how am I any worse when it comes to 'judgement time'? Because I didn't pray five times a day or grow a beard? It does seem very silly.
Having said that, a belief in a god isn't a bad thing, my problem is with the interpretation: A bible in my hands means that my kids will grow up knowing about the biblical happenings, and with a sense of right and wrong, but the bible in the hands of someone with a fundamentalist interpretation means their children could grow up hating Jews, because of the idea that 'they killed jesus'. I'm not trying to be a smart-arse here, I actually know people with that mentality. It's scary.