“The Devil” by Chapman Cohen – part of a series titled “Pamphlets for the People” published in the 1930’s. I took Cohen’s essay from “An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism” published by Prometheus Books in 1980.
Duration : 0:10:3
[youtube rWLzwMMX55s]
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
faved both parts
faved both parts
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
Zach – I’m afraid, …
Zach – I’m afraid, that I agree with you on this. For a number of years, up until a few years ago, I believed that these were simply ‘fringe’ elements – but they are not. They are deeply entrenched within the halls of our government, whether it’s called ‘The Family’ as Scahill does…or as Chris Hedges pointed out years ago. These are very dangerous trends, because it fosters intolerance + hate. It should not be taken lightly + must be opposed at every turn.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
People create …
People create boogymen for three reasons. 1) An escape-goat for when things go bad (placebo-interrupted). 2) As a tool of fear to manipulate others for profitable gain or power. 3). To manifest some being of inferior morality in order to make one’s own morality look superior, by comparison.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
First of all, there …
First of all, there is no “you guys.” No atheist who is sensible thinks he/she can talk for other atheists. It’s not monolithic, like religion.
Me, I can accept that there might be a prime mover, but I reject the utterly the idea of a personal god, or any god which has a moral plan for us or way that he/she/it wants us to behave. Other atheists reject the idea of a prime mover completely.
Most are ok with saying, “I don’t know,” which is harder than it seems.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
Zach, may I ask a …
Zach, may I ask a stupid question? This is about Atheism:
Do you guys not believe that there is any over-arching entity? This is not a question about God v Satan. It’s bigger than that. It’s basically this; Do you think that the fallacy of religion gives us license to reject the idea of a Creator, or Prime Mover?
Don’t be mad. I’m just trying to understand the Atheist creed.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
You would think …
You would think there would be no way for their faith to absorb ours, but in a weird way it already has. I view this country as getting both more overtly and more discreetly Christian. It’s easy to point out megachurches and smarmy media whores like Pat Robertson, but things like The Family, the highly secretive “God plus nothing” crowd that is so well connected with Washington power, represent the new vanguard of religious power.
What’s the devil? Who or what you don’t like.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
I really enjoyed …
I really enjoyed both parts of this. It’s lovely when an emancipated man can look at these characters without the necessity of branding one good and the other evil, and can see what they’re really telling us to be afraid of.
If you look at the Christian faith, it can be seen as a parable about fearing modernity – for them certainly the presence of the Roman Empire (which it would later absorb.) Christendom is the empire now, and the muslim faith has grown up to fear and oppose it.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
oh thebigho you …
oh thebigho you have such a wonderful taste in music.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
Constantine is the …
Constantine is the one I feel is most responsible for the most disturbing lies in the Bible. He wanted to become more powerful and used the faith of the people – against his enemies, to make armies who fought under the symbol of the cross.
Just like terrorism is used to control the people today, the fear of was the main weapon used against others.
I never go to Christian churches. Can the blind lead the blind? No way, man.
We are born with the Light within us, and that’s all we need.