Hi Everyone, I've decided to point a few people in the right direction to achieving religious freedom in the Maldives. This is important for the entire nation, as the politics get dirtier and dirtier with rampant corruption. The month of Ramadan is around the corner, and religious extremists are going to be at a frenzy. :mad:
I've written a short blogpost that sort of outlines some of the fundamental issues, and I need some ideas on the next part, the "WHY". :confused: Appreciate all the help, and I'd appreciate a few more ideas on what to write to follow up that topic!
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If the religious minorities want us to stop holding hands, expressing our same gender love, fighting for recognition and equality and having our own parties....then the religious minorities should either shut the fuck up or learn to adapt.
Can't run around with a bleeding heart talking about persecution and then go and persecute another group of people just because you don't agree...we all bleed the same fucking blood.
Some religions are worse than others.
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All I can do is share an observation: most religious (and political) fanatics tend to believe "might is right." That is, if they defeat you, if they can kill you, then that proves they're right (and that God is on their side). Adding to the frustration is a contradiction in that even if you can defeat them (in combat, as violence, legal or vigilante, is the only thing they respect) then they can take pride in being a martyr.
And you can't reason with that. Some even take a perverse pride in knowing they're not reasonable, that they stick to their faith and their hatred even though it doesn't make sense even to them as they think it proves their faith and godliness, their surrender to a higher power.
But if you'd like a book recommendation then I think Prometheus Rising is an awesome book that explores religious fanaticism like this (as just one of many things it examines about how our brains are programmed to process reality). Maybe your library could order it for you (I have no idea how your country works, but be advised that it has drawings of male & female nudity within it, some of it sexual in nature though it's not meant as porn).
But good luck to you.  mile:
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Why?
The Bible, the Koran, the Talmud, the Vedic - all of these sacred writings have been constantly used by their attending religious cult as a way to maintain power over the masses.
Fear is a way to maintain power, its easy to hate that which we fear, hate and fear go hand in hand. The Old Religious Authorities understood this and have adapted rather well with using fear to cause hatred, and hatred to empower, or take power away.
Religions feed on the baser needs of the hind brain of humans. We need to know there is more after this life, so we have all of this willingness to do very strange and terrible things to please an Invisible Man in the Sky who clearly wants us to kill, maim, murder, rob, beat, isolate, hate, chastise, persecute, make wars, and all manner of pure evil to please him. Why is it clear? because we have the Talmud, the Bible, the Koran or some other sacred text that men who hold high authority in the religion tells us is what that books is telling us to do in the name of God/Allah/Howard be his name.
Organized religions are the greatest tragedy mankind ever did to itself.
Christian, Muslim, you name it and if you dig deep enough to find its blood stained hands.
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Bowyn Aerrow Wrote:Organized religions are the greatest tragedy mankind ever did to itself.
Christian, Muslim, you name it and if you dig deep enough to find its blood stained hands.
I just had to repeat those lines.
Bowyn, sometimes you take my breath away.
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Pix Wrote:...that they stick to their faith and their hatred even though it doesn't make sense even to them as they think it proves their faith and godliness, their surrender to a higher power.
Gosh yes. I've tried to break it down for them, their irrational need to ritualize everything and anything spiritual. Last time I did that, I very nearly got lynched. I'm gonna read that book though. I know we won't be able to get it via library, but there's always torrent! 
Religion has no part in an ideal world. In this world, we really do need to co-exist, which is why we need to have a way to deal with these people who've been running around with box-cutters, slashing at people.
Right now, what's happening over here is that the government has stepped up their surveillance, and all internet systems over here are so slow it's like waiting in the desert for rain. I haven't been able to get online for so long from home, and the fiber channel at work is really enticing, but I'd rather not use it because they've got their proxy that leers at every byte.
Blah.
Nevertheless, the ball was set rolling, and the Helios Life Association has done a report on it. Now all that remains to be done is to keep the issue visible.
I know going along on a protest seems to come into everyone's minds, but it doesn't work here, where they simply create more jails, instead of actually listening to what people has to say. That makes me a tad unpopular with the gay community here, but someone's got to be sensible, right?
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warmpixels Wrote:... the government has stepped up their surveillance, and all internet systems over here are so slow it's like waiting in the desert for rain. I haven't been able to get online for so long from home, and the fiber channel at work is really enticing, but I'd rather not use it because ... You might try a VPN-ipSec into a server in another country. VPN creates a encrypted channel from your computer to another. Like your desk computer at work is part of a network when you establish a VPN connection both computers behave as if they are on the same network. If you surf the web its like you are surfing the web for all appearances in a foreign country even tho your at work or home. A down side of this is your employer or your home internet provider can see the encrypted ipsec channel, nothing he can do about it except ask you not to do it.
something about a religion has to be self perpetuating or they die off. Religion is usually entrenched in a weak government or hidden in a dis functional economic system.
Things are not all peaches:
the US has a big "One Nation Under God" thing going. You see bumper stickers on cars "God Bless America" as if the US foreign policy is not the most aggressive meddling thing out there so why would a god bless this?
Currently; its my view the politics here is divided into the old and new.
-it was not until the late 1970's that the US had laws preventing inter racial marriage.
-sodomy laws only recently repealed
-the old politics want to restore limits on abortion
-church property in the US is NOT taxed and should be
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It's actually against Islam to force another person to convert, making our entire constitution irreligious. I'm writing about that now. Pellaz, you're right about the politics being divided. It's like that here too.
You forgot the text on US dollars... "In God We Trust".
I'm gonna have a look at the VPN thing. Things are really simmering over here.
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I lost all respect for relgion years ago, I dunno why. I just think in the majority of things u hear about relgion today is bible bashers and extremists from all religions. Christ I couldn't give a flying fuck about Jesus, god, Mary, Joseph, the donkey or anything else, time to live in the present me thinks,
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I'd really lost my respect for it when the Islamic extremists started going bonkers in the middle east. The shame.
What's wrong with just being good?
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Religious Tolerance
