'The rise of Miliband brings at last the prospect of an atheist prime minister' here are the first three paragraphs:
"When Labour cabinet members were asked about their religious allegiances last December, following Tony Blair's official conversion to Roman Catholicism, it turned out that more than half of them are not believers. The least equivocal about their atheism were the health secretary, Alan Johnson, and foreign secretary David Miliband.
The fact that Miliband is an atheist is a matter of special interest given the likelihood that he may one day, and perhaps soon, occupy No 10. In our present uncomfortable climate of quarrels between pushy religionists and resisting secularists - or attack-dog secularists and defensive religionists: which side you are on determines how you see it - there are many reasons why it would be a great advantage to everyone to have an atheist prime minister.
Atheist leaders are not going to think they are getting messages from Beyond telling them to go to war. They will not cloak themselves in supernaturalistic justifications, as Blair came perilously close to doing when interviewed about the decision to invade Iraq." [You can read the rest of the article here.]
Now why doesn't that make me feel any better? It's great that these politicians won't use 'god' to try to fool the people, but they will continue to fool the people without invoking imaginary beings. Which is worse?
The ones that care a jiffy about the people - those brave enough to stand up to the elite gangsters, are shot down without a bat of an eyelid. I don't think Obama, McCain, Clinton, Brown (Miliband), Putin, Kharzai and the rest will make a difference. They have no intentions of changing things. How can they? Take a short walk through recent history.
No amount of posturing from Obama will make it other than what it is. He's a front for the mob. He's there to show the world how much America has moved away from just being a country which got fat off the backs of inhumane suffering and oppression. Presenting this Black man as a saviour allows people to be distracted as the current incoherent, bumbling front man is wheeled away out of sight and the mob agenda is moved to the next level.
People are sheep, in the main, and therefore can be controlled and fed poor quality fodder - you can see that all around you.
No, my friend, we are truly in the Dark Ages and we may not realise it with these creeping impositions on our lives.The smokescreen of being atheist doesn't impress me one iota because none of the mob are 'believers' - they know the power of the supernatural/religion, how much it is a powerful detractor and have used it to their best advantage. We have been and are being tricked. Some have fallen for it and some haven't.
Have you fallen for it? What do you think?
I haven't fallen for it one bit. I just hate how I often have to live my life as an undercover agent.
ReplyDeleteSince America's citizens are literally drugged out on prescription drugs, they have no strength left to think for themselves.
The so-called sin of Gluttony has overtaken their fat, sloppy, lazy bodies and they are sickening to look upon. Yet they are ready to condemn the first person who will not eat their brand of truth.
They turn on the television, especially Christian television, and gulp it down as if it's their favorite drink.
I am annoyed especially with Televangelists who turn all of their sermons into tithing, while their communities are strewn with filth and the citizens can't read one scripture from their Bible because they're illiterate.
In my younger days, I was so indoctrinated with religious heresy that I wanted to live every minute in the "Church" but I discovered it was a hoax, a way to make the abuser seem like the healer.
I don't see an end to all of this; it's all pointless to me. We will all end up in the grave with bugs in our nostrils, the very nose we use to look down on others because of minor differences.
So, no matter what cloak false teachers, deliverers and leaders wear, it's all foolishness to me!
As my dead uncle, who was murdered by Vioxx, used to say. "Every man for himself and God for us all...that is, if there is one."
Well, in the US, the country is so towards the right (or at least the media and elite) that "liberal" canidates show up as mildly conservative, while conservative canidates show up as facists.
ReplyDeleteEurope has its won probalmes, but its system isn't skewed like this.
As for being an atheist... I'm pretty sure Obama is a believer. Given the stigma, an atheist running for pesident in the states would almost certainly be tilted toward reform- if only because a third of the population is guarented to vote against them and they need to manage to sway ALOT of people.
I'm an American living in France, where the religious beliefs of a candidate aren't discussed or considered during an election. It's a non-issue, as it should be. Nor is their marital status. Segolene Royal was unmarried and living with her mate and had children with him, "out of wedlock." It was a non-issue in the election. She would never have had a chance of running for president in the U.S., especially since she is a socialist, and you know, socialism leads to communism just like marijuana leads to heroin addiction. sigh. America is a great big immature, naive, spoiled, reactionary child, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if, when you say that Obama is a front for the mob, you are referring to the Cosa Nostra, or the military industrial complex, or the corporate shadow government. I think that all U.S. politicians are fronts for corporate America, to one degree or another, and are supported by the industry lobbies who expect payback after the election. Obama may have taken in millions of "little guy" contributions, but before he declared his run for prez, he also took in healthcare, oil, military, and banking industry money. So, if he gets elected, I don't foresee any big "changes."
Back to religion...I long for the day when a candidate is asked about their religion and they say, "None of your business. In this country, anybody can believe in anything they want, as long as they don't force it on others, or harm others in its name. Meanwhile, my job is to run the country. And that's what I will focus on. Next question?"
All very poignant comments here. It's good to see you all thinking about this issue. As an American I do resent some of the generalization and name calling though. We're not all brainwashed fascist-cheeto-zombies. However, I am a little chubby, so lay off the fat jokes. OK?
ReplyDelete;)
Name calling doesn't get anybody anywhere. Stick to the facts and make a case, otherwise you are no better the cheeto-fascist mob. LOL!
Thanks to you all who have responded above:
ReplyDeleteanon anon:
I agree except I was using the word 'fat' in the financial sense.
You have been a victim of these con artists and I feel your anger!
samuel: Glad you passed by again! Do you really believe Obama really believes? I don't. He knows the game and how to play it. Good job!
omyword:
First of all let me say I really enjoy reading your blogs. I don't agree with everything your write but near enough! Plus you are so funny!!!
When I said the 'mob' I actually meant the corporate/banking elite. They rule. The Rockerfellers and co.
I am shocked by so many attitudes and beliefs in the US particularly the fact that if you are atheist then you tend to keep it quiet.
philip:
I hear you but again I used the term 'fat' in a financial sense. I absolutely abhor size-ism. I hear and see it all the time. Society thrives on making money out of those who do not conform to a stereotypical 'ideal' and that includes bashing them. I'm firmly of the belief that I can't know you from your body size, skin or hair colour, age, etc. Superficial. I'm more interested in who you really are. So no size fascism here!
I don't think all people from anywhere think the same. Unfortunately for the US (using the country as an example) a shed-load of money has been spent to indoctrinate the people into believing what the corporatists want them to believe and in the main it has worked. The evidence is there. Out of 300m people one would expect there to be some thinkers amongst the population, some who rise above the froth and see and smell the awfulness for what it really is. And they, fortunately, exist.
It just seems as if the voices of reason are not loud enough to make a real difference on this slippery slope we appear to be on.
Let's watch and see what happens to our ability to use the internet freely and without state interference (see China) over the next few years.
Thank you all again!
Regards,
Zee
IT SEEM STO ME THAT SAYING THE RIGHT THINGS IN GIVERNMENT AND DOING THE WRONG THINGS HAS GOT TO BE BETTER THAN SAYING THE WRONG THINGS AND DOING THEM TOO. GIVE ME HIPOCRACY OVER FACSIM EVERY TIME. POLITICS WITHOUT HIPOCRACY IS PROBABLY IMPOSIBLE. AND ITS THE SHOLLOW VOTING PUBLIC WHO ARE TO BLAME FOR THAT.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, the sheeple are just doing as they are told by the media. Flouridated, medicated, drugged, sickly and overweight, most people just do as they are told (taught from early childhood in the "educational" system) so it's no wonder we are in such a mess. By the way you have been "tagged", go to my blog to get the details!
ReplyDeleteOf course you are correct on all counts. The USA has never had a mainstream "labor" party of any kind, but there is something especially Orwellian in calling an anti-labor party "New Labour". Tony Blah is just a second-rate piece of crap, without even the limited charm of a Bill Clinton. He takes tacky Englishness to a whole new low.
ReplyDeleteObama is a first class phony, but it is possible that he is so immersed in his milieu that he can't distinguish myth from reality, as the whole political culture is ruled by sociopathy and delusion. The yuppie-buppification of the neoliberal Democratic Party, whose sole remaining conception of equality is diversifying the elite--Nancy Pelosi, Hilary, Obama, etc.--has rendered the upper middle class retarded and deluded to an unprecedented degree. Just watch and listen to these people--they want to think of themselves as nice people; they want to look good, but they have no intention of doing good. But what's ten times worse is the willful self-delusion of "liberals", "progressives" and even segments of what little real "left" there is. This nation is doomed.
atheist not "believer"? yawn. who cares? the proof is in the pudding, and if indeed obama gets to move into the white house (let's not be too cocksure about that!), let's see what happens. he'll probably be better than bush - not a hard thing to accomplish - but i'm not willing to stake much on him making a real difference. and if he/his administration is indeed going to change at least a few things for the better without making too many other things worse, i'll be more than happy to eat my words!
ReplyDeleteI think that the whole idea of thinking about the potential of an 'atheist' PM is timely.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me realise how we need to keep on fighting to put democratic accountability back at the centre of a struggle for the inner cities and the streets for young people, for example.
Think about how the post colonial space of reconciliation in South Africa by August 2001 was neatly pushed off the agenda by the destruction of the twin towers.
South Africa was really making massive strides, democracy was working becasue people around the world wanted to see it work!
Secular, political work through and with the churches and with thousands of people and organisations worldwide, massive secular strides towards a true world democracy.
I think the destruction of the twin towers moved the agenda of 'action' firmly back to the power elite of the west...
Truth and Reconciliation? No it's time for the brutalising war on terror.
We need to pick up that pre 9/11 will and ensure that there are no more young men killed on London's streets, for example.
South Africa were world leaders before Sep 11th because the strides and generosity of democratic understanding is only something that the oppressed can really appreciate.
After Sep 11th suddenly, the course of a secular democracy based on developing freedom, permitting freedom of thought action and belief was made to seem naive, foolish.
But it's not.
The development of freedom and justice must be the way we think about our failing system.
Could do better and we are all its alienated, mistrusted and guilty parents....
Poly
For centuries, people have flung words into the universe which they've had no intentions of honoring or even believing themselves. Mere smoke screens. The one who has the most charisma to manipulate the sheep usually wins.
ReplyDelete