all 8 comments

[–]magnora7 7 insightful - 4 fun7 insightful - 3 fun8 insightful - 4 fun -  (6 children)

They used to say religion is the opiate of the masses, but I think opiates are the opiates of the masses...

[–]Vigte 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Religion can bring geniuine happiness, these substances cannot.

Another fine example of scientific fundamentalism having far too much faith in itself.

[–]magnora7 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Religion can bring geniuine happiness

I'd agree for some spirituality can bring peace, but religion is just the dogma of spirituality imo

[–]Vigte 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Fair enough, I suppose I keep mistaking one for the other.

Easy to do one you've gone from one to the other and see relatively no difference between the two (at least not as far as my concern for what other people choose to believe, that is).

[–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I completely agree.

ALSO, if I may quote my writing from an open source Wikipedia article:

" Open science uses the scientific method as a process of open discovery of shared verifiable knowledge, whereas proprietary science is privately developed by corporations and organizations yet their "scientific" processes and research are not publicly shared (or are obscured behind paywalls or published in expensive private journals), therefore unverifiable as legitimate forcing the public to have "faith" in their privatized science and "trust" that rigorous studies have been and are conducted, proper precautions taken, adequate warnings given, and that the results are beneficial to individuals, society, and the environment - as well as serving their private shareholders. Further, we are supposed to "believe" all of the profit driven marketing, media hype, and propaganda, not to mention the political lobbyists (a soft term for legalized bribery), and trust we are getting the best technology, drugs, medical care, and environmental stewardship while corporate monopolies safely and honestly earn their profits in a world where corporate corruption and status quo war profiteering are business as usual. This obscured or blind faith in corporate science is called Scientism . "

All dogmatism is poison for the mind.

[–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Bullshit. Substances can be hella fun. In moderation or otherwise.

Though religion can, like any other device, serve good or bad purposes.

Authentic or fake charity. Authentic or fake morality. Authentic or fake community.

Just as fake feminism has eroded the family unit, so too the loss of community, often held together through religious institutions (cringe), has eroded the family unit and of course the community and of course divided and weakened all the individuals.

I'm all for separation of church and state. I'd rather there be no church nor state.

But before separation of church and state I wanna see separation of BANKS and STATE.

That'd be like separating Siamese twins that share one heart.

[–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Religion is the Santa of the masses. You better be good, you better watch out... Big Brother/Father may or may not be watching you.

Just as you have to keep tuning in to be programmed by the TV, so too, you need to keep attending your church on a weekly basis or the hypnosis programming may wear off.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Dick Gregory is an exceptionally interesting character. He lived as an anti-Cosby. He sacrificed his career for his principles.

 

Dick Gregory In His Own Words: Remembering the Pioneering Comedian and Civil Rights Activist

  • He was the first black comedian interviewed on the "Tonight Show" Franchise (having previously refused their invitations)
  • He helped John Lennon write the lyrics to the song "Imagine". (Please don't take my word for it. Listen to Dick Gregory in his own words in the link above. You will wonder why you've never heard of him.)
  • First black comedian to perform at the playboy club
  • Numerous arrests and hunger strikes and arrests for his support of civil rights and Vietnam protests
  • Was the driving force behind getting "Democracy Now" on the Pacifica network
  • Gregory was number 82 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of all time (IMO he deserves to be in the top 10. His humor is still hilarious)

 

Dick Gregory - Wikipedia:

 

Warren Commission

... Gregory became an outspoken critic of the findings of the Warren Commission concerning the assassination of John F. Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald. On March 6, 1975, Gregory and assassination researcher Robert J. Groden appeared on Geraldo Rivera's late night ABC talk show Goodnight America. An important historical event happened that night when the famous Zapruder film of JFK's assassination was shown to the public on TV for the first time.[46] The public's response and outrage to its showing led to the forming of the Hart-Schweiker investigation, which contributed to the Church Committee Investigation on Intelligence Activities by the United States, which resulted in the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations investigation.

 

 

In 1961, Gregory was working at the black-owned Roberts Show Bar in Chicago when he was spotted by Hugh Hefner. Gregory was performing the following material before a largely white audience:

 

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I understand there are a good many Southerners in the room tonight. I know the South very well. I spent twenty years there one night.
Last time I was down South I walked into this restaurant and this white waitress came up to me and said, "We don't serve colored people here." I said, "That's all right. I don't eat colored people. Bring me a whole fried chicken."
Then these three white boys came up to me and said, "Boy, we're giving you fair warning. Anything you do to that chicken, we're gonna do to you." So I put down my knife and fork, I picked up that chicken and I kissed it. Then I said, "Line up, boys!"

 

Early in his career, Gregory was offered an engagement on Tonight Starring Jack Paar. Paar's show was known for helping propel entertainers to the next level of their careers. At the time, black comics did perform on the show, but after their performances, they were never asked to stay and sit on the famous couch and talk with the host. Dick Gregory declined several invitations from Jack Paar to perform on the show. Paar finally called him to find out why he refused to perform on his show. In order to have Gregory perform, the producers eventually agreed to allow him to stay after his performance and talk with the host on air. This was a first in the show's history. Gregory's interview on Tonight Starring Jack Paar spurred conversations across America.