Comments on: Blogging from the heart of a pagan enterprise

By: David

David — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:39:36 +0000

Politicians and priests are both interested in having the power to influence the way the rest of us think and using this to enhance their own status and usually to acquire wealth and privileges. They long ago discovered that by working together, rather than against each other, they could achieve more.

Almost all states are founded on such a collaboration. The only exceptions I can think of are the communist states. But then many would say that communism was a religion anyway.

By: AnnaCM

AnnaCM — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:33:29 +0000

Of course the Probably No God bus – wearing agnosticism/atheism on its sleeve – is only a reaction to theism on sleeves, alerting people to the fact that there is an alternative, that it’s possible to be moral and ethical without religious doctrine. Kind of an important point to make in the face of so many of the damaging religious messages that seek to sow division, violence and lack of critical thought, furthering the woe fuelled by ideas about outward religious difference.

By: zahra Chamyani

zahra Chamyani — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:52:12 +0000

I saw unseen Gaza from channel 4 By Jon Snow. He is so brave and unbelievable in giving the news in depth.
I cried for all the children who died in this war by Israeli military. As I cried for Anna Frank when I read her diary.
At the time when I read the book, assumed those days, who people had fought, has passed and nowadays, they are civilian people, who solve their problem diplomatic not with war.
I supposed Hitler was a mad, foolish, anesthetized man and nobody can find like him. But I did not die and see in a contemporary century, still people has battled and although Hitler died there are one thousands Hitler in Israel.

By: Simon Gardner

Simon Gardner — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:25:40 +0000

Netanya Marie Smith wrote: “The fact that religion plays a part in politics, to the extent of it being a prerequisite to election…”

In the US – absolutely. But in the UK – not at all.

We’ve had many atheist and agnostic elected politicians in the UK as elsewhere in Europe. In France there’s very specific legislated exclusion of religion from political/public life (laïcité).

The US is just odd about this. There’s supposed to be a constitutional separation of politics and religion, but in reality, that’s a fiction. “God” is even on the US currency.

Oh and there’s no “good of religion”. It’s all downside.

By: Netanya Marie Smith

Netanya Marie Smith — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:28:22 +0000

The fact that religion plays a part in politics, to the extent of it being a prerequisite to election, still shocks me. It’s fantasy and afterlife insurance that even our supposed leaders pander to. You have the right to dispute and reflect upon religion. If faith is all encompassing then surely believers should take criticism with a smile? Religion has caused horror, war, bloodshed and hatred in the world. It’s archaic fantasy, and modern misinterpretation of quite beautiful scripture has caused many a war. The good of Religion has been lost in translation. Truth is the greatest cost in many respects.

As for Regev. This man has wasted every opportunity to appologise for Israel. He would prefer to mention the ‘T’ word in an attempt to cover the actions of his country. If a man shouts, he as lost. He had to be cut off.

By: Peter Nolan

Peter Nolan — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:20:40 +0000

Hello Jon,

You write:

and I thought about religion and wondered why we have to wear so inner a conviction so ostentatiously on our outer sleeve. How much of the woe I have had to report over the past quarter century has been about outward religious difference.

We fight to be right about anything and this includes religion. Betting on a horse that wins a race is like being right that that horse is the best runner while others who didn’t bet on the same horse are wrong about their choice of horse as the fittest runner. People who back a losing horse do not like being wrong in the same way those who backed the winner enjoy being right about their choice. When it’s about a life and death issue that betting on a horse isn’t we can get mighty stirred up indeed because being right about anything is about being able to continue to survive according to how good our judgement is and that is a big deal.
Thank heavens now science will answer more and more questions for us now as time goes by.

By: Naz

Naz — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:43:45 +0000

I am very sorry to have missed your Dispatches programme on Gaza Unseen yesterday. can we please have a repeat prog. on this.

By: Simon Gardner

Simon Gardner — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:24:29 +0000

My Oxford English Dictionary says: “One of a nation or community which does not hold the true religion, or does not worship the true God; a heathen. (•In earlier use practically = non-Christian, and so including Muslims and, sometimes, Jews.”

So the term “pagan” is entirely relative to your own perception of the norms of your own society.

So I’m with Jon Snow on this. Colloquially he is right. (And I had a pagan girlfriend once.)

By: Frances Burns

Frances Burns — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:12:28 +0000

first time I’ve gon on to a blog site. I will do so again and join the debate.

By: Simon Gardner

Simon Gardner — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:54:53 +0000

Err. It’s not actually freedom of speech if there’s no freedom to insult and offend. At least US law (and until fairly recently UK law) recognised this.

Not least “insult and offend” is highly subjective.

Personally, I find religion(s) insulting and offensive to human intelligence in a very fundamental sense. I reserve the absolute right to “insult and offend” its adherents and certainly its proselytizers at every turn.