Anvil and Fire is fantastically bold propaganda. Last week in class Eric said "it's only propaganda if we know it is." It's hard to imagine anybody missing the propaganda on this website. Compare these two posters:
and
What's scary isn't the poster type of propaganda, but the holier than thou article John wrote about Buddhism. He completely misses the point, and yet writes things like "Here [Buddhism] is: LIFE STINKS. It is suffering through and through." Yeah well kind of, but not totally. Plus, how dare a Christian suggest this notion is bad, primarily because you believe we are inherently sinners and that most things pleasurable are sins.
I suppose the problem I have with the Anvil and Fire blog is that it encapsulates what's wrong with society. Other people's point of views are worth laughing at and picking on, while you must consistently read our point of view. Organized religion that teaches hatred towards other religions bothers me greatly. Millions have died primarily because of fierce religious propaganda.
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not dissing organized religion altogether. Some religions teach diversity and caring for all human beings. But religions that go out of their way to say bad things about other religions are not helping society. They are self-serving crap.
On the other hand, I find the people at I Am Christian Too to do good work. They take the views of the ridiculously loud religious right in this country, and elegantly debate them. It's nice to see that religious people are capable of being progressive. My favorite post so far is where they argue against an anti-gay manifesto written by Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Their main argument is that if we take the bible so literally, we are all going to hell.
Blogging is for promoting interesting and radical ideas, and I Am Christian Too is an excellent source of unique ideas. The folks there seem to realize that if they continue to let the radical intolerant forces in their church to continue taking control, their religion will continue losing members.
And now, I am so going to hell.
and
What's scary isn't the poster type of propaganda, but the holier than thou article John wrote about Buddhism. He completely misses the point, and yet writes things like "Here [Buddhism] is: LIFE STINKS. It is suffering through and through." Yeah well kind of, but not totally. Plus, how dare a Christian suggest this notion is bad, primarily because you believe we are inherently sinners and that most things pleasurable are sins.
I suppose the problem I have with the Anvil and Fire blog is that it encapsulates what's wrong with society. Other people's point of views are worth laughing at and picking on, while you must consistently read our point of view. Organized religion that teaches hatred towards other religions bothers me greatly. Millions have died primarily because of fierce religious propaganda.
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not dissing organized religion altogether. Some religions teach diversity and caring for all human beings. But religions that go out of their way to say bad things about other religions are not helping society. They are self-serving crap.
On the other hand, I find the people at I Am Christian Too to do good work. They take the views of the ridiculously loud religious right in this country, and elegantly debate them. It's nice to see that religious people are capable of being progressive. My favorite post so far is where they argue against an anti-gay manifesto written by Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Their main argument is that if we take the bible so literally, we are all going to hell.
Blogging is for promoting interesting and radical ideas, and I Am Christian Too is an excellent source of unique ideas. The folks there seem to realize that if they continue to let the radical intolerant forces in their church to continue taking control, their religion will continue losing members.
And now, I am so going to hell.
2 comments:
Hey Brett,
Your comment on Anvil and Fire led me here. I appreciate you stopping by, and saying what you said.
About the poster:
It was supposed to be funny. That's all. An exercise in Photoshop. I found some public domain posters and thought they would be interesting, or eye catching--sort of like a commercial.
I believe in Religious Liberty for All. Period. I believe in a free exchange and a debate of the ideas, with a little zest. I don't mind sending out a zinger if I find hypocrisy.
However, I do believe there is a category called Truth. As a result, I believe there is Error. How can we tolerate one another if we do not honestly disagree first? If we twist the meaning of tolerance into approval of all ideas, I believe we will enter a cloud of serious confusion. I believe the worth of every individual to be equal, but not all ideas are equal. Some will stamp me "intolerant." But I believe it is they who changed the definition.
If I have in any way come across unkind or unloving and have obscured the Grace of Christ in the eyes of those who don't believe in Him, I ask forgiveness.
However, I cannot say that all religions are right, but I do believe they should free.
JRush
Yeah, you are both sort of right in a sense. Lynn, the horse poster was more of a visual link I was trying to make. If you don't see any link there, then I appreciate you expressing your concerns. Plus, it is an excellent se of Photoshop.
John,
Socrates says the search for truth inherently lies in the dialogues we have with people. While I didn't initially see much dialoguing going on with your blog, your willingness to come over and debate your ideas suggests your mind is very open to debate. I appreciate how you converse with me and fellow bloggers. Your warmth and good feelings are expressed by your reactions to my comments.
Best,
Brett
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