Alex’s Heresies - embracing a physical reality

A cute Christmas message from the blog, Unreasonable Faith

Alex McCullie

In Australian newspaper, Courier Mail , Colette Livermore talks about the nasty aspects of Mother Teresa’s mission in India. The public image is of self-sacrificing that brought comfort to thousands of India’s poorest sick. Colete Livermore describes the dark-side of religious faith - a faith that takes precedence over human welfare.

Livermore’s disaffection with Mother Teresa peaked when she clashed with her superiors over a decision not to treat sick children on a holy day.

“A ruling was made that on this recollection day, this day of prayer, children were not to be admitted to the Home for the Children.

“This really sick child came in with stick arms, breathing really fast and dehydrated and I was told he couldn’t stay. I had this internal conflict and eventually the child was admitted but only after I’d had a big fight.

“These sorts of things happened time and time again because there was this rigid obedience and timetable, so I wrote to Calcutta and said: ‘This can’t be right.‘ (full article 16 Dec 2008)

Also Christopher Hitchens published The Missionary Position in 1995 highlighting the appalling treatment decisions and dubious money transactions associated with the Teresa mission.

Alex McCullie

PS. Of course ‘faith before humanity’ belief has an ignominious tradition of violence even as recently as the so-called ‘9/11′ attacks on New York.  Perhaps Jesus of Nazareth, the Christian messiah, expressed this belief well with:

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. (Mat 19:29 ESV)

According to the latest Pew report the largest religious groups in the US are represented in roughly the same proportions in the US Congress. There is one exception - Unaffiliated - non-religious, agnostic, atheist.

16.1% of the Unaffiliated US population is represented by 0% of US Congress.

Alex McCullie

BBC News reports that hundreds of Muslims and Christians have been killed during clashes over local elections in Nigeria.

Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in central Nigeria after Christians and Muslims clashed over the result of a local election.
A Muslim charity in the town of Jos says it collected more than 300 bodies, and fatalities are also expected among Christians.
There is no official confirmation yet, and figures are notoriously unreliable in Nigeria, says the BBC’s Alex Last.
Police have imposed a 24-hour curfew and the army is patrolling the streets.
They have been given orders to shoot on sight in an effort to quell hostilities that mark the worst clashes in the restive West African nation since 2004.
For the second straight day on Saturday, angry mobs went through the town burning homes, churches and mosques.
The Nigerian Red Cross says at least 10,000 people have fled their homes. (full report 29 Nov 2008)

Alex McCullie

A paid-for Imagine No Religion billboard in Ontario, Canada threatens the faith of the religious. Well that’s why it’s been removed much to the relief of the somewhat faithful.

Judy Rooze, administrator of First Baptist Church of Rancho Cucamonga, which is two blocks from the billboard, was relieved it was coming down.

Rooze said it was unsettling.

“I understand people have freedom of speech, but this is taking it too far,” she said. “It’s very jarring.”

Nothing more dangerous than a “jarred” Christian (PE.com full article 20 Nov 2008)

Alex McCullie

The economic crisis has given a whole new philip to apocalyptic doomsayers and they love the Book of Revelations. Here’s one from down-under in the heart of our government.

LABOR MP James Bidgood, the first-time MP under investigation for selling pictures of a protester attempting to set fire to himself outside Parliament House, has declared the global financial crisis an act of God.

Mr Bidgood, who was carpeted by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd over his actions yesterday and apologised to parliament, makes the claims in a DVD.

In a speech to a function held in parliament he argues that Christian marches for Jesus in London caused the October 1987 stock market crash.

He also predicts the end of the world and one world monetary system.

“We have to say ‘What would Jesus do?’,” he says.

“In 1987 there was another march for Jesus. That took place in April. And guess what happened in October 1987? The stock market crashed. All property values lost one third of their value and over a million people lost their homes.

“I believe when Christians pray, God does things. I believe what is happening today is as much to do with God in economics bringing judgement.” (Australian 4 Dec 2008)

Alex McCullie

Here’s an interesting YouTube video of a person’s rejection of strong Christian belief and practice to become an atheist. The video is a simple plain text presentation of personal religious background and reasons for rejecting religious belief and Christianity in particular. The arguments are all well-known but it’s good to read through one person’s rationale.

Alex McCullie

A UK Christian organisation is placing God messages in 200 buses in London. This seems in response to a similar campaign by the British Humanists mentioned in an earlier post.

MEMO, a ministry dedicated to spreading the Good News on public transport networks for 125 years, has launched a new advertising campaign on London buses reassuring commuters of God’s comfort in the midst of the global credit crunch.

The campaign, launched on Monday, will see MEMO’s ads displayed inside 200 buses throughout central London for the next four weeks.

They ask commuters if they feel “Crunched?” before quoting Luke 2.10 – 11, “Don’t be afraid! I am here with good news for you … This very day in Bethlehem your Saviour was born – Christ the Lord.” (full article in Christian Today 25 Nov 2008)

Alex McCullie

Christian Today, an on-line Christian newspaper, reports that one in four children in the UK are bullied for faith-based reasons.

A survey published today by a leading bullying prevention charity has found that one in four school students admits to being bullying – often violently - because of their religion.

Beatbullying, which runs interfaith bullying prevention programmes, said its research indicated that that there was little provision for young people to talk about their faith and that almost half of young people do not talk about religious or faith issues at all.

The survey of 819 young people also found a degree of religious segregation, with 20 per cent of the young people surveyed saying that their circle of friends consisted mainly of people from the same religious background. (full article 17 Nov 2008)

It amazes me that religious people continue to believe and promote that strong religious belief leads inexorably to good moral behaviour. There seems to be no evidence supporting this stand. We see so many cases of strong faith being destructive. People’s moral behaviour should be seen as a strictly human affair with strictly human solutions.

Alex McCullie

According to history and legend the following is true.

He was born in 4 BCE. A spirit appeared to his pregnant mother, preparing her for the birth of a divine figure. His divinity was signalled by an extraordinary sign in the sky at birth. Other supernatural events were also claimed to highlight his birth.

In childhood he showed an amazing precocity for religious understanding and debate.

As an adult he travelled widely and performed many miracles - healing the sick and raising the dead have been documented. He was also renowned for his sublime teachings.

Ultimately he was arrested and tried by the Roman authorities. Many supporters believed he went to heaven and others saw him after death.

His name was … Apollonius of Tyana.

Alex McCullie

Other links
http://www.livius.org/ap-ark/apollonius/apollonius01.html

http://atheismandhappiness.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/apollonius-of-tyana-the-great-healer/

http://www.blavatsky.net/magazine/theosophy/ww/setting/apollonius.html

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/apollonius_of_tyana.html

http://mountainman.com.au/apollonius_of_tyana.htm

Alex McCullie