Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Power of Fear

Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man. Bertrand Russell I entirely agree. I would like to add, however, that sadly, in our schools, colleges, and universities, we were taught to believe not in the power of thinking but to have faith only in the power of believing. It is otherwise more known as "free will." Especially to obey God's Will whom we pray to daily to lead us not into temptation. And also that we may pray to Mary, Mother of God, to "pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen." In the meantime, I ask: when both God and his Mother Mary endlessly praying to each other, they are out to accomplish WHAT? Poch Suzara

6 comments:

Dante said...

What are you trying to say in this post, sir?

Also, why are you so condescending towards Christians? I'm a Christian, so I take offense, especially when you called religious people as "bobos". It's very insulting.

Cog Nex said...

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
-James 2:26

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
-James 2:17

fear not those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
-Matthew 10:28

Poch Suzara said...

Dante, A man of faith is like a drunkard who clings to a lamppost for support, not illumination. Thanks for your response, Poch Suzara

Cog Nex said...

interjection:

Lamppost is a post, usually of metal, supporting a lamp that lights a street, park, etc. My question on that would be is: how did the drunkard able to cling to that lamppost before he even reached that lamppost? is it because he saw the illumination first? and if this would have happened in day light he is still under in illumination from sun'light.

some Synonyms of Faith: acceptance, allegiance, assent, assurance, belief, certainty, certitude, confidence, constancy, conviction, credence, credit, credulity, dependence, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, hope, loyalty, reliance, stock, store, sureness, surety, troth, truth, truthfulness. never the drunkard mentioned and will never be included from the list because drunkards drinks too much.

Every decisions we take that involves work must have illumination not intoxication so we can accomplish what we ought to do.

Anonymous said...

''I cannot understand why we idle discussing religion. If we are honest—and scientists have to be—we must admit that religion is a jumble of false assertions, with no basis in reality. The very idea of God is a product of the human imagination. It is quite understandable why primitive people, who were so much more exposed to the overpowering forces of nature than we are today, should have personified these forces in fear and trembling. But nowadays, when we understand so many natural processes, we have no need for such solutions. I can't for the life of me see how the postulate of an Almighty God helps us in any way. What I do see is that this assumption leads to such unproductive questions as why God allows so much misery and injustice, the exploitation of the poor by the rich and all the other horrors He might have prevented. If religion is still being taught, it is by no means because its ideas still convince us, but simply because some of us want to keep the lower classes quiet. Quiet people are much easier to govern than clamorous and dissatisfied ones. They are also much easier to exploit. Religion is a kind of opium that allows a nation to lull itself into wishful dreams and so forget the injustices that are being perpetrated against the people. Hence the close alliance between those two great political forces, the State and the Church. Both need the illusion that a kindly God rewards—in heaven if not on earth—all those who have not risen up against injustice, who have done their duty quietly and uncomplainingly. That is precisely why the honest assertion that God is a mere product of the human imagination is branded as the worst of all mortal sins.''- Paul Dirac

Anonymous said...

''I cannot understand why we idle discussing religion. If we are honest—and scientists have to be—we must admit that religion is a jumble of false assertions, with no basis in reality. The very idea of God is a product of the human imagination. It is quite understandable why primitive people, who were so much more exposed to the overpowering forces of nature than we are today, should have personified these forces in fear and trembling. But nowadays, when we understand so many natural processes, we have no need for such solutions. I can't for the life of me see how the postulate of an Almighty God helps us in any way. What I do see is that this assumption leads to such unproductive questions as why God allows so much misery and injustice, the exploitation of the poor by the rich and all the other horrors He might have prevented. If religion is still being taught, it is by no means because its ideas still convince us, but simply because some of us want to keep the lower classes quiet. Quiet people are much easier to govern than clamorous and dissatisfied ones. They are also much easier to exploit. Religion is a kind of opium that allows a nation to lull itself into wishful dreams and so forget the injustices that are being perpetrated against the people. Hence the close alliance between those two great political forces, the State and the Church. Both need the illusion that a kindly God rewards—in heaven if not on earth—all those who have not risen up against injustice, who have done their duty quietly and uncomplainingly. That is precisely why the honest assertion that God is a mere product of the human imagination is branded as the worst of all mortal sins.''- Paul Dirac