The end is near
Christopher Hitchens once spoke the following words in a debate:
"Let me tell you something. For hundreds and thousands of years, this kind of discussion would have been impossible to have, or Sam and I would have been having it at the risk of our lives. Religion now comes to us in this smiley-face ingratiating way, because it has had to give so much ground and because we know so much more. But you have no right to forget the way it behaved when it was strong, and when it really did believe that it had God on its side."
This is a very empowering thought to me.
When you really consider it, religion today is like an abusive step-father in his elder years – old and weak, half begging for company but still trying his best to run your life and control your bedroom. You kind of feel sorry for him in his weakened, needy state, but then you remember him when he was young and strong. He terrified, vilified and murdered those that opposed him, ruling kingdoms and launching wars that slaughtered people by the millions.
You dared not oppose him, as those that did paid with their lives. Religion's reign of terror and superstition has kept us in the dark far too long.
He may be getting on in years, but he's still dangerous: He still molests young boys in the Catholic church, still burns witches in Africa, still stones women in the Middle East and kills homosexuals in America. He still wants to live, he still wants to eat.
However, there's hope his time is near. With the internet connecting us in ways faster than the old man can keep up with, all of us kids are now talking to one another and realizing the extent of the systemic abuse we've been hostage to all these years, like a world-wide abuse survivor support group. Our abuser's time is running short, and yet so many of his children are still desperately trying to shovel donations down his throat, keep him active and exercising, but there's a growing number of us that just wish he'd, well... go.
I wish John Lennon was alive to see what's happening today.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
"Let me tell you something. For hundreds and thousands of years, this kind of discussion would have been impossible to have, or Sam and I would have been having it at the risk of our lives. Religion now comes to us in this smiley-face ingratiating way, because it has had to give so much ground and because we know so much more. But you have no right to forget the way it behaved when it was strong, and when it really did believe that it had God on its side."
This is a very empowering thought to me.
When you really consider it, religion today is like an abusive step-father in his elder years – old and weak, half begging for company but still trying his best to run your life and control your bedroom. You kind of feel sorry for him in his weakened, needy state, but then you remember him when he was young and strong. He terrified, vilified and murdered those that opposed him, ruling kingdoms and launching wars that slaughtered people by the millions.
You dared not oppose him, as those that did paid with their lives. Religion's reign of terror and superstition has kept us in the dark far too long.
He may be getting on in years, but he's still dangerous: He still molests young boys in the Catholic church, still burns witches in Africa, still stones women in the Middle East and kills homosexuals in America. He still wants to live, he still wants to eat.
However, there's hope his time is near. With the internet connecting us in ways faster than the old man can keep up with, all of us kids are now talking to one another and realizing the extent of the systemic abuse we've been hostage to all these years, like a world-wide abuse survivor support group. Our abuser's time is running short, and yet so many of his children are still desperately trying to shovel donations down his throat, keep him active and exercising, but there's a growing number of us that just wish he'd, well... go.
I wish John Lennon was alive to see what's happening today.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one