How the interment of these kids is a set back for rationalists and a win for god botherers

[stopbush]

A few months ago, cracks appeared in our nation’s obsession with treating Christian fantasies as facts when the outrage over the Parkland murders made it OK to openly aver that offering thoughts and prayers was an insulting waste of time and energy. It was suddenly OK to state the obvious: prayer is useless, self aggrandizing navel gazing that allows the prayer to feel they have done something positive when all they are doing is mumbling to themselves, absolving themselves of taking any action that might actually make a difference.

Fast forward to our present situation, and what do we see? Ministers and other fantasy peddlers clogging the airwaves, telling us how the Rs citing the BuyBull to justify their horrible immigration policies is “unchristian,” and how dare they “use the word of god” to justify their acts. And it’s not just the clergy. It’s guests on Joy Reid and elsewhere averring that “gods word is being abused” to advance a RW agenda.

Hello! Isn’t the REAL problem that we accept the touting of the make believe of Christianity to infect our public discourse? What’s worse? Spouting the mindless prattle of thoughts and prayers in response to a tragedy or spouting the equally mindless prattle that the make believe of the Christian faith should have any standing in public immigration policy?

There is no fucking word of god because there is no fucking god. The words of the BuyBull have no more authority or agency than any other thought that has sprung from the minds of men over the centuries. Arguing over the use or misue of “god’s word” is little more than offering tacet approval of fantasy being raised to an even higher level than objective fact in setting public policy.

[vlyons]

1. I find a lot of wisdom in the Bible

and I'm a Buddhist, which is not a religion, but a non-theistic practice. It's important to understand and make a distinction between Christian ideology (which I find ridiculous) and the moral precepts about how people should behave to live together peacefully. So if Christian ministers want to preach about the inhumanity and cruelty of the Trump administration is abusing immigrant children, I don't have a problem with that. I say, if you're talking to Christians, Muslims, atheists, or whatever, use the words that will be heard and understood to create the critical mass of public opinion that will stop this monstrous policy.

The point is to stop the policy of state-inflicted child abuse, not vent about Bible preachers.

[stopbush]

5. Every nugget of "wisdom" found in the BuyBull is offset by chapter after chapter

of anti-human stupidities and bigotries.

But more important, there is not a single “good thought” in the BuyBull that is unique to that loathsome book. Every one of those good thoughts existed outside of the BuyBull prior to making its belated appearance in the BuyBull.

So why bother with the damn thing?

[vlyons]

6. You have completely missed the point

I'm not here to argue that the Bible is the word of God. It's not. It was written by fallible humans in a time before the advent of science. I'll take wisdom, wherever I can find it. We don't actually know if Jesus was a historical person or a composite of several characters. It's not my business to persuade you to anything. We Buddhists don't try to convert people to anything. I will say that the difference between the Old testament adherence to Judaic law, and the New Testament's emphasis on compassion, peace, forgiveness, and tolerance -- those new ideas didn't just spring up out of nowhere. There is plenty of evidence that the philosophy of compassion and loving kindness were influences from Mahayana Buddhism and Greco Buddhism that had reached the West from India and Afghanistan via the silk road, which was opened by Alexander the Great.

I don't know what happened to make you so hostile to the Bible. Finding wisdom is like panning for gold. Don't throw away a nice gold nugget because it sits in a pan of worthless sand.

[stopbush]

7. You don't know what happened to me to make me "hostile to the BuyBull?"

Seriously?

Our Christianista AG is citing the BuyBull as a reason to separate kids from their parents and you’re wondering what happened to me?

I’m not impressed with your ability to see beyond your nose.

[Voltaire2]

2. Yes. Sessions deliberately reframed the discussion

In a your bible vs our bible debate Gods Only Party wins.

[AZ8theist]

3. "BUY BULL"

EXACTLY.

Great post. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Nothing......I mean NOTHING FAILS LIKE PRAYER.

[AZ8theist]

4. Especially coming from a Nazi pig like Dotard

Who doesn't know the words to the National Anthem.

Who doesn't know the words to "God Bless America".

Who "claimed" his favorite book is the bible. Yet can't name a single verse. We all know he's never read it. Yet it's reported he keeps a copy of Mein Kampf at his bedside.

Nazi fucking pig.

[RussBLib]

8. Andrew Seidel (FFRF) had a good column on this in Think Progress recently.

Its frikkin' absurd to me that we are still using this fictional book to justify anything. I can feel all the preachers, always trying to figure out a way to weasel back into the hearts and minds of Americans.

"The White House Bible Study group that influenced Trump’s family separation policy"

Link