The more I learn about the intersection of religion into politics the more deeply it disturbs me. And the more it disturbs me the more I don't know what to do about it.
I'm starting this thread to brainstorm through some ideas on how to love evil. Not just ideologically, but in real, everyday life.
Here's an example:
YouTube - Rapture Ready: The Christians United for Israel Tour
These are groups of so-called Christians whose purpose is to instigate a preemptive war against Iran for no other reason than that Iran is a Muslim nation. These Christians believe the attack in Iran will bring about the apocalypse, and they are excited for the apocalypse to arrive.
They believe that the Antichrist will become recognizable when he negotiates a peace accord in the Middle East. What a perversion of truth. Black is white. Up is down. Peace means war. Reason means you are the Antichrist.
These things, these people put me into a horrible place emotionally. I want them to wake up and to stop causing so much pain and suffering. But it's been years and they never seem to wake up.
They are too afraid to see that everyone is created equal. They are too brainwashed to believe that another religion could be as valid as their own.
And I want to tell them that there is nothing to fear, that all their violence is for nothing, but when pain and loss exist it's not as easy to convince people there is nothing to fear as it is to convince them that there is something to lose.
So how can we react to people like this existing? Besides just pretending that they don't?
I'm so frustrated with the ideas of setting an example, of trying to be the change I want to see. I learn more and more but it seems like ignorance remains at an all time high.
If I saw a murderer breaking into my neighbors house with a butcher knife it would be cowardly to ignore it, right? But make no mistake,
Bush is a murderer. And our neighbors are Iraqi.
Erin once wrote about "Fighting Supreme Evil."
Fighting Supreme Evil
So how do you love evil?
Quote:
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"Bless you," I said. He recoiled. "God bless you, Evil." He stumbled like he was in pain. "I give you Love. Unconditional. I give you Love."
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Bless them? Love them unconditionally?
How far can that notion be taken? Should I love a murderer who is in the middle of murdering someone? How about a rapist who is in the middle of raping someone?
How could I ignore those things? I know I wouldn't.
So how can I love politicians and ministers who are calling upon our troops to murder Muslims?
For love of evil. What I wouldn't give to be able to truly love evil. How simple that life must be.
When I googled, "For Love of Evil," since the phrase has been on my mind all weekend, I ended up with a Piers Anthony book and a Steve Pavlina post.
For Love of Evil
The post talks about loving the different parts of yourself that you might normally label as evil.
But my issues aren't with loving different parts of myself. My issues are with trying to love the politicians who are promoting violence, and the religious fanatics who are trying to bring about the apocalypse.
Only through the looking glass of subjective reality could all this evil, violence and ignorance really be a part of myself. But since I would do anything to rid myself of seeing those things, it's worth the introspection.
The brand of evil is American imperialism,
PNAC style. It's propelled by several core beliefs, as far as I can see:
- The belief that Christians are better than Muslims.
- The belief that American's lives are worth more than other human lives.
- The belief that God's plan can be derailed.
- The belief that the Christian religion needs defended.
- The belief that the Jewish homeland, Israel, needs defended.
- The belief that in order for there to be good, there must be evil.
But in reality, to attack other nations preemptively is murder. There's no way around it.
Quote:
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Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly, I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing.
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- President Eisenhower
But these Christians are willing to do it anyway.
They have a deep seated need to find a villain. If they find a villain it gives them a purpose.
Do I do those things as well? Are these core beliefs that I also hold? Is the fact that I keep seeing these murderers reappear in my own reality an indication that I am holding some of the same core beliefs as them? Does their ignorance and violence simply reflect my own?
Here are my core beliefs in those same areas.
- I believe religions should be peaceful and harmonious.
- I believe everyone's lives are equal.
- I believe that God does not have a set plan, and that we choose our own fates.
- I believe that no religion based in truth needs defended.
- I believe Israel can defend itself, not only in a first strike scenario, but in a second strike scenario.
- I believe peace, harmony and joy are the highest offerings of this life. I believe in the harvest, in the abundance of nature, and in loving life. I believe hating other religions does not contribute to joy.
My beliefs are very different from theirs. Which then brings me back to the same question: What is the proper ethical / moral response to these people?
Anything that challenges their beliefs will simply be labeled as being Satanic. There can be no open dialog or intellectual debate - and violence will always be used as a trump card against reason.
But that is truly the nature of our reality it seems. When pain and loss appear to exist it is not as easy to convince someone that there is nothing to fear as it is to convince them that they have something to lose.
Maybe I need to forgive them right to their faces. Go to their stupid megachurchs and directly tell them, "I forgive you."
I forgive you for hating the Muslims.
I forgive you for believing God's plan could be set off course.
I forgive you for your complete lack of faith.
I forgive you killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
I forgive you for persecuting homosexuals.
I forgive you for trying to find a villain so desperately.
I'd probably just get kicked right out. But it's the only proper response I know.