| Political Philosophy |
| Jim Hlavac |
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Political Philosophy
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Religion is both a great salve for individuals and a source of
unimaginable cruelty and absurdity. No religion on the planet is
immune, either today or at any time in history, from some of the basest
of human acts. Unspeakable crimes have been committed in the name of
religion. Wars still rage because of religion.
And what is religion? It is merely an expression by man of his own
inability to totally grasp the enormity of the earth and the universe, and
his own place within it. Every religion has the same basic elements: a
creation theory, a doctrine, a liturgy, a central text and a hierarchy.
Every religion basically says the same thing: we are the true word of
God(s) and all others are condemned to hell. And all religions have
had the same basic concept on dealing with other religions: unmitigated
slaughter as fast as possible. Many a religion has been married to the
state, so that there are in fact far more "theocracies" than might be
imagined.
We like to say that Iran, and formerly Afghanistan, are the only
theocracies. But any Muslim Kingdom, from Jordan, to the Gulf
Principalities, to Saudi Arabia, to even Sudan and Morocco, are in fact
theocracies. The Divine Right of their ruling houses is based directly on
religion. But church authority, whether the Orthodox Church in Russia
and Greece, or the Catholics in Poland and South America, or the
Muslims of North Africa, or the Hindus of India -- all are in league with
the state to oppress the people in the name of the Glory of God and
State. God created the Nation -- therefore anyone not for the religion is
against the state. The state is the people, therefore they are enemies of
the people. How exactly people within the state, but who don't conform
to the state, can possibly be against themselves is hard to fathom.
But it comes down to this: The State and The Church are merely
ideas, fictitious entities -- yet people are real individuals. It is statists
who have the equation backwards. They believe that the State and the
Church are real and individuals are merely passing through.
So Religion is right up there with Statists, but again, using different
words for the same thing. Being denied the right to look at the internet
because of the Word of God, or the Word of the Great Leader, or the
Word of the Communist Party or the Word of the People's Party or the
Word of the President for life is all the same: Denial. It makes not a
whit of difference. Yet most of the statists like to say, "oh, no, they are
all different and we must respect these differences in cultures." They are
wrong.
Yet, Religion itself is fine, if that is what makes individuals deal with
the confusing world and its problems. But it is the American style of
Religious Freedom and Diversity which has led to peace and harmony
and prosperity. There is only one basic rule: So long as you do not into
interfere with other's rights to believe the religion of their own choosing.
It is arrogance at it's worst for one religion to claim for the world what is
best, only individuals know what's best for themselves. Yet most of the
world has state established or state favored religions which then work
diligently to prevent other people from practicing their religion, all for the
Glory of the State and God's good religion.
Any government or religion which tries to impose one system of
thought upon a people is doomed to poverty and failure and the
continuous effort and expense of stamping out individual thought. Many
poor countries are so busy spending time, effort and money on
repression and preventing individual effort that the countries are doomed
to failure.
Without a knowledge of history no one can see how this encourages
repression. Not knowing why some countries are freer prevents all
countries from being free.
And which group of individuals will argue for its own oppression?
It is limited government with no rights for itself that provides the
best system to make people wealthy and free.
unimaginable cruelty and absurdity. No religion on the planet is
immune, either today or at any time in history, from some of the basest
of human acts. Unspeakable crimes have been committed in the name of
religion. Wars still rage because of religion.
And what is religion? It is merely an expression by man of his own
inability to totally grasp the enormity of the earth and the universe, and
his own place within it. Every religion has the same basic elements: a
creation theory, a doctrine, a liturgy, a central text and a hierarchy.
Every religion basically says the same thing: we are the true word of
God(s) and all others are condemned to hell. And all religions have
had the same basic concept on dealing with other religions: unmitigated
slaughter as fast as possible. Many a religion has been married to the
state, so that there are in fact far more "theocracies" than might be
imagined.
We like to say that Iran, and formerly Afghanistan, are the only
theocracies. But any Muslim Kingdom, from Jordan, to the Gulf
Principalities, to Saudi Arabia, to even Sudan and Morocco, are in fact
theocracies. The Divine Right of their ruling houses is based directly on
religion. But church authority, whether the Orthodox Church in Russia
and Greece, or the Catholics in Poland and South America, or the
Muslims of North Africa, or the Hindus of India -- all are in league with
the state to oppress the people in the name of the Glory of God and
State. God created the Nation -- therefore anyone not for the religion is
against the state. The state is the people, therefore they are enemies of
the people. How exactly people within the state, but who don't conform
to the state, can possibly be against themselves is hard to fathom.
But it comes down to this: The State and The Church are merely
ideas, fictitious entities -- yet people are real individuals. It is statists
who have the equation backwards. They believe that the State and the
Church are real and individuals are merely passing through.
So Religion is right up there with Statists, but again, using different
words for the same thing. Being denied the right to look at the internet
because of the Word of God, or the Word of the Great Leader, or the
Word of the Communist Party or the Word of the People's Party or the
Word of the President for life is all the same: Denial. It makes not a
whit of difference. Yet most of the statists like to say, "oh, no, they are
all different and we must respect these differences in cultures." They are
wrong.
Yet, Religion itself is fine, if that is what makes individuals deal with
the confusing world and its problems. But it is the American style of
Religious Freedom and Diversity which has led to peace and harmony
and prosperity. There is only one basic rule: So long as you do not into
interfere with other's rights to believe the religion of their own choosing.
It is arrogance at it's worst for one religion to claim for the world what is
best, only individuals know what's best for themselves. Yet most of the
world has state established or state favored religions which then work
diligently to prevent other people from practicing their religion, all for the
Glory of the State and God's good religion.
Any government or religion which tries to impose one system of
thought upon a people is doomed to poverty and failure and the
continuous effort and expense of stamping out individual thought. Many
poor countries are so busy spending time, effort and money on
repression and preventing individual effort that the countries are doomed
to failure.
Without a knowledge of history no one can see how this encourages
repression. Not knowing why some countries are freer prevents all
countries from being free.
And which group of individuals will argue for its own oppression?
It is limited government with no rights for itself that provides the
best system to make people wealthy and free.