CelticBear’s Musings

So one of the authors of the whole religious porn Left Behind book series was on Glen Beck’s radio show the other day promoting the latest book. (Yeah, I listen to right-wing people now and then too, just to see what spin they’re putting on events,) and I was disgusted. The little bit I listened to, he talked about how this world isn’t important, this life is nothing, what’s important is preparing for “The Next World.”

Maybe I’m just tired of the whole thing, but that sentiment just sickens me. Every day I listen to podcasts that focus on critical thinking, skepticism, rational thinking, intellectual pursuits, and every last one of them advocates either directly and blatantly or subtly and implied, that we need to pay attention to world events, pay attention to the world, do what we can to protect the environment, end strife, promote understanding, end social ills, and become better people today, right here and now. And to hear some religious ideologue dismiss reality, life, existence here on this planet as being unimportant and promoting a focus on getting into heaven just really made me sick.

Now I know not all Christians are like that. Many, most, “liberal Christians” do believe in making the world a better place while preparing for heaven. But so many, and many key people who we call “neocons” in the government right now, don’t care about this world except to hoard the earthly riches they think they’re promised before Armageddon. This first time I saw this sentiment was a few years ago while flipping through one of Rush Limbaugh’s books, where he said the eco-freaks are idiots because it’s impossible for humans to harm a planet provided to them by God. This ultra-arrogant hubris, aside from being BS altogether, ignores the fact that aside from massive long-term if not permanent ecological damage, that corporate carte blanch to do whatever still poisons water supplies that has killed and sickened villages downstream of factories and farms, immediately harmed people living around toxic dump sites, and creates immediate health harms from air pollution such as smog and acid rain. So even if we don’t destroy the eco-system altogether or create global warming, there’s still hundreds of thousands of deaths and more sickness due to arrogant corporate practices that shrug off ecological responsibility.

From hate spewing Kansas preacher Fred Phelps to the so-called moderate born again morality president shrub, this religious ideology that all that matters is what gets you into heaven is what makes Earth a hell right here. While millions of “faithful” are busy trying to figure out what will lead to their own personal salvation, they’re ignoring the underlying selfishness, arrogance, greed, that is all around and can and should be ended. What kind of heaven is willing to accept people who all they think about is heaven but allow human tragedy and hate to go on all around them here on earth?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47EBLD-ISyc