A Noble Quest

The witterings of a sorely deluded soul who enjoys debate with herself and others.

Wednesday 30 May 2012

God is Love

How can people justify things like this:

Well, there must be a good reason. Let me go and get my Bible and see what God and Jesus have to say: 

God is love. (John 4:8)

Hmm, this has started badly. How can I bash gays now? 

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5: 42-48)

Aha! Jesus told us to love our enemies! That means I can say that we hate them and should murder them! Wait...? Are you seriously suggesting that I have to love everyone? That's a tad disappointing. 

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (John 4:20-21)

So by not loving other human beings, we are not loving God? That is utter gibberish, let me find that verse which explicitly states God hates homosexuals.  

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:9)

By making people become depressed, oppressed, repressed and making them turn away from their faith, I am doing no ill to my neighbour therefore my love fulfils the law. 

The Bible doesn't really talk about love anyway, it's only mentioned about 730 times which is pretty inadequate. And have patience, I'm still trying to find that verse in the book of God Hates. 

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (1Peter 1:22)

Jesus loved the Pharisees. Jesus said for us to love everyone and for some reason he didn't go, "except" afterwards. 

My search for the verse that states "God hates fags" is going badly so I'm going to make it up. 

And on the 30th February, God commanded that we hate all homosexuals because they have a good dress sense and have made the musical wonderful. (God Hates 69:666)




Tuesday 29 May 2012

Architects - Daybreaker

Even though I am a theist, a follower of Jesus Christ, I still enjoy (well, I don't always enjoy it) and delve into the opposite view. The opposite view of course being that of an atheist. The beauty of faith is that it is there to be challenged. It isn't necessarily something to keep hidden away, dwelling and becoming stagnated. As soon as one becomes self-righteous enough to presume and bark that they are completely right and have the absolute truth, then we have a problem. More specifically, they have a problem. This can range from music, favourite Renaissance artist, fruit, to philosophy, science, religion and whether or not socks and sandals are acceptable to wear together. Clearly on this last point, the world should be in unison that it is an abomination to choose such a combination.

Carrying on though and back to the point, this is more to do with reading or talking or interacting with those who believe differently. This occurred recently when my favourite band released their new album, Daybreaker (it's terrific, by the way). The band, Architects, are a group of atheists and quite rightly, they are very much entitled to writing about atheism and making songs about it. If a band like The Devil Wears Prada or Demon Hunter can sing about God, Architects can sing about the lack of a God.

Perhaps a good idea to keep in mind is this:

"It is by doubting that we come to investigate, and by investigating that we recognize the truth." Peter Abelard


I remember hearing a particular line from "These Colours Don't Run" (watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHHJF2cUwyY):

If there was a God, you would be the death of him

Obviously, I believe there is a God but this line certainly does resonate. It's an explicit statement about how the very people who believe in a God, often are the very folk who murder their God. Indeed, the entire song is powerful, it's just this is a stand out line.

The next song I heard (which made me go "uh-oh" as soon as I heard the title) is "Alpha Omega", which, correct me if I'm wrong, is in reference to, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." (Revelation 22:9) But when I listened to it I found myself thinking how remarkably similar their vein of thought is to mine. The song discusses the divisions caused, the oppression and repression caused, the power and control, as well as the deceit and lies of religion. I think I am probably right in suggesting the album focuses more on Christianity due to the references to biblical imagery, but I am sure it encompasses more than this religion. The point is that a religion focussed on love and being good to one another has been corrupted to the point that it is for some, merely a form of control. A religion that according to some is led by "The First Socialist" has become a cog in conservatism and capitalism is frightening, absurd and a downright shame.

"Daybreaker" focusses on uniting humanity, eradicating the greed and corruptness of the world, and basically, being decent to one another. Their points about religion being a weapon and mechanism of control and form of oppression; spot on. Their points about how America lost its way; spot on. Their points about thinking; spot on. The list continues.

I highly recommend you purchase the album but if metal is not your musical genre, research the lyrics. Hopefully you'll find something that resonates or worth debate.

Here are some further links:

Architects - Alpha Omega
Architects - Unbeliever
Daybreaker Lyrics

Thursday 24 May 2012

A Short Note As To Why

Perhaps it isn't always obvious or at all apparent as to why sexuality is so important or the forefront of a person like me, indeed, myself. Why is there the need to push, accentuate, emphasise, highlight, harp on et cetera, about sexuality? What I very much want to avoid is going around with a fog horn, thrusting it into the ear of an unaware person and pressing it, with the metaphorical fog horn blaring out, "Look at me! I'm gay! Rainbows, yay unicorns!" (Insert any applicable stereotype you so desire.) Nor do I very much like face paint, making witty signs (due to the lack of wit within me) or rainbows.

In fact, I very much wish whoever decided rainbows = homosexuality, had chosen something much more appeasing. Like cake. Rainbow cake is offered as a compromise.

Anyway, the point is that sexuality is an inherent human right and when a human right is oppressed, it's time to whip out the metaphorical fog horns and the applicable flag and parade around. (Or chain yourself up, if you're into that kind of thing.)

Because I have a really, really, really, really good idea.

1) Build a big enclosure and put all the heterosexual females in there.
2) Build a lovely enclosure for heterosexual men and tell them all the heterosexual women are in there to lure them in.
3) Watch all the heterosexuals die because they can't reproduce.
4) Live in a big, merry, gay utopia in which all heterosexuals are dead until they reemerge when gay people reproduce (as, unbelievably, such a thing is possible).

Of course, I'm joking, just in case sarcasm doesn't translate properly or a conservative reads this and thinks that we are rather alike.

That kind of oppression happens. A lot. Too often. One case is too much.

Talking about it helps.

Educating helps.

Being an arse doesn't.