X-Message-Number: 20483
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 22:24:02 -0600
Subject: Religious Extremism
From: Joesph A Zarka <>

Rudi Hoffman Wrote,


Hello, life lovers...

I was so dismayed by this comment off the current news that I thought I
must 
copy it and post it where people of reason, goodwill, and a generally
secular 
bent can see it.

I think it speaks for itself regarding how Muslim extremism...and most
any 
religious extremism (which means simply that you believe the nonsense in 
their holy books) creates attitudes antithetical to human values:

(Quote from current news article...off AOL news:)


Eleven people were killed and at least 48 wounded, eight of them very 
seriously, authorities said. Israel Radio said many of the casualties
were 
school students, though hospital officials declined to give a breakdown.

Israeli police identified the bomber as Nael Abu Hilail, 23.

Abu Hilail's father, Azmi, said he was pleased with his son. ``Our
religion 
says we are proud of him until the day of resurrection,'' Abu Hilail
said. 
``This is a challenge to the Zionist enemies.''

End quote.

Would you be proud of your son expoding noncombatants and children, for
any 
political or religious cause?

Do any of you agree with me that this is one supremely "sick, perverse"
value 
system?  What a contrast to the scientific humanism exhibited by most 
participants at the ALCOR conference! 

Yet there are about 1.2 BILLION Muslims...there are about 1 THOUSAND 
cryonicists.

Sorry to start a new thread not directly related to conference or
cryonics. 

And, for the record, I do not have time for major debates on the Middle
East 
issue, or the illogic of religion.  

I am too busy trying to get as many people covered with cryonics life
insu
rance as I can, to SAVE people of intelligence, education, and vision.  I

will not spend endless hours debating whether destroying children in the
name 
of Allah is a good thing or not. 

But, the perversion of religion to justify cruelty is a value that could 
still kill us all.  And is obviously rampant in our world.

Just my opinion...But I don't think I am wrong about this. 

Observations?

Rudi Hoffman

Joseph Writing,

What is there to debate about killing anyone in the name of religion, it
is plain stupid, period.
You are not wrong about religion being a threat to humanity. I would like
to share with cryonet readers the last few paragraphs of a speech that
Frank Zindler gave at the Annual Oregon Secular Symposium.

Frank Zindler Says "Intelligent designers cannot increase the sum of
human knowledge. They cannot help humanity. Only real science can do
that."

"As I have shown, the objective war between science and theology has been
won by science. This victory could easily be overthrown, however, if the
religionists win the economic and political war now raging all around us.
Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, Rationalists, and Freethinkers of all
kinds must not be pacifists in this war. The stakes are too high. We all
must do everything we can to plant the flag of reason solidly on planet
earth-and keep it there."

"The Tower of Knowledge has been built at great cost. Every temporary
halt in its construction that has been caused by church authority has
resulted in immense loss of human life and monstrous misery. If for
centuries Christianity had not prohibited medical research, just think
how long ago we would have had a cure for cancer."

"Benighted legions of popes and presidents alike are swarming upon the
Tower of Knowledge like army ants released from Paleolithic amber. They
labor tirelessly to convert the Tower of Knowledge into a Tower of Bable.
They are trying to terminate the Age of Reason and return us to the Ages
of Faith. As you know, the Ages of Faith are better known as the Dark
Ages."

"We cannot let them win. We must fight them with every erg of energy we
can command. We dare not fail. We must not let reason's lamplight die. We
cannot return to an age of darkness. We will not bow again to preists and
prophets. We shall not submit to creeds and credulity. We shall fight to
keep the future free." 
End Of Quote.

Log on to www.godlessamericans.org and click photos and speeches. Listen
to the speeches given by Taslima Nasrin, Dr. Seth Asser, Parvin Darabi,
and Ron Barrier. I would like to challenge Dani and Eytan Kollin to
listen to these speeches, then try to claim a world based on religious
values is a better one than a secular world.

Atheist activism is very important for cryonics, radical life extention,
and humanity as a whole to have a chance, which is why I choose to devote
my energy and talents to it.

Long Life & Freedom From Religion

Joseph

Alcor Member A-1956
Member American Atheists
Member Foresight Institute

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