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    /~~~~~~~~~~~  |  |        |  |   \____/   |    |______  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~\
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    |  |        |______|    |______|        /_____________|           |  |
    |  |                                                              |  |
    |  |          ...Hogs of Entropy Text Files Present...            |  |
    |  |                                                              |  |
    |  |                   "Thou Shalt Not Think"                     |  |
    |  |                                                              |  |
    |  |                                          By: Thalassocracy   |  |
    |  |                                                              |  |
     \  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  /
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	
     Before I get bashed out off my soap box for this file, I'd like to say
something in my defense.  This is simply a "persuasive" article.  The key
word being "persuade."  My goal, so to speak, is to convince you that my
viewpoint is correct, even though I may agree with the flip-side slightly on
some accounts.  Yet, it would be incredibly stupid to mention them here, as
this would turn into a rambling of massiveness, an argument with myself.
Contrasting viewpoints are for just that - "contrast."  I'll leave it up to
other people to bring up them.  I should probably carry a copy of this around
with me so when someone asks me about religion I'll just hand it to them.  I
often try to get into religious discussions, but fail horribly because I talk
before I think (that -is- one the of the main reasons for stuttering, you
know) and end up sounding like a fool.  This is simply a way to organize my
ideas and get them across.  In any case, what I'm trying to say is, don't
hate me because I'm beautiful.
	
     What is the Bible?  It depends on who you ask.  If you ask your local
English teacher (speaking as strictly an English teacher, that is) he'll say
it's the one of the works that are the basis for Western literature.  If you
ask your local priest, he'll say it's the "word of God" and is how we should
live our lives.  Your local rabbi will give you the same answer as a priest
would, except he would add a note to ignore that little thing called the "New
Testament."  And there are 47643745 Christian variations, as well.  Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, you get the idea.
	
     Taken word for word, the Bible is a well written piece of literature and
is filled with countless moral and entertaining stories.  I doubt anyone
would be able to get through high school and college without studying the
Bible, even in public school.  In fact, probably more so in public school,
since if you were to study the Bible, as a piece of literature, in a Catholic
school, the conversation would get bogged down by the religious aspects of
it.  But, then again, what about the Greek and Roman myths?  The stories of
Native Americans?  Hinduism?  Buddhism?  Islam?  <caution : inside joke>
Neavisism?!  They are all comparable, if not superior to the Christian Bible,
literally.  How can we simply disregard their credibility and worship
Christianity as the "right" religion.  And, if so, -which- Christian flavor
is best?  What kind of egos do we have, especially religious authorities, to
deny entire countries of any truthfulness to their entire religious
existence?
	
     What is different, though, is the complexity of the religion as a whole.
Christianity is "modern."  It is the most popular religion in most (I would
say "all," but I'm sure someone will come up with some third world country
that has an Apple ][ in one of every five homes) "modern" countries.  And
don't tell me that Middle Eastern countries are "modern."  Sure they have
enough weapons to destroy downtown East Bumblefuck, but the common man still
lives like shit.  And the common man is what's important.  It's the common
man (er.. fuck.. I hope too many women don't get offended when I
"accidentally" use the word "man" meaning "all men and women" or use the male
pronoun when referring to both sexes... I care, really.) that matters here.
He (did it again) is the one that makes the religion.  It's what he (teehee)
believes that matters.
	
     An undebatable fact is that all religions explain the unexplainable.
Keeping this in mind, think about the ancient Greek myths.  They had gods to
control many aspects of the workings of the Earth.  For example, there was a
god of fire, a god of water, a god of warez, etc.  These were all things that
the common Greek person could not understand.  They did not understand how
man discovered fire, nor where water came from, nor how my warez m0ve so damn
fast.. well.. bad example.  So, stories began to be told, and people believed
them.
	
     As scientific knowledge began to advance, the people of Greece, most
notably Socrates and his followers, began to question the truth in these
stories.  Many of these unknowns had become known, but they did still not
understand where the Universe came from, for example, so there had to be a
God to have created the Earth on which they lived.  The other gods, the ones
that explained, like, how people learned how to use fire, became outdated.
The singular God frame of mind did not gain mass appeal until much later,
though.
	
     Another function of religion is to give morals.  The morals in any
religion are obvious.  These morals were followed out of fear.  Fear that
they would be punished if the morals were broken.  And many laws are still
followed out of fear.  That is why many people believe in the death penalty,
as a deterrent.  Punishment in the Bible holds the same purpose as punishment
in the democratic countries of today.  To avoid having crimes committed in
the first place.  It does no good to society to punish.  Here comes a quote
to which I forget who to credit.  I think it's Plato.  "In a society with
crime, there is no justice."  If that statement hit the tall person behind
you, it means if there is crime not everyone is following the law (duh) and
people are not getting justice.  For example, if someone is murdered his (did
it again, wowee zowee) right to live is taken away.  There is no justice in a
society with murdering. 
	
     My point (yes, there is one) is that the laws of the Bible, and our laws
of today are for the same purpose.  They were laws to preserve justice
(prevent crime, not punish those who commit them).  The punishment is for
those too stupid to follow the laws for the common good and must be made
fearful of God (which was a majority of people).  Oh, yeah, my point is that
the laws were written by humans!  Not some blasted god.  These laws are not
that complex.  I'm sure the common man (ha ha ha ho!) understood that killing
is "bad."
	
     It reminds me of the Simpsons episode in which Homer is in some kind of
flashback just before the Ten Commandments were given.  Homer's "job" was to
steal, another's was to create idols (there were other people, but I forget
and such).  Once Moses comes they say to each other "uh-oh, it's Moses, look
busy!"  So, the one person starts to make idols, and Homer steals them as he
makes them.  As he hears "Thou shalt not make false idols," he stops making
them, cartoon-cursing on the way.  When Homer hears "Thou shalt not steal,"
he obviously says "Doh!" and puts the idols back.  In any case, this is a
great comedic bashing of how the Bible portrayed people.  As stupid idiots
who will follow any law given to them, and this is how the religious
authorities of today want -us- to act.  They only followed those laws out of
fear.  Fear, I say, damnit.
	
     Not until people began to have democratic governments were laws openly
known to have been created by humans.  The twelve tablets of Roman code and
the Constitution are good examples of this.  People, today are more willing
to follow the laws of the Constitution than the Ten Commandments of the Bible
only because they fear life in prison more than damnation in hell.  Except
for those idiotic pro-lifers who kill abortion doctors in the "name of God."
Give me a fucking break.  I've got a motto for you (sure, I stole it from
someone else, but I can't remember right now, sooo.. uh.. thanks.) "Life
begins at conception and ends at birth."  Oh, I crack myself up.
	
     Our modern scientists are the Socrates' of today.  More and more the of
unknowns explained in the Bible are being known by work in science.  Yet,
just as happened to Socrates, the masses will not convert to the religion of
science any time soon.  Even after the discovery of the actual origin of the
Universe (and we are coming close) it will be years, decades, even centuries
before Christianity is abolished.  There is nothing inherently wrong with
religion, as churches do many wonderful things.  But, it is simply false.  It
hurts me when I hear people say things like "It was God's will," when someone
is murdered.  I assume it gives them comfort, but it is also showing their
ignorance.  People kill people.  There is no uncontrollable, supernatural
force that creates a murderer. Murderers are the result of bad parenting,
insanity, etc.
	
     Money is also taken from people for the church.  There is nothing wrong
with this when used for a good cause (feeding the hungry, etc.), but it
becomes a waste when used to build bigger churches or to pay church
employees.  Even worse is when it goes directly into a preacher's pocket like
those guys on TV.  Programs to feed the hungry could be easily organized
without a physical church.  If you really want to help people, do it
efficiently.
	
     Another thing I heard/read the other day was someone say "If 1/10
(referring to tithe) is good enough for God, why isn't it for government?"
Well, lady (I'm sure it was a woman who said this) let's see God magically
make schools, roads, public transportation, college funds, welfare, military
with your fucking 10%!  And, even more hilarious is that she says that it's
"for God" and "for the government."  Hahahah.. ow.. hah!  It's for
-you-you-you-, you fucking bitch.  Where do you think your money goes when
you pay taxes?!  To some little pot that the President uses for prostitutes
and plastic surgery!?!?  NO!  That's probably where it goes when you give it
to the church, though.  Now, go fuck yourself with a cross.
	
     "Do not bow down to any idol or worship it," is one of the Ten
Commandments.  The false god, the idol is "God."  The democratic way is the
true "God" to worship.  And, I'll bet you do that every day.  "I Pledge
Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America."  Point being that
the government (science being part of the government.  I mean, government
being the moral half of religion, and science being the unknown part of it)
is our "religion," today.  The Constitution is our "Bible."  Democratic
government is simply another evolution in religion.  It won't be the last,
either.  Standard religion and democratic government have co-existed for
quite awhile now, but eventually, one will have to go.  There are too many
things that conflict.  And, I'll bet it won't be the American government that
we go without.  

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 Copyright (c) 1995 HoE Publications and Thalassocracy.       #84 -> 06/16/95
 All rights Reserved.
