Posts by JohnNewby

14

Our loving heavenly father Jehovah... the worst mass murdering dictator in all the land.

by MrFreeze in

worst dictator in the land?

let me inform you cats why.

you all know this already, i'm sure, but i'm gonna lay this all out there anyway.. we can definitely say he's a dictator.

JohnNewby

One of the least recognized of the great 18th century freethinkers is Jean Meslier. He was born in 1687 in Marzeny, France -- a weaver's son who soon evinced a studious nature. At an early age, Meslier entered the priesthood and aside from an incident in which he had refused to kowtow to the village big-wig and for which he was rebuked by his archbishop, Meslier's was a quiet, modest life, one of austerity and of service to his parishioners. He died in 1733, leaving all his possessions to his parish flock.

Meslier's most amazing and unexpected legacy was a remarkable manuscript 366 pages long (of which he had made three handwritten copies) in the form of a last will and testament entitled "Common Sense", in which he totally repudiated every aspect of Judeo-Christian doctrine. A note affixed to the copy designated for his parishioners declared: "I have seen and recognized the errors, the abuses, the follies and the wickedness of men. I have hated and despised them. I did not dare say it during my life, but I will say it at least in dying, and after my death; and it is that it may be known, that I write this present memorial in order that it may serve as a witness of truth to all those who may see and read it if they choose...How often have I suffered within myself when I was forced to preach to you those pious lies which I despised in my heart...What remorse I had for exciting your credulity! A thousand times upon the point of bursting forth publicly, I was going to open your eyes, but a fear superior to my strength restrained me and forced me to silence until my death."

Meslier's unusual work found its way into the hands of French officials and eventually came to the attention of activists and thinkers of the growing anti-clerical movement, which included such men of prominence as Voltaire and D'Alembert.

As one of the most perceptive partisans of the Enlightenment backlash against centuries of oppression by the Church, Meslier is one of history's greatest holy ghost busters. Unfortunately, he made the profound error of tossing out the baby along with the dirty bath water. In other words, his hatred for the Church was understandable but his embrace of atheism was a big mistake. Nonetheless, Jean Meslier deserves the appreciation and respect of all Spiritual-Deists for his effort to unshackle the mind of Western man from the superstitions and dogmas of Judeo-Christianity.

The following excerpts are from his book entitled, "Common Sense", in which heÂ certainly doesÂ make a lot of sense:

* Let us teach men to be just, benevolent, moderate and sociable, not because their gods exact it, but to please men; let us tell them to abstain from vice and from crime, not because they will be punished in another world, but because they will suffer in the present world.

* When men are kept in fear they cease to reason. When the brain is troubled, we believe everything and examine nothing.

* Since it was necessary for men to have a god, why did they not have the sun, the visible god, adored by so many nations? What being has more right to the homage of mortals than the star of the day, which gives light and heat; which invigorates all beings; whose presence reanimates and rejuvenates Nature; whose absence seems to plunge her into sadness and languor? If some being bestowed upon men power, activity, benevolence, strength, it was no doubt the sun, which should be recognized as the father of Nature, as the soul of the world, as Divinity. At least one could not without folly dispute his existence, or refuse to recognize his influence and his benefits.

* What is God? It is an abstract word, coined to designate the hidden forces of Nature.

* According to the notions of modern theology, it appears evident that God has created the majority of men with the view only to punishing them eternally... .A God so perfidious and wicked as to create a single man and leave him exposed to the perils of damnation, cannot be regarded as a perfect being, but as a monster of nonsense, injustice, malice and atrocity.

* There is a religion which pretends that God Himself died to redeem the human race; and, in spite of His death, men are not in the least as this God would desire them to be!

* When we see polished and wise nations, such as the English, French, German, etc., notwithstanding all their enlightenment, continue to kneel before the barbarous god of the Jews, that is to say, of the most stupid, the most credulous, the most savage, the most unsocial nation which ever was on earth; when we see these enlightened nations divide themselves into sects, tear one another, hate and despise each other for opinions, equally ridiculous, upon the conduct and the intentions of this irrational god; when we see intelligent persons occupy themselves foolishly in meditating on the wishes of this capricious and foolish god; we are tempted to exclaim, 'Oh, men! You are still savages! Oh, men! You are but children in the matter of religion!"

* Is the notion of an infinitely good and powerful being who permits an infinity of evils less absurd or less impossible than that of a square triangle?
[Note, Spiritual-Deism maintains that God is infinitely good butÂ NOT infinitely powerful]

* To die for an opinion proves no more the truth or the soundness of this opinion than to die in a battle proves the right of the prince for whose benefit so many people are foolish enough to sacrifice themselves.

* 'Sacrifice your reason; give up experience; distrust the testimony of your senses; submit without examination to all that is given to you as coming from heaven.' This is the usual language of all the priests of the world; they do not agree upon any point, except in the necessity of never reasoning when they present principles to us which they claim as the most important to our happiness.

* The Christians pretend that, with the exceptions of the Jewish people, the whole human race lived in utter ignorance of its duties toward God, and had but imperfect ideas of Divine majesty. Christianity, offshoot of Judaism, which was very humble in its obscure origin, became powerful and cruel under the Christian emperors, who, driven by a holy zeal, spread it marvelously in their empire by sword and fire, and founded it upon the ruins of overthrown Paganism.

* If we read history with some attention, we shall see that Christianity, fawning at first, insinuated itself among the free nations of Europe but by showing their chiefs that its principles would favor despotism and place absolute power in their hands. We see, consequently, barbarous kings converting themselves with a miraculous promptitude; that is to say, adopting without examination a system so favorable to their ambition, and exerting themselves to have it adopted by their subjects.

* It is true that the Greeks have not known the divine right of tyrants or usurpers over their native country. Under the Reign of Paganism it never entered the brain of anybody that heaven did not want a nation to defend itself against a ferocious beast which insolently ravaged it. The Christian religion, devised for the benefit of tyrants, was established on the principle that the nations should renounce the legitimate defense of themselves. Thus Christian nations are deprived of the first law of Nature, which decrees that man should resist evil and disarm all who attempt to destroy him.

* Priests in all times have shown themselves supporters of despotism, and the enemies of public liberty. Their profession requires submissive slaves, who never have the audacity to reason. In an absolute government, their great object is to secure control of the mind of a weak and stupid prince, in order to make themselves masters of the people. Instead of leading the people to salvation, priests, have always led them to servitude.

* Theological disputes, equally unintelligible for the parties already irritated against each other, have unsettled empires, caused revolutions, ruined sovereigns, devastated the whole of Europe; these despicable quarrels could not be extinguished even in rivers of blood. After the extinction of Paganism a religious principle was established of going into a frenzy every time that an opinion was brought forth which the priests considered contrary to the holy doctrine. The votaries of a religion which externally preaches charity, harmony, and peace have shown themselves more ferocious than cannibals or savages every time their instructors have excited them to the destruction of their brethren. There is no crime which men have not committed in the idea of pleasing Jehovah or of appeasing his wrath.

* Liberty of thought can alone give to men humanity and grandeur of soul. The notion of a tyrant God can create but abject, angry, quarrelsome, intolerant slaves.

* The Jews, excited by the promises of their god, arrogated to themselves the right of exterminating whole nations....The Christians under pretext of spreading their holy religion, covered two hemispheres a hundred times with blood.

* Must we imitate the god of the Jews? Will we find a model for our conduct in Jehovah? He is truly a savage god, really created for an ignorant, cruel and immoral people; he is a god who is constantly enraged, breathing only vengeance; who is without pity, who commands carnage and robbery; in a word he is a god whose conduct can not serve as a model to an honest man, and who can be imitated but by a chief of brigands.

* Shall we imitate, then, the Jesus of the Christians? Can this god, who died to appease the implacable fury of his Father [Yahweh], serve as an example which men ought to follow? Alas! we will see in him not a god, but rather a fanatic, a misanthrope, who being plunged himself into misery, and preaching to the wretched, advices them to be poor, to combat and extinguish Nature, to hate pleasure, to seek sufferings, and to despise themselves.

* The whole world is infested more or less with a religious morality which is founded upon the opinion that to please [Yahweh] it is necessary to render one's self unhappy upon earth. We see in all parts of our globe penitents, hermits, fakirs, fanatics, who seem to have studied profoundly the means of tormenting themselves for the glory of a Being whose goodness they all agree in proclaiming.

* "Blessed are those who suffer!" "Woe to those who have abundance and joy!" These are the rare revelations which Christianity teaches!

* A morality which contradicts the nature of man is not right for him.

* The Christian religion which was originally preached by beggars and by very wretched men strongly recommends alms-giving under the name of charity...Nothing, no doubt, is better suited to humanity than to assist the unfortunate, to clothe the naked, to lend a charitable hand to whomever needs it. But would it not be more humane and more charitable to foresee the misery and to prevent the poor from increasing?

* A rational philosophy inspires us to strew flowers on life's pathway; to dispel melancholy and panic terrors; to link our interests with those of our traveling companions; to divert ourselves by gaiety and honest pleasures from the pains and the crosses to which we are so often exposed.

* Any man who reflects can not fail of knowing his duties, of discovering the relations which subsist between men, of meditating upon his own nature, of discerning his needs, his inclinations and his desires, and of perceiving what he owes to the beings necessary to his own happiness. These reflections naturally lead to the knowledge of the morality which is the most essential for society.

* The rigid principles of Christian morality which so many attempt to pass off as divine, have but very little influence upon the conduct of those who preach them to others.

* The priests have made of God such a malicious, ferocious being, so ready to be vexed that there are few men in the world who do not wish at the bottom of their hearts that this god did not exist. We can not live happily if we are always in fear.

* It is always the character of man which decides upon the character of his god; each one creates a god for himself and in his own image.

* The war which always existed between the priests and the best minds of all ages comes from this: that the wise men perceived the fetters which superstition wished to place upon the human mind, which it fain would keep it in eternal infancy, that it might be occupied with fables, burdened with terrors and frightened by phantoms which would prevent it from progressing.

* I conclude with the desire that we may return to Nature whose declared enemy is the Christian religion.... Then the world will be composed of good citizens, just fathers, obedient children, and tender friends. Nature has given us this religion, in giving us Reason. May fanaticism pervert it no more!

14