I Am An Atheist By (Lack Of) Religion, A Jew By Ancestry, And Now I Guess A Panamanian, But...

...while I approve of the current wave of atheist evangelism because, let's be serious, there's a handful of us and 5 billion of them, I sometimes part company with my atheist brethren and sistren. For example, I found a lot to like in the works of Sam Harris, but he lost me when he implied a rank order of religions which placed Judaism not only on top of Islam but seemed to make common cause with the Neo-Conservative philosophy because he perceives Islam as more "dangerous" than Fundamentalist Judaism. I don't buy. Neither do most Israelis.

I also part company with my fellow atheists on the subject of Jesus. I'll go to my grave believing that Jesus was either a Jewish philosopher or some kind of composite figure representing the modernizing forces of the Judaism of his day, the first "reform," "reconstructivist," or "humanist" Jew to gain fame, if you will. I'll never buy into the supernatural, so forget this personal savior business for me. Forget my believing any of this stuff the Fundamentalist Christian Right slings around about Jesus caring about the result of a football game, believing in the death penalty and the more baroque the better, opposing homosexuality, and having backed Saxby Chambliss and George W. Bush in their political races. And if Jesus helped Lauryn Hill win a Grammy then I just discovered the cures for cancer, AIDS and Hep-C.

If Jesus the supernatural does indeed exist, I'll bet for all I can shove in that he doesn't give a shit what happens to Barack Obama, John Edwards, or any of the Republicans in the 2008 race.

Because we atheists are so small in number, it is often tempting to make coarse remarks about Jesus and I do admit to enjoying George Carlin's interpretation of the "Buddy Jesus" but if none of you Nuts readers know her yet, meet a believer I respect. She'll never shake me off my atheism, but as she once wrote to me "what's a Council Of Nicaea between friends?" Cierto.

http://festinalente-franiam.blogspot.com/

And for a little holiday fun, the lyrics of Kinky Friedman's "High On Jesus," a song the most ardent atheist and most ardent believer can love.

Walking down Division Street
I happened on to meet
A stranger with a package in his hand.
He said, “Mister, if you follow me
Rainbow colors you will see,
I’ll take your head into the Promised Land.”
“Friend, I don’t need your stuff,
My Jesus is enough.
You see them colors bright,
Why can’t you see the light ?”
Let’s get high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
I believe that He was here in town.
Flying high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
I’m so high I’m never coming down.
One man buys a nickel sack,
Another buys a Cadillac,
They both think they will drive their cares away.
But neither thinks to lend a hand
To help his struggling fellow man,
They’d better buy their tickets now for Judgment Day.
Oh, friend, let’s try to score
For peace and not for war,
For love and not for hate
Before it gets too late.
Let’s get high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
Ain’t you ever heard the Nashville sound ?
Flying high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
I guess, my friend, the Lord still gets around.
An angry mob confronted me
By the university,
“Down with this and down with that” they cried.
A burning bottle in his hand,
A long-haired youth screamed, “Come on, man,
The conscience of America has died!”
“Friend, I don’t get my kicks
Starting fires and throwing bricks,
I pray someday you find
The gentle reason I’m
So high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
They tried to put His body under ground.
Flashing high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
But friend, you just can’t keep the good man down.”
Oh, let’s get high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
They tried to put His body under ground.
Flashing high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
But friend, you just can’t keep the good man down.

[A LATE BIT OF ADMIN. JONESTOWN http://fairlane.wordpress.com/ HAS ADDED TWO MEMBERS, FREDERICK VORHEES AND SUZI RIOT http://suziriot.blogspot.com/ ...A GREAT TEAM JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER. SuziRiot has a delay on the comments on her site, so I for one intend to respond to her posts at Jonestown. From everything I've read over there by Fairlane, Barry, Dash, Dave, Johnny, and D-Cup, these additions ought to be enough to push Jonestown into the ranks of the "well-knows." And well-deserved indeed. I am still accepting guest-bloggers here, but anyone who guest blogs here, should feel free to join the Jonestown Super Team, too. Kelso, for one, will feel great pride, when Jonestown is in the pantheon with the Koses, Huffington Posts, etc., Go on, my sons and daughters!]

[A LATE, LATE BIT OF ADMIN. I HAVE FINALLY DECIDED TO PUT UP LINKS. I STILL FEAR THAT I'VE LEFT SOME DESERVING START-UP OR LOW-TRAFFIC BLOGGERS (OH, KELSO, FOR EXAMPLE) OUT. IF I HAVE, I APOLOGIZE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I'LL LINK YOU UP FORTHWITH. PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE LEFT OFF ALL OF THE "WELL-KNOWNS" BECAUSE IT'S SILLY TO PUT THEM UP. EVERYONE KNOWS WHO THEY ARE. DAILY KOS, MEDIA MATTERS, CROOKSANDLIARS, FIREDOGLAKE, HUFFINGTON POST (on the Left), TOWNHALL, MEDIA LIZZY AND WHO THE FUCK CARES BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE ELSE ON THE RIGHT. I HAVE ALSO PUT LOTS OF SPORTS AND GAMBLING LINKS UP AND I AM FULLY AWARE THAT LOTS OF LEFT-WINGERS HATE SPORTS AND GAMBLING, BUT YOU KNOW SOMETHING? I DON'T GIVE A FUCK! AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE? STEVIE NICKS KICKS MACY GRAY'S ASS FROM HERE TO LAS CRUCES! AND SINCE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT...LISTEN TO WYCLEF JEAN'S COVER OF..OH, I DON'T KNOW, "JINGLE BELLS" OR SOME SHIT, AND THEN LISTEN TO PRACTICALLY ANYTHING BY BOB SEGER AND TELL ME -- TRUTHFULLY -- WHO SOUNDS MORE DANGEROUS NOW? LOOK YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND BE HONEST! AND THE FUGEES HAD THE TEMERITY TO DIS WU-TANG CLAN. WHAT A SHONDA.]

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