Why is it so hard to accept religion into my life?

  Can the church help you?

     Maybe you are a Christian, or a member of some other religion -Jew, Mormon, Mohammedan, Buddhist, or what not.

     It makes no difference. A man should be free to believe whatever he pleases. The point is not what your religious faith is, but whether religion can abolish the evils we suffer from.

     As I said before, we have only one life to live on this earth, and we want to make the best of it. What will happen to us after we are dead we don't know. The chances are we'll never know, and so it's no use bothering about it.

     The question here is of life, not of death. It is the living we are concerned with; with you and me and others like ourselves. Can the world be made a better place for us to live in? That's what we want to know. Can religion do it?

     Christianity is about 2,000 years old. Has it abolished any evil? Has it done away with crime and murder, has it delivered us from poverty and misery, from despotism and tyranny?

     You know that it has not. You know that the Christian Church, like all other churches, has always been on the side of the masters, against the people. More: the church has caused worse strife and bloodshed than all the wars of kings and kaisers. Religion has divided mankind into opposing beliefs, and the most bloody wars have been fought on account of religious differences. The church has persecuted people for their opinions, imprisoned and killed them. The Catholic Inquisition terrorized the whole world, tortured so-called heretics, and burned them alive. Other churches did the same when they had the power. They always sought to enslave and exploit the people, to keep them in ignorance and darkness. They condemned every effort of man to develop his mind, to advance, to improve his condition. They damned science, and silenced the men who thirsted for knowledge. Till this very day institutionalized religion is the Judas of its alleged Savior. It approves of murder and war, of wage slavery and capitalistic robbery, and always stands for the 'law and order' which crucified the Nazarene.

     Consider: Jesus wanted all men to be brothers, to live in peace and good will. The church upholds inequality, national strife, and war.

     Jesus condemned the rich as vipers and oppressors of the poor. The church bows before the rich and accumulates vast wealth.

     The Nazarene was born in a manger and remained a pauper all his life. His alleged representatives and spokesmen on earth live in palaces.

     Jesus preached meekness. The Princes of the Church are haughty and purse-proud.

     'As you do unto the least of my children,' Christ said, 'you do unto me.' The church supports the capitalist system which enslaves little children and brings them to an early grave.

     'Thou shalt not kill,' commanded the Nazerene. The church approves of executions and war.

Alexander Berkman 1929

Self policing is true justice and equality

     Suppose you see John beat and kick Bill when the latter is on the ground. Both may be strangers to you, but if you are not afraid of John, you'll tell him to stop kicking a fellow who is down.

     But when you see the policeman do the same thing to some citizen you will think twice before interfering, because he might beat you up too and arrest you to boot. He has the authority.

     John, who has no authority and who knows that some one might interfere when he is acting unjustly, will - as a rule - be careful what he is about.

     The policeman, who is vested with some authority and who knows there is little chance of any one interfering with him, will be more likely to act unjustly.

     Even in this simple instance you can observe the effect of authority: its effect on the one who possesses it and on those over whom it is exercised. Authority tends to make its possessor unjust and arbitrary; it also makes those subject to it acquiesce in wrong, subservient, and servile. Authority corrupts its holder and debases its victims.

 

Alexander Berkman  1929

Setting the stage, and other things we don't want to do

As time marches on, we experience many changes in the world. What was once thought taboo is now common. What was once an acceptable practice is now persecuted. The common denominator is the older generation’s disgust in the situation of society. They fail to realize the vital part they play in catalyzing the loss of values and the liberation of what was once denounced .

The alarming rate of children’s desire to wear sexy clothing at earlier and earlier ages, causes much concern for the older generation. The fashion statement escapes them. Many people have shown disappointment in types of language they see and hear in everyday life. They can’t understand the obsession with young adults paying for breast implants. They can’t believe that things that were once free of charge, now cost money. They show despair for the lazy attitude and lack of work ethic in the young generation. They are appalled at the violence portrayed in the video games kids play today. It used to be very shameful to live with a member of the opposite sex, unless they are married. Today many couples have children together without getting married. They can’t believe the amount of money professional sports players earn today.

Less than two hundred years ago, slavery was still an accepted practice in the United States. During the abolition of slavery, many white people had a very difficult time dealing with the freedom of the men and women from Africa. Later still, people had a hard time accepting them as Americans, today we still call them African-Americans. There was a time that it was perfectly acceptable to smoke marijuana, which has now been prohibited. Children could ride their bicycles down the street with out a helmet. The people could speak freely with their opinions on the government, without fear of being targeted as a terrorist. There were less taxes, more freedoms and a more united spirit in the world amongst the citizens. In fact…only the governments of the world are experiencing more unity as they try to gain control of the entire world. The more land to cover, the more government officials will be needed to control the world, so there is no fear of losing power.

After all this, our grandmothers and grandfathers are frequently asking the rhetorical question. “What is the world coming to?” What the world is coming to is the train station at the end of the railroad they put us on. Everything that we do today, we learned from our elders, applied knowledge and learned more to provide the future with the new platform. If we like wearing sexier clothing, getting plastic surgery, and starving ourselves, we learned that from the older generation. Directly or indirectly, The elders showed us how important is was to look good. They taught us racism and judgment. They showed us that humans could not handle marriage the way humans did in the older days. They proved how we can not be trusted with our own safety, or our own opinions. Whether we follow their advice and examples or rebel against them, it was the elders that failed to guide us into positivity by example. It may be too late for them to do anything, but instead of blaming it all on them, we need to correct the problem. Starting today, understand that everybody that follows you, will reflect you. You can refuse to believe it all you want, but without our direction, humans would be wandering around the Earth, picking fruits and nuts for food, playing and procreating in the sunshine. Embrace the future, and set the stage for all of those that come after you. You will see the fruits of your examples before you die, so make sure you will feel satisfied when that day comes. If you aren’t satisfied, nobody wants to hear you say, “What has this world come to?”

Let me get this off my chest

What does it mean to get something off your chest? 

Is it the simple fact that you say it out loud?  If so, anybody can do that anytime...even in front of a mirror if that's what they need. 

Is it telling another human being?  Do we need to tell somebody something that is bugging us, to dispel the stress?  What if that person has nothing to do with the situation.  If the person DOES have something to do with the subject you need to get off your chest, I can understand the feeling of relief. 

Or is it a matter of seeking out another's opinion or solution to that very "something" that you need to get off your chest? 

I'm very disappointed that I haven't heard many comments on the things that you read here.  You can always email your comments.  It's quick and painless.  How am I supposed to know what is right, if I never hear from you whether or not I make sense?  How can I do my best at making your life better, if I don't hear whether or not I'm misguided?  How can we learn the truth, if you dismiss ideas without adding your two cents? 

OK...I got that off my chest.

Justice

This chapter is too long for my journal...so click here to view my message

 

http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/bright/berkman/comanarchism/whatis_8.html

Lyrics from the band

The Earth,, the wind, the sky, the sea

The birth, the life, the air we breathe

The truth, the lies, the in between

The hate, the love, the waking dream

 

In the waking dream, of all the things unseen, the cycle is complete

The universe has justified my life and set me free

A smile spreads across my face, prepares me for the ride

The setting sun begins to set the perfect way t die.

 

homelessness and vehicle registration

Let me set up a scenario.  I am a homeless man, who owns a car.  I would like to register this car, because I have enough money to pay for a car, but not for shelter.  Shelter is much more expensive than a car.  How do I register my car?  I have no address, and no family and friends to provide me with one.  I do not reside in one town, I reside wherever I land.  I can provide services to scrap together enough for the car, insurance, and food, but no more than that.  What do I do?