X-Message-Number: 15827
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2001 06:42:43 -0500
From: James Swayze <>
Subject: What Pascal left out of the wager
References: <>


Blaise Pascal couldn't know of what he had left out of his wager but he left it 
out just the same. To me there is great danger in belief in religion at least 
the

christian religion. I refer to environmental devastation the likes of which 
would lead to our extinction. Is this an extreme view? Surely. How extreme? How 
about

just as extreme as the culprits I charge. Let me state my case, but know 
beforehand that I do not include every single person of belief or political 
faction of these

I charge as there are always exceptions and some are friends and family of mine.
My statements refer to the general population of these ilks and are mostly 
common
knowledge.


Firstly christian doctine places man above all else and all else under direct 
control of man. The bible says we are stewards of the earth and that all 
creation was

made for our use. We are poor stewards and abuse rather than use wisely. This 
doctrine gives permisson to many to exploit the earth at will. In this country, 
the

most powerful country, the country most able to influence and affect the world, 
right wing extremism is married tightly to christianity. It is surely no secret 
that

conservatives don't believe the science that is screaming at us that we are in 
big trouble and had better take notice and action. It's also no secret that 
these same

conservatives are largely motivated by greed or is the republican party not the 
party of the super rich? Another doctrine of christianity is that god is coming 
back

soon, surely any minute now, and as promised will destroy the earth and then 
make it all over again. This is fundamentalist christian doctirne and it just so
happens

that it is the fundamantalists that  make up the bulk of the conservative grass 
roots movement.


So to sum up we have the people that wish to continue exploiting the earth 
without regulation in the name of profit and greed mingled with and empowered by
(sneaking

into every nook and school board and right on up to the white house) the people 
that think it's our god given right to do so and why worry about the 
environment,
after all god's going to fix it any way and real soon to boot!!


Blaise Pascal left out of his wager likely possibility that belief in the 
christain god could lead to extinction of our species and most of all life on 
the planet

and what a pitiful shame if there after all is no god to nicely clean up after 
us.

James Swayze
--
Some of our views are spacious
some are merely space--RUSH

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