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Thursday, March 26, 2015

"CONFLICTING VIEWS OF DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Vintage Bettejo)

Bettejo Dux has lived on the cosmic Garden Island of Kaua'i for over 40 years.
Bettejo is a regular opinion writer in the Garden Island news and is the author of the
famed novella, "The Scam."  Her latest fiction
 "Children of Extinction" is now  released and available on Amazon!
CONFLICTING VIEWS OF DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION

 If you deny there are conflicting views, you’re in denial. Religions, all religions, are hard-nosed. You quote your books, chapter and verse, you quote your silly Gods, you interpret your books and fight with each other over the interpretations. But all over the world, in the Islamic world, in Israel, in America, South America, voices of reason,  voices of the people,  are rising.

We speak out against war, we speak out against dictators, religious fanatics and other un-evolved humans. Strong words here, but appropriate. 

Muslim women are fighting for the right not to wear the veil. Our troops, many of them, come home sick to the heart about our senseless carnage of innocent people, men and women and children who have done us no harm. We speak out about a ridiculous economic system that never has and never will work. 

We dare to speak out against those who silence us with guns, with ridicule, with lies, with stupidities. Dare I mention Limbagh, Grundge, and other purveyors of your drivel.

How was your God in America been hijacked by the rich? By the powerful? By the killing machine?  By Cheney, by Palin, by the Waltons, by the lunatic religious televangelist? Who was it that said, wisely, “We love you, Jesus, we just don’t like the guys you hang around with?”

At the very base of this madness lies, in his crypt, your murderous patriarchal Gods. I love to hear the nonsense from the leaner brained evangelical bunch who sputter, “God has no sex.” Are you nuts? He seems to be everybody’s father and as most of us recall fathers are usually male. And, further, we are all sinners in his eyes. Well, I ain’t baby and you ain’t gonna stick that thorny feather in my blue bonnet. May I quote a few quotes?

“Religion, which should most distinguish us from beasts, and ought most peculiarly to elevate us, as rational creatures, above brutes, is that wherein men often appear most irrational, and more senseless than beasts themselves.” John Locke.

“There are scores of great religions in the world, each with scores or hundred of sects, each with its priestly orders, its complicated creed and ritual, its heavens' and hells'. Each has its thousands or millions or hundreds of millions of ‘true believers’; each damns all the others with more or less heartiness–and each is a mighty force of graft.” Upton Sinclair.

“I regard monotheism as the greatest disaster ever to befall the human race. I see no good in Judaism, Christianity, or Islam-good people, yes-but any religion based on a single, well, frenzied and virulent god, is not as useful to the human race as, say, Confucianism, which is not a religion but an ethical and educational system.” 
Gore Vidal

“The way to see faith is to shut the eye of reason.” 
Benjamin Franklin.

And last, but not least, “…the government of the United States, is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion…” 
President John Adams on June 10, 1797.



'Sunrise therapy' can be seen daily on
James "Kimo" Rosen's Facebook timeline.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...





30 comments:

KimoRosen said...

Bettejo, I believe in a higher power I call G-d! Have you ever witnessed the Sunrise? That alone to me is all the proof I need.


(Photo of Sunrise)

Bettejo Dux said...

I'm 84. I've seen more sunrises than you. So there.Your photos are gorgeous. I hope your God is as beautiful and benevolent as your sunrises. I can see. I can see. Going to try and write The Old Man and the Sea. Love it. Hope it turns out. Need more cookies. Love you. Obama. And your benevolent God. Notice I said 'love' not worship.

KimoRosen said...

Amen to everything you just said! I will bring you more cookies next time we meet!

Anonymous said...

Gotta love that power and glory, eh brah? ---Believe it or not, it was all put together by a Nuclear Rainbow of Cosmic Intelligence (God for short) which also looks upon man-made religions with the same distaste as I do.

Sam Uel Clemens said...

I find sunrises & all of nature and the cosmos absolutely beautiful & awe-inspiring far more without gods. Gods kinda ruin all the fun.

KimoRosen said...

It's all G-d!!!

KimoRosen said...

Did you know that orthodox Jews consider God so great that they will not even write the word 'God' as a sign of respect and awe. They write God as G-d. I often refer to God, as G-d too.

Sam Uel Clemens said...

It's all science! ��
Religious traditions are weird. But, I still love you, my weirdo buddy!

Sam Uel Clemens said...

It's all science! ��
Religious traditions are weird. But, I still love you, my weirdo buddy!

KimoRosen said...

...and likewise my friend Sam, I enjoy friends with different perspectives.

Bettejo Dux said...

I say gawd. Just posted a new 'column' The Old Man and the Sea.

Bettejo Dux said...

check it out. Just go to bettejo in your search...

KimoRosen said...

I'm reading it now, laying it out for next weeks blog. Gawd, it is a well written piece!

Bettejo Dux said...

I found you guys. I'm the worst navigator in cyber space than anybody I know. I think religion really gets in the way. There are 4 gawds. The benevolent gawd. The distant gawd. The critical gawd and the authoritarian gawd. I'd wioship a ewnevolent gawd if I could find one. Went to all the religious stores and they ain't got one.

KimoRosen said...

Yea, you found us! hopefully, Roger Dean (Micah) and Sam Uel Clemens will chime in!

Bettejo Dux said...

You really like The Old Man. You gotta see the film. Find it. It'll blow your mind. My printer's on the fritz. Word Press changed their format. I CAN SEE. I CAN SEE. It's a miracle.....

Sam Uel Clemens said...

Bettejo, you forgot the 5th god. The one we use just as a form of expression ("God Dammit!") I kinda like that god. LOL!

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

Via email;

Dear Bettejo: @>----

Love your mind & writings,you are my prophet for REASONING,
Here is what Former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura in a interview with PLAYBOY in 1999,
"Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go and out stick their noses in other people's business.I live by the golden rule: Treat others as you'd want them to treat you.The religious right wants to tell people how to live"
Jews & Muslims are devoutly religious,why can't their "gods"stop their perpetual sectarian killings ? even among their religions, If a person is peace loving & hurts no one intentionally, why do any one needs to kowtow to anyone to enter the kingdom of heaven? for residents of Kauai,you are already in heaven.

love,unc
note,remove the text in red if objection from PLAYBOY


Aloha Unc,

Bettejo Dux said...

Love you Unc. Entering the Kingdom of heaven? Living for all eternity with most of these religious idiot would be hell.

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

Merci Beaucoup,Bettejo,me, you ,the Rabbi & the dog are like minded people,we all love freedom for all peaceful people without prejudice ,I respect other people religions only if they practice what the preach & don't hurt or behead any one .I was educated in a Catholic high school but I am not a Catholic ,I am a rebel & think for myself,I admire your knowledge of history & writings.do feel free to email me as I am home bound in a Care home.surfing the net & reviewing my kindergarten French are my only entertainment.

Love,unc C

KimoRosen said...

The tree (sic) of us(Bettejo,Unc, and me) are a modern day 3 Musketeers. Solving all the worlds problems along with Obama Da Kosher Dog! ;-)

Bettejo Dux said...

goddamit...Ever read Shaw's St. Joan? Guys please wait breathlessly for the Sunday TGI Forum. Things are happening,

Sam Uel Clemens said...

George Bernard Shaw?

Bettejo Dux said...

You've never read Shaw? Great writer. Irish playwrite

Sam Uel Clemens said...

I love George Bernard Shaw!

KimoRosen said...

I had the honor to proofread Bettejo's column that will be in Sunday's TGI! It's definitely one of her best... "The Old man and the sea..." If you miss it on Sunday dakinetalk blog will publish next Wednesday too! Great job Bettejo, as we say you are da 'bes kine writer!!!'

KimoRosen said...

I had the honor to proofread Bettejo's column that will be in Sunday's TGI! It's definitely one of her best... "The Old man and the sea..." If you miss it on Sunday dakinetalk blog will publish next Wednesday too! Great job Bettejo, as we say you are da 'bes kine writer!!!'

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

Thank you Bettejo.

Do give me some back ground of your life,could be exiting & interesting or a best seller & don't forget to buy the island of Kauai with Pierre O...The Facebook king and another one on the way to buy up the rest of the island & keep it natural & green like the days of King Kamehameha,The difference is that they did it with hard work & talent with out guns or bombs

You will be too busy shaking hands and bending elbows,I am sure the Rabbi can email me a copy of your column. OKOLE MALUNA

Have fun,

unc Chester
PS,there was Motion Picture in he 20th century named THR OLD MAN & THE SEA.star Spencer Tracy,

KimoRosen said...

Aloha Unc,

Enclosed is the link to Bettejo's column in today's Garden Island news; '
'The old man and the sea' This will also be dakinetalk blog on Wednesday! I am so glad the rest of the world is appreciating Bettejo''s genius also.

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/the-old-man-and-the-sea/article_a3c72b62-d5c8-11e4-9891-2732fdce4f00.html

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

Shalom BD & the Rabbi @>---- @>---- @>---- @>---- :-*:-* :-*

Congratulations Bettejo :-) I knew you are rocking & rolling with a Smile that can swallow the island of Kauai :-) I share your joy :-* :-* :-*

unc C