Virtual Illusions

The War Prayer
By Mark Twain

“O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth into battle–be Thou near them! With them–in spirit–we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe.

O Lord our God, help us tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended in the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames in summer and the icy winds of
winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it–for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter
pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, strain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset andseek His aid with humble and contrite hearts.

Amen.

Philosophy/Religion, Politics, Quote

Via ArtRimbaud

Ok, but why would an atheist feel any less of an American? It seems like Zafkiel (Z refers to someone else I know ) says he feels this way because gov’t officials say into the microphones “we should pray.” I don’t see where an atheist goes from that to “Atheists aren’t considered American”

I suppose it would be easier if Bush’s father hadn’t said

“No, I don’t know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.”

Vice Pres George Bush,
Chicago, Illinois, on August 27, 1987
http://bennyhills.fortunecity.com/hardy/203/nonbeliever/page50.html

GWB may believe different but he hasn’t gone out of his way to demonstrate it.

It should be noted that “one nation under God.” is a McCarthyism artifact… Fighting the Godless Communists.

The numbers that are normally bandied about by various organizations (including the 700 club) is that 5%-10% of americans don’t believe in god. Hardly a tiny minority.
I don’t know that this is the right time or place for this discussion. I’d like also to clarify my posts were about my feelings and fears. They exists because of accumulated words and actions. You can say I shouldn’t care and I don’t know I can argue against that except with a quote:

As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both
instances, there is a twilight. And it is in such twilight that we all must
be aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we become unwitting
victims of the darkness.

–Justice William O. Douglas, US Supreme Court

Ignoring 5%-10% of the population is not a sign that we are being treated as equal citizens. Think about what other groups have those sorts of numbers.

I don’t know that this is really the time to or place to argue whether my feelings are valid. I posted to talk about what really scares me about this situation not to justify myself.

–Zafkiel

Philosophy/Religion, Politics

“It is far easier to infuriate the Americans than to frighten them.”

Winston Churchill

“We have awakened a sleeping dragon.”

Admiral Yamamoto

Politics, Quote