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A Heathen's Path, About Me, Atheism, Christianity, Heathen, Heathenism, Islam, Israel, judaism, Magic, muslims, Pagan, Paganism
Okay, I figured I’d put this up as just a quick thing. I haven’t really said this before because, frankly while I tend to see things that people miss (or don’t want to see) sometimes it comes at the cost of not seeing what people normally see.
I have literally spent ten minutes looking for something on a shelf that was right in front of my face. Multiple times. It gets annoying.
Back to the topic though. I want to state it here and now that I see a difference between people and the ideas they believe in. I want to make it clear that when I attack an idea, or a flaw in an idea, that I am not trying to attack those who believe in that idea. I went through academia, and learned the whole “question everything” thing pretty well. Okay, to be honest, I learned it years before under very bad circumstances. I’ve literally put everything I ever believed in to harsh questioning. That’s why I believe as I do, because it’s what has stood up to the hundreds of thousands of questions I’ve asked.
But that doesn’t mean my way is any better than what anyone else has.
So when I attack Christianity, I want it clear I am not trying to attack Christian people. I don’t even really have a problem being Christians. I’d like it if they were Heathens or Pagans who followed the ways of their ancestors and had never had those ways stolen from them. But it is not the People I have issue with. Just their Ideology and the actions brought forth by it.
Same goes for Muslims. It is Islam that I take great issue with. But I have nothing against the people themselves. Just the actions they take because of their religion. I mean, the Middle East had some amazing Pagan Civilizations. Things worthy of honor and remembrance.
Judaism too. I don’t have issues with the Jewish people. Hell, I admire the Israelis a lot. They have balls of titanium that drag the ground when they walk. When your a tiny state like theirs, surrounded people that out number you in the billions and all want you dead, and you stand up for yourself then I don’t care what God you follow. I raise my fist in respect. I have just have issues with their religion is all.
As for Atheism, again, I have issues with an Ideology that claims its methods are superior to everyone else and whose followers go around like their crap don’t smell simply because they have “reason and logic.” Honestly, I got reason and logic myself, in spades. But that stuff lead me to my magic and my Heathenism. I don’t have an issue with the people. There’s some nice people who are atheists, and I ain’t got beef with them because they don’t pray to my Gods or even think my Gods don’t exist.
See, I believe in what I believe. But for whatever reason, probably because I have questioned it so much, I can take people not believing as I do. I kinda wish more people could separate their beliefs from themselves and not get so uptight about it. Questions really aren’t going to hurt anything in the long run, and frankly if we dealt with some of the problems we’d all get along better. So I hope the people who read this, and who visit my site understand:
I’m not out to get you when I start “Bashing” stuff. I’m just out to poke ideas where I see problems. Nothing personal.
Son of Hel 
I like your general approach. But I have a problem with your “Muslims vs Jews” example.
First, I’m going to nitpick the facts.
“Surrounded by people that outnumber you in the billions”. Yes, there are over a billion Muslims, if you go all the way to Indonesia in one direction and Nigeria in the other. Is Israel really surrounded by Indonesia and Nigeria? Don’t exaggerate, it weakens your argument.
“and all want you dead.” No, they don’t. A very few do, yes. Virtually all the rest have no problem with Jews, but want the Jewish state to stop its genocide of the Palestinians. (That’s like in the 70s, the Vietnamese didn’t dislike American individuals, but they wanted the US Government to quit bombing them.)
What do you know about Bahrain’s Ambassador to the United States? Did you know that she’s a Jew? Did you know that Jews have always been treated better by Muslims than by Christians? Muslims consider all the Jewish prophets to have been true prophets. When the Christians finally kicked the Muslims out of Granada in 1492, the Jews went with them and settled with them back in Morocco. Jews who stayed in Spain got to choose between changing their religion or being burned alive.
What the Israeli state is doing to the Palestinian people is vicious, cynical, murderous. If you don’t understand the situation, I can put you in touch with my Jewish daughter-in-law in Canada, and she’ll tell you. Or with my Jewish Israeli friend, who works as a legal aid lawyer for Palestinians in Israel.
Just don’t blame Islam, or the Muslims, for the actions of Israel. And please don’t praise Israel for bringing the Final Solution to bear on innocent civilians.
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Okay, hang on. I think you’re drawing a few connections that I hadn’t intended to have made. I’m still a little new to this blog, so I don’t think a full understanding of my Path has been made yet.
When I say I admire the Israelis, this was regardless of the morality of their actions. We can debate from here till Ragnarok over how “morally” correct the actions of the Israelis are or are not. My personal stance on it is I am a Scandinavian Heathen, whose lands are far from them, and who doesn’t worship their God. It is not really my place to say until such time as they come after me and mine. Both side have done rather monstrous things to each other.
What I admire is the balls it takes to stand against nations that out number you in terms of people and military ordinance. As you say, most Muslims may not want Israel wiped off the map, but many of them do live in countries that do, and will fight in the armed forces of their home nations. Why? Because in the words of Harry Dresden “I might not agree with everything the nation does, but all my stuff is here.”
I admire Power, and using ones Power to stand in the face of a larger Power. Morality has nothing to do with this admiration. Morality is a separate topic.
I’m not blaming the Muslims for what the Israelis do. As for the numbers of Muslims around, I don’t know the exact population, I just know there’s close to a billion in the countries around them, running from India to the West Coast of North Africa. Mostly because looking at the situation, the Muslim nations seem to be unifying slowly under more…extreme banners… so I rounded up. -shrugs- I am by no means an expert on the area.
I hope this explains what I said a bit more. I’m not going to be stupid and pick a side on the whole “Israeli vs Muslims” fight.
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I have no issues what others believe as long as they don’t ram it down my throat and preach. As you say, it isn’t the people it’s the attitudes and beliefs where the issues lie. Unfortunately as of late, it seems atheists are taking up the mantle of preaching and condemning. *shrugs* whatever, I fight my corner.
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That is very true.
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