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Eyeless in Gaza: An Exchange

between John Richards and Bob Hall
On Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 03:10:51 a.m. PST, John Richards <president@atheismuk.com> wrote:

Hi Bob,

Thank you for your email and your thoughts on various matters. You make some good points. Some of our most rational friends are in British Columbia!

Historically, we have focused on events and issues that affect the UK exclusively but, since I have been in post, we have become more international in our considerations. Take a look at our YouTube channel (atheismuk.com) for a more up-to-date perspective.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore ‘foreign’ events now that nations have become multicultural and events elsewhere spawn protests in cities worldwide.

So, yes, we should express an attitude towards the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, especially as our military have been deployed off the coast of Gaza. It’s still likely to be through British eyes though…

Having said that, one of our principles is not to be party political – neither right nor left but secular and humanitarian. The polarised political scene is not helpful for the promulgation of our mission which is to normalise Atheism.

Yes, of course the Bible is horse manure and so are the other ‘scriptures’ such as the Torah, Qur’an, and Hindu Vedas/Gita, etc.

The main problem with religion is that it tribalises humanity on false pretences and encourages the demonisation of non-members. This tendency is very evidence in the territorial dispute that is going on in the ‘holy land’.

Perhaps you would like to be a guest on our live streamed video chat show?

Kind regards,

John
From: Bob Hall
To: John Richards <president@atheismuk.com>
Date: 11/01/2024 15:58 GMT
Subject: Re: Your email to Atheism UK
Thanks for writing back John. I would welcome a chance to join your chat, however I don’t have the slightest idea how to do that. I don’t have a computer that has a camera, I don’t participate in social media of any kind, and I have a 2 G phone with no internet etc. Sending this email is the limit of my tech ability. I understand your position of political abstinence as far as your organization goes, but what I was hoping to achieve is to break the logjam of the taboos in place to firewall against criticism of Israel. What I’m asking organizations such as yours to do is not make an ‘official’ statement at this time (which is painful to even think about having to do), but to alert your friends on a personal level to keep the narrative on the straight and narrow, and not let it be taken over by the Israeli propaganda empire. In other words, “We have to keep our eye on the ball!”
I read today of a young woman in France who was made to step down from her Olympic position because she posed a few words questioning the motives for this genocide. This is outrageous and unacceptable to the atheistic principle of human rights. Your last statement about the problems of religion is dead on. It is 100% dehumanizing, and how could it be anything less when they revere and worship something that is not human? It’s like my mother used to say … “You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit!” Of course, we must expose, oppose, and depose all forms of this type of ideology, but the Abrahamic/Judaic trifactor of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is by far and away the most influential. They love to boast about modern ‘Civilization’ being manufactured by Christianity (interesting they would use the word ‘civilized’ given their history of torture and mass murder etc.)
Anyway … They argue this point to the death (literally), but Christianity and Islam are both Judaic from A to Z, and yes … modern civilization was indeed forged from this political ideology. I call it an ideology and not a religion intentionally, because the three sects of Judaism are not in practice a ‘religion’ in the traditional understanding of being a spiritual roadmap to an enlightened from of human existence and a means of connectivity to the metaphysical properties of the universe and so on … No … no … no … It is nothing of the sort. It offers a sense of fellowship etc. that has been offered in place of real personal growth, but the only way to achieve the highest level of spiritual awareness is to actually die! It can’t happen in THIS realm according to their beliefs – but only after you’re gone. So, in reality, Judaism is not a ‘religion’, it is a political ideology; their ‘Constitution/Bill of Rights’ if you like being the 2 volumes of the bible – especially the Old Testament which of course is the foundation of all 3 sects. They differ on what happened later, but they all agree on that.
So, in essence, Judaism is a political movement above all else – a political party, complete with a defining manifesto and hierarchical system of governance, legality, finance, social structure, etc. To get back to their contention that modern society has been manufactured by this political ideology … Yes, indeed it has 100%. But take a look at where we are as a society and a species! I.E. massive debt and wealth inequity, pollution, racism, disease, constant war and inhumane acts of unspeakable cruelty toward one another, and on and on and on and on … So, if they want to claim responsibility for this condition … go ahead. Congratulations!

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