Arthur Schopenhauer, Ph.D., German Philosopher, Atheist
To be happy, one must be as ignorant as youth. Youth thinks that willing and striving are joys; it has not yet discovered the weary insatiableness of desire, and the fruitlessness of fulfilment; it does not yet see the inevitableness of defeat.
Arthur Schopenhauer, Ph.D., German Philosopher, Atheist
He that increaseth knowledge, therefore, increaseth sorrow. Even memory and foresight add to human misery; for most of our suffering lies in retrospect or anticipation; pain itself is brief. How much more suffering is caused by the thought of death than by death itself.
Arthur Schopenhauer, Ph.D., German Philosopher, Atheist
All religions promise a reward … for excellences of the ‘will’ or heart, but none for excellences of the head or understanding.
Any religion that requires the acceptance of its ideas on faith alone is admitting that its doctrines cannot stand on their own merits, nor withstand any critical examination. They require that adherents accept their authority as truth, and the Christian religion is a perfect illustration of this point. The belief in a god is irrational, and once this leap of faith is made it only takes short steps to abandon the standards of rationality and lose the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Religious beliefs may have an effect on policy and so we, the voters, should be aware of the candidates’ beliefs and what choices they may make because of those beliefs. For example, being a Catholic does not make a candidate more or less qualified to be an elected official. However, the impact that a candidate’s Catholic faith could have on their views regarding issues such as private school vouchers, abortion, contraception, gay rights, and restricted access to health care should be fundamental concerns to voters.
By Madison S. Hughes (08.I4.2011)
I much prefer written correspondence to verbal communication, for verbal communication does not allow for due diligence of thought. I would much rather be afforded the opportunity to inflect my thoughts through proper written word than to hear the inflection provided audibly.
By Madison S. Hughes (07.25.2011)
Since Norway’s tragedy, at the hand of a right-wing Christian terrorist, I have noticed two interesting, albeit predictable, responses from Christians.
1. “He is not really a Christian; he is a madman that is mentally ill.” Why is it that when a right-wing Christian terrorist commits an act of terrorism it is presupposed that the Christian has a mental condition, but if a Muslim terrorist commits an act of terrorism the Muslim is presumed to be an Islamic terrorist?
2. “Anything to an extreme is bad.” Well, this particular tragedy was committed by a right-wing religious extremist. Consider this, if you will, religious extremists would not exist if there were no religion.
Fourteen percent of Americans (about 40 million) are illiterate. They cannot read a newspaper or user manual.
The final jackboot on the neck of the working classes was the second coming of George W Bush with a brain – the presidency of Barack Obama, thought by the deluded to be a resurrected FDR. For a brief credulous period during his campaign of “hope and change” he was thought to be the last, best chance for a transformative federal government, but now revealed as a total fraud and the ultimate in cynicism and futility.
Always Question Authority 