Undergroundnetwork

Every week I like to post quotes I have come across that I find thought provoking or sum up my opinion on something succinctly, and with wit. Instead, for a change, I’m going to occasionally select half a dozen songs that reflect my views on some particular issue. I’m going to start with my favourite band, on a topic of interest to me.

Here is Bad Religion on faith, God and atheism.

Bad Religion, as the name might suggest, are fairly critical of religion in their songs. That is perhaps an understatement! But instead of the mindless anti-religious abuse some bands have popularised, Bad Religion’s objections are considered and reasoned. This may have something to do with the bands front man Greg Graffin having a doctorate in evolutionary biology, but even before he obtained his degree the band has made intelligent philosophical statements in their music. Song writing duties are split between vocalist Graffin and guitarist Brett Gurewitz, and both musicians are equally capable of writing thought provoking intelligent lyrics.

So perhaps in the way the religious people reaffirm their beliefs through song, Bad Religion has written the perfect hymns for non-believers. However, Greg says in the song “No direction”, “no Bad Religion song can make your life complete”. They can make you stop and think though.

I’ve decided to be quite selective and only choose half a dozen Bad Religion songs, although there are of course many more to choose from. I’ve chosen no more than one from any one album, and added my interpretation of what I feel the song conveys. Enjoy. (more…)

Having had many respectful discussions with all sorts of people about religion and politics, I feel as though George Orwell was right when he said:

“As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents”.

The same of course could be said for any other political opinion or religious faith.

And in order to be balanced:

“He was an embittered atheist, the sort of atheist who does not so much disbelieve in God as personally dislike Him”.

I must admit though, I have not ever met one of the atheists Orwell describes, as this person would not even be an atheist! I would have expected someone with the interest in language that Orwell had to have understood the definition of atheism. Perhaps he would appreciate even a fan such as myself challenging him on an error such as that!

With the news that Al Jazeera cameraman, Sami Al-Hajj has finally been released without charge or trial from Guantanamo Bay, I think perhaps it is important to reflect on what freedom really means. The current political climate has led to curtailing of civil rights and liberties in many countries, at a time when politicians are claiming to be fighting for those same freedoms. Perhaps what has angered people most in the last few years, is the blatant lying and hypocrisy from many world leaders. I think some intelligent thinkers have posed on this same idea throughout history.

Abraham Lincoln:

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves” (more…)

Yes, more Russell. I did say I would have more of old Bertrand, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. But I had too. Whilst reading Ian Wishart’s response to a comment I made on a blog, I actually felt pity for him. Immediately I could relate to a passage I had read from Bertrand Russell’s An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish

“…If, like most of mankind, you have passionate convictions on many such matters, there are ways in which you can make yourself aware of your own bias. If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do. If some one maintains that two and two are five, or that Iceland is on the equator, you feel pity rather than anger, unless you know so little of arithmetic or geography that his opinion shakes your own contrary conviction. The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion. So whenever you find yourself getting angry about a difference of opinion, be on your guard; you will probably find, on examination, that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants.”

In fact I encourage people to read the full essay, it is a truly thought provoking piece of writing.

When I used to read Wishart’s Investigate magazine, I used to feel rage. How could a person actually believe this stuff? Why would anyone buy this filth? It was not so much that I was angry that this man had views strongly opposed to my own, it was that it encouraged others to feel the same. I was furious that this trash’s hateful pseudo-journalistic articles would incite attacks against the communities the magazine rallies against, homosexuals and Muslims in particular. I do feel the same anger, but mainly now I feel pity for the guy. He actually believes what he says! And I suppose he believes that he has some sort of truth that the world should know, but the world won’t listen. He is the boy who cried wolf. Sure, his books will sell, but it will be the same old people, and he will never be taken seriously the general public.

But then I suppose Hitler started with a small following…

No, I’m not serious. But why are these investigative journalists always so bias? Would their work not be more credible, and they would not be open to accusation, if they attack those in power on all sides of the political spectrum?

Alright, I said I wouldn’t mention Wish-hard again, but couldn’t help it this time!

Douglas Adams, the author of Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, was a self proclaimed ‘radical atheist’ and a passionate environmentalist. He was also a friend of biologist Richard Dawkins. Dawkins’ God delusion was dedicated to Adams, who passed away in 2002. This great quote is from the beginning of Dawkins brilliant polemic.

“Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”

An eloquent rejection of those who seek to insert mysticism into the world.

Here’s another one that makes little sense!

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”

And here’s a great observation from Hitchhikers:

“Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemists, but that’s just peanuts to space.”

Can’t disagree with that!

This week’s quote is from one of my heroes, Bertrand Russell. Not only does most of what he has to say make perfect sense to me, he has a fantastic way with words. I think Bertrand Russell quotes are going to become a large part of this blog’s content!

“War does not determine who is right - only who is left.”

So simple and so true.

To anyone interested in philosophy, religion or mathematics, Russell is well worth a read.

What the hell! Because he is so good, here’s another, also on war:

“Either man will abolish war, or war will abolish man.”

Bertrand Russell 1872-1970 (98 years old!)

There is something about this line that I love. It seems complex yet simple in the way it argues such a fascinating thought.

David Hume on miracles, in his Enquiry concerning human understanding, in 1748:

“No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact it endeavours to establish.”

Brilliant.