Colbert on Donohue's Book

[toasty]

For me, there are few things funnier in the political realm than when some ultra-conservative group doesn't realize that Stephen Colbert is joking and uses him to promote their own goals. This is a great example of this phenomenon, which has lovingly been printed for perpetuity on God knows how many flyers for Catholic League President Bill Donohue's book, "Secular Sabotage: How Liberals are Destroying Religion and Culture in America:"

[runningman]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

it would be funny if it was't true.. many a truths are said in jest.

we are headed to he new religion - Spirituality.. a mixture of hinduism and buddhism. TIes togethre to earth morales.

[toasty]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

we are headed to he new religion - Spirituality.. a mixture of hinduism and buddhism. TIes togethre to earth morales.

I acutally kind of agree with you, at least until you start defining it as "a mixture of hinduism and buddhism."

I think a lot of people in our generation and younger look at most organized religion and go "Wha? Huh?" The image of some dude with a long white beard sitting in the clouds alternatively smiting and blessing people just doesn't wash with most folks nowadays, particularly when it is all based upon some ancient texts that seem totally antiquated and outdated. It doesn't help that there are dozens of different versions of most scriptures, each purporting to be the inerrant word of God, let alone the different and harshly conflicting interpretations of those scriptures. A lot of people, myself included, look at that and say, "Look, a pox on all of your houses, you're all loons."

Living a spiritual lifestyle, however, something that is based upon the much broader idea that there is some order to the universe and isn't necessarily tied to a strict belief system or anything overly regimented, is a lot more palatable, I think. The one positive thing that you can say about most churches is that they encourage us all to better ourselves, to be good to one another, and to try to leave the world a better place than you found it, and I think that will have appeal regardless of whether it is to avoid eternal damnation or just be a good person in the here and now. I'm not a church-goer right now, but I'd be much more attracted to that sort of message than sitting through a ritualistic service where everyone goes through the motions for an hour each week.

[runningman]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

I said hinduism and buddhism becaue the deeper you dig into spiritualism you get into the 7 chakras (Hindu) and earths energy (buddhism)

[toasty]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

and I shy away from those labels because the whole point is that I see a shift away from labels and organized religion in general and a shift towards more amorphous, free-wheeling belief systems.

[runningman]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

hey we agree on something!!!

[toasty]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

[Jenks]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

and I shy away from those labels because the whole point is that I see a shift away from labels and organized religion in general and a shift towards more amorphous, free-wheeling belief systems.

i'm on board with this as well.




HEYOOOOOOOO!!!!

monumental occasion!

[toasty]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

This reminds me of a great book I read over vacation: A.J. Jacobs' "The Year of Living Biblically." Basically, this guy, who as I recall is Jewish but agnostic, tried to spend a year adhering as literally as possible to the Bible. I would highly recommend it to anyone because it is very well written and really funny, and I would think that someone could enjoy it regardless of where on the spectrum they fell with respect to religion. I'm not particularly religious, my Dad's a minister, and we both loved it.

Not giving anything away here because it's more about the journey than the result anyway, but to make a long story short, he did find that following the Bible literally was impossible, and that even coming close was restrictive to the point of being ridiculous. At the end of the day, he did not have an ephiphany or become some sort of zealot, but he did find there to be some value in some of the messages inherent in most religion, such as taking the time to acknowledge the good things in your life, etc.

It's not a life-changing read with a profound message and I'm expressly not marketing it as such, but it is really funny, and I'd highly recommend it.

[DIDI]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

For me spirituality and religion are not even vaguely related. I believe that the spirit , like an arm or a leg, is something we all have but we just don't know all about it yet

[Kaviege09]

Colbert on Donohues Book

Id be worried about him taking votes away from other Democrats so that a more conservative President was elected. Another Ralph Nader, if you will. I like the idea as Nader or Colbert as president but I dont think theyd get enough votes to ascend to office

[floridaorange]

Re: Colbert on Donohue's Book

"Look, a pox on all of your houses, you're all loons."

awesome