Social Media's Religious Police: Apostacy And Censorship

 Religion requires honest, straightforward conversations, not the Big Brother censorship that social media corporations eagerly provide. Social media corporations shelter certain religions from criticism. They censor those that criticize the religions they protect, a privilege not afforded other religions. Social media, the Big Brother in most everyone's bedroom and living room, do not understand that religious freedom and freedom of speech, which are fundamental human rights, includes the right to criticize, challenge, mock, reject and make fun of religion.

There is a difference between criticizing a religion, and discriminating against the ones that follow the religion. Religious criticism, mocking, and making fun of religion might be distasteful, but it is a basic human right, unlike discriminating against people that follow a religion, which is always wrong. People must be free to reject, challenge and criticize religion and religious beliefs and ideas. At the same time, they must have the freedom to worship and choose the religion of their choice.

Social media corporations get away with regulating religious criticism and selectively enforcing blasphemy and heresy. They are the Chamberlain appeasers of the modern time. Even worse, they do the dirty work for the most brutal regimes and organizations on the planet that harm and kill apostates, blasphemers and those considered infidels. 

Social media corporations have a moral duty, and should be subject to law suits and legal restraints, to not be platforms for hate against the members of any religion. They have failed miserably in this regard. Religious beliefs and ideas, which are not people, must not receive the same restraints.

People that love and believe in freedom must wake up to what religious censorship and religious tyranny means, and what they are doing to this planet. The world is awash in blood from violent religious fanatics and their enablers. The endless mass murders, beheadings, rapes, slavery, mutilations, suicide bombings, all in the name of religion, have no end in sight, and little to stand in its way. Suppression of religious freedom, which includes criticism of religion, only makes matters worse.

For those concerned about global warming, environmental degradation, plastic pollution, chemical and other life destroying poisons and contaminants, and how life as we know it is being destroyed,  environmental struggles that need to be fought are often sidelined by the endless wars that religious intolerance and tyranny demand. We are losing the richness of the planet's biodiversity and ecological wealth to greed, overdevelopment and selfishness, along with the toxic mixture of religion combined with hate and violence. Tragically, responsible stewardship of the planet is rare to nonexistent.

When a religion insists that it is the only right religion, the only right way, and that the other religions are corrupted or wrong, this religious supremacy and certainty that only they hold the truth, invites the very criticism that social media, religious theocracies and others want silenced. 

When a religion insists it brought monotheism into the world, only to have it pointed out that other religions existed that already practiced monotheism, and then the religion responds by insisting the other religions are wrong and corrupted, that religion, which has accused the other religions of being wrong and corrupted, should not be immune from the criticism it does not mind leveling against others. 

When any religion rejects the legitimacy of other religions, why should that religion itself be shielded from criticism? When any religion asserts that only it holds the truth, and all of the other religions are wrong, why should that religion be immune from scrutiny and questioning?

There is too much religious indoctrination and brainwashing in this world. There are too many oppressive religious theocracies. There are far too many violent religious fanatics. There are far too many people full of hate, bigotry and violence, with many believing their religion entitles them to be that way. 

There are far too many children brainwashed to blindly follow religion. There are far too many children brainwashed into believing religious violence is acceptable and required. There are far too many destructive religious beliefs, and far too much silencing of the critics of those beliefs. 

The world needs religious freedom and tolerance to thrive. Tolerance includes criticizing, mocking and rejecting religion without fear of harm and violence. Everyone should have the right to practice the religion of their choice without fear of punishment and discrimination. Everyone should have the right to reject and criticize the religions of their choice without fear of harm. There must be freedom, and there must be tolerance, not only for the followers of a religion, but also for its critics.

David Attenborough's A Life On Our Planet, Wishful Thinking Or Actionable?

 Nature gave David Attenborough an exceptional career. Wild places brought him fortune and fame. Wild places presented by Attenborough have captivated millions of people with wonderful scenes of nature and wildlife. 

In the course of his long life and distinguished career, he has seen first hand biodiversity and wild places rapidly disappear. 

David Attenborough offers advice for saving biodiversity, nature and humanity. He asks that one third of the world be set aside as protected reserves and national parks. One third of protected oceans and lands set aside for nature will go a long way in saving the planet. Can this be achieved when the complete opposite is occurring? For example, every second, every minute, rain forests across the world, in the Congo, in the Amazon, in Borneo, across Southeast Asia and elsewhere are destroyed. Small amounts of conservation here and there in the face of the massive onslaught against nature will accomplish nothing if the onslaught is not addressed, vigorously opposed and stopped. 

David Attenborough asks for people to eat less meat. Some vegans are upset because they believe Attenborough, as a man that has gained so much from animals, should advocate for an end to the consumption of animals. There is no doubt that if people eat less meat, many wild places would face less pressure, adverse climate change would improve, people would be healthier, there would be a whole lot less pain and suffering in the world, and more. But this is not the direction in which mankind is moving. The meat industry, including the multi billion dollar burger joints, are not going away. As the world becomes more and more populated, as more people join the middle class, the demand for meat only increases. Few are willing to take on the fight for this to significantly change. 

Attenborough makes an argument for reduced population growth. In Africa, the human population is exploding, ensuring a dismal future for African wildlife. Heavily settled North America no longer has large game running free across the continent. The slums of developing countries grow larger and more desperate. Women the world over should have access to safe birth control so that they can decide how many children they want. Is this happening?  Is there anyone willing to take on the powerful religious clerics, institutions and others that vigorously oppose safe forms of family planning and disease prevention such as condoms?

Attenborough is hopeful that there is a new generation that views the world as a finite place with limited resources, unlike older generations that viewed the world as endlessly exploitable. Unfortunately, there are countless people of all ages that do not see the world as a finite place. Countless people believe there is infinite life, and that even if earth is destroyed, there is an afterlife paradise that awaits. Religion and securing a place in paradise is more important than saving this planet for many. Religion should teach humanity to be stewards, not destroyers of the planet and of each other. Is anyone willing to take on those entrenched religious beliefs, religious institutions and others that could care less about protecting nature, biodiversity, and the future of mankind on earth? 

Conservation and human survival go hand in hand. What should be done to save the planet and what is being done are completely different. Less greed, less selfishness, less hate, less war, less violence, far more sacrifice and struggle are needed. This means everything has to be on the table and subject to scrutiny and change. Conservation itself must stop being a mostly elitist, ineffective business that enriches a few people and organizations. The fact that countless people would rather expend their energy on hatred or violence towards those different than themselves instead of on working together to save the planet does not bode well for the future, especially if this hatred continues to be ignored or downplayed.

Human prosperity will collapse if biodiversity collapses. David Attenborough has the conversation about what is lost, what is the consequence, and what needs to be done. Unfortunately, a lot more than conversation is needed, and this is not happening. 

  

Exaggerated Claims And Benefits About Marijuana And CBD

 The legalization of marijuana takes marijuana from the criminal justice system, where it never belonged, into the hands of personal choice. There are those that benefit from the use of marihuana. But legalization, and marijuana's benefits for some, should not overshadow the fact that this is not a harmless substance. 

CBD from hemp, is pushed aggressively as a cure all for a host of conditions for which there is no proof. As with snake oil, many people desperate for solutions to their pains and ills will spend fortunes based on hype, only to be sadly disappointed. CBD from marijuana is at least regulated better in the states where marijuana is legal for recreational and/or medical use. Because CBD from hemp is poorly regulated, all kinds of claims are made as to its benefits. Often the only people benefiting are the ones making money from the products.

As with all things where a lot of  money is involved, the people that benefit from the sale of marijuana and CBD emphasize the pros, not the cons, of marijuana and CBD use. People with medical conditions that are told marijuana will help their conditions, and in some instances, are being told to throw away their unnatural pharmaceuticals for natural marijuana, will have to discover for themselves whether marijuana is of benefit.

 For decades people were told the worst things about marijuana. Now this has reversed, and marijuana and CBD are praised beyond what is reasonable. 

For those suffering from chronic and acute pain, insomnia, anxiety, and a host of other conditions in which marijuana, including CBD, are touted as the answer, many will be sadly disappointed. Marijuana has its own risks. The health benefits and risks of marijuana and CBD can easily be researched, and should be researched before someone embarks down that path. There are short and long term adverse affects on the brain, on overall health, on psychological health, on behavior, on motivation, that some people experience, and that must not be minimized or downplayed. There is also the fact that marijuana use impacts motor skills. Driving under the influence of marijuana may increase with legalization, and should not be ignored. 

Some people will find that consuming marijuana or smoking it makes them disoriented, agitated, anxious, clouded and fogged, without any pain relief or positive benefit. It is even possible that for some, the negative affects of marijuana, including increased agitation, anxiety and other adverse affects, will make them more inclined to use illicit substances that have not been prescribed for them. 

The argument made by some that it should be marijuana instead of opioids for those in chronic and severe pain is a weak argument. Opioids are highly addictive, but that does not mean marijuana or CBD are in any way an adequate pain reliever for millions of people in chronic and severe pain. There are other pain medications besides opioids with varying degrees of effectiveness.

Managing and living with pain is a difficult road to haul. The exaggerated narratives about marijuana and CBD will lead many to disappointment and worse. Some people are told to stop their prescription medicines and use marijuana or CBD instead. Marijuana and CBD are natural, they may be told, whereas  pharmaceuticals are unnatural harmful chemicals. They neglect to mention that cocaine, heroin, and opium are also plant based substances. Being plant based in and of itself does not make something harmless. 

If someone in chronic or acute pain decides to try marijuana or CBD, out of desperation in some instances, know that it may or may not work. It may even come with some unwanted side affects. If you happen to be one of those for whom marijuana or CBD provides no benefits, or affects you adversely, realize that you are not alone. If marijuana and CBD were all that they are made out to be, especially considering that marijuana and hemp are some of the most researched and studied plants on the planet, they would already be the first line of treatment against pain, anxiety, insomnia and more.

Marijuana does not belong in the hands of law enforcement. There are compelling reasons for legalizing it and keeping it legalized in places where it is already legal. But marijuana, like alcohol, has its dark side.

Discarded War Wounded. War In Tigray, Ethiopia

 If more wounded and disabled beggars are needed in Addis Ababa and elsewhere, then make sure war in Tigray escalates. 

Healthy young men are being sent to war. Disabled young men will come back. 

Everywhere and in developing countries - already beset by extreme poverty - war is one of  the worst things that can happen. For those that survive war but are disabled and maimed by it, many can expect a lifetime of poverty, misery, pain and begging. 

Money always seem to be there to wage war, no matter how poor a country or region might be. There is no shortage of young men for cannon fodder. Once wounded and disabled, they are easily discarded.

Censorship, Silence, Jihad Atrocities In Mozambique And Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, a horrific massacre of innocent Muslim students by Islamist jihadists barely registers on the world stage. The violent fanatics win in the face of silence.

In Mozambique, Islamic jihadists just wiped out an entire village, beheading and mutilating over 50 people. Many bodies were cut into pieces. The world outcry was once again nonexistent. The jihadists ran off with female girls and women - their new sex slave captives - the few they did not murder. 

Did this make front page news? Did it make back page news? It made barely any news. The jihadists are not only in North Africa killing, mutilating and taking sex slaves. They have reached the south of Africa.

The violence and slaughter will be ignored. It is off limits to challenge, to question, to examine the religious passages and ideologies that inspire and motivate such brutality.

It is not enough to say that most followers of a religion are not violent when this silences the questioning of what it is that motivates those that are violent.

 The censorship of the questioning of religious texts, ideas and beliefs ensures that violent fanatics prevail and translate their violent ideas and beliefs into violent actions.

Religion mixed with hate, intolerance and violence is toxic and must be challenged regardless of the religion, place or source from which it emanates. Every religion must reform and change to ensure hatred and violence does not prevail. Violent and hateful ideas and beliefs must be challenged before they manifest into war and violence. Censorship of the questioning of religious ideas and beliefs that lead to violence and hate only benefits those that want hate, violence and terror.

War And Child Abuse Have Become Preferable To Freedom Of Speech And Religion

 Is it better to fight in the realm of ideas or to fight by violence and war? 

Social media corporations, most western politicians, religious leaders, academics, and many others have made it clear that they prefer war, even though this is not what they overtly say.

In Pakistan and elsewhere, many girls and boys are indoctrinated into believing insulting their prophet or their religion requires the beheadings of those that commit blasphemy. 

Ideas and beliefs should be fought with ideas and beliefs. Instead, social media, many academics, politicians, religious leaders and others would rather arbitrarily suppress freedom of speech and only respond to the inevitable outcome of when violent and hateful ideas and beliefs result in violent behaviors. 

When it comes to religion, the west and all freedom loving people should stand firm that nothing is off the table when it comes to freedom of speech and to freedom of religion. Freedom of religion includes not only the right to practice the religion of one's choice, but also the right to reject religion, criticize religion, mock religion and satire religion. And then, for those that are offended, let the battle be in the realm of ideas and beliefs instead of on actual battlegrounds. 

If violent religious fanatics want to spread their religion by the sword, then decent people should not have their hands tied behind their backs and be told that they cannot question what it is that motivates these violent religious fanatics. Instead, social media and others arbitrarily suppress religious criticism, ensuring religious hate mongers and violent fanatics are protected. 

Millions of children are being indoctrinated to hate, to kill, to be violent, and still the west and east are mostly silent. But not so when it comes to cartoons that are insulting to a religion. Then many in the east and west join hands in outrage. 

Public Radio, The Media, Blasphemy And Religious Violence

 There is a difference between discriminating against someone because of their religion, and criticizing someone's religion. Discrimination based on religion is wrong. Criticizing, mocking, rejecting and making fun of a religion may be repugnant, but it is not wrong in the way religious discrimination is wrong. 

Does public radio and the media at large have any guts? Is pandering to victimization - which is used to justify, ignore, excuse or accept violence- the permanent media landscape? 

What happened to the teacher in France and the other victims in France is horrific. A teacher was beheaded for showing cartoons. Insulting a religion does not justify violence, let alone murder. 

A public radio station changed the focus away from the acts of violence committed in France by the adherents of a religion, focusing instead on how Macron's response to the religious violence adds to the alleged victimization of the members of that religion locally. 

The feeble excuse that the perpetrators of violence have distorted the religion is not enough. When countless acts of violence are committed in the name of any religion, that should be a wake up call that the religion needs change and reform. 

 The fearful response some or many may have towards a religion in whose name numerous acts of violence and terror are committed is not irrational, phobic or discriminatory. The media, politicians and others must stop making excuses for religious violence when perpetuated by what is perceived to be a religious minority or underclass, especially when considering the religion is one of the largest on earth. It is not phobic to ask why endless acts of violence and terror are committed in the name of that religion. It is not enough to say that most followers of that religion are not violent when this silences questioning of what it is that motivates those that are violent.

Religion mixed with violence is toxic. Religious passages that incite hatred and violence must be rejected. Religious leaders that incite violence and hate must be rejected. None of this will go away if people remain afraid to confront toxic religious ideas and beliefs that fuel violence, hatred and bigotry.

Silence is complicity. People that care about freedom, people that care about religious freedom and the rights of all people practicing the religion of their choice must include the resounding message that religious violence and intolerance is never acceptable. Religious freedom includes the right to reject and criticize religion without fear of persecution. 

The victimization narratives that are used to excuse, justify or accept violence, the inability to stand up for religious freedom in all its forms, the inability or unwillingness to confront religious violence and the passages and preachers that fuel it, do not serve the many victims of religious violence.