“HONOR KILLINGS”, INFANTICIDE, AND OTHER “CONTROVERSIES”

 

I kicked this around with a sister prior to posting and was advised it would be controversial, kind of a touchy social and political topic.

But then I believe “civilization” has become controversial and to one degree or another life itself has become politicized – so with that being the case “controversial” isn’t much of a deterrent in the decision making process whether to post or not, and it is my belief we shouldn’t shy away from addressing or confronting controversial subjects as long as so much as even a facade of free speech exists:

What is it with “religion” and infanticide?

In the old testament you have Abraham being instructed to build an altar and sacrifice his son, apparently his “faith” was such he did as instructed but at the last moment was told to stand down it was all some kind of test. Hell of a test wouldn’t you say?

You have Herod ordering the execution of all first born and during the Passover every man, woman, and child whose house wasn’t marked with lambs blood being slain – and yes I know Herod was one of the bad guys, and then there was all that slewing and slaying on something of an epic scale.

Or would that be Biblical slewing and slaying like a flood of “bibical” proportions?

Sis pointed out a few explanations for this can be found on the net, explanations like attempting to characterize Abraham’s predicament as being something less than it was as in he was merely “asked”.

You ask for a glass of water or something of that nature – you don’t “ask” anyone to commit infanticide.

An attempted clean up that falls egregiously short as Abraham wasn’t “asked” to do anything – he was told, a demand was made to “honor” his faith – in this instance “honor” becomes the equivalent of obeying and failing to do so the shame.

Then there’s the so called “honor killings” where a child is murdered as a matter of “honor” – yeah, that makes sense as it’s always honorable to murder your own child.

But alternatives exist, you can torture them, set them on fire, stone, beat, or douse them with acid as proof of devotion and boundless faith.

Children represent an endless array of opportunities, they can be forced into child labor, sexually and physically abused, or sold as slaves and child brides all under the aegis of faith and obedience to an all powerful benevolent god in cultures permeated by such a belief – as an alibi that’s about pathetic as they come.

If they really become a problem you can just dump them off at the mall and not return or place a new born in a dumpster.

We’re big on saying children are the future and apparently just as big in saying the mess they will inherent is their’s to deal with – family values.

It’s too bad this all powerful benevolent god doesn’t protect children, that there isn’t a rule, or “commandment” in place that says what you visit upon a child will immediately be visited upon you – if that were the case there would be a real time reason to believe, to have a little faith.

Failing such direct action how about one of those “words” or “signs” to let people know they’ve got it wrong rather than some wolf in sheep’s clothing telling you to give them money as the lord himself needs such an expression of faith so a door can be opened allowing god to “honor” your obedience and slip a few bucks in your direction?

Wars have been predicated upon religion, the “holy books” are rife with such tales, and if the expressed purpose isn’t some religious insanity then rest assured proclamations will abound that god is nonetheless on everybody’s side at the same time – here’s your weapon, bow your head in prayer and now go kill someone.

That’s a pretty neat trick being on everyone’s side at the same time, understandable if it gets a little confusing, but hey as mere mortals we neither can nor need to understand such mysteries, we just need to believe, to have faith, and more importantly to obey or suffer the shame and consequences.

Karl Max said religion is the opiate of the masses, and if you can get past the revulsion for communism which isn’t easy to do you have to admit Marx nailed it.

An opiate so addictive the addiction leads people to do the unthinkable while their suppliers, reads evangelicals and the bogus prosperity doctrine they preach as they loll around the pool in their multi million dollar mansions, dole out the daily or weekly fix, and like all dealers rake in the bucks.

Not all “servants of the lord” are evangelical as understood in this country, some are just your old crazed run of the mill garden variety wild eyed zealots claiming special interpretative powers that if any defy can lead to all manner of mayhem including murder.

The way it goes is sin is sin regardless of whether you commit it or are the victim – if you’re a woman whose been raped in certain “religious” countries the only solution as a “co participant” is to be beaten – your measure of guilt apparently is that in being a woman the mere fact that you are drove your assailant(s) to do what they as faithful followers would not have done otherwise.

I’m not into this “great” religions of the world thing, as little that could be characterized as great has actually occurred in the name of religion – at the top, the central benevolent figure in these religions from whom all good things and blessings flow sits an omnipotent god that has no qualms about visiting infanticide upon his own children whether by his own hand or the agency of proxies who claim god is on their side.

And that sins of the father thing doesn’t quite make it off the ground. If for example your father, grandfather, or grandfather generations removed committed murder should you get the death penalty as well?

As a parent if you had two or more children would you punish them all for what one did? Yeah I know…….we’re not gods, just mere dimwitted mortals failing to grasp the big picture and “sinners” to boot who “cannot know the mind of god”

Honor killings, would that include the biblical flood, the Inquisition, the Crusades, and jihads?

Honor killings? Why don’t we just call it what it is really is? For the politically correct who shy away from such exacting definitions as murder how about dishonorable killing and forgo all the bullshit about great world religions.

A civilized world as nations bristle with mega weapons, corporations commit crimes against humanity, climate change deniers would have all rush like lemmings toward the abyss, and “honor killings” exist? I don’t think so.

Nations and cultures are defined by their priorities, what they do, not what they say – there is no honor when people on the rez haven’t access to electricity or running water, and I submit “honor killing” is alive and well in this country and elsewhere among the “developed” nations when governments “honor” corporate greed and influence by pandering to them with sweetheart deals, loophole riddled legislation, and the gutting of environmental regulations that threaten the well being of untold millions, billions, the very planet itself.

Something that shouldn’t be overlooked in the below linked article as the sister pointed out is the parents felt the “honor” of killing their own daughter was such that their other children needed to witness it and thereby serve a twofold purpose.

One to share the “honor” and the other to instill fear.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that I can work and earn a living, that I’m not sleeping in the streets and can root around for a deal on something I want, but I never forget that on a global scale there are those who can’t say the same.

I never forget that what I spend on a used piece of photo gear or tool could feed a hungry child or family – and I never forget that children are being murdered in the name of “honor” because life is about more than me or some distant patriarchal  god.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/body-language-expect-caught-parents-235953726.html