Yesterday was the 10 year anniversary of the day the Heaven's Gate cult members committed mass suicide believing that their spirits (or whatever their flesh "containers" held) could then hitch a ride with the spacecraft they believed was trailing the Hale-Bopp Comet.
I was watching the news lastnight, and the woman that was reporting on this story kept referring to the Heaven's Gate members' "Bizarre Beliefs" and their "Deranged Leader," and other similarly derisive comments. I certainly wouldn't argue with her assessment, but I wondered why other belief systems with reality-defying beliefs aren't treated with the same disdain.
I mean isn't it also a bit insane to believe in someone born of a virgin; who performed "miracles"; who died and subsequently rose from the dead? (I am, of course, referring to Mithraism...what did you think I was talking about?)
5 comments:
That was cool, that thing about Mithraism and its parallels with Christianity. Makes ya think, man. Like, when ya grow up with Christianity, all those things are THE TRUTH. But then, on closer inspection, it's like, huh? That's one reason I like science. (Although that can become some people's religions, too).
The difference between Mithraism, Christianity and the Heaven's Gate cult is the cool, matching black & white Nikes that the latter group wore when they hitched a ride with the Hale-Bopp Comet.
Why is Islam not treated with more disdain? I guess nobody wants to deal with the death threats and riots that the Danish cartoons provoked. There is plenty of open disdain for Christianity---the "Piss Christ" piece by Andres Serrano was featured in the New York Times with a picture yet the Danish Muhammad cartoons were blocked by the same paper for fear of offending Muslim sensibilities (or fear of ending up like Theo Van Gogh). Best to stick to it to groups whose religions teach them to not be provoked.
C'mon "Anonoymous!" Followers of Mithras are pretty cutthroat. I think I took a real chance there!
Notice the acronym for "belief system" is B.S.
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