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"One of the hardest things you will ever do is drag people screaming and kicking to the place where they have to think for themselves!"

The commentary continued to explain there there couldn't be a God because of the
diseases, crime, poverty, etc. that is here. Well, I guess that's a quick and easy answer
for some. However, I believe God is similiar (sic) to parents in some ways... We as children look up to our parents to protect us and take care of us, correct? However, you don't see them actually "controlling" us. Our parents to not escort us to the bathroom to make sure we brush our teeth and take a bath. They don't sit next to us in school every day to ensure we don't skip class. Neither do they force feed fruits and veggies to us so we
can be healthy and strong. They do not chain themselves to us to keep us from
experimenting with sex and drugs. Instead, they teach us right from wrong and then they
leave it to us to do what is right. Therefore, we are left with the choice of brushing our
teeth or letting them rot, taking a bath or smelling like sweat and urine, going to school
or being a drop-out, eating healthy or having nutrition problems and eating disorders,
avoiding sex and drugs or having a baby at 12 and being a drug addict at 13. Yes, they
bring us into this world despite it's condition. Despite the fact that their (sic) are rapist (sic), murders, pedifiles (sic), thieves, diseases, kidnappers... our parents still choose to bring us into this world to teach us what is good and right and then leave us to make choices.
That is what MY God does.

As far as saying God is cruel, well I guess our parents are cruel because they punish us
for stealing a bag of chips out the store. I guess our parents are equally cruel for not
getting us out of jail by putting up their house for bond and getting a $200,000 loan to
hire Johnny Cocoran (sic) as an attorney when we get locked up for murdering the boy next
door when he pissed us off. I don't know, maybe God, like our parents let us suffer the
consequences of our actions. Just maybe God, knows that many times the only way we
learn anything is by punishment and consequences.

Well, I guess I've actually gone on entirely too long because we, being stubborn people,
refuse to allow others to influence our opinions. However, my main concern was this...

"What was the intent of all the religion bashing? What was that negative monologue
suppose to accomplish? Make everyone atheist? I'd like to understand the purpose,
what good it was meant to accomplish"

Peace and Blessings.

Dear Trina,

With dozens of biblical references on the REALigion page to things that could only be described as silly, gross or evil, I'm a little surprised that the thrust of your reply is to compare god to your parents. There is one fundamental difference between your parents and god . . . your parents are not imaginary! Hopefully you got to touch them, talk to them, relate to them; something that was healthy because they are real.

If you got the impression that I was saying that god is cruel, you are mistaken. God cannot be cruel, "he" doesn't exist! Imaginary, invisible men living in the sky cannot be cruel or kind or happy or sad or anything else. Life is cruel, and if you believe this imaginary man is responsible for it, you will have to make that connection. Since imaginary men are imaginary, they can't decide whether or not to allow you to suffer; nor can they intervene to help you. If you are suffering, and expect the imaginary man to save you, you're gonna be shit out of luck unless you get off the stick and end your suffering yourself.

Talking or relating to imaginary men in the sky is normally described as mental illness; unless it is done under the guise of religion. The REALigion page was not intended to be harsh, but perhaps it betrayed my impatience with our all too human tendency to relinquish responsibility for our lives to some outside power, especially imaginary ones. When will we stand on our own two feet and take responsibility for our lives? When will we stop paying for minister's BMW's and fancy houses with our baby's milk money?

As to the purpose for creating the page, black people have been held back far too long by superstitious religious beliefs instilled in us by during slavery (not that Africa didn't have it's own superstitions). Christianity has us worshiping a white deity whom we are to look to for salvation; when salvation can only come from black people using clear, rational, scientific thought and concerted economic and political action on behalf of our community. And the leeches who have their hands in our pockets because they claim to have god's personal cell phone number are con men who need to be removed from the forefront of black leadership.

P.S. instead of skimming that material, you might benefit from actually reading it.

Topic:Sex

Name: Naja
City: Decatur
State: GA
Subject: Good Points!
I definitely enjoyed this section more than your section on religion. I agree 100% with everything you said, and I think it's about time people started realizing these things.This information, I believe you should really try to get to as many people as possible, because it is a very valuable message.

Dear Naja,

Yes, I'll admit to being confused, but it's you who are confusing me . . . one minute it is "not my place" to impart my views to others (when you disagree with me), and the next minute I should try to get as many people to hear my thoughts as possible (when you agree with me). The greatest thing about having a brain is choosing to use it, something I have been encouraging people to do for half a century (this website is just the latest manifestation of this lifelong quest).

You state that my views on religion are "wrong", but don't refute a single point of the hundreds of points I made in the piece. If what you believe "can easily be proven", where is your proof? Which of my points are wrong and why? I'd love to hear from you.

Religion asks you to believe things on "faith" for a very good reason . . . there is no proof! You are asked to believe (and pay for some guy's Cadillac) because some con man tells you to. If you read the bible (there are several good passages cited in REALigion) you'll find that what the con men have told you the bible says is a lie, but you won't find that out until you actually read it and analyze it yourself.

Topic: Sex
Name: Puda
City: Baltimore, MD
Subject: Reality Check
Text: Time and time again, we as African-Americans seem to make excuses for ourselves. The first and only rule should be: Love yourself!...without love for yourself, how can you possible love any other creature, or life. Once you find peace with yourself all else will fall into place, including the one above. Take my advise...it might take time...but good things come to those who wait & make an effort.

Dear Puda,

Yes, loving yourself is important, but if you make loving yourself the thrust of your life, you'll probably end up a little shallow. Staring in the mirror makes it difficult to see a friend in trouble, or the stranger who could use a kind word. Caring about others is just as important as loving yourself, especially caring about others in your community.

Re: Sexual Harassment

Hello,

Okay, nice site.

First, I would like to respond to the Sexual Harassment page. I do
understand that sexual harassment toward women is a problem. However, I
would suggest that you also understand that Sexual Harassment is (sic) problem that reaches far beyond just women. There is a side of sexual harassment where if a man complains he doesn't get the consideration and seriousness of attention that should be there.

Then there is the side that women use the sexual harassment thing when it is convenient to them when other things don't work out. Of course, these situations are most likely the bulk of the true cases, but they do undermine the real ones. So I am not saying it is not a problem, but you have to be very careful how you present this subject because of how people see it differently, and not just men.

That being said. I did find a really big problem with your website. When
I looked at the link page I could not find the following link. :-)

BLACK QUEST POWER RESOURCE LINKS
http://blackquest.com/link.htm

Dear Arthur,

You might have a slightly different take on what women go through on the job if your wife's boss crawled under her desk and bit her on the leg. Sexual harassment is a difficult topic for many of us men to face, since we are often the perpetrators. Even with all the recent press on the subject, less than one in ten female victims ever report the crime. Admit it: we men have historically taken it as our birthright to coerce women into sexual activity when we are in positions of power. That crap needs to end . . . now!

Black women deserve to be treated like queens, not just at home, but in the work place. Certainly some women have filed false sexual harassment claims, but there is no way that false claims are "the bulk of the true cases". I have seen firsthand the horrendous pressure a corporation puts on an innocent, powerless female who dares to complain. Very few men could stand the pressure of being written up by supervisors twenty one times in eleven months, or being threatened with termination five times by company executives, as happened to Rosie Grant (see Sexual Harassment Page). Filing a sexual harassment complaint is not fun, and I have thousands of dollars worth of doctor's bills and 94 empty prescription bottles to prove it.

I agree that men have also been victims of sexual harassment, and if they have been victims of harassment from a male or female boss they should be treated as seriously under the law as female victims are. I suspect that the male victims you are sympathizing with are bosses who have been accused of being harassers: here we have to part ways. These clowns rarely get what they deserve . . . a swift ass whipping from someone's husband . . . and they are rarely fired or disciplined; that always happens to their female victim.

You'll be glad to know that I looked at Black Quest and was impressed. I've added it to the Afrique Online Links page. How about adding an Afrique Online a link to your site?

Editor; Afrique Publications

Hello,

First, one correction, I meant to say that "...most likely are not the
bulk..." But, I do stand by the rest of my statement as written. I hope
this correction put a little better spin on my statement. Believe me, I
am not sympathizing with anyone. I don't support sexual harassment by
any means, but I don't like those people who use it to their own means
because it is a popular issue. Just as I hate those people who file
false racist clams, that undermine those of us who are going through
the authentic situations. Which again is the bulk of the cases. Really,
I was only trying to state only to look at the situation from more than
one focus. That way you have more of a chance of getting support for
your course. This is just my view and you don't have to agree. I do
admire you for just taking on the issue. Because a lot of the Black
sites do not take on real issue that affect our daily lives.

You stopped at how about... So my guess is that you were about to
request that I add your site to my links. I will be doing that soon.

Arthur

I'll keep checking back and spread the word. Good luck!

Paula Maddox-McCollum

Thanks, Paula!

Topic: RACEscism
Name: Damani
City: Lanham, Md
subject: Book List
text: I suggest two books to be added to your excellent list: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney and The West and the Rest of Us by Chinweizu.

Also, for advanced study: Yurugu: An African-Centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior by Marimba Ani.

Dear Damani,

Thanks for the input; I've added your suggestions to the list.

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