Bo Burnham: From God's Perspective. (Video) Please SHARE!

This is a clip from a Bo Burnham performance.

I'd seen his name on a few titles on Netflix, but, I'd never watched him before stumbling across this video completely by accident on YouTube and...

I think I'm In LOVE!!!

(Please find Bo's "From God's Perspective" lyrics below the video.)

Enjoy!
(I sure did!)



"From God's Perspective"

The books you think I wrote are way too thick.
Who needs a thousand metaphors to figure out you shouldn't be a dick?
And I don't watch you when you sleep.
Surprisingly I don't use my omnipotence to be a fucking creep

You're not going to heaven
Why the fuck would you think I'd ever kick it with you?
None of you are going to heaven
There's a trillion aliens cooler than you

You shouldn't abstain from rape just 'cause you think that I want you to
You shouldn't rape 'cause rape is a fucked up thing to do
(Pretty obvious, just don't fucking rape people, please, didn't think I had to write that one down for you)

I don't think masturbation is obscene
It's absolutely natural and the weirdest fucking thing I've ever seen
You make my job a living hell and I sent gays to fix overpopulation
And boy did that go well

You're not going to heaven
Eat a thousand crackers sing a million hymns
None of you are going to heaven
You're not my children
You're a bad game of Sims

You shouldn't abstain from pork just 'cause you think that I want you to
You can eat pork 'cause why the fuck would I give a shit?
(I created the universe, think I'd draw the line at the fucking deli aisle?)

You argue and you bicker and you fight
Atheists and Catholics, Jews and Hindus argue day and night
Over what they think is true
But no one entertains the thought that maybe God does not believe in you

You pray so badly for heaven
Knowing any day might be the day that you die
But maybe life on earth could be heaven
Doesn't just the thought of it make it worth a try

[2x]
My love's the type of thing that you have to earn
And when you earn it you won't need it

I'm not gonna give you love just 'cause I know that you want me to
If you want love then the love's gonna come from you

Cordoba Islamic Cultural Center (w/mosque) Becomes Ground Zero For Religious Intolerance and Bigotry

In case you have missed the wildfire-like development of what has become America's Latest & Greatest National Issue.

It began about two weeks ago.

I'd been trying to ignore the issue.

To me, it was just another case of up-for-election Republicans and other right-wing, conservative, agitating panic-button pushers, well... you know..pushing certain people's "panic buttons".

I was confident then and I am confident now that the U.S. Constitution will win out over irrationality, various forms of bigotry and that ugly "Us(Americans) V. Them(Americans)" mentality.

Still, things would occasionally pop-up on my radar...

One evening, a late night news program I had been watching - it was on more for noise than for my actual visual attention - made the unfortunate decision to shine a light on a Tweet sent out by Twit(terer) Sarah Palin:

"Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate."

*First: It is Not a "Ground Zero Mosque". The project is for the Cordoba Islamic Cultural Center - kind of like the YMCA. (It includes a Mosque but, so what? The structure - it was a Burlington Coat Factory until 9/11- is one which Muslims currently use for prayers.) The construction site is located at least two blocks away from the former WTC.
Second: "Peaceful Muslims"?
Third: "Refudiate" is not a word.

That was followed by tweet #2:

"Peaceful New Yorkers, pls refute the Ground Zero mosque plan if you believe catastrophic pain caused @ Twin Towers site is too raw, too real"

(* Refute: "To prove wrong.")

Third time's the charm?

"Peace-seeking Muslims, pls understand, Ground Zero mosque is UNNECESSARY provocation; it stabs hearts. Pls reject it in interest of healing"

What's with the "Peace-seeking Muslims..."? Why the qualifier?
"Peace-seeking"? As opposed to... what?
"77 Virgin-obsessed, terror baby cell-making, freedom-hating Muslims, maybe?

As with most blatant examples of religious bigotry and/or xenophobia... much hilarity ensued and before long, all three Tweets became "Deletes".

Much ado was made of the trio of tweets and of the responses of various people to the former and failed Vice Presidential candidate's intolerance-inciting tweets.

Finally, after she'd gotten it all off of her chest, she tried for funny:

Palin tweeted the following:
“English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!”

Yes, it's living and in a constant state of siege.
As for "Shakespeare" ~ Ms. Palin, May I present to you An Irrefutable Truth:
The sum total of all that you and William Shakespeare have in common is only surpassed by one thing: The sum total of all that George W. Bush and The Bard have in common.
Now, I promise to Celebrate, if you will go hibernate.

Currently...

Last night (Monday), from the moment that I first became aware of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's official statement on the Islamic Cultural Center Issue...

I was surprised. I was angry. I simply couldn't ignore it no longer.

(Statement made by Reid's spokesman):

"The First Amendment (of The US Constitution) protects freedom of religion."
"Senator Reid respects that but thinks the mosque should be built someplace else."

Really, Senator Reid?

Here's what I think:

First of all... Senator Reid, you live in Nevada. M.Y.O.B.

If you're really bored or have too much free time... Take that excess energy and go hold fundraisers and campaign against the nuttiest little fruitcake in Nevada: Ms. Sharron Angle, your Republican opponent in the upcoming election.

Regarding your above statement: I think that, one phrase in the second sentence of your statement - starting from the "but" (5th word) and ending with the "else" (13th)...

Well, that phrase pretty much invalidates, nulls and voids both the first sentence of your statement and the first four words of the second sentence ("Senator Reid respects that...").

If you respect our U.S Constitutionally-Protected Right To Freedom of Religion, as you claim... Then your alleged "respect" must apply in each/every/all cases involving freedom of religion and equal protection under the law.

Or, are you trying to "have your cake and eat it, too... Hmm?

I also think that - if you are - that you should stop cowing to irrational, illogical people. Are worried that they out number the rational and logical ones? How about if, instead of cowing to their delusions, try explaining the Truth to them in a way that they understand. And, if necessary, suggest they take a class which delves into our Constitution, Bill of Rights and Constitutional Amendments.

And, finally, Senator Reid: If you are the person who actually put the above-mentioned statement together... And, if you actually believe that those two distinct ideas... Religious Freedom and Religious Bigotry - two complete polar opposites - can exist simultaneously in the same space/time...

Well, then, perhaps you should look into finding a worthy Democratic candidate as a replacement and then retire to seek medical attention.

The thoughtful and insightful article below explains the issue at hand much more poetically than I am able to at the moment. I'm still somewhat shocked that Mr. Reid said that.

Enjoy!

L.

From: God's Politics: a blog by Jim Wallis & friends

By: Julie Clawson

"I’ve become used to seeing images of protests on the news recently. While a few years ago these were displayed as sure signs of anti-American sentiments, they are now a mainstay on the nightly news. Hardly a day goes by without seeing some sign calling Obama a Muslim socialist or demanding that the government not take away Medicare in order to pay for socialized heath care. But it was seriously disturbing to see the images from New York City yesterday of the protest of the Muslim center going in two blocks from the site of Ground Zero. The planned center is being built in an old Burlington Coat Factory building and will include a fitness center, community meeting rooms, and a mosque. Basically it’s the neighborhood YMCA with that weird contemporary church plant meeting in the yoga room on Saturday nights. But it’s Muslim and therefore has drawn out the haters.

The organization Stop Islamization of America, a self-proclaimed human rights group, organized the protest on Sunday. This group’s mission is to ensure the preservation of freedom of speech against Islamic supremacist intimidation and attempts to make the United States compliant with Shari’a [Islamic law]. After reading about this group and seeing some of the photos Samir Selmanovic posted from the event as he stood in solidarity with Muslims (including the one here), I couldn’t help but reflect on the tendency in this country for us to fear and hate the other.

It is an odd balance, American’s strike between forgiveness and hate.

On one hand we become obsessed with stories of extreme forgiveness.

The Amish women who chose to forgive and love the families of the man who killed their children so captured our attention the story was even turned into a movie. We prize such extreme acts of love almost to the point of fetishizing them, and yet when the offenders are too different from us we cling to our hatred.

I remember listening to my grandfather’s tales of World War II and first realizing this strange tension between forgiveness and prejudice. He fought on the German front as a naval officer, he was part of the D-Day invasion, ferried Patton across the Rhine River, and had his best friend blown away in the foxhole next to him. Year later, as a man of German descent himself, he had easily forgiven the Germans for the war and yet still spoke with extreme contempt about the Japanese.

Forgiving those like us is easy; extending mercy to those who are other is where our fear often strangles our compassion.

This fear of the other prevents us from seeing the world clearly.

Our belief in our own rightness clouds how we see the other.

During my time at Wheaton College there was much debate about changing the school’s mascot from that of Crusader. While it was eventually changed to the Wheaton Thunder, many people could not understand why there was any reason to change it at all. They thought it was preposterous that any person (especially Muslims and Jews) would be offended by the image or judge modern day Christians by the past actions of historical Crusaders.

Yet, even in the church we daily judge Muslims by the actions of a few of its members.

So, while we applaud the Amish women for their acts of forgiveness, the fear and hatred sparked by the events of 9/11 still inform the average American’s opinion of Muslims. So to the protesters, the building of a Muslim center and mosque so near the site of Ground Zero is just another act of violence — a threat to American supremacy.

There is no forgiveness of the terrorists and the grudge against them is extended to all Muslims.

I, like many of the Muslims involved, understand the need to tread carefully here. Even in working for peace and reconciliation one has to be aware of how one’s actions might offend people who have been previously hurt. This is why Wheaton eventually did change its mascot, out of a desire to promote love and healing instead of reopening old wounds. But it is pure fear of the other that is sparking some to say just having Muslims near Ground Zero is offensive.

It is heartbreaking knowing that many of the protesters are there claiming to represent Jesus while they scream their message of hate. This isn’t just about protesting political ideas but a demonstration of our bondage to sin. The images of the protest hurt as they mock everything the faith I follow claims to uphold.

As I wait to see how this current drama unfolds, I can’t help but wonder what it will take for American Christians to move from just fetishizing forgiveness to actually letting mercy and compassion for all rule our hearts."

Julie Clawson is the author of Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices (IVP 2009). She blogs at julieclawson.com and emergingwomen.us.

Taliban Whips And Executes Pregnant Widow Accused Of Adultery

(Heart-)Breaking News...

To Be Filed Under: "What Freaking Century Are We In, Again?".

Official Reports From Afghanistan Confirm The Tragic News That The Taliban - After Holding A Pregnant Widow In Captivity For Three Days - Has Executed Her.

The Reason?

The Pregnant Widow Had Been Accused Of Adultery.

My First Question: Is it that the woman didn't "look" pregnant prior to becoming a widow?
Of course, that doesn't mean that she wasn't pregnant.

So, A Pregnant Widow Was Accused Of Adultery And Then Executed.

That's Awful Enough.

But, There's More...

Apparently - In Taliban-Controlled Parts Of Afghanistan - If They Go From "Accusation" Directly To "Execution"... The Amount Of Horror Felt By And Fear Induced In Any Sane Witnesses Would Be Over Too Quickly.

If For Nothing Else, The One Thing The Taliban Can Be Counted On To Do Is This:
Making A World-Horrifying Spectacle Of Public Torture And Execution... Especially If It Involves Women.

In This Particular Case, The Taliban Managed To Abstain From Executing The Pregnant Widow...

Until After They'd Whipped Her 200 Times, Publicly.

And, It Was Only After The Pregnant Widow Had Been Struck 200 Times, That One Of The Taliban Finally Shot Her.

He Shot Her In The Head... Three Times.
(Source: Voice Of America News)

Half-way into the VOA article, my next question was:

"What About The Man?"

If The Widow Was Said To Be "Guilty" Because She Was Pregnant...

Well, Then The Man Who Committed Adultery With Her... The Man Who Impregnated The Widow Was Equally Guilty, Right?

Well, no.

Of course not.

This is the Taliban...

The Man Was Not Flogged.

The Man Was Not Shot - In The Head Or Anywhere Else.

The Man Was Not Punished.

No Justice. No Equality. No Humanity.

And they want to rule over every man, woman, boy and girl in Afghanistan, again.

IMHO: Humanity Must Do Everything It Can To Prevent That From Ever Happening.

Einstein is My Co-Pilot: Previously Unknown Letter Reveals His Views on Religion.

... I'm thrilled (and grateful) to say that I've finally reached a point in my ongoing evolution/enlightenment where I do not seek out nor need approval or confirmation from outside sources that I am OK or that what I believe is OK.

That being said...

I'm equally thrilled to have just found out that my own personal views on organized religion mirror those of Albert Einstein.

My early religious experience was similar to his. And, like Einstein, I began to question - at an early age - the biblical stories that I was being taught and which everyone around me seemed to swallow - hook, line and sinker - without question. At the time, I lived in 'The Bible Belt' and, on weekends, it was hard to find anything entertaining on TV amid all of the televangelists and 'healers' (who were passionate - and, to me, utterly ridiculous - about scamming the poor and gullible for money) and other from-the-pulpit church programs (Thank Gd for PBS!... Hee Hee.). I attended services at Jewish synagogues and Baptist churches. Even then, in my young mind, I couldn't understand why so many otherwise rational people believed these stories to be... well, 'the Gospel Truth', so to speak. Not only was the Bible full of contradictions... How could the same God that made the Commandment "Thou shalt not kill." be the same God that - at various times - told people to go into another land and kill every living thing there or the same God that killed countless numbers of people Himself all over the ancient world?

More recently, I've done a great deal of self-directed research into the development of conventional religions... and what I discovered only steeled my view of religion as irrational, uninformed and blind acceptance of what can only be described as - if you look from a neutral position deeper into its history - superstition.

I discovered that, during Christianity's early years, it was a very small group of powerful and educated white men who took it upon themselves to decide what and who's early accounts/stories would become part of the canon as well as what stories were considered 'heresy' and their authors/followers 'heretics'. The latter was to be sought out and destroyed and the proponents/followers of the heresies were to be killed.

Thankfully, more people are realizing that most of the traditions/holidays/stories that so many hold dear in conventional monotheistic, patriarchal religions have their origin in earlier and much older, pagan or pantheistic belief systems... This is because the early 'Convert or Die' Crew had figured out that it would be easier to indoctrinate conquered peoples into their New and Improved, Goddess-Free, Father-God Religion if it contained a numerous familiar aspects from their own, now-banned beliefs.

And, I'm not even going to go into conventional religion's history of utterly misogynistic views towards and treatment of women (perhaps it's fear/envy-based? I guess the early church fathers couldn't comprehend how it it could be that women alone, not men - had the God-like ability to bring Life into the World... and boy, were they mad about it.) or the centuries of Witch Burnings - whereby the church immediately confiscated all possessions of the as-good-as-condemned at the moment of accusation. There are modern-day examples of this misogyny... Although women won the right to vote last century and there's currently a viable female candidate for President of the U.S.... Women are still forbidden from attaining the position of Rabbi - in Judaism; of Priest - in Catholicism... and, in some interpretations of Islamic law, rather than insisting that men be respectful of women and to take responsiblity for their own behavior ... the women are ordered to cocoon themselves... I mean, my Gd!... in some communities... women and girls are routinely executed (given the misnomer 'honor-killing') for being raped!

Good People of Planet Earth... There is No God or Allah or All-Knowing/All-Powerful Creator in All That Is who would condone such cruel, vicious and abhorrent treatment of anyone, let alone innocent victims of violent crimes... But, ignorant, evil, little men who are afraid of losing their unjustified influence and control over women might tell themselves and each other that God/Allah/The Creator did.

I also agree with Einstein that no one group can seriously hold claim as 'The Chosen People'... at least not based solely upon their collective religious beliefs.
Honestly, if there are any "Chosen People", they are the people - both women and men - who consciously choose to do Good... Those who naturally and consistently do The Right Thing because it is The Right Thing To Do whenever the opportunity or need arises... and They do so with no thought about receiving any credit or reward... even if it necessitates them going a little out of their way or taking more time than they planned.

... But, I digress...

The existence of the letter was a surprise to most. It came from a private collection and is scheduled to be auctioned in London this week. Einstein had written the letter to the philosopher Eric Gutkind on January 3, 1954, after Gutkind had sent a copy of his book, Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt.


Albert Einstein, pictured in 1953. Photograph: Ruth Orkin/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Einstein is My Co-Pilot.
Peace.
L.

From: www.guardian.co.uk/.

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." So said Albert Einstein, and his famous aphorism has been the source of endless debate between believers and non-believers wanting to claim the greatest scientist of the 20th century as their own.

A little known letter written by him, however, may help to settle the argument - or at least provoke further controversy about his views.

Due to be auctioned this week in London after being in a private collection for more than 50 years, the document leaves no doubt that the theoretical physicist was no supporter of religious beliefs, which he regarded as "childish superstitions".

Einstein penned the letter on January 3 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind who had sent him a copy of his book Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt. The letter went on public sale a year later and has remained in private hands ever since.

In the letter, he states: "The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."

Einstein, who was Jewish and who declined an offer to be the state of Israel's second president, also rejected the idea that the Jews are God's favoured people.

"For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."

The letter will go on sale at Bloomsbury Auctions in Mayfair on Thursday and is expected to fetch up to £8,000. The handwritten piece, in German, is not listed in the source material of the most authoritative academic text on the subject, Max Jammer's book Einstein and Religion.

One of the country's leading experts on the scientist, John Brooke of Oxford University, admitted he had not heard of it.

Einstein is best known for his theories of relativity and for the famous E=mc2 equation that describes the equivalence of mass and energy, but his thoughts on religion have long attracted conjecture.

His parents were not religious but he attended a Catholic primary school and at the same time received private tuition in Judaism. This prompted what he later called, his "religious paradise of youth", during which he observed religious rules such as not eating pork. This did not last long though and by 12 he was questioning the truth of many biblical stories.

"The consequence was a positively fanatic [orgy of] freethinking coupled with the impression that youth is being deceived by the state through lies; it was a crushing impression," he later wrote.

In his later years he referred to a "cosmic religious feeling" that permeated and sustained his scientific work. In 1954, a year before his death, he spoke of wishing to "experience the universe as a single cosmic whole". He was also fond of using religious flourishes, in 1926 declaring that "He [God] does not throw dice" when referring to randomness thrown up by quantum theory.

His position on God has been widely misrepresented by people on both sides of the atheism/religion divide but he always resisted easy stereotyping on the subject.

"Like other great scientists he does not fit the boxes in which popular polemicists like to pigeonhole him," said Brooke. "It is clear for example that he had respect for the religious values enshrined within Judaic and Christian traditions ... but what he understood by religion was something far more subtle than what is usually meant by the word in popular discussion."

Despite his categorical rejection of conventional religion, Brooke said that Einstein became angry when his views were appropriated by evangelists for atheism. He was offended by their lack of humility and once wrote. "The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility."