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If you have a response to a certain letter with some interesting or argumentative thoughts I'm happy to add them to this page itself as long as you note the exact URL of this page so I can refer to it.
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PROTEST THE HERO and DANTE'S INFERNO
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Jeff,
I stumbled upon your site while reading up on a new band I've gotten into recently (Protest the Hero, canadian metalcore) and I must say that I am very impressed by both your site and your cause.
I myself am a christian, but in general detest organize religion for its habit of segregating people into factions that are taught to hate one another. Almost every person I know who goes to church regularly has demonstrated to me, at some point, a form of indoctrinated hatred towards someone (gays, foreigners, muslims) and it never sat well with me.
As I read your mission for the website I realized that your site was made to combat that which I find most deplorable about our modern society; the twisting of genuine morals or ethics to turn people on each other. I can't even begin to understand how rational humans can blindly hate someone for being different, or thinking in a different way. In my opinion, if whatever you believe in causes you to be honest, treat others with kindness and respect, and try to lead a good life, then have fun. If you haven't seen the movie Dogma, it would interest you greatly as it takes that kind of stand-point. It claims that God's intention was never for us to split up into groups and structure our worships for him, but just that we have faith and be decent.
The phelps are despicable and I feel shame that they even live in the same country as me. To quote the band I mentioned above, "The ultimate form of treason is the treacherous use of reason". In their crusade to enforce their own beliefs, the Phelps are manipulating genuine doctrine so that it carries a message they agree with. This delibrate act of misdirection has been done in the past (Nazis are a good example) and is very effective and swaying the masses because it is disguised as faith and worship. If you have ever read Dante's Inferno (the divine comedy), it makes mention that the lowest circle of hell is reserved for those who commit treason towards their benefactor (Satan fell there), and as I read the Phelp's argument I can't help but wonder where they are going to end up.
Please do not take down this website, as it is one of the most worthwhile "crusades" I've seen in many years. Thanks again, and hoping to hear back from you.
Chris
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JEFF SWENSON'S RESPONSE:
I've read all of Dante's Divine Comedy and of course The Inferno is the best part. Purgatorio wasn't bad but when Dante starts telling us about heaven in Paradisio it gets pretty dull. Dante is a good example of why it is not a good idea to create a hell for others. In his book he used the written word to get vengeance on political enemies and tortured them in various ways, much like the claims of the Phelps who say that not only homosexuals will burn, but also various politicians and the general population of America, and well, the rest of the world. Hell is ridiculous. It is a false threat that no one can prove.
Even if God does exist you would have to question why he would create such a place unless it was to maybe torture the likes of Hitler or Bundy. But according to the Bible anyone can escape Hell by simply repenting and accepting Jesus--just like Ted Bundy claimed to have done before he was executed. So Hell doesn't have to do with justice, it has to do with ideology. You can be the best person in the world but if you don't believe like someone else does, you're going to burn. That is irrational, both for man and God (and women too).
More people in the Western World, regardless of their religion, think like Chris. They detest pointless hatred based on segregating a group that is not inflicting harm upon anyone. You can think homosexuals are weird or unnatural if you want, but to condemn them to hell means that you are simply a tyrant in training and thankfully, if it is up to the rest of us, you will never get any real power. |
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