NTBA

[Great Teacher Largo]

This is meant to be purely illustrative, and not to be taken humourlessly (or was that humourously?)

The Decline and Fall of the American Empire

or

Nero was Right:  Blame the Christians!

That's right, friends, Romans, Country-men.  Country-women.  Enemies.  Neutral Parties.  Not only is America in the tail end of its life span, but I believe the causes of its demise can be traced conclusively back to modern-day Christianity.  Nota bene the use of the prefix 'Modern-day,' as the author has nothing against the early church in the, oh, about seventy years after the Mythical Jesus' death.  From what the author understands of it, it was actually an okay place until the men took over and made it masculine.  The author has grievances specifically with the religion that these days presents itself as 'Christianity.'

"But wait a minute," you say (or maybe not, considering the constitution of the intended audience,) "how can Christianity possibly be responsible for everything bad in this country?  It just doesn't seem possible."  Oh, my friends, but it is possible, and I hope to illuminate how.

The are two problems in this country known as the United States.  Two main ones, I should say, which seem to be at the root of everything wrong.  The first of the problems is that no one will take responsiblity for their actions.  I believe that while many, many people have this problem in modern (American) society, it is particularly apparent among Christians.

Christianity is a religion that preaches that one should be careful of one's actions, not for reward in this life, or for consequences in this life, but for reward in an afterlife.  Because this world does not matter, only getting into the next one, and because not caring about this world and getting into the next one are often compatible ideas, this world is going to shit at the hands of the Christians.

Christianity is also the religion of the cosmic scapegoat.  I know of no other religion where one can so easily escape responsiblity for one's actions.  After all, one is never truely responsible for one's actions in modern Christianity.  "The Devil Made Me Do It."  This has even been used as a defense at trial, in a court of law, and people accept it.  And because this easy cop-out is built into the Religion at a deep level, and ingrained early on in its adherents (particularly in childhood for those children unfortunate enough to be raised in a Christian household), this contributes, in the opinion of the author, to the rising levels of scapegoating in this country.  Anything from Rock Music to Grand Theft Auto is being cited as the source of people's bad behaviour these days (since to claim in public 'The Devil Made Me Do It' is to expose one's self to ridicule.)  The person commiting the act is no longer responsible:  the game, or music, or play, or other people are.  It is simply a modern day 'Devil Made Me Do It.'

Thus concludes part one, as I have become fascinated by a caterpillar.

[Zurtok Khan]

Ehh.  I'm giving you a 3 out of 23.  Nice attempt, but I can't say that it was good.

[Great Teacher Largo]

Ehh.  I'm giving you a 3 out of 23.  Nice attempt, but I can't say that it was good.

Thanks.  Considering that about half way through it I stopped staring at the screen and started staring at the caterpillar while typing, I'm quite happy with the way it came out even though I wasn't devoting a great deal of attention.

[East Coast Hustle]

DURP!@

[Malaul]

Are you gonna pull up all of erics old crap?
the least you could do is find something INTERESTING to bump