Someone help me out here. I am sure this week's column will probably get me a
lot of heat but I am past the point of caring now. What exactly is the deal with
religious fanatics? Since the drawing of an "offensive" cartoon in Denmark
featuring the Prophet Muhammad it has been pandemonium.
And I read today that a Pakistani cleric (priest/zealot) offered $1,000,000 USD for killing the cartoonist! Umm aren't you a priest? Isn't killing, in any religion wrong? WTF?????
I was raised Catholic. For my formative years I even went to catechism and was
an altar boy. (Yes, hard to believe and no, I wasn't touched. Sicko.) So I do have
some religion knowledge to draw upon but I am having trouble fathoming the
latest in long line of religious questions.
First I would like to just point out that it is apparently a fact that
organized religion has killed more people than disease. Sad but true. I thought
religion was supposed to teach people faith and give them a moral code and
tenets to follow to be "better" people. Why, then, is it so violent? Why must
those of another faith or belief die? Why hasn't there been peace in places like
Israel for centuries?
I believe in the stupidity of man. A single person is a thinking, caring,
sometimes understanding, but mostly rational being. A group of people is a
dangerous, easily manipulated and powerful force with only the thoughts of the
mob mentality influencing them.
To be honest, I became an agnostic years ago. For those of you unfamiliar with
Agnosticism, an agnostic is a person who feels that God's existence can neither
be proved nor disproved, on the basis of current evidence. Agnostics note that
some theologians and philosophers have tried to prove, for millennia, that God
exists. Others have attempted to prove that God does not exist. Agnostics feel
that neither side has convincingly succeeded at their task. An agnostic usually
holds the question of the existence of God open, pending the arrival of more
evidence. That's no to say I couldn't be swayed if some new evidence presented
itself but till then I am not a sheep. Yes, I said sheep. Here's where the heat
kicks in.
Why do so many people need to be lead by the nose? When I was a kid my parents
did a good job teaching me right from wrong. They instilled honour and compassion
and the will to help my fellow man. I am pretty sure that is what things like
the Ten Commandments were meant to do as well. So why has our society and the
most prominent religions fallen into a state of moral decay? Why are more and
more people trusting in someone else to educate and lead our children and give
us our moral guidelines? And being the super-intelligent, hyper-educated and
advanced society we have become, WHY IS IT STILL HAPPENING!!!!!!
I am sure I will hear from a lot of you that I have it all wrong and that
religion is not to blame and that's fine. I will hear from those of you who
agree and will tell me I have it right and tell me what else is wrong. What I
would really like to hear, though, is a solution! This ridiculous crap has to
stop.
Right, time to cover some wrestling stuff. First I would like to congratulate
Christian Cage for winning his first world heavyweight title! I have watched him
since he did TV for Tony Condello in Winnipeg years and years ago and always
knew he had the goods. He should have joined Team Canada, but nobody's perfect. (I am as close as they come.) And great job to all the guys at TNA for an excellent PPV with Against All Odds. Everyone was on and delivered as only TNA can.
I will use this line to continue to expound on the greatness that is my boy
Showtime Eric Young. Freakin' awesome.
There are so many guys there now I am looking forward to working with when I
return to TNA. So many great workers and angles going on now I am über-excited
to come back.
This weekend's WWE PPV No Way Out pay-per-view looks okay on paper; there are a couple iffy's but that is to be expected. If they let them go, I think the cruiser match could
be a huge hit. And Orton and Rey will deliver. So with those two on the PPV should be good.
Rehab is coming along nicely. Thanks to all of you for the emails and comments
and well wishes. It's great to be able to turn and look at my stomach in the
mirror and not see a huge bubble making my already ample belly bigger! LOL. But
that will be gone in short order -- with an impending return to TNA I am hoping to
come back in the best shape I have ever been in.
As always your comments and
questions can be sent to johnnydevine@shaw.ca or on myspace at www.myspace.com/canadiandevine.
Take care and find your own path. Nobody likes a zealot.
Devine
EDITOR'S NOTE: "Hotshot" Johnny Devine's column will run on Saturdays (or whenever he delivers) on SLAM! Wrestling. Be sure to visit each week!
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