| Nov 6 @ 3:46 PM |
Dear God You Suck!
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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XTC-Dear God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk41Gbjljfo
 
Dear God
Written by Andy Partridge
Produced by Todd Rundgren
Performed by XTC
1986
Dear God , hope you got the letter, and...
I pray you can make it better down here.
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
but all the people that you made in your image, see
them starving on their feet 'cause they don't get
enough to eat from God, I can't believe in you
Dear God, sorry to disturb you, but... I feel that I should be heard
loud and clear. We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
and all the people that you made in your image, see them fighting
in the street 'cause they can't make opinions meet about God,
I can't believe in you
Did you make disease, and the diamond blue? Did you make
mankind after we made you? And the devil too!
Dear God, don't know if you noticed, but... your name is on
a lot of quotes in this book, and us crazy humans wrote it, you
should take a look, and all the people that you made in your
image still believing that junk is true. Well I know it ain't, and
so do you, dear God, I can't believe in I don't believe in
I won't believe in heaven and hell. No saints, no sinners, no
devil as well. No pearly gates, no thorny crown. You're always
letting us humans down. The wars you bring, the babes you
drown. Those lost at sea and never found, and it's the same the
whole world 'round. The hurt I see helps to compound that
Father, Son and Holy Ghost is just somebody's unholy hoax,
and if you're up there you'd perceive that my heart's here upon
my sleeve. If there's one thing I don't believe in
it's you....
I really like these lyrics and the melody because they have a power to impact the psyche of those who know what Christians and Christianity are about. The song express discontent of so called believers who are for the most part hypocrites. The song expresses observations using irony and sarcasm but not a whole lot of hyperbole. The lyric "Did you make mankind after we made you? And the devil too!" is an effective statement of the most obvious fact that this myth is a human creation. Another lyric, "Well I know it ain't, and so do you, ....". I like to interpret the "you" to be those who are in the business of selling Christianity and use the Bible as a business tool. There are of course many ways one can see it. What are yours?
The song has nothing to do with God at all. The song is about Christians fighting amongst themselves and with others outside their faith. We see indoctrinated bigotry time and again where Christians state their way is the only way. This logically means they are incapable of respecting the beliefs of others including other Christians who don't agree. It is logically impossible to respect a person's beliefs when you believe they are wrong. Your dogma says they are wrong and whatever dogma says you believe because you're a slave to it. There is no way around that.
But that's not all. On inspection we find Christian beliefs to be the most ridiculous beliefs on the planet. Much of it basically consists of nonsense that only a deranged mind can fully embrace without question. That being so only makes claiming to have the an only way as ludicrous as a bald man bragging about his horse hair toupee that blows sideways in the wind. All he can do is draw more attention to himself making the whole thing seem even more ridiculous.
This song caused quite a stir when it came out and here is the story behind it.
As detailed in Chris Twomey's XTC biography Chalkhills & Children, the song was written by Partridge whilst enraged at being fired as the producer of Mary Margaret O'Hara's next album. O'Hara was a devout Catholic, and took frequent breaks during the recording sessions to pray at a nearby Roman Catholic church, much to the amusement of those who were not members of her immediate entourage. At a dinner with those involved in the recording one night, O'Hara asked Partridge what his religious beliefs were, and Partridge - wishing to avoid the tensions such a topic might cause - said he was an atheist (he was in fact agnotic, having been baptised into the Church of England as a child), much to O'Hara's discomfiture. The next morning, Partridge was phoned by O'Hara's manager and told he was fired. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_God_%28XTC_song%29
So listen to the song, read the lyrics while its playing and tell us what you think.
PS. The "You Suck" was my idea just to get your attention and disturbed the already disturbed. I have no doubt it gave you another reason click to see what the hell I was posting about this time. Haha! 
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| Nov 6 @ 6:04 PM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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Deborah551
Posts: 1,019
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I suppose the religious people could say the people singing in the video are crazy who don't believe in god and yet are talking to him/her/it. Maybe there's a part of us that wants to believe something/someone bigger and smarter than us is running the universe.
I watched a show about the BTK killer and a man, whose family was slaughtered by BTK, said he quit believing in God after that terrible event. He was a young boy and came home from school to find his mom, dad, sister and brother butchered. Why would God allow a young boy to see such a gruesome sight? I for one couldn't blame him for losing his faith in God. I lost mine over far less than that. And then to find out the man who killed your family is a Lutheran would make me turn from God even more. Why a man hides behind God when he's a sick SOB is a question I'll never be able to answer. Maybe he thought noone would suspect him if he was a "good church going sort of fellow."
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| Nov 6 @ 6:12 PM |
Dear God You Suck!
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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There are a million stories like that Deb. They all different but what is amazing is how the song pulls all that together in just a few powerfully worded and well timed lyrics.
Christians have to make up stories on the fly to give you a response. Its God's will. Its a mystery. There's a purpose. You have to trust. They are all bullshit lines of convoluted reasoning and babble that one can get good at with practice. Its a bullshiters art. The pastor is an excellent example we can learn from. He can sell a talking snake by invoking the supernatural anything goes mumbo jumbo. At least the snake oil salesman gives you a bottle you can drink and get drunk on. Its not a complete waste of money.
We can all do that if we want to play that same word game. Any time you have no real answer for something just say its its God's will or a supernatural event we're not meant to understand.
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| Nov 6 @ 6:17 PM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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southernlass
Posts: 2,239
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Ahh.. more tantrums from those who would create their own god and have him made into their image, hmm? I'm sorry God isn't fitting into the box you feel He should fit into. He's not what you think God should be, hmm? I guess when something doesn't agree with your perspective, you make it fit, eh? You simply reject what you don't understand or accept, and create your own god instead.
Well, unfortunately, that isn't going to work this time. God is still God, even if you don't believe in Him or believe that He's God. He is still in charge, and your creation of 1000,000 other gods, idols, or sin to worship and idolize isn't going to change a thing, in my personal opinion of course.
God is still on the throne, despite your rebellious, angry words, despite your fierce protestations, despite how much you think it sucks. I know this is pretty much impossible to accept. Unforunately, I still believe it is the truth and we'll all know in due time, I have no doubt.
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| Nov 6 @ 6:33 PM |
Dear God You Suck!
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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Looks like you're the only one having a tantrum. I'm having fun reading your loony babbling that are a display of a demented mind. You have no epistemology whatsoever. You don't even know what epistemology is.
Meanwhile, what about the song? Like? No like?
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| Nov 6 @ 6:45 PM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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southernlass
Posts: 2,239
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By the way, I was speaking to the proverbial you in my post above, not any particular non believer..
The song? It's whiney, complaining, and reminds me of the Persecution of the Unbelieving Network that Alive always alludes to, only puts the channel onto Christians. Seems that you unbelievers have a channel for yourselves too.
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| Nov 6 @ 7:29 PM |
Dear God You Suck!
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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By the way I was speaking directly to you because your personal opinion hasn't an epistemology. That being so what else can you do but babble what you think a god is or isn't without actual direct knowledge. All supposition turned into an opinion. Not a very solid reality. It seems like such a waste of energy but if it makes you feel good then its no more than mental masturbation.
You are actually unable to connect the person in the song because of it strident tone of religion and therefore missed where say he says he wears his heart on his sleeve indicating his sincere desire for peace and love and no more suffering. Didn't you hear, "We all need a big reduction in amount of tears"? No. The song is really an impassioned plea to stop fighting and start helping one another. The fighting, " see them fighting in the street 'cause they can't make opinions meet about God,...". And this is all true in real life. Dogmas vs dogmas where no one bends, no compromise, no common ground.
That was the other message intended. I didn't mention it before just to see if anyone could read into it. You didn't. Some psychology major. You're supposed to know how to listen.
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| Nov 6 @ 7:37 PM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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Bj864
Posts: 3,964
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The song has nothing to do with God at all.
I absolutely agree with that statement.
It seems like it is written by a sad and angry person that must blame someone for all the ills of the world.
I think we all have to look in the mirror for most of that.
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| Nov 6 @ 7:45 PM |
Dear God You Suck!
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ColdinWisconsin
Posts: 9,987
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I would have to agree with statement as well.
Again, nothing of good to note. Just the most outrageous over-the-top, mass enraging crap.
And just for the record, while I'm no bible thumper....gotta tell ya, there was nothing about SouthernLass's intelligent post that resembled a tantrum.
what the heck?
How much drama and attention do you need?
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| Nov 6 @ 7:54 PM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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God is still on the throne, despite your rebellious, angry words, despite your fierce protestations, despite how much you think it sucks. I know this is pretty much impossible to accept. Unforunately, I still believe it is the truth and we'll all know in due time, I have no doubt.
Sounds like a tantrum to me with the in a due time no doubt, you'll see, this is the truth, the usual Christian closing statement.... 
And that is what the song says, "see them fighting in the street 'cause they can't make opinions meet about God," and SL has to make sure her opinion about God is above anything else, God on thrown, God is god, etc.....
And doing that rant totally misses the message of the song.
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| Nov 6 @ 9:37 PM |
Dear God You Suck!
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southernlass
Posts: 2,239
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Unfortunately, Hammer, the message of the song is false for me. It's a whiney assumption that others feel as you do about a valid belief system like Christianity, that you just don't happen to agree with.
I can respect the person's right to an opinion in the song, even if it's the wrong opinion. I also know the fact that something can still be true even if you don't believe it's true, and it is this way with the God thing, for me.
Truth is truth, Hammer, even if you scream, pitch a fit, post a song, or anything else that attempts to nullify it. Your scenarios do not change the truth. The truth is still the truth.
Hammer, even the devil and demons know and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Do you get what I'm trying to say? We will all find out the truth eventually but in the interim, from where I'm sitting, the song attempts to deceive, in my opinion, and to mislead others away from the truth.
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| Nov 7 @ 7:53 AM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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Truth is truth is a tautology like 1=1 that does nothing to cover your vast ignorance and delusion of whatever that truth is. Its out of your reach when your intellect is stunted.
I have therefore found it necessary to deny knowledge in order to make room for faith
-- Immanuel Kant.
[Edited on 11/7/2009 8:09 AM]
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| Nov 7 @ 8:08 AM |
Dear God You Suck!
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yashaenka
Posts: 8,267
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he song? It's whiney, complaining, and reminds me of the Persecution of the Unbelieving Network that Alive always alludes to, only puts the channel onto Christians. Seems that you unbelievers have a channel for yourselves too. Onward Christian soldiers marching off to war! That song is ridiculous also.
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| Nov 7 @ 8:48 AM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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Deborah551
Posts: 1,019
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There are a million stories like that Deb. They all different but what is amazing is how the song pulls all that together in just a few powerfully worded and well timed lyrics. I know, Iam, but putting a face with the story makes it more human to me. Kind of like when I first heard of 6 million Jews being killed in the holocaust, I didn't understand how horrific that was until I read Anne Franks' "Diary of a Young Girl" or "Shindlers List." I was 13 when I read Annes Diary and I've been interested in the holocaust ever since....not the wars and stragegies, but how could a so called civilized people do that to other people. I've since read a few other diaries or journals from other Jews who escaped Hitlers madness.
Its God's will. Its a mystery. There's a purpose. You have to trust. They are all bullshit lines of convoluted reasoning and babble that one can get good at with practice. Its a bullshiters art There's song we used to sing in church called Trust and Obey. The chorus line is below So, as I read these words I was reminded that you aren't supposed to Question and Oppose But Trust and Obey. Sounds like what the Nazis, Communists, Fascists told all their people when they required them to do the most heinious and sckening things to "prove their love" for their country.
Trust and obey
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey.
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| Nov 7 @ 9:28 AM |
Dear God You Suck!
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yashaenka
Posts: 8,267
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Which is the greater holocaust 6 million Jews or 20 million Russian innocent citizens many of which were Russian Jews.
Funny how this set of facts are always avoided.
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| Nov 9 @ 11:15 AM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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There is also an Epicurean theme to the song..
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| Nov 9 @ 11:27 AM |
Dear God You Suck!
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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Christian rants are often excuses about things they know nothing about. They make things up without any knowledge of the thing they're ranting about. In psychology and in logic, its called justification or rationalization. It gives the appearance of being rational but isn't at all. Its the most used process of thinking religious people use. Its also the most used thinking process people with addictions use. Another term is cognitive dissonance which describes a discomfort having conflicting beliefs at the same time. Religious people rationalize such condition and then compartmentalize them.
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| Nov 9 @ 12:10 PM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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uncrazy
Posts: 2,382
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Wiki on searches of the words Stoics and Epicureans offers some of the following.
Epicureans gave us the idea in philosophy that man had free will. They believed (tranquility and freedom from fear) was obtained by knowledge, friendship and living a virtuous and temperate life and it was the highest pleasure to be had.
Stoics thought the best indicator of an individual's beliefs/philosophy was not what a person said but how he acted.
These ideas were repressed after Constantine made christianity the state religion and later The Emporer Justinian decided that their pagan(barbaric) nature of these philosophies was against his christian faith. He safeguarded his fellows and us by ordering the closure of all schools of philosophy in 529AD.
This closely parallels the words of Celsus, that learned men were not welcomed by the christians.
So much information has not been included in either our religious or secular educations.
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| Nov 9 @ 12:40 PM |
Dear God You Suck!
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iam01
Posts: 6,283
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This closely parallels the words of Celsus, that learned men were not welcomed by the christians.
Its disturbing that such an anti-philosophy, anti-intellect took hold for so long.
I was having a discussion with a friend about some of the HBO series that got canceled. Deadwood was a very well written series by a professor of history. The stories were historically accurate as was the manner of speech. The show was canceled and shows like Entourage remain. This says something about the IQ of who watches TV. Folks who can not be intellectually challenged and follow complex story lines. I am also reminded of a college media class taught be a retired TV exec. Basically the masses turn away from anything too mentally strenuous. Newspaper articles are often written in such a way you can get your fill of world events during the time it takes to complete one's call of nature.
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| Nov 9 @ 1:12 PM |
Dear God You Suck! |
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uncrazy
Posts: 2,382
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The quotation by Iam from Epicurus who lived between 340 and 270BC is an interesting comment on views during his time on Judaism...350 years before the arrival of Jesus.
The OT shows more of a Judaic tendency toward polytheism than to monotheism. This is actually the conflict at the time. Jewish thought was not as singular across Isreal, Samaria, and Judeah as we have been lead to believe.
Attempts at monotheism was a difficult task for even a pharoah, the attempt that correlates closely with the Moses story was the second of attempts by the Egyptians to role all the gods into one.
The El brothers experienced a similiar collation into Jehovah, Adonai, and Yahweh.
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