“Even today a crude sort of persecution is all that is required to create an honorable name for any sect, no matter how indifferent in itself.”

Bet he really was as disappointed as Alistair Crowley that he didn't get to really be the anti Christ.

On its face, at least as accurate today as when written. It only takes a crude sort of persecution in the form of a few well placed Christianity put-downs to get great reviews in science and political circles. One needs only attack the First Amendment and right to property of Muslims in New York, in a crude sort of persecution, being in the name of emotionalism or sensitivity, to create an honorable name in neo-con circles.

Mike, please excuse me if I'm not sympathetic to Muslims. Muhammed encouraged the killing of infidels, anyone NOT a Muslim. They would have no problem slicing your head off. Have you seen the picture of a huge Muslim marriage ceremony where the men are marrying 7 year old girls. It's probably on Youtube. These people want to take over the world and they are serious. My sympathy quotient for Muslims is zero.

Jim, Christians are no different its just that we have laws for those sort of things - perhaps one day they too will have the same kind of laws. I have met many Muslims and most are not as you explain. Mike, well done, good comment. The key here is to fight hate and intolerance with kindness - I'm sure if we built schools, roads, and hospitals, the result would be a lot different to the killing we are now experiencing. In Iraq they now have the worst unemployment, mental disease, hunger, a destroyed infrastructure, 50 percent have no schooling, and this is what you call giving them Democracy? - give me a break - how dumb are we to believe this $&%#(*& as bad as Saddam was it was way better - it was a secular state and women had the most freedom than any other middle eastern country, they had the best health care in the Middle East, Gays were not hunted down and brutally murdered, they had electricity 24/7 and education was one of the best in the middle east. Plus they have huge areas uninhabitable which were once thriving communities. And you call this giving the people freedom. Now those countries that have dictators are saying to the US "don't invade us we are OK"

It's amazing, every time we go after dictators that there is plenty of OIL and other natural resorces. The ONLY honorable war was WWll (and even then it took two years before the US entered the frey) but unfortunately corporations realized that there is profit to be made in wars - socialism at its finest taking the largest part of our tax dollars and giving it to the money hungry federal program and priavte contractoes called our MILITARY with no strings attached - what a wonderful socialist program - why don'y you anti socialists and tea baggers shout about THAT!

Anonymous immediately above, most of the hard core freedom, liberty, inalienable rights, law and justice proponents (in practice appears as anti-socialism) commenting on this blog are ardently against foreign wars and the financial system that finances them. Said proponents also often shout about THAT. jim, I am with you on the sympathy thing. I am not sympathetic to any persuasion of power, philosophy, religion, or segment thereof (Christianity, Islam, Socialism, Science, the statist theocracy infesting this land) that violates the Laws of Nature and Nature's God, unalienable rights, or justice (for what ever rationalization given). The acts you've mentioned, attempting to be justified through religion, are criminal and are on a par with secular humanism and socialism for violent propensity. In the de jure US (which sadly exists no more) an individual was to be innocent until proven guilty. Rights can not legitimately be taken away with out an individual first committing a crime (the breaking of a law, as differs from civil jurisdiction harming a person, liberty, or property). As to the proposed Islam cultural center near ground zero, it was not the Muslims that master minded, engineered and caused 9/11. Most of the sensitivity is based on the faux pas propaganda, mis-information, and false flag rhetoric.

The quote is good...but not enuff folks are educated on liberty and freedom any longer and haven't been in so long, it won't be understood...and is moot...we have few thinkers...look at our congress...

Mike, Jesus, was a great guy - liberal to the core. He went round in rags, fed the poor, cured the ill, and never requested payment (and of course that's not the American way that's socialism) I still believe Jesus was the reincarnation of Buddha.

Anonymous, I totally missed your point. Please elaborate. If we use the definition of liberal during the U.S. founder's era, as compared to the political think around Jesus during His day, I guess I can go along with that title. If you use the term conservative in a traditional manner, I would also say He was conservative. He did conserve the law that He originally gave (Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8)). If the definition of today's liberal is used, there could be nothing further from the truth. OK, I'm a huge believer, Jesus was a Great Guy. He went around in rags, fed the poor, cured the ill, and never requested payment. What does Jesus personally, or what He did have to do with socialism. He loved and treated each and every individual with in their own self chosen capacity, encouraging free choice. Socialism is a totalitarian production, operations, and distribution ownership by a social ethos figment. Jesus promoted individual sovereignty, socialism recognizes no one individual. Jesus supported individual alodial ownership of property. Socialism claims the social ethos figment owns everything. Jesus promoted personal responsibility and charity. Socialism promotes group think, forced extractions, and a dole / slave's dependency. Jesus was capable of feeding the masses with very little fish and bread. Socialism is a fiscal nightmare. Jesus filled the soul with living water, Socialism empties the being with lies about a Garden of Eden utopia. Anonymous, if you were trying to say the de jure U.S. was originally founded on eternal principles, the Law of Nature and of Nature's God, inalienable rights of the individual sovereign, the nobility of man, true freedom and liberty, and justice; AND, now the statist theocracy that infests this land has little to do with any of that, having become mostly socialistic, I whole heartedly agree. Anonymous, your belief concerning Jesus is your business, I have my own beliefs concerning Jesus. I'm glad you think and believe in something. I don't know as much about Buddha as I should or would like to, as there's not much that I've heard or read that I disagree with. The world would be a much better place if individuals would follow a lawful application of Buddha teachings

Anonymous, maybe I REALLY missed it. Are you saying liberals go around in rags, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, cure the infirmed and do it all with out getting paid? Within the circle of doctors I know, the neo-con doctors (that I disagree with more often than not) are much more charitable than the liberal doctors. Every survey I've ever seen on the subject (especially the last poll / survey done by NBC), conservatives are always far more charitable than liberals and, the liberals depend more on the governmental Robin Hood thing, steal from everyone to redistribute the wealth.

Not sure how to rate. True but not necessarily good. Why you guys keep debating the words of Jesus, I will never understand. You may as well say them yourselves and stand behind them instead of claiming God is gonna getcha if you don't bow down to the Book. The devil has his hands all over that book -- better to seek truth instead. In a way, Jesus is a 'bail out' and for that I agree that it is like socialism. Have the courage to think. BS has little nutritional value, and will not strengthen you.