tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84731636974649221072024-03-05T18:25:40.196-08:00Nico RahmA reclusive intellectual blogs about politics, finance, racism, religion, and everything in between. In other words, life!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-25233932751607851942012-05-07T14:41:00.003-07:002012-05-07T14:46:16.016-07:00The Brain Versus the HeartThe brain is the most complex organ in the body. It is convoluted, complicated, and mysterious. It can be beautiful, musical, and philosophical. But it can also be mathematical, calculating and cold...especially when it gets in the way of the heart!<br />
- Nico Rahm<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-35838672502899661702012-01-04T10:19:00.000-08:002012-01-04T13:26:38.327-08:00I Caused Pain to Love Again<br />
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We fear.<br />
We fear failure and disappointment. <br />
We fear pain and torture.<br />
We fear the uknown and the unexplained. <br />
We fear love.<br />
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While not all of us fear love, most do. By that I mean the subconscious repulsion we sometimes feel when we are drawn to another soul. The fear that we might become attached makes us want to run away, to push off, to hide. The fear of being destroyed, our hearts ripped apart makes us want to be alone, to feel nothing, to build walls never to be scaled. <br />
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It was not until today that I learned the term Philophobia; the abnormal, unwarranted and persistent fear of falling in love. It is a psychological condition by which someone cannot or will not be drawn emotionally close to others. It may begin as an extreme reaction to a broken heart, a bitter divorce, or an abusive relationship, but then can lead to generalized anti-social behaviour where the sufferer isolates him/herself from close relationships, including family and friends. <br />
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I remember when I built my walls, protecting my heart, to heal it and rebuild it. I closed off. I turned to instant gratification, pleasure without emotion. I spiraled into a vortex of superficial happiness, masking the deeper shades of my pain. But something odd occurred; I became a heart breaker! The pleasures that I sought turned into swords of torture to others. I felt their pain, their anguish. I was a vampire feeding off their bleeding hearts in order to heal my own. I did not do this conscioussly mind you, I was in a feeding frenzy, eyes shut and mind euphoric as I gorged.<br />
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I awoke from my stupor and surveyed the aftermath of my gluttonous feast. I heard cries and witnessed pain. I stood on red soaked ground and gazed upon a lanscape stained by dying hearts. Intense guilt coarsed through me, pouring out of my eyes, and flooding my cheeks. It was then and only then that my heart was ready once more. I ceased all motion, frozen in time, contemplating the irony of it all.<br />
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I felt pain and feared love; I caused pain to love again.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-45730438635408551812011-12-21T10:35:00.000-08:002011-12-21T10:35:23.052-08:00Why Are African-Americans So Religious?I work in a city of predominantly African-American residents, which one can describe as sub-par in living and economic standards. While nail salons, barber shops, and chicken restaurants abound the extensive number of Churches is what catches my attention on my morning drive to my office. So I asked my self, why do I personally notice more churches in African-American residential areas than other areas? Why does it seem that the Church is an important social gathering point to African-Americans more so than any other race im America? <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Pew Forum U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted in 2007, released in 2008</span></td></tr>
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According to the <a href="http://pewforum.org/A-Religious-Portrait-of-African-Americans.aspx" target="_blank">Pew Forum U.S. Religious Landscape Survey</a>, conducted in 2007 and published in 2008, almost 80% of African-Americans view religion as very important in their daily lives, while 56% of the rest of the U.S. adult population have the same views. Nearly 90% of African-Americans polled say that they have 'absolutely certain belief in God' compared to only about 70% of the U.S. adult population. About 55% of African-Americans say they attend religious worship at least once a week, while only about 40% of the U.S. population do the same. At least, the great people at the Pew Forum support my informal observations. But, why? Why do we see these numbers in the African-American population? <br />
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Since the link between extreme religious adherence and poor economic status is correlated at a significant statistical level as shown by numerous studies from around the world, I would have to assume that the reason for the relevant difference in religiousity is due to the fact that African-Americans, especially those of Southern states, are poorer and less educated. In fact, according the Pew Forum Survey about 63% of African-Americans who did not graduate from highschool belong to an historically predominant black church as compared to 53% of those with college degrees. One would assume that if the economic and educational status of an individual is highly correlated with religious adherence then the 10% difference observed here is not satisfactory. I would have liked a larger difference. So while these reasons might explain the religiousity of African-Americans in the U.S. to a certain point, there must be another reason. Something that might not be easily quantifiable.<br />
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I ran across a<a href="http://www.masala-skeptic.com/2007/01/why-are-blacks-so-religious.html" target="_blank"> blog post from 2007 by Masala Skeptic</a>, in which he asks the very same question but travels down a different path for the answer; a socio-historical line of reasoning. Blacks were never allowed to attend white churches, espeically in southern states, so they built their own. These black churches quickly became the social and educational centers of the black community, especially since blacks were never allowed to read any books except bibles. I found this very interesting and enlightening.<br />
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According the Pew Forum study about 55% of African-Americans interpret the scriptures literally as compared to only 30% of the rest of the U.S.! Since the church is the cultural beacon for the black community, what chance do their impressionable young have in breaking this cycle of intellectual and economic oppression? The way I interpret the statistical and historical facts would suggest that it does not matter if young African-Americans graduate from college and emerse themselves in intellectual endeavours. As long as their community is tightly built around their churches, they stand no chance at breaking free from religious beliefs. And since more than half believe in the scriptures literally, their educational endeavours might as well be a waste of time. There has to be a cultural shift away from the church, and not just an educational one, for the African-American community to rise in the socio-economic ladder.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-28472897899363884612011-12-15T23:23:00.000-08:002011-12-15T23:25:04.638-08:00Christopher Hitchens Dies at 62 from Cancer!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAIUkjR_pJQaLqP4KhoxJavTcKeAEOS4wGxrCuMoHIdCyiRxfGnBOhczOyrP3QJojhjRVTB7u0m-LxHHfEfFMW4QbRO5kROZQ1rIqb17J7mEM6ewCCm5BKsW_ULnL0GY6KyCmbSKOOIk/s1600/hitchens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAIUkjR_pJQaLqP4KhoxJavTcKeAEOS4wGxrCuMoHIdCyiRxfGnBOhczOyrP3QJojhjRVTB7u0m-LxHHfEfFMW4QbRO5kROZQ1rIqb17J7mEM6ewCCm5BKsW_ULnL0GY6KyCmbSKOOIk/s320/hitchens.jpg" width="320" /></a>After more than two years, what finally brought me back to this blog, and re-ignited the literary fire within me, was the death of Christopher Hitchens (April 13, 1949 – December 15, 2011). </div>
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One of the most intellectual and eccentric writers, and free thinkers of our generation had finally lost his battle with cancer. The author of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Is_Not_Great" target="_blank">God is Not Great</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Portable_Atheist:_Essential_Readings_for_the_Non-Believer" target="_blank">The Portable Atheist</a>, in his own words... </div>
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<em>Death is certain, replacing both the siren-song of Paradise and the dread of Hell. Life on this earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.</em></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-13151196917814514042009-05-18T19:49:00.000-07:002009-05-18T20:08:53.474-07:00Choosing Allah Over LoveNico Rahm<br />www.nicorahm.com<br /><br /><br /><br />I would like to touch upon a certain topic that I take to heart. My wife and I have been together for over a decade and I am only thirty years old! This is because religious subscription and faithful belief in a God does not rank atop my list of qualities that I aim to find in a suitable life-long soul mate. Yet, choosing a wife or husband based on religious views is important to billions of people across the world. <br /><br />Today, I was discussing my relationship with a close friend of mine who is Muslim, and of course, had no knowledge of my Atheism. He had just broken the heart of a young woman who was a beautiful person inside and out. He was respectful in the sense that he did not allow himself to succumb to temptation, purely for religious reasons. While he had participated in sexual embracing with her he had not even once completed the sexual journey, for a lack of a better description. He loved her. She loved him back, so much so that she was willing to convert to Islam in order to be with him. She began reading books on Islam to learn about its culture; music, food, and customs. Yet, for all her effort at the end, she stood no chance. My friend’s love for Allah was strong enough to force him to end the relationship because he could not put aside the fear of a possible reversal of her faithful leap to Islam in the future.<br /><br />My friend gave up what might have been the journey of a lifetime with a loving, caring and accommodating soul mate for the improbable existence of a heavenly creator. <br /><br />His loss!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />NicoRahm.com<br />______________________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-6037418166556099622009-05-13T19:57:00.000-07:002009-05-13T21:56:48.490-07:00Waiting for JesusNico Rahm<br />www.nicorahm.com<br /><br /><br /><br />As the frail and obviously tired old man continued his march through the wet summer forest, streams of sweat poured down his brow. He squinted intermittently as the salty drops pooled into his eyes. He longed for a free hand to wipe his brow, but alas, both of his were occupied, busy grasping a large basket full of freshly picked and colorful fruit. He had worked hard that morning; waking up before dawn, marching through the forest, fighting through the clouds of flies buzzing their way into his hair and eyes, bending, grasping, pulling, and collecting muddy fruit from the bushes and trees outlining the wet pools of scummy earth. <br /><br />On his way back home he passed by his friend and neighbor, whose little humble hut should not have stood the test of time, or so the old man thought. His friend, as was his custom, was lying down in a hammock supported by two tall palm trees baring enough coconuts to feed a few families. If only the young man would jump out of his hammock and climb the trees and pluck the nutritional fruit. <br /><br />“Adam! How are you my dear friend? I have not seen you since yesterday. What was it that you were up to again?” asked the young man frowning with his hand grasping his chin, faining deep thought, “Ah yes! You were marching through dirty mud carrying a large and heavy basket of fruit. Now I remember.”<br /><br />“Very funny Chris”. Adam placed the heavy basket down on the front steps leading up to the door of his young friend’s little hut made of rotting wooden planks. Adam took a seat on one of the wet steps close enough to Chris that he can carry on a conversation. “What is your plan for today my dear friend?”<br /><br />“You are witnessing it old man,” replied Chris. “I have already prayed to God to provide me with success and riches this morning.”<br /><br />“Success! At what?” asked Adam smiling, sarcastically.<br /><br />“At whatever it is I choose to do of course!” replied Chris. “That is the difference between you and I my old friend; I know not to toil at useless work when I know Jesus will be here to save me and take me to heaven for believing in him and his powers.”<br /><br />“But who provides for you now and every day until his return?”<br /><br />“God does! He provides for me everyday.”<br /><br />“Does he provide shelter?”<br /><br />“Of course! It is he who made the trees fall down for me to use to build this hut.”<br /><br />“Does he provide food?”<br /><br />“Yes. It is he who makes the fruits fall to the earth for me to eat.”<br /><br />“Does he provide water?”<br /><br />“Yes, it is he who makes the rain fall from the clouds above for me to drink.”<br /><br />“But Chris! This is not an existence worthy of praise. Why lie down and hope for fruit and rain to fall when you can work hard and collect them yourself?”<br /><br />“You see old man; this is where your lack of belief in our supreme father has clouded your judgment. You work hard everyday collecting fruit from the trees, and water from the rivers to sell in the market only to surround yourself with guilty pleasures. If it were not for the large mansion you live in and the women you entertain you would be lying here next to me waiting for Jesus to return and take you up to the ultimate and final pleasure, heaven.”<br /><br />“Mansion! What mansion? It is nothing more than a well deserved home for my hard work each and every day. As for the women, they are adults like myself who choose to be entertained. Unlike you, who had married a young flower only to pluck her and place her in a confined vase of glass to be gazed upon whilst it dries and withers away.”<br /><br />“Ah! The old man has become bold, much like his disrespect for our supreme father,” chuckled Chris as he stared up into the sky.<br /><br />“How do I disrespect your God my friend?” answered Adam visibly irritated, “I fully respect your beliefs, as long as they do not interfere with my way of life.”<br /><br />“But you see my old friend, by not believing in my God you are in essence denying his existence, and that is disrespectful to me.”<br /><br />“Well, that is not my intention.” With that said Adam picked up the large basket of fruit and continued on his way through the muddy tracks towards the busy afternoon market. <br /><br />“See you tomorrow old man!” yelled Chris smiling as he watched Adam walking away struggling under the weight of the basket on his back. “What an old fool!”<br />*************************************<br /><br /><br />The very next morning, Adam as he had done every morning of his busy life woke up before the sun had had a chance to wink at the world, and marched through the thick bushes of the forest collecting fruit. Upon his return, he passed by Chris who had been sleeping in his hammock as usual. Adam dropped the basked of fruit on the steps of his friend’s little hut, and sat down breathing heavily. <br /><br />Chris, without opening his eyes, gave out a loud yawn before uttering, “My old friend how was your harvest this morning?”<br /><br />“Plentiful as usual.”<br /><br />“I am quite surprised that God finds the time to provide you with a large basketful of fruit everyday even though you do not believe in him. God is a charitable man no doubt. You should be thanking him everyday.”<br /><br />Adam said nothing. He rested his elbows on the wooden steps and raised his head backwards to absorb the sun’s warmth.<br /><br />“My old friend,” continued Chris, “do your self justice and stop toiling everyday. Pray to God for his gift to you, and seek the rewards of heaven that you deserve.”<br /><br />“Gift! What Gift? I secure my reward everyday with my bare hands. I have no one to thank but for my self and mother nature.”<br /><br />“Mother Nature is our God’s gift to us my old friend.”<br /><br />“He is your God, not mine.”<br /><br />“My friend, I do hope that one day you would open your eyes and see the truth before it is too late. You do not have much time.”<br /><br />“What truth? Please enlighten me.”<br /><br />“That the rewards of everyday life are nothing more than God teasing us, for the ultimate reward are the bountiful fruits of heaven.”<br /><br />“The rewards of everyday life are nothing more than the products of the cyclical workings of nature. Trees grow from the heat of the sun and the nutrients of the soil. Fruits grow from the trees to fall and spread their seeds in order to ensure the birth and survival of its species. The more we learn and solve the mysteries of Nature the more apparent its beauty becomes, and the more gratitude we should feel for our lucky existence.”<br /><br />“Learn! Huh! We know nothing about everything my poor old friend. God has the ultimate answer to all questions. We may have our theories, but we shall not know the truth until the final hour.”<br /><br />“You wish for the end of times then?”<br /><br />“Of course I do. Unlike you my friend, I have nothing to fear, for judgment day will be the beginning of my true life. This life here on Earth is nothing more than a test.”<br /><br />“That is the danger with you God lovers, your belief in a heavenly reward precludes you from enjoying this life and ignites your desire to see it all end. What motivation do you have to stand up and participate in ensuring the intellectual progression of our people and the quality of our daily life?”<br /><br />“Quality of life can only be improved upon by believing in our lord. Spirituality cleanses the soul my friend.”<br /><br />“You speak of spirituality as if it is infinitely intertwined with the belief in your God.”<br /><br />“But of course! How can you be spiritual if you do not believe in a mysterious creator? If you do not believe in a greater power you would not be humbled, but feel as if you alone are in charge of your destiny. You would become an empty vessel, devoid of deep emotion and longing. God is the holy spirit.”<br /><br />“That is not true. I am spiritual. I find joy in watching the morning sun. I am deep in thought as I gaze upon the land and imagine the inner chemical wonderland that begun at the beginning of time and continues to animate the world and all of its inhabitants. I am spiritual as I look into my lover’s eyes and feel her heart beat through my warm skin.”<br /><br />“That is enough my old friend. Stories of your fornication had poisoned my ears enough in the past. God may have mercy on your soul. But I do doubt that.”<br /><br />Adam stood up, picked up the large and heavy basket of fruit and marched on back to the afternoon market. He had grown accustomed to ignoring Chris’s condescending farewells.<br /><br /><br /><br />The next morning Adam woke up full of energy. He had slept early the previous night as usual after a long and tiresome day of work. He washed his body with cool water, dressed in his usual tattered garb, picked up his large empty basket and began his lengthy march to the harvest. On his way back, carrying the now heavy basket full of nutritional fruit he passed by Chris’s little hut. Adam was surprised to find the hammock empty and no sign of Chris. He walked up the steps and to the flimsy wooden door, placed his basket down on the ground, and knocked. He heard slow shuffling footsteps from beyond approaching him, getting closer. Finally, the door opened slowly. <br /><br />“My friend, you look horrible! What is the matter?” asked Adam after he witnessed Chris’s tired watery red eyes and face lacking in color. <br /><br />Chris sounded off two dry and course coughs before replying, “I am not well my old friend. Last night I began feeling tired before a feverish heat wave took over my entire body. Please, come in, it is cold outside.”<br /><br />“Cold! The outside air is cool and comforting. Your fever must be strong. Let me help you”, replied Adam as he stepped through the door and shut it behind him. Chris shuffled his feet slowly towards his old and dirty couch to lie down. Adam quickly soaked an old towel in cold water and placed it on Chris’s forehead. <br /><br />“My dear old friend, there is no need for all this effort. God will heal me for I have been a faithful man.”<br /><br />“You do not look well my friend. I will run down to the market and purchase some medicine.”<br /><br />“No, do not!” quickly interjected Chris, “I do not take any man made medicine. It would be against God’s will. Our Lord has a plan for all of us. It is not in our power to alter it. I am confident in his power to heal me. I have been praying all day.”<br /><br />“My dear friend, I urge you to reconsider. God may be a relevant part of your life, and he may have a great place in heaven for you but now, you need help. Let me help you.”<br /><br />“No, never! God will heal me. I have faith. You would never understand. Now, leave me. Let me be. God will take care of me.”<br /><br />Adam paused for a moment, and then followed Chris’s demand. He left the little hut, picked up the large basket and marched on towards the busy afternoon market. You are right my dear old friend, I would never understand, thought Adam.<br />**************************<br /><br />The very next Morning, following a long and tiresome harvesting, Adam marched back towards the market. On his way, as customary he passed by Chris’s little hut. As was the case the previous day Adam’s young friend was not laying in his hammock. Adam dropped the basket by the front door and knocked. He heard nothing. He knocked again. This time a faint voice urging him to come in barely made its way through the door and into Adam’s ears. Adam opened the door and stepped in. His gaze instantly fell upon Chris as he lied on his couch. Sweat drenched his clothes. He had not changed his attire since the previous day. He could barely open his eyes. His breathing was slow and strained. His voice was weak. <br /><br />“My dear young friend, you look horrible! Please, let me help you. I will hurry down to the market and acquire some medicine. It will make you feel better.”<br /><br />“No! Jesus is coming. I know it. He will come and save me. He will bring God’s medicine for me. I have been praying for it all Morning. God cannot deny me. I have been faithful to him for all of my existence.”<br /><br />“Chris, I urge you. You are becoming incoherent and delirious with fever. Let me help you.”<br /><br />“I said no! Jesus is coming. Let me be. Go now. Jesus is coming to save me.”<br /><br />Adam stood by his friend for a Moment, staring at him much like a father stares at his sick son. He then turned around and left the little hut, picked up his large and heavy basket, and marched on towards the market. He decided he would not listen to his friend. He would purchase the medicine and bring it to him the next day.<br />*************************<br /> <br /><br />The next Morning, Adam had a wonderful harvest. He was able to collect several large fruit at the ideal ripeness. He was excited, but also tired. On his way back to the market he passed by Chris’s little hut. As he expected, Chris was not laying in his hammock. He quickly walked up the steps and placed the heavy basket by the door. He took out the medicine from his pocket and knocked on the door. He heard nothing. He did not wait. He opened the door and stepped in. He was horrified. Chris was sprawled on the floor, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. Adam quickly ran to him and kneeled down beside him. He lifted his head from the floor and rested it in his lap.<br /><br />“Chris, my dear friend!”<br /><br />Chris barely opened his eyes to see Adam staring down, worried. “Do not be afraid my old friend. Jesus is coming. I know it. I can feel it. He is running to me, to heal me. I prayed for it. Jesus is coming.”<br /><br />Adam was afraid he had brought the medicine too late. He was angry at himself for listening to him. He could have given him the medicine two days ago, when it could have helped him. The medicine was useless at that Moment<br /><br />“Hold on my dear friend. I will carry you to the market to see the physician.”<br /><br />Chris said nothing. His eyes were shut. His chest was motionless.<br /><br />“Chris my dear friend! Chris!”<br /><br />Nothing; no sound, no movement, no breath.<br /><br />“Chris!” Adam began to cry. His tears ran down his face, paving a clear path through the dry and salty film of sweat that had collected on his face from the morning's harvest. Chris had passed away. Adam could not move. He held Chris’s body in his lap, crying. There was little noise inside the hut save for Adam’s sobering cries. Then suddenly, what seemed like an explosion through the air was only a knock at the door. Adam’s cries instantly subsided. He was frozen in anticipation. Who could that be? thought Adam.<br /><br />Then once more came the knocks from beyond the door, louder. Adam, not knowing what to do demanded, “who is knocking on the door?”<br /><br />There was no answer. The door slowly opened, and a short frail man stepped in. He had long hair and an unkept lengthy beard. He wore a tattered white robe, and a worn pair of brown leather sandals. He also was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. The man removed the sunglasses and hung them from the neckline of his robe. Adam would guess the man to be no More than thirty-five years of age. <br /><br />“Where is he? Is that him?” asked the man as he pointed towards Chris’s lifeless body.<br /><br />Adam said nothing. He was still puzzled as to who this man might be.<br /><br />“Is this Chris?” asked the man.<br /><br />“Yes, it is”, replied Adam.<br /><br />The man quickly ran towards Chris and placed his right hand on his chest. <br /><br />“God damn it! Not again! I am always late. For once, I would like to make it in time.”<br /><br />Adam said nothing. He was now fearful of the man before him. The man stood up and walked over a large bucket of rain water that Chris was collecting. The man cupped his hands and scooped some water to drink. He sipped the water then quickly spit it out.<br /><br />“God damn it! Nasty stale water.”<br /><br />Adam’s curiosity cold last no longer. “Who are you?”<br /><br />The man turned to him, “Who am I ? I am Jesus Christ! Who are you?”<br /><br />“My name is Adam.”<br /><br />“Adam, Adam!” the man stared into the ceiling attempting to recollect his memories. “I do not recall an Adam!”<br /><br />“I do not believe in you. Or I should say, I did not believe in you before today.”<br /><br />“Ah ha! A non-believer”, chuckled Jesus.<br /><br />Adam began to cry. He kneeled on the floor, held his hands together, and placed his forehead on the floor. “Please forgive me my lord. I was not faithful. I did not pray. Please, do not send me to hell. I urge you.”<br /><br />Jesus stood there smiling at Adam. He then walked over to him, and offered his hand. Adam held it and let Jesus pull him to his feet. <br /><br />“My dear old friend, collect your self. You have nothing to fear.”<br /><br />“But I have sinned all of my life my lord. Please forgive me.”<br /><br />“You have sinned?”<br /><br />“Yes my lord.”<br /><br />“Did you murder anyone?”<br /><br />“No”<br /><br />“Did you work for your riches?”<br /><br />“Yes.”<br /><br />“Have you been charitable and kind to the needy?”<br /><br />“Yes, my lord, I have.”<br /><br />“Did you cheat or lie to anyone?”<br /><br />“No, my lord.”<br /><br />“Then my friend”, said Jesus smiling, “you have not sinned at all.”<br /><br />“But you will not take me to heaven. I did not believe in you!”<br /><br />“Are you enjoying your life?”<br /><br />“Yes, I am. I work long days, but I do enjoy the riches that I deserve.”<br /><br />“Then my friend, you are already in heaven.” With that said, Jesus places his sunglasses back on his face, and walks over to the door. <br /><br />“Where are you going my lord?” asked Adam.<br /><br />Jesus turned to face Adam, “I have to hurry. A faithful man is in need of my healing power but I must confess that I will not be able to save him. I have yet to save anyone. I am always late.”<br /><br />“It must be those sandals my lord. Please, let me present to you my shoes, they are padded.’<br /><br />Jesus waves his hand, “No thank you. I love my sandals. They are airy and comfortable.”<br /><br />“Then lord, please, let me present to you on of my horses in the stables.”<br /><br />Jesus shakes his head, “No thank you my friend. No time to march over to your stables. I will go now. God willing I will make it in time.”<br /><br />Jesus leaves without closing the door. Adam walks over to the door to watch Jesus clumsily make his way through the muddy road. Jesus suddenly fell into the mud as one of his sandals was stuck. Adam could hear Jesus yell as he stared into the dimming sky, “God damn it!”<br />*********************************<br /><br />NicoRahm.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-88152792811232396042009-05-03T20:11:00.000-07:002009-05-03T20:15:03.998-07:00God: A Bubble Waiting to Burst!by Nico Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicorahm.com">NicoRahm.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br />In my <a href="http://nicoraj.com/2009/03/us-religious-population-on-decline-bush.html">last blog </a>I noted;<br /><br /><blockquote>According to the American Religious Identification Survery (ARIS) 2008, a third of a landmark series conducted by Trinity College to investigate trends in the religious views of Americans, the U.S. population of non-believers had increased to fifteen percent in 2008 from 14% in 2001, and about 8% in 1990.</blockquote><br /><br />But John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge think otherwise as the title of their new book makes clear, <em>God Is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith Is Changing the World</em>. I guess they are not regular readers of my blog. <br /><br />The authors argue the presumed assumption that the advancement of science, technology and reason would squash the tide of religion across the world, and usher in a new era of modernity was wrong! They declare “the very things that were supposed to destroy religion – democracy and markets, technology and reason – are combining to make it stronger.” Hmm! Let me try to see if I understand this correctly; “reason” could not destroy religion. So, in other words, religious Americans are opposed to reason. I couldn’t have said it better myself!<br /><br />Interestingly, the authors noted that other than in Europe religion is spreading wildly across all nations. Other than europe! If I am not mistaken, europe comprises the largest group of modern and developed nations in one geographically delineated area on our mother Earth. So Americans should be proud to exhibit a level of fanatical peity on par with the Middle East and Africa!<br /><br />The authors even exume pride in the fact that “pastorpreneurs”, pastors who have identity crises and think they are marketing executives on Wall Street, are branding the word of God. The rise in religion, they explain, was “driven by the same forces driving the success of market capitalism: competition and choice.” In other words, religion was spread by the sword in ancient and medival times, but in today’s society laws got in the way of murderous preaching. So what can a religious fundamentalist do but to enter the manipulative arena of marketing and salesmanship. No wonder the U.S. is the only westernized nation in the world that still to this day pledges its existance to God. No one is better at peddling useless products and services than the Americans. If the authors are right about the surge in religious belief in the U.S., then this might be nothing more than another free market bubble.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />NicoRahm.com<br />________________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-70653992973429734532009-03-09T07:07:00.000-07:002009-03-09T07:40:33.189-07:00U.S. Religious Population on the Decline; Bush Failed!by Nico Rahm<br />www.nicorahm.com<br /><br /><br /><br />According to the American Religious Identification Survery <a href="http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/" target="blank">(ARIS) 2008</a>, a third of a landmark series conducted by Trinity College to investigate trends in the religious views of Americans, the U.S. population of non-believers had increased to fifteen percent in 2008 from 14% in 2001, and about 8% in 1990.<br /><br />To most secularists and freethinkers this is not big news. In fact, I am surprised that the proportion of non-religious Americans is not even higher! But what did amaze me was the drop in the religious population of the southern states even though a self-professed God-delivered President was in the white house for the last eight years. According to ARIS 2008, the percentage of non-believers making up the lower half of the U.S. almost doubled in 2008 from 1990, while the Christian population, even though still a good slice of the pie, dropped by an average of about 10%. <br /><br />These findings would explain the hysterical and fundamentalist surge in the conservative media as their hijacking of the Christian faith to abuse as a political tool has finally backfired. Even ex-President Bush could not help deter some Christians from opening their eyes, and freeing their minds to the natural world around them.<br /><br />It is time the Republican Party adopted alternative methods in securing American votes. This would not only aid in the intellectual and economical modernization of their constituents, but may also help bridge the divide that has split the U.S. in two ever since Bush was sent by <em>God</em> to save America.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://nicorahm.com">NicoRahm.com</a><br />_______________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-1040026647664224222008-11-20T18:29:00.000-08:002008-11-24T15:01:46.093-08:00The Greatest Story Ever Told documentary - religion is a big lieby Nico Rahm<br />www.nicorahm.com<br /><br /><br /><br />This documentary is absolutely eye-opening. It describes how the story of religion is tied to ancient zodiac interpretations. It was amazing to learn that the story of Jesus is similar to many religious beliefs, including such details as the virgin birth, the three kings, 12 disciples, the December 25th birth, and much more. <br /><br />Below is Part I of <a href="http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/" target="blank">Zeitgeist</a> divided into three videos. Part I is titled The Greatest Story Ever Told.<br /><br />I am interested in what you have to say. Leave your comments below after watching the vids.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/koK1z1YnBIQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/koK1z1YnBIQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UFQlV6pdJ78&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UFQlV6pdJ78&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_82kd0UAYHA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_82kd0UAYHA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br />NicoRahm.com<br />_________________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-59513427079998669512008-10-22T07:39:00.000-07:002011-12-15T23:25:04.641-08:00George Carlin on Religion - Classicby Nico Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicorahm.com">www.nicorahm.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />George Carlin<br />May 12 1937 - June 22 2008<br /><br /><br />George was one of the all time best comedians ever, not so much for his comedic sense, which was great, but for his rationalistic point of view. <br /><br />If you have to watch only one of Carlin's acts it has to be the one in which he summarizes his view of religion. Enjoy!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MeSSwKffj9o&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MeSSwKffj9o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />www.NicoRahm.com<br />____________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-21257002023676403062008-10-20T16:01:00.000-07:002008-10-20T16:30:18.940-07:00Muslims Spread Koran Through Violence Not Video Gamesby Nico Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicorahm.com">www.nicorahm.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br />In what can be viewed as yet one more example of the ridiculousness of religious institutions, a video game's release was delayed by its distributor over concerns by Muslims that one of the game's background music tracks contains verses from the Koran.<br /><br />LittleBigPlanet, a game where players can create a character and its environment was pegged to be Sony Playstation's biggest release to date. However, Muslim groups voiced their concerns over a particular track by Mali-born singer Toumani Diabate, in which Koranic verses are sang. Islam condemns the use of holy verses from the Koran in conjunction with any form of entertainment or leisurely activity. Sony had to spend millions in rewriting the game in addition to the millions it had lost by delaying the launch.<br /><br />Shouldn't Muslims actually fight to include Koranic verses in family friendly games and entertainment if they want their faith to spread around the world? I would think they should! This was their opportunity to spread the word of Allah to millions of children all around the world in a legal and subtle manner. Instead, Muslims choose to spread their faith through violence. <br /><br />One is inclined to think that either religion in general (or Islam in particular) has yet again proven its intrinsic lack of common sense, or that religious institutions are only interested in securing their slice of the financial pie through fear and madness. <br /><br />Muslims missed yet another chance to spread their word to the world without inciting fear.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />www.NicoRahm.com<br />________________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-78041956057279352962008-10-09T19:29:00.000-07:002008-10-09T19:45:58.131-07:00Is the USA the Next USSR?by Nico Raj Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicorahm.com">www.nicorahm.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br />While the whole world deals with the massive decline of the financial system I can't help but blame the US. Call me unpatriotic if you must, but given the fact that the greedy investments into risky mortgages by everyone on earth was initiated by, who else, Wall Street, I'm not off base to suggest that the U.S. has really put itself in a bad position.<br /><br />The U.S. was already fighting a long winded and expensive war in Iraq before this financial crisis started. Its international reputation and respect were already faltering. So if tremendous debt, and sinking worldly relations were not enough, the polarized state of the American populace has me really worried.<br /><br />I don't think there ever was a time in recent decades that this country has been so devided on everyday issues, and usually based on nothing else but personal religious beliefs, whether they were conservative fundamentalist christians or liberal atheists. An American has to only cross some state lines to feel that he or she has just visited a completely different country. Political trenches are being drawn like no other time before, state by state, and county by county, all the way to cities and districts. It has become difficult to disagree with someone on political issues without declaring social war!<br /><br />All this scares me, especially when considering the fate of the former USSR only a couple of decades ago. At that time, the USSR was stuck fighting a long and expensive war in Afghanistan. Its member states were polarized politically. Financial constraints were expansive. Doesn't that sound so much like today's USA?<br /><br />It's easy to imagine how the U.S. could very well be on its way to a simlar fate as the former USSR. Imagine Florida, New York and California as separate nations, or Alaska as part of Canada!<br /><br />While I don't think it is likely that the USA will break apart any time soon, but with the current problems, and the imminent rise of China and India as global powers, this is not the time for Americans to fight among themselves if they want their country stay in one piece.<br /><br />Or is it too late?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://nicorahm.com">www.nicorahm.com</a><br />__________________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-48074159559045342982008-10-01T19:47:00.000-07:002011-12-15T23:26:35.552-08:00Bill Maher is an Atheist, Whether He Knows It or Not!by Nico Raj Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br />I was watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart the other night, and to my delight Bill Maher was the guest. Bill was there to promote his new movie <a href="http://www.lionsgate.com/religulous/" target="blank">Religulous</a> opening this weekend, which I'm really excited to go see.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=186755&title=bill-maher-pt.-1" target="blank">Bill Maher interview pt.1</a><br /><a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=186756&title=bill-maher-pt.-2" target="blank">Bill Maher interview pt.2</a><br /><br />During the interview Bill declared to Jon that he was not an atheist. Bill explained that atheism is an extreme view; the polar opposite of religious extremism. For someone to be an atheist, Bill suggested, they would have to believe firmly in the non-existence of a creator. His personal stance is that he is not one hundred percent sure that a god does not exist. I believe that Richard Dawkins also made a simlar claim if I'm not mistaken.<br /><br />While I respect Bill's point of view, I do not agree with it. I believe in the non-existence of a creator as much as I believe that the sun will rise tomorrow. Now, having this belief, can I declare that "the sun will rise tomorrow", or is it more correct to make that claim with an attached disclaimer such as, "the sun will rise tomorrow, according to historical evidence".<br /><br />If it is within reason to claim that the sun will rise tomorrow minus the added disclaimer, then it also follows that I can make the claim that a creator, or God, does not exist, which by default means that I am an atheist.<br /><br />Bill Maher is an atheist, whether he knows it or not!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br />___________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-1526319502122311522008-09-25T06:08:00.000-07:002008-10-05T10:46:45.668-07:00Marriage is Sexist, Outdated, and Unconstitutionalby Nico Raj Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br /><br /><br />You should see the look on the faces of people who had just been told that my girlfriend and I, who are both young working professionals, have been together for more than a decade. Of course, you can guess the next string of questions;<br /><br />"You guys are not married yet?"<br />"Why not?"<br />"Don't you want any kids?"<br /><br />Here we are in the 21st century and marriage is still a multi-billion dollar industry. Why? Because society says that a man and a woman wanting to live together and have children, and save on taxes, must enter into a marriage contract.<br /><br />Am I the only one here that thinks living with a person based on a contract constitutes slavery, for both parties?<br /><br />Why do women continue to long for the perfect marriage as they fight for their equal rights? Don't women know that marriage was born as a way of protecting them in ancient times, so that a man may not impregnate a poor girl and leave her to tend to her child? This suggests that women do not want children, and thus, if they do bare any it must have been the sole decision of the man.<br /><br />If my girlfriend and I never marry are we immoral and unethical people? If we have children out of wedlock will they be genetically different, subpar even?<br /><br />Isn't it unconstitutional to give married couple a tax break, but not other members of society? At a time when overpopulation is rampant, and quality of life is declining throughout the world, do we really need to further motivate people to procreate by essentially paying them to marry and bare children? <br /><br />If I have children out of wedlock shouldn't I receive the same tax benefits as those that are marriied in order to ensure my kids reach their full potential in life, to better contribute to society?<br /><br />Why does the gay community long for marriage rights? They are supposed to be at the forefront of social evolution. They need to make the case against marriage, live together and demand equal rights bestowed upon those that are married.<br /><br /><br />Am I the only one with these questions?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br />___________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-74101082801292831082008-09-22T14:49:00.000-07:002008-10-05T10:43:23.155-07:00Should I Hide My Atheist Books?by Nico Raj Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br />I know! I know! I must stand for what I believe. But, some situations are more complicated than others. Sometimes, it is not your honor, or safety that is at stake, but your family's.<br /><br />I love collecting antique books, love reading, and have established a great little library at my home. While my collecting focus is not books on atheism, I do have a formidable collection.<br /><br />Here is my confession; I hide my atheist books whenever a family member, or distant relative visits my home. Why? It is not that I am scared of the Repercussions but rather do not care for the inconvenience of a long and tiring conversational debate about why I am an atheist, and do not believe in Allah any longer.<br /><br />I can see it now; my uber religious aunt shocked as she describes her disappointment in me, or the look of concern on my mother's face saying nothing. But the worst of them all are the repercussions brought upon my family by the closely knit network of friends and acquaintances in the community. The repercussions do not bother me, nor my wife, but for my parents it would be an embarrassment. <br /><br />While I am aware that millions of people, especially teens and young adults are going through similar dilemmas all around the world, my situation is rather trivial. Or at least I believe it is. All I need to do is remove a few books off the shelves of my study and the potential problem is averted. <br /><br />Am I a coward? Maybe. But at least my family is spared the hassle and trouble brought upon by a characteristicly vindictive religious society. My turn will come one day. For now, let my family live in peace.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.NicoRaj.com</a><br />________________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-36592938131845632662008-09-16T20:21:00.000-07:002008-10-05T10:48:11.890-07:00Most Offensive Racial Jokes of All Time Deconstructedby Nico Raj Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br />The following is a list of, what I belive are, the most offensive politically incorrect racial jokes of all time. These jokes should be repeated with great reservation. <br /><br />So why am I repeating these jokes here? Simple, I personally believe that no speech is too offensive for censorship. Our society will grow in mateurity and tolerance when such jokes are discussed in a public forum.<br /><br />It would be interesting to hear what readers, who belong to a particular race that are made fun of, think of these jokes, and whether they are truly offensive.<br /><br />Here is the list in descending order with the most offensive at the bottom.<br /><br /><br /><strong>4.</strong> <br />What do you call a Mexican in a Church?<br />Holly Shit!<br /><br />This joke plays on two features of Mexicans in the U.S.; religious zeal and hard labour (hence the word "shit" as it pertains to janitors). The religious aspect is particularly interesting, since there are many non-Mexicans that are just as religious. I believe the symbolism here is that Mexicans pray because they are poor and needy.<br /><br /><br /><strong>3.</strong><br />What did the little black girl get for her birthday?<br />My bike!<br /><br />This joke segregates African Americans as being at the lowest income bracket of society. This is shown by the "My" as a substitute for any race other than black. It also reflects the societal belief that poor blacks have a tendency towards crime in order to live through the daily course of life, such as a young child's birthday.<br /><br /><br /><strong>2.</strong><br />How many Palestinians does it take to change a light bulb? <br />None! They sit in the dark forever and blame the Jews for it!<br /><br />This one will surely anger many muslims for many reasons, but principly for the contraversial issue of who exactly belongs in the Holy Land. The joke especially achieves this by the word "forever". This is because the Arab world believes that the Jews took over the land unfairly in the mid-20th century, while the Jews believe that this land is rightfully theirs since they occupied it thousands of years ago.<br /><br />The joke also criticizes the Palestinian people for not taking an active role in joining the modern world by advancing its civilization. Of course, Palestinians believe they cannot while their land is occupied. <br /><br />This joke may be so contraversial that even my attempt at explaining why it is contraversial will in itself cause many to be offended by me.<br /><br /><br /><strong>1.</strong> <br />What is the difference between a pizza and a Jew?<br />A pizza does not scream in the oven.<br /><br />I believe this joke has to be the most offensive, and insensitive of all that I have ever heard. Yet, it continues to be one of the most popular in social circle, between non-jewish people of course! <br /><br />I fail to believe that any one, no matter the race or religious belief, save for extremist muslims of course, that does not think this joke is highly offensive. There is no need to delve into details of the horrific acts practiced upon the helpless jewish people by Hitler and the Germans, but only to say that when thoughts of burning innocent human beings alive enters the mind no one can hold back feelings of anger and shock, no matter their differing views. <br /><br />I say all this, and I myself grew up in the Middle East, and was once a Muslim.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br />___________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-51389507479420710812008-09-16T18:28:00.000-07:002008-10-05T10:48:48.468-07:00I Have No Father! Revisited...by Nico Raj Rahm<br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br /><br /><br />I never thought that the opening post of this blog would be this popular! My short story, "<a href="http://nicoraj.com/2008/09/i-have-no-father-how-muslim-became.html">I Have No Father! How a Muslim Became an Atheist</a>" was instantly picked up by many major social networking sites.<br /><br />The story recieved many reviews, some positive, others critical, but that is what one would expect from such a contraversial subject.<br /><br />For those that were wondering, the story is somewhat of an autobiography. The "father" in this story is God. The idea is; what if God was your father, would you comply with his expectations no matter how ridiculous they are? <br /><br />Some criticized the rules that the father demanded of his son to follow as not representative of Islam, or what Allah asks of muslims to carry out. I beg to differ. I do not believe that any of these demands imposed by the boy's father were inaccurate in describing the true responsibility of a muslim on a daily basis.<br /><br />Of course, many reviewers picked up on the general idea of this story, which is that any God of any religion could be represented by the "father". I used Islam as an example because that is what I know; it was what I was brought up to believe.<br /><br />I welcome all reviews, both positive and negative, because you need both for a fair and balanced discussion.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://nicoraj.com">www.nicoraj.com</a><br />___________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-83953643316628542942008-09-15T18:04:00.000-07:002011-12-17T06:27:57.049-08:00I Have No Father! How a Muslim Became an Atheist<strong>I Have No Father!</strong><br />
How a Muslim Became an Atheist<br />
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by Nico Raj Rahm<br />
<a href="http://nicorahm.com/">http://nicorahm.com/</a><br />
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The typical array of trees and light posts lined the road. Houses were outlined by green lawns symbolic of a community of young families. The fathers in these households took great pride in teaching their sons lessons in morality and ethics. The young boy’s father was no exception. <br />
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One day the boy of seven years of age was reading a book of fairy tales while resting on the family room couch. In came his father who sat opposite him and stared at his young son. The boy looked up from the book and smiled at his father.<br />
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“My son, please, put down that useless book and come sit beside me”.<br />
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The son does as he is told, and took a seat right next to his father on the couch.<br />
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“My dear son, do you love your father?”<br />
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“Yes, of course.” The boy replied.<br />
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“Then, you would do as your father wishes?”<br />
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“Of course father, anything.” <br />
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“You are now a man my son, and as a man you must abide by the following rules to ensure that you reach your potential in life.” The father paused, awaiting confirmation from his son.<br />
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“Yes, father.” The boy was growing anxious.<br />
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“First, you must respect your parents, and do as you are told”<br />
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“Yes, father, as you wish.”<br />
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“Second, you must respect your elders for they are wise and have plenty to teach you.”<br />
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The boy nodded his head in acceptance.<br />
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“Third, you must not steal, for it is wrong.”<br />
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“Fourth, you must not engage in any physical acts with the opposite sex, until marriage.”<br />
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The boy giggled, but quickly hid his naivety as his father gave him a stern look of displeasure.<br />
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“Fifth, you must not drink wine nor consume mind altering chemicals, for they confuse your mind, and distract you from your love and respect for your father”<br />
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The boy nodded his head.<br />
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“Sixth, you must not consume the meat of pigs for they are dirty animals.”<br />
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“Yes, father.”<br />
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“Seventh, you must not touch dogs for there are dirty and unholy animals. If you do accidentally touch a dog, then you must wash your hands and ask me for forgiveness.”<br />
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“As you wish, father”<br />
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“Eighth, prior to consuming the meat of holy animals you must wash your hands, recite how great I am, and slit the throat of the animal until the last drop of blood had spilled.”<br />
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The boy grimaced at the thought. “But father, does not the animal feel pain?”<br />
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“This is not the time for questioning my demands my son. Your task is only to listen.” Replied the father quickly.<br />
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“Yes, father.”<br />
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“Ninth, you must read this book,” The father handed his son a large book and placed it in his lap. <br />
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The little boy opened the book and began to read the first page, which described how his father is a great father, the only truly loving father, and he must obey him or else be punished.<br />
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“Yes father, I will read this book every day.”<br />
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“Tenth, you must not eat any food nor drink any liquid while the sun is up in the sky for a total of thirty days, once a year.”<br />
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“Yes father”<br />
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“Lastly, you must kneel, place your forehead on the ground, and recite passages from the book I handed you, and swear that I am the only truly loving father, the greatest father. Do this five times a day, every day, and for the rest of your life.”<br />
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“Yes father, I will do as you wish. I love you.”<br />
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“I love you too my son”.<br />
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The father exited the room. The young boy picked up his father’s great book and headed for his bedroom to read. The book of fairytales was left behind on the couch.<br />
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The boy was now twelve years of age. Through school and the natural curiosity of a young mind he had made new friends through social activities and sporting events. Most of his friends were similar to him; they all had fathers who loved them very much, and imposed demands upon them to ensure that they mature into better men and women. But the boy was surprised to learn that not all of his friends had fathers who imposed the same demands. Some had fathers that enforced different rules.<br />
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How could that be? The boy asked himself, how could my father be the only true loving father if my friends all have loving fathers?<br />
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As the boy continued to visit the homes of his new friends, and is invited to join their families for dinner, he observed that not all of his friends have to abide by the same rules he did. Some do not have to kneel on the floor five times a day, and declare that their fathers are the only truly loving fathers. They do not have to go without food nor water while the sun is up in the sky for thirty days, every year. Some fathers allow their sons to consume the meat of pigs, and other unholy animals. They do not cut the throat of animals to make them holy. Their fathers do not force their wives to cover their faces and their skin in the presence of other men.<br />
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But the boy also observed some similarities. His friends must read books about how their fathers are the greatest, and how their fathers will strike down and hurt them if they do not follow the rules. Their fathers tell of stories of war and terror. Their fathers also declare how other families who do not conform to the same moral beliefs must be forced into accepting their values and traditions.<br />
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While the boy began to learn more about his friends’ families and households, he still loved his father, and believed that his father will not deliberately steer him wrong. <br />
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He continued to follow the rules; reading the book, kneeling on the floor five times a day, and fasting once a year. He continued to control his gaze so as to not be staring at young females, lest they distract him from his love for his father.<br />
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The boy was now fifteen years of age. His observations of his friends have left him with many questions. Yet, whenever he happened to ask his father one of those questions, his father answered with the usual, “do you love your father? Then you must trust me, and believe in me. I know that there are many distractions in life my son, but your love for me must be stronger. You must have blind faith. I created you my son. I provided you with food and shelter. Believe in me, and keep your questions at bay, so as not to stir curiosities within your mind and steer your love away from me. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to hurt you, and banish you from this house.” The boy did not enjoy his father’s companionship when he was threatening, he scared him.<br />
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The boy was introduced to the disciplines of science, math, history, philosophy, and other mind opening studies. But the boy was now confused. How could his father have built their home on his own?<br />
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Others have had fathers who acted much like his father thousands of years ago, only to learn they were no different than others to come after them.<br />
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How could his father be watching over the boy’s entire family all at once, even if his father was not near? One can only see what the eyes see.<br />
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How could his father command thunder and rain? The science book explained those are natural forces created by the rotation of the earth.<br />
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If throughout history fathers created their children and the world around them, then who created animals of ancient times?<br />
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The boy grows more confused every day, but he continued to abide by his father’s rules. He had no choice. His father would always demand that he continue to read the great book, and put to memory all of its passages. The boy had once declared to his father that putting the pages to memory had taken away valuable time needed to truly study the book’s message and formulate questions.<br />
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“My son,” replied his father, “studying my message and formulating questions are honorable feats, but putting my book to memory in full will always be the greatest achievement in order to prove your true love for me. “<br />
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“But father, I find memorizing the book to be a much simpler task than learning its true meaning and debating its message.”<br />
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“Well then, if it is so simple complete the memorization and then take the time necessary to learn its full meaning.”<br />
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“But father, memorizing is simpler, but too much time is consumed in the process. I find that my ability to utilize my curious mind falls short as my time is consumed by tasks which do not pose intellectual challenges.”<br />
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“My son, by memorizing my book first your mind will harbor its very own library to reference whenever in need.” The father continued, “go now my son, and wash to purify your body in order to pray and prove your true love for me.”<br />
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The boy did as he was told.<br />
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The boy was now a man of twenty-one years of age. His studies continued to expand his mind with lectures in advanced science and philosophy. His passion for helping others had led him down a path of medical training. <br />
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In college, he met a beautiful woman. They would meet on many occasions at the library. He would learn that she had no father, she had never met him. Her mother worked to support her. Her mother did not feel constrained by an oppressive relationship, and hence, had the pleasure of achieving success and pursue her own life experiences. This woman was very bright, cheerful, passionate about helping the unfortunate, and very respectful of her elders.<br />
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The man asked his father one night as they sat to eat along with his mother, “Father, I met a woman recently through my class, and she has no father, yet she has all the qualities that you seek to instill in me! How could this be?”<br />
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The father’s eyes grew large, and a frown suddenly materialized upon his face. <br />
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”Son, listen to me closely, you are not to speak to this woman at all. Not only might she steer your mind toward the impure and dirty thoughts of physical acts, but she also does not have a father. This makes her an even bigger immoral person than those with fathers of different beliefs.”<br />
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”But father, she is very smart, friendly, and we converse as if we both were men. Also, father, I have friends who enter into relationships outside of marriage, some for love and some just for the physical acts of pleasure, yet they all have morals and are of great character!”<br />
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The father grew angrier.<br />
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”Son, you are betraying your father’s wishes. Go now, leave your dinner, and read my book, and kneel on the floor in your room, and declare that I am the greatest father. I provide for you.”<br />
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”No, you do not provide fore me!” The man shouts back, surprised at his confrontational stance against his father’s wishes, “I provide for myself, I live on my own, and do not have to abide by your rules. I will help the poor because it is an honorable gesture. I will respect not only my elders, but all people, for we are all the same yet all different. I will love whomever I want, whenever I want, and will not be forced into marriage for the sake of satisfying my natural sexual hunger, as long as I do not hurt anyone, whether physically or mentally.”<br />
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”If you do not do as I say, then you are banished from this house!”<br />
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”I banish myself, for now I know, that if my father is a cruel, ruthless, self-indulging, racist, intolerant ego-maniac then,” The man paused,<br />
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”I have no father!”<br />
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With that said, the man ran out of the house, into his car, and drove away to live his own life, free of prejudice, racism, and intolerance of others, and free to satisfy his ever growing curiosity about the world around him.<br />
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<a href="http://nicorahm.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-have-no-father-revisited.html"> I Have No Father!... Revisited</a>
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<a href="http://nicorahm.com/">http://nicorahm.com/</a><br />
__________________________<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473163697464922107.post-58041275118316424212008-09-15T12:06:00.000-07:002011-12-15T11:18:59.131-08:00About Nico Rahm...I was born and raised as a Muslim. This blog is my way of venting about issues, news, opinions, and stories I had, and will, run across. Some of my views will surely be controversial to some readers, but at no instance will I be offensive, or at least I will try!<br /><br />One day during Ramadan, my wife and I were invited by a close friend of mine to break fast. I was not fasting of course, mainly because I had not practiced my religion since my teenage years, but also because I must conform to a strict dietary lifestyle dictated by diabetes.<br /><br />That night, I was introduced to others who were close friends of the host. They were all Muslims. After dinner, as we all gathered in the family room for tea and dessert, the conversation turned to religious fundamentalism and the Middle East. My friend, who was fully aware of my weakening faith, was in the mood for debate. As the conversation heated up as to why I do not practice my faith to its fullest, he pointed out to all who were present that I do not pray five times a day, read the Quran, nor steer clear of alcohol. Of course, he had drank wine many times in my presence, while away from his wife and family. I did not wish to ignite a heated argument between him and his wife, so I decided not to enlighten the rest as to his hypocrisy.<br /><br />Little did he and the others know that I had completely let go of my Muslim faith. I had discovered, following years of inner conflict, that religion did not conform to my growing hunger for rational reasoning, and was not useful in my life. I find the solitary enjoyment of reading and writing is all the spiritual cleansing I need. <br /><br />Following that night, I was obsessed at finding a way of making my friend understand my point of view. How do I open the mind of a religious conservative in order to understand what an atheist believed? I did not wish to drag him away from his faith, rather I longed for him to see the world through my eyes if not but for a moment.<br /><br /> <a href="http://nicorahm.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-have-no-father-how-muslim-became.html">A short story</a> of a relationship between a young Muslim boy and his father was what my imagination produced. I built a new blog for which the sole purpose was to present the story. Within a few hours readers had shared the link to my website with their peers on numerous social networking websites. By the following day the story had attracted almost twenty thousand readers, and by the fourth week more than seventy thousand visitors had read the story. I was immediately inundated with emails and commentary by the readers. The feedback was mostly positive save for some harsh criticisms. <br /><br />The negative reviews were made by readers who found the story to unfairly target the Muslim faith. This was not my intention. Rather, the message of the story was to present my personal view of all religions. The main character in this story was Muslim only because I was Muslim. <br /><br />I am of Lebanese descent but was raised in Saudi Arabia during the earliest years. My father decided to move the family to Canada shortly following the end of my first decade of life. His reasoning was he could not fathom to have his children grow up in such a conservative nation. My father has liberal views, and is not religious to say the least. He never was truly religious for as long as I can remember. I was never sure however, if my father’s weak faith was indicative of sincere disbelief in a higher power, or rather a manifestation of his lazy persona. As a child, I believed my father’s faith was in his couch and television set. My mother on the other hand is truly religious. Unlike my father, she continues to pray everyday, and fast for the full thirty days once a year. <br /><br />It is in Canada that I shed the bulk of the fundamentalist religious teachings that filled my innocent mind throughout my early educational years in Saudi Arabia. Canada was a beacon of intellectual and cultural freedom. It is there that my mind was allowed to pursue a journey of self-discovery. Canada is a beautiful country that presented me with a venue for expressing my thoughts in the open, with no fear of punishment. I do not suggest that I had let go of my Muslim faith as soon as my feet touched Canadian soil. Rather, I lost my faith following years of inner-conflict and self-contradiction.<br /><br />My faith began to wane during my early teen years. I had always loved to read. Through books, I discovered the histories of ancient civilizations, the teachings of philosophical minds, and the inquisitiveness of scientific geniuses. As my mind acquired further knowledge, my curiosity had blossomed. I was constantly asking myself questions about my faith. To most of those questions, satisfactory answers never existed.<br /><br />It was not until my college years that I knew I would not be a Muslim. I can recall the very moment that my journey of self-discovery had come to an end. My wife had asked me if I would expect my children to adhere to the Muslim faith. I said, “No, I would not.” Through that answer I knew I had solidified my departure from Islam. Yet, socially, I would continue to introduce myself as a Muslim to my parents and extended family members. I hid my true self mainly to protect my parents from social retaliation, and embarrassment. Even to this day, as my life reaches the end of its third decade and enter its fourth, I continue to mask my non-belief. I do this out of fear. I fear the consequences for both, myself and those dear to me.<br /> <br />It is sad to realize that in today’s society, with its intellectual advances, there continues to be a stigma attached to those that have an alternative view from the masses. It is more difficult for a fundamentalist Christian to understand the arguments of atheism than those of conservative Islam. This is the reason I decided to expand the short story into a full book in order to share my view with the rest of the world. This is assuming that those that oppose free speech do not ban the reading of it. Those that wish to expand their knowledge and open their eyes to new worlds must not adhere to a strict and biased education.<br /><br />Unguided reading had always guided my intellectual freedom.<br /><br />Yours truly,<br /><br />Nico Rahm<br /><br /><br />You can contact me at:<br /><strong>a d m i n @ n i c o r a j . c o m</strong> <br />(without the spaces)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/NicoRahm?!=" +data:post.url' type="text/javascript"> charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0