Monotheism and its
discontents (excerpts)
By Gore Vidal - author and critic has written numerous
books.
Lecture given at Harvard University.
"The great unmentionable evil at the center of our culture is
monotheism.
From barbaric Bronze Age text known as the Old Testament, three anti-human religions have
evolved - Judaism, Chritisianity and Islam. These are sky-god religions. They are
literally, patriarchal - God is the omnipotent father - hence the loathing of women for
2,000 years in those countries afflicted by the sky-god and his earthly male delegates.
The sky god is a jealous god, of course. He requires total obedience from everyone on
earth, as he is in place not for just one tribe but for all creation.Those who would
reject him must be converted or killed for their own good.
Ultimatley, totalitarianism is the only sort of politices that can truly serve the
sky-god's purpose. Any movement of a liberal nature endangers his authority
and that of his delegates on earth. One God, one King, one Pope, or master in the factory, one father-leader
in the family home.
The founders of the United States were not enthusiasts of the sky-god. Many, like
Jefferson, rejected him altogether and placed man at the center of the world. The young
Lincoln wrote a pamplet against Christianity, which friends
persuaded him to burn.
Although the Jews were sky-god folk, they followed Book One, not
Book two, so they had no mission to convert others, rather the reverse. Also, they have
been systematically demonized by the Christian sky-godders.
Many of the Christian evangelists feel it necessary to convert everyone on earth to their
primitive religion, they have been prevented- so far- but they have forced most
tyrannically and wickedly - their superstitions and
hatred upon others. So it is upon account that I now favor an all-out war on the
monotheists.
Monotheism and its discontents
http://eserver.org/govt/monotheism.txt
This article (in a somewhat different form) was originally 'The Lowell Lecture' at Harvard
University given April 20. Gore Vidal is an author and critic. He has written numerous
books and has appeared on many TV and Radio news and talk programs. Gore Vidal is the
grandson of Oklahoma's blind Senator T. P. Gore, son of a West Pointer who became an FDR
administration member, stepbrother of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, cousin to Al Gore.
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