Rant...
Part of what I feel LJ is for, is for ranting...
I'm cutting this in case I get too long winded, or you'd like to skip over it.
This morning, I logged on to see two of my friends apologizing for some comments they made yesterday. I thought, well...these lj's are their own personal diaries so they should be able to express themselves however they want. And then I remembered I had something similiar happen to me a while ago. There were some thoughts and ideas I wanted to get out there...but I knew...JUST KNEW...that I couldn't post them here. So I created a secondary journal to post what I *REALLY* wanted to say. How sad is that? I've got to censor myself by creating another space where I can speak freely. Isn't that what this place is about? But when do we get caught in the web of mincing our words to the point of asburdity?
A little while ago, I logged into the Hidden Frontier boards, and there's a discussion going on about Christianity and the religious right. It's getting pretty heated...and I just want to call everyone on the carpet for their shit. YES....There is no way that modern Christians (all 1000 denominations of them) can be judged for the actions of one another...that's insane. It's a bit like blaming the great great grandchildren of slave-owners for the actions of their ancestors. Insanity. BUT! That doesn't mean that there AREN'T people out there under the umbrella term Christianity who are spreading intolerance, lies and hatred. The whole, in this case, isn't equal to the sum of it's parts. And yet, after all the abuse I've suffered in the name of Christianity, I feel almost apathetic to the whole cause. It's like, people who are Christian are in such the majority here in the U.S. it's like if you aren't one, you are part of the OTHER. Everytime I passed a sign that would read, "Don't let your children celebrate the Devil, come to our Autumn Festival", or see a "Truth" eating "Darwin" fish symbols...I'm reminded of those heady days when I was, myself in the "majority". It's frustrating. It's firestorms like these that make me glad to be part of the OTHER, cause it's hard to defend how you're being persecuted if you're *in* the majority. Most of the time the majority doesn't have to worry about such things. I don't want to alienate anyone, but what is the path where we can be different and all the same?
I was reading on WeirdJews today, about a new Middle Eastern comic of superheros of Muslim origin. They're fighting the Army of Zios...an obvious reference to Zion. It angered me at first...then I let it go. What if, just if...I've been trying too hard. I think I'm about ready to give up my faith in humanity. Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Mithras, Mohammed....you have failed us. You tried, we didn't listen. Men have killed, lied, stolen, raped all in the name of The Great Out There. And we haven't really changed that much. Oh, that's not to say that there aren't good people out there, who act on what they believe. But it's really hard to live by your convictions whatever they may be. Where is my golden mean? I'm not about to become a cultural relativist anytime soon, but I wonder...
What am I trying to say, you ask? I'm not sure. Just that there are days where I wish for the fire of Allah, or the judging hand of the G-d of Israel, or for Zeus to purge the land of humans. Now I think I understand the mindset of those who willing to get on top of their roofs for Shabbatai Tzvi and why people in rural Mexico are willing to spend money on gold ornaments for their local church, when they can barely afford to feed themselves. I'm understanding the desperate cry of humanity...we seek deliverance, salvation, guidance. That's why we suffer...our pain, our attachments. They all lead us to cling to that magic drug that takes away the pain...be it religion, food, partying, family...whatever takes it away. And we'll do ANYTHING...and I mean anything to defend it and keep it.
How can be have come so far and learned so little...we still build these walls around the "other"...the Goyim...the Non-Christian....the Un-saved....the Wiccans vs. the Recons...the Attik vs. Barbaros. And on and on....if we could only see that the reflection of the Other is our own.
I pray that someday, that we can live and love with our myriad of diffences. That we shall own our contradictions.
I'm cutting this in case I get too long winded, or you'd like to skip over it.
This morning, I logged on to see two of my friends apologizing for some comments they made yesterday. I thought, well...these lj's are their own personal diaries so they should be able to express themselves however they want. And then I remembered I had something similiar happen to me a while ago. There were some thoughts and ideas I wanted to get out there...but I knew...JUST KNEW...that I couldn't post them here. So I created a secondary journal to post what I *REALLY* wanted to say. How sad is that? I've got to censor myself by creating another space where I can speak freely. Isn't that what this place is about? But when do we get caught in the web of mincing our words to the point of asburdity?
A little while ago, I logged into the Hidden Frontier boards, and there's a discussion going on about Christianity and the religious right. It's getting pretty heated...and I just want to call everyone on the carpet for their shit. YES....There is no way that modern Christians (all 1000 denominations of them) can be judged for the actions of one another...that's insane. It's a bit like blaming the great great grandchildren of slave-owners for the actions of their ancestors. Insanity. BUT! That doesn't mean that there AREN'T people out there under the umbrella term Christianity who are spreading intolerance, lies and hatred. The whole, in this case, isn't equal to the sum of it's parts. And yet, after all the abuse I've suffered in the name of Christianity, I feel almost apathetic to the whole cause. It's like, people who are Christian are in such the majority here in the U.S. it's like if you aren't one, you are part of the OTHER. Everytime I passed a sign that would read, "Don't let your children celebrate the Devil, come to our Autumn Festival", or see a "Truth" eating "Darwin" fish symbols...I'm reminded of those heady days when I was, myself in the "majority". It's frustrating. It's firestorms like these that make me glad to be part of the OTHER, cause it's hard to defend how you're being persecuted if you're *in* the majority. Most of the time the majority doesn't have to worry about such things. I don't want to alienate anyone, but what is the path where we can be different and all the same?
I was reading on WeirdJews today, about a new Middle Eastern comic of superheros of Muslim origin. They're fighting the Army of Zios...an obvious reference to Zion. It angered me at first...then I let it go. What if, just if...I've been trying too hard. I think I'm about ready to give up my faith in humanity. Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Mithras, Mohammed....you have failed us. You tried, we didn't listen. Men have killed, lied, stolen, raped all in the name of The Great Out There. And we haven't really changed that much. Oh, that's not to say that there aren't good people out there, who act on what they believe. But it's really hard to live by your convictions whatever they may be. Where is my golden mean? I'm not about to become a cultural relativist anytime soon, but I wonder...
What am I trying to say, you ask? I'm not sure. Just that there are days where I wish for the fire of Allah, or the judging hand of the G-d of Israel, or for Zeus to purge the land of humans. Now I think I understand the mindset of those who willing to get on top of their roofs for Shabbatai Tzvi and why people in rural Mexico are willing to spend money on gold ornaments for their local church, when they can barely afford to feed themselves. I'm understanding the desperate cry of humanity...we seek deliverance, salvation, guidance. That's why we suffer...our pain, our attachments. They all lead us to cling to that magic drug that takes away the pain...be it religion, food, partying, family...whatever takes it away. And we'll do ANYTHING...and I mean anything to defend it and keep it.
How can be have come so far and learned so little...we still build these walls around the "other"...the Goyim...the Non-Christian....the Un-saved....the Wiccans vs. the Recons...the Attik vs. Barbaros. And on and on....if we could only see that the reflection of the Other is our own.
I pray that someday, that we can live and love with our myriad of diffences. That we shall own our contradictions.