Barbarism begins at home
At first i wanted to write about all of this racist nonsense but i think everything has been said and i'm not insigutful, knowledgable nor eloquent enough to really make any worthwhile contribution. I might add though, lately the seriousness of it all has been reaching home more. On tuesday night a young guy was beaten by 2 carloads about 1km from my house, the street i used to walk down on my way home from the city. And today there were rumours of some nonsense at the shopping centre i work near. It really does amplify one's emotions, compared to simply seeing the footage on tv, or whatever.
Anyway. Last night was one of the more enjoyable nights as of late,going to see Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks. Getting to hang out with my good friends emma and nicole was lovely, as was running into other cool people. Nicole (seemingly_infin) deserves special mention because she managed to get into the gaelic underage (the only conclusion i can come to is that it's fate), and also lent me some manga, which i read half of today and am finding quite enjoyable. Thanx babe.
Stephen was excellent, despite the lack of church on white or jenny and the ess-dog. He even played a teaser of cut your hair, which was fun. And i was suprised at just how much he focuses on his guitar playing (not that it's a bad thing.. just a suprise). Jack Ladder was excellent in support, as well. Gaslight Radio were good, but i wasn't feelin' it.
Afterwards we made good pals with rachel (hugslut), a radd chick that we had kinda talked to a bit where we were standing at the front. She ended up hanging out with us and coming back to Emma's place to crash. On a side note, this calls for special mention for Emma, for letting me crash at her joint and being a charming hostess!
We all sat around and chatted and drank red wine until way early in the morning, and it was lovely times. Annoyed rachel for a while (i think) before getting a couple of hours of sleep and getting up to get sigur ros tickets!
So yeah, i have my sydney and brisbane tickets. Also got Springsteen's Born To Run 30th anniversary box for mum for chrissie (aww.)
On the flipside, today's 4 hours of work crawled along, and i'm quite tired right now.
This weekend is a house party at emma's tomorrow, my disco + party on saturday, and battling gross scenesters for a good view of avalanches/cut copy at the modular party on sunday.
Also, i'm starting to get really amped for BDO week... not because of the acts so much as because of all the amazing people i know who have decided to come to sydney for the same week. I miss them.
Today when i went for a walk, i had a thought...
To me, the gospels of christianity seem to be more focused on unity of cultures and walks of life rather than division. Many in the hierarchy of the religious institutions of the times openly mocked jesus for the people he befriended... tax collectors (corrupt, the most despised in society), prostitutes, samaritans (seen as a lower class of people, there were class divisions present at the time that jesus broke through). Does this mean jesus condoned the corrupt dealings of the tax collectors, or the occupations of the prostitutes? Of course not. But he recognised them as fellow people, as equal people, despite their shortcomings.
This is something that is far too easily forgotten in conservative christian circles. Jesus saw past differences in moral and religious beliefs, and saw to the core of what these people were - fellow humans. I cannot understand where religious convention went wrong with this, but it's not only a misunderstanding but a complete perversion of the teachings of christ. The way some sections of the church treat some sections of society that they hold differing beliefs to - key examples being homosexuals and other religious groups, especially islam - is nothing short of disgusting. It is fine, in my mind, to believe that somebody's beliefs are wrong. The problem lies in tolerance. To be intolerant of another's beliefs is to be bigoted, and to take away a fundamental and god-given right of any individual - to believe what they want to believe. To hold your own beliefs as a way of gaining a percieved superiority is simply pretentiousness.
Jesus made a point of accepting everybody, warts and all, whether with self-inflicted problems or not.
I think the strongest thing a person can do, stronger than trying to ban an entertainer or scholar of differing belief, stronger than oppressing those different to you, and stronger than making a person feel worthless for who they are, is to look past their differences and love them as another human who pumps the same blood and breathes the same air as everybody else. And you would be suprised at how much it would change the christian church as a whole, for the better, to gain this sort of revelation. There are plenty of amazing people out there who help people from all walks of life when they need it, and are tolerant, but there are also people who still confuse righteousness with self-righteousness and are intent on building cultural divides and trying to isolate and oppress cultural minorities in a pathetic bid to acheve some sense of self-worth. And it makes me sick.
Ramble over, i doubt anyone's still reading. I just post this stuff when i need to let off some steam. Crazy ultraconservatism.
Anyway. Last night was one of the more enjoyable nights as of late,going to see Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks. Getting to hang out with my good friends emma and nicole was lovely, as was running into other cool people. Nicole (seemingly_infin) deserves special mention because she managed to get into the gaelic underage (the only conclusion i can come to is that it's fate), and also lent me some manga, which i read half of today and am finding quite enjoyable. Thanx babe.
Stephen was excellent, despite the lack of church on white or jenny and the ess-dog. He even played a teaser of cut your hair, which was fun. And i was suprised at just how much he focuses on his guitar playing (not that it's a bad thing.. just a suprise). Jack Ladder was excellent in support, as well. Gaslight Radio were good, but i wasn't feelin' it.
Afterwards we made good pals with rachel (hugslut), a radd chick that we had kinda talked to a bit where we were standing at the front. She ended up hanging out with us and coming back to Emma's place to crash. On a side note, this calls for special mention for Emma, for letting me crash at her joint and being a charming hostess!
We all sat around and chatted and drank red wine until way early in the morning, and it was lovely times. Annoyed rachel for a while (i think) before getting a couple of hours of sleep and getting up to get sigur ros tickets!
So yeah, i have my sydney and brisbane tickets. Also got Springsteen's Born To Run 30th anniversary box for mum for chrissie (aww.)
On the flipside, today's 4 hours of work crawled along, and i'm quite tired right now.
This weekend is a house party at emma's tomorrow, my disco + party on saturday, and battling gross scenesters for a good view of avalanches/cut copy at the modular party on sunday.
Also, i'm starting to get really amped for BDO week... not because of the acts so much as because of all the amazing people i know who have decided to come to sydney for the same week. I miss them.
Today when i went for a walk, i had a thought...
To me, the gospels of christianity seem to be more focused on unity of cultures and walks of life rather than division. Many in the hierarchy of the religious institutions of the times openly mocked jesus for the people he befriended... tax collectors (corrupt, the most despised in society), prostitutes, samaritans (seen as a lower class of people, there were class divisions present at the time that jesus broke through). Does this mean jesus condoned the corrupt dealings of the tax collectors, or the occupations of the prostitutes? Of course not. But he recognised them as fellow people, as equal people, despite their shortcomings.
This is something that is far too easily forgotten in conservative christian circles. Jesus saw past differences in moral and religious beliefs, and saw to the core of what these people were - fellow humans. I cannot understand where religious convention went wrong with this, but it's not only a misunderstanding but a complete perversion of the teachings of christ. The way some sections of the church treat some sections of society that they hold differing beliefs to - key examples being homosexuals and other religious groups, especially islam - is nothing short of disgusting. It is fine, in my mind, to believe that somebody's beliefs are wrong. The problem lies in tolerance. To be intolerant of another's beliefs is to be bigoted, and to take away a fundamental and god-given right of any individual - to believe what they want to believe. To hold your own beliefs as a way of gaining a percieved superiority is simply pretentiousness.
Jesus made a point of accepting everybody, warts and all, whether with self-inflicted problems or not.
I think the strongest thing a person can do, stronger than trying to ban an entertainer or scholar of differing belief, stronger than oppressing those different to you, and stronger than making a person feel worthless for who they are, is to look past their differences and love them as another human who pumps the same blood and breathes the same air as everybody else. And you would be suprised at how much it would change the christian church as a whole, for the better, to gain this sort of revelation. There are plenty of amazing people out there who help people from all walks of life when they need it, and are tolerant, but there are also people who still confuse righteousness with self-righteousness and are intent on building cultural divides and trying to isolate and oppress cultural minorities in a pathetic bid to acheve some sense of self-worth. And it makes me sick.
Ramble over, i doubt anyone's still reading. I just post this stuff when i need to let off some steam. Crazy ultraconservatism.