He's right, you know...

[evil_beckums]

It's time for Pagans and fair-minded peoples of all faiths to stand up and shout enough is enough to the radical, looney goon (pun intended,) right wing nutjob bible thumpers that are trying to catapult our nation back into the Dark Ages

Comments

[nylan]

Yeah, you're making sense, but you're also seeing it from your point of view (which, imo, is sensible, but also different from the opposing one). I think the core difference in the argument is that you're saying the world is not black and white, and I think the other side would say it is exactly that. There is a Right, there is a Wrong (caps intended to imply that this "right" and "wrong" are absolute). You must believe a certain way, or you will burn in Hell. In that light, some feel it is there obligation to make sure that everyone lives that way, not only so that they will find salvation, but also so those who currently believe that way will not be tempted to stray from the path.

Not saying I believe it at all, in fact I don't, but I also get somewhat nervous by the way the argument seems to often lead to this idea that we should all leave each other alone. Society is important and without the bonds of society, and here I mean the friendships and communities as well as the laws and traditions, what do we have? How can we co-exist?

And, you know, I hate to say it, but at some point belonging to a society means you give up some of your individuality. There are societal norms that are necessary to belong and be a part of that society. Do I think heterosexuality is one of them for our society? No. But at some point there must be some conformity. Where that line is... is a difficult question. Probably unanswerable, because so many religions seem to think they have the one and only answer. Which, of course, means that deviating even a little so that you can coexist with someone who disagrees is completely unacceptable, blah blah blah.

However, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could truly answer that question? Find a way that religions could co-exist in the same society without having to reshape the societal norms to fit their given dogma? So that we could "conform" without sacrificing what we consider to be vitally important parts of our individuality?

... And then, back in the real world...

*sighs* ;)

[evil_beckums]

And the whole thing is a prime example of what we nerds like to call a "paradox".

;)

[nylan]

A world in which you can have individuality while still having enough social conformity to create a cohesive society? Yeah :/

Then again, I suppose it's the tension between the two that makes things interesting, and it's fighting for what we believe that makes life worth living.

Without the shadows there can be no light, and all that fun stuffs ;)

[evil_beckums]

hehe. I like you. You're all brainy. :P

[nylan]

I have my moments. I also get moody, fair warning. :P And what can I say? I like philosophy and psychology, minored in both in college even though they had nothing to do with my major. Just interesting stuffs ;)

Thanks indulging me with the discussion, was a pleasant way to burn the morning. Work is such a grind :/

[evil_beckums]

If you can't tell from my LJ, I get rather moody myself. I like to explore science, psychology, and just the nature of stuff (<---Important scientific term. There will be a quiz.)

Whether I'm actually RIGHT about any of this, well...who cares? It's the figuring it out part that's fun. ;)

[nylan]

I don't know, I suppose I've found that over time it's less important to be "right" and more important to see the tension between the various sides so you can understand why there's an argument. Seems more productive at times, though I suppose that's just frustration over trying to argue points on either side, since neither side is speaking the same language :P

Sadly, I don't know that I really watch who says what in the WoW forum too much, and I didn't read that far in your journal, was mostly just shocked by finding someone who didn't have a friends-only journal :P

At the risk of being too forward, I'ma go ahead and friend you, you seem like a fun and interesting person. Btw, good luck with the app at the APL. I actually sent a resume to someone over there when I was looking for a job last year, I think, though never heard anything back.