A Meme With a Difference
When
yanniconny said she wanted a more thoughtful meme, she wasn't kidding!
1. Ethnicity
a.Do you feel your ethnicity is a large part of your life?
No, I suppose it’s the arrogance of the English to think that ethnicity is something that happens to other people.
b.What is your ethnicity?
English
c.Is your ethnicity distinct from your national identity?
Yes; unlike the Scots, Irish and Welsh, the English aren’t allowed to have or celebrate their heritage. Town Halls aren’t allowed to fly the English flag on St George’s day, because it may offend someone.
d.Do you speak the same language your Grandparents spoke?
Yes
e.Great great Grandparents?
On one side - definitely yes, on the other, possibly not. They were Irish, so may have spoken Gaelic.
f.Do you have a feeling of solidarity or even simple recognition for people of similar backgrounds?
Not really. In Australia, I meet a lot of ‘wingeing Poms’, and I don’t identify with them at all.
g. What part does the perception of race play in your understanding of your own ethnicity?
None. Like most English people, I’m a Norse/French/Irish/anyone else that landed here kind of mongrel. I don’t think that you have to be a particular race or colour to be English.
h. Do you feel your ethnicity is a matter of "blood" or descendency or do you feel it is cultural?
For me, I’m English because I was born and grew up there, and I will happily accept anyone else as English on the same basis.
2. Politics
a.Do you follow politics?
Not any more - I can’t vote until I become an Australian citizen. I at least have a few years to work out who is who.
b.Are your politics similar to or wildly divergent from those your parents espoused when you were growing up?
In the UK, I would vote for a different party than my parents did, but I don’t think that there is the difference between the parties that there were in, say, the 1970s. I don’t think that ‘politics’ has the same meaning anymore. Its all spin and no substance.
c.Do you feel your personal politics spring more from how you perceive your needs or from your personal morality? Something else? Tell me what you base your political decisions on?
A bit of both. I want the system to work for me, so wouldn’t back anyone that threatened my personal wellbeing, but I’m also happy for my taxes to be spent helping the needy.
d.Do you feel that any political party or movement truly represents your values?
No. As I said above, all spin and no substance.
e.Do you feel any particular political party is looking out for your interests?
No, but they will all tell me they are!
f. Have you studied history? How has this effected your political view?
Not really. I am ashamed to say that my knowledge of UK political history is appalling.
3. Sex
a. Do you feel sex is a moral issue?
Not really. I think it’s more a respect issue. Sex in and of itself is great, as long as you have respect for others.
b. Do you ascribe an inherent value to virginity?
No, no and no again!
c. Do you feel that some sexual thoughts/feelings/or behaviours are acceptable for one gender but not for another?
See previous answer.
d. Is the "forbidden" somehow more sexually exciting for you?
Not in action, but in thought, sometimes.
e. Do you tend to be more passive or aggressive sexually?
Both, depending on the situation.
f. Do you think celibate people are "better" people or simply have less of a sex drive?
I think they are frustrated!
g. Do you feel sex between two consenting adults can be "wrong"?
Yes, where there is no respect for the thoughts and feelings of others.
h. Do you believe there are any inherent differences between the minds of men and women?
No, just differences between people.
i. Do you think strangers can have satisfying sex?
I’m sure some can, but I’ve never found it to be the case.
j. Conversely do you think it is possible to have sex with the same person for 30 years and still find it exciting and fullfilling? What about hot?
Yes.
4. Food
a. Do you cook?
Yes
b. Do you feel the use of mixes and prepared foodstuffs is a moral question?
No, its often a time question.
c. How often do you eat meals outside the home?
We go out for dinner a couple of times a month
d. How often do you have a sit down meal at home?
Every evening
e. Do you feel eating is a moral question? Do you feel you are a moral failure when take great pleasure from eating?
No. Taking pleasure from self-deprivation is a far bigger problem.
f. Do you feel morally superior when you refrain from eating?
No.
g. Do you ever pass judgement on strangers based on the items in their grocery carts?
Sometimes, but only if its people that I know, are unhealthy and have a cart full of over-processed rubbish.
5. Religion
a. Do you believe in a god or gods?
Not really
b. Do you feel your god/s is/are personal and are concerned with the minutae of your daily life?
No
c. Do you think other people who believe as you believe are inherently better people than those who have different beliefs?
No, each to their own.
d. If you could wave a magic wand and convert everyone on earth to your belief would you? Why? Why not?
I would like to make all organised religion disappear. I think too many people use it as a way to repress and persecute others. Maybe without the banner of organised religion to bring them together, they would remain isolated and unable to carry out their acts of atrocity.
e. Were you converted from one religion to another?
No. As
shiv5468said, I am supposedly C of E, which means I don’t really believe anything.
f. Was your religion inherited, as in do you worship and believe in much the same fashion as your parents and grandparents before you?
Sort of. My parents and grandparents believe in God, but don’t actively go to church, or didn’t when I was growing up. My mum has fairly recently started going to church, but mainly because her partner does rather than from any upsurging of belief.
g. To what extent are your religious beliefs cultural? Or to put it another way are they the prevailing beliefs and customs of your social set? Is your religion "normal" for your area?
Very normal.
h. Does the god of your understanding play favorites or does it love everyone more or less equally?
Equally.
i. Does the god of your understanding condone killing?
If I was to have any preference, I think I would like the Old Testament, vengeful God. I think that people should be punished, and should make restitution for their harmful actions. I don’t think that repentance on your death-bed should negate all the horrible things that you may have done previously. Saying that, I don’t believe in the death penalty even though I don’t think that everyone is capable of rehabilitation.
j.Does the god of your understanding play favorites with one gender over the other? Making only women her emissaries on Earth, for instance, or saying that women are the "natural" heads of the household and men their "servants"?
No, though he/she/it does prefer intelligent people!
k. Does god as you understand it care if teenagers masturbate?
No. I don’t think he’s looking.
l. How does your god feel about sex?
He’d like it, but when you’re the only omniscient deity around, partners are a little hard to come by.
m. Same sex marriage?
Yes. If people want to make a commitment, then sexual orientation should not be a reason to deny them.
yanniconny said she wanted a more thoughtful meme, she wasn't kidding!
1. Ethnicity
a.Do you feel your ethnicity is a large part of your life?
No, I suppose it’s the arrogance of the English to think that ethnicity is something that happens to other people.
b.What is your ethnicity?
English
c.Is your ethnicity distinct from your national identity?
Yes; unlike the Scots, Irish and Welsh, the English aren’t allowed to have or celebrate their heritage. Town Halls aren’t allowed to fly the English flag on St George’s day, because it may offend someone.
d.Do you speak the same language your Grandparents spoke?
Yes
e.Great great Grandparents?
On one side - definitely yes, on the other, possibly not. They were Irish, so may have spoken Gaelic.
f.Do you have a feeling of solidarity or even simple recognition for people of similar backgrounds?
Not really. In Australia, I meet a lot of ‘wingeing Poms’, and I don’t identify with them at all.
g. What part does the perception of race play in your understanding of your own ethnicity?
None. Like most English people, I’m a Norse/French/Irish/anyone else that landed here kind of mongrel. I don’t think that you have to be a particular race or colour to be English.
h. Do you feel your ethnicity is a matter of "blood" or descendency or do you feel it is cultural?
For me, I’m English because I was born and grew up there, and I will happily accept anyone else as English on the same basis.
2. Politics
a.Do you follow politics?
Not any more - I can’t vote until I become an Australian citizen. I at least have a few years to work out who is who.
b.Are your politics similar to or wildly divergent from those your parents espoused when you were growing up?
In the UK, I would vote for a different party than my parents did, but I don’t think that there is the difference between the parties that there were in, say, the 1970s. I don’t think that ‘politics’ has the same meaning anymore. Its all spin and no substance.
c.Do you feel your personal politics spring more from how you perceive your needs or from your personal morality? Something else? Tell me what you base your political decisions on?
A bit of both. I want the system to work for me, so wouldn’t back anyone that threatened my personal wellbeing, but I’m also happy for my taxes to be spent helping the needy.
d.Do you feel that any political party or movement truly represents your values?
No. As I said above, all spin and no substance.
e.Do you feel any particular political party is looking out for your interests?
No, but they will all tell me they are!
f. Have you studied history? How has this effected your political view?
Not really. I am ashamed to say that my knowledge of UK political history is appalling.
3. Sex
a. Do you feel sex is a moral issue?
Not really. I think it’s more a respect issue. Sex in and of itself is great, as long as you have respect for others.
b. Do you ascribe an inherent value to virginity?
No, no and no again!
c. Do you feel that some sexual thoughts/feelings/or behaviours are acceptable for one gender but not for another?
See previous answer.
d. Is the "forbidden" somehow more sexually exciting for you?
Not in action, but in thought, sometimes.
e. Do you tend to be more passive or aggressive sexually?
Both, depending on the situation.
f. Do you think celibate people are "better" people or simply have less of a sex drive?
I think they are frustrated!
g. Do you feel sex between two consenting adults can be "wrong"?
Yes, where there is no respect for the thoughts and feelings of others.
h. Do you believe there are any inherent differences between the minds of men and women?
No, just differences between people.
i. Do you think strangers can have satisfying sex?
I’m sure some can, but I’ve never found it to be the case.
j. Conversely do you think it is possible to have sex with the same person for 30 years and still find it exciting and fullfilling? What about hot?
Yes.
4. Food
a. Do you cook?
Yes
b. Do you feel the use of mixes and prepared foodstuffs is a moral question?
No, its often a time question.
c. How often do you eat meals outside the home?
We go out for dinner a couple of times a month
d. How often do you have a sit down meal at home?
Every evening
e. Do you feel eating is a moral question? Do you feel you are a moral failure when take great pleasure from eating?
No. Taking pleasure from self-deprivation is a far bigger problem.
f. Do you feel morally superior when you refrain from eating?
No.
g. Do you ever pass judgement on strangers based on the items in their grocery carts?
Sometimes, but only if its people that I know, are unhealthy and have a cart full of over-processed rubbish.
5. Religion
a. Do you believe in a god or gods?
Not really
b. Do you feel your god/s is/are personal and are concerned with the minutae of your daily life?
No
c. Do you think other people who believe as you believe are inherently better people than those who have different beliefs?
No, each to their own.
d. If you could wave a magic wand and convert everyone on earth to your belief would you? Why? Why not?
I would like to make all organised religion disappear. I think too many people use it as a way to repress and persecute others. Maybe without the banner of organised religion to bring them together, they would remain isolated and unable to carry out their acts of atrocity.
e. Were you converted from one religion to another?
No. As
shiv5468said, I am supposedly C of E, which means I don’t really believe anything.
f. Was your religion inherited, as in do you worship and believe in much the same fashion as your parents and grandparents before you?
Sort of. My parents and grandparents believe in God, but don’t actively go to church, or didn’t when I was growing up. My mum has fairly recently started going to church, but mainly because her partner does rather than from any upsurging of belief.
g. To what extent are your religious beliefs cultural? Or to put it another way are they the prevailing beliefs and customs of your social set? Is your religion "normal" for your area?
Very normal.
h. Does the god of your understanding play favorites or does it love everyone more or less equally?
Equally.
i. Does the god of your understanding condone killing?
If I was to have any preference, I think I would like the Old Testament, vengeful God. I think that people should be punished, and should make restitution for their harmful actions. I don’t think that repentance on your death-bed should negate all the horrible things that you may have done previously. Saying that, I don’t believe in the death penalty even though I don’t think that everyone is capable of rehabilitation.
j.Does the god of your understanding play favorites with one gender over the other? Making only women her emissaries on Earth, for instance, or saying that women are the "natural" heads of the household and men their "servants"?
No, though he/she/it does prefer intelligent people!
k. Does god as you understand it care if teenagers masturbate?
No. I don’t think he’s looking.
l. How does your god feel about sex?
He’d like it, but when you’re the only omniscient deity around, partners are a little hard to come by.
m. Same sex marriage?
Yes. If people want to make a commitment, then sexual orientation should not be a reason to deny them.