Wow, I almost shouldn't have boobs...
Because, seriously, every single woman who comes into the store tells me to read The Help or some chick-lit book, and I'm like, no comment. Or I'll just be like, yeah, sure. But, is not going to actually happen. I read hard core horror, or ST novels, or gay romance. Classics as well, but for the most part those three, in phases. Right now, I'm still on my ST kick.
But it just shows you where assumption gets you.
I've been giving a lot of thought to faith in general. It's helped me very much lately; I believe in something, something fictional, yes, but no more so than, say, the bible. It's faith in the bible and god that gives the book importance, and that helps the religious get through their day, just as it's my faith that something will help does help. I acknowledge that I'm not where I'd like to be, not at the ideal place, not as emotionless as I'd like, but turning to that fact and facing it itself is a giant step. I accept it, and I'll work towards that goal.
Which brings me to my other thought about faith. Of all the people I know who've been religious, those who flaunt that fact are... well, not very true to their faith. They try to force it on others, and in fact seem to judge more easily than those who keep to their faith, but don't parade it around for every to see. Now, I'm not saying all those who are exceedingly open about their faith are hypocritical, just that it's always been so in my experience so I think I'll think twice about getting to know more people who immediately make it known that their of they're incredibly religious. It's happened in college, it's happened in high school, it's happened before then up until now. And I recently was thinking about a person I know who is one of the most devoted to god people you'll ever meet. I knew him, what, two years before I knew this. Same with a roommate in college. They are the kindest sort of people; quiet about their faith, they treat everyone with more respect than they get most times. They're both intelligent people who are just amazing in every way. Should I get to associate with the religious, I would much prefer those kinds of people. There's something so pretentious about waving your faith around - and I think that might be part of the problem with me and these types. I just... don't have that faith, I'm honest about it, and I don't click with the whole 'oh, church, god' thing. It doesn't bother me, not until the point that they try to get me to join their religion - which isn't happening; I participate in religion by going to events, donating, or small things for good friends and family but that's about it. I think it's more that they're so preoccupied with being religious that it's a turn off that I'm not. Like when said high school friend found out my grandfather's whole family died in the holocaust, and he told me that the Devil had taken over Satan so he'd kill the Jews and their souls would go to hell because they weren't Christian. (Which is kind of weird since being Jewish, I didn't really believe in hell; it was just a kick ass background for horror flicks and books.)
I think that story shows the divide that's there even when the people have good intentions. They define their 'saved' and 'good' so much that I can't ever be a part of it, either for being Jewish or for being an atheist. Or agnostic, although I think I've about giving up looking. And I'm sick of being judged as not good enough to be saved simply because I don't believe the same things they do, or simply because I don't believe in their god. And they are judging me no matter what they say; they are telling me that they will be saved, and I didn't make the cut. Until someone can come up with a good argument for that not being judging...
And then we start on the hypocrisy right there. They're not supposed to judge me, are they? Whether or not they will be saved... well, I can't say. I don't believe in god, and even if I did, only that being would be able to make the call. Him. Her. It. Whatever. They claim to follow a book that has all these rules that they don't follow - treat everyone like you would treat yourself, don't judge people unless you have no sin, and on and on. If they don't follow those rules, it's not a big deal; if someone else doesn't follow them, they immediately start quoting the said rules that they don't truly follow anyway. I'm really not sure how that part of faith is good at all.
Okay, I know, religious rant too, but I needed to get that all out.
Also, I redid a project three times today. I must get up and face it tomorrow morning once more. I'm actually really excited because I have to do this to sci-fi which should be easier for a number of reasons (amount of unmodeled books and the fact that I know what I'm doing a little better now) and mystery which should be easier still. I like having big projects, so I am quite eager to get into work.
And to leave you with a more amusing thought, I'm reading the Cloak 31 novel about the original Enterprise crew and an OC thinks that Vulcans don't seem to think that a sense of self-superiority is an emotion and that she thought it was kind of cheating. Well, damn. I just liked that. It's a good point, although I would have to respond that Vulcans are superior in a lot of ways, so that the feeling is justified - even if a slight cheat. Plus, they feel, they just try not to show it and usually succeed. I've decided to take on that attitude; when I am better than others, I will take pride in that fact. And I'll feel justified in letting it show a little.
I'm proud of myself for just that fact today, although if I said why, I would be stooping down to their level and I wouldn't get to feel justifiably superior.
~Dex
But it just shows you where assumption gets you.
I've been giving a lot of thought to faith in general. It's helped me very much lately; I believe in something, something fictional, yes, but no more so than, say, the bible. It's faith in the bible and god that gives the book importance, and that helps the religious get through their day, just as it's my faith that something will help does help. I acknowledge that I'm not where I'd like to be, not at the ideal place, not as emotionless as I'd like, but turning to that fact and facing it itself is a giant step. I accept it, and I'll work towards that goal.
Which brings me to my other thought about faith. Of all the people I know who've been religious, those who flaunt that fact are... well, not very true to their faith. They try to force it on others, and in fact seem to judge more easily than those who keep to their faith, but don't parade it around for every to see. Now, I'm not saying all those who are exceedingly open about their faith are hypocritical, just that it's always been so in my experience so I think I'll think twice about getting to know more people who immediately make it known that their of they're incredibly religious. It's happened in college, it's happened in high school, it's happened before then up until now. And I recently was thinking about a person I know who is one of the most devoted to god people you'll ever meet. I knew him, what, two years before I knew this. Same with a roommate in college. They are the kindest sort of people; quiet about their faith, they treat everyone with more respect than they get most times. They're both intelligent people who are just amazing in every way. Should I get to associate with the religious, I would much prefer those kinds of people. There's something so pretentious about waving your faith around - and I think that might be part of the problem with me and these types. I just... don't have that faith, I'm honest about it, and I don't click with the whole 'oh, church, god' thing. It doesn't bother me, not until the point that they try to get me to join their religion - which isn't happening; I participate in religion by going to events, donating, or small things for good friends and family but that's about it. I think it's more that they're so preoccupied with being religious that it's a turn off that I'm not. Like when said high school friend found out my grandfather's whole family died in the holocaust, and he told me that the Devil had taken over Satan so he'd kill the Jews and their souls would go to hell because they weren't Christian. (Which is kind of weird since being Jewish, I didn't really believe in hell; it was just a kick ass background for horror flicks and books.)
I think that story shows the divide that's there even when the people have good intentions. They define their 'saved' and 'good' so much that I can't ever be a part of it, either for being Jewish or for being an atheist. Or agnostic, although I think I've about giving up looking. And I'm sick of being judged as not good enough to be saved simply because I don't believe the same things they do, or simply because I don't believe in their god. And they are judging me no matter what they say; they are telling me that they will be saved, and I didn't make the cut. Until someone can come up with a good argument for that not being judging...
And then we start on the hypocrisy right there. They're not supposed to judge me, are they? Whether or not they will be saved... well, I can't say. I don't believe in god, and even if I did, only that being would be able to make the call. Him. Her. It. Whatever. They claim to follow a book that has all these rules that they don't follow - treat everyone like you would treat yourself, don't judge people unless you have no sin, and on and on. If they don't follow those rules, it's not a big deal; if someone else doesn't follow them, they immediately start quoting the said rules that they don't truly follow anyway. I'm really not sure how that part of faith is good at all.
Okay, I know, religious rant too, but I needed to get that all out.
Also, I redid a project three times today. I must get up and face it tomorrow morning once more. I'm actually really excited because I have to do this to sci-fi which should be easier for a number of reasons (amount of unmodeled books and the fact that I know what I'm doing a little better now) and mystery which should be easier still. I like having big projects, so I am quite eager to get into work.
And to leave you with a more amusing thought, I'm reading the Cloak 31 novel about the original Enterprise crew and an OC thinks that Vulcans don't seem to think that a sense of self-superiority is an emotion and that she thought it was kind of cheating. Well, damn. I just liked that. It's a good point, although I would have to respond that Vulcans are superior in a lot of ways, so that the feeling is justified - even if a slight cheat. Plus, they feel, they just try not to show it and usually succeed. I've decided to take on that attitude; when I am better than others, I will take pride in that fact. And I'll feel justified in letting it show a little.
I'm proud of myself for just that fact today, although if I said why, I would be stooping down to their level and I wouldn't get to feel justifiably superior.
~Dex