Whedon on Women
One of my favorite television visionaries is Joss Whedon. He’s a brilliant director and a thoughtful guy. Normally, he’s a barrel of wacky laughs, but right now he’s got something powerful and important to say about women, how they're treated and how they allow themselves to be treated. If you have a moment, read this short essay he wrote. I’d be
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It is symptomatic but not of religion, I don't think. People are hateful and selfish the world over regardless of profession or athiesm. Religion is a convenient way to justify what we want. That is, of course, NOT AT ALL WHAT IT IS MEANT FOR. [I'm not yelling at you, R, but at the concept.] It is so easy to focus on the cruelties and manipulations that human beings do, specifically under the guise of religion, that we completely ignore the empowerment and love. Yes, I said love. That's the point after all.
But the "popular conception" as you say has little to do with the core of faith. The original feelings, words, actions, thoughts, etc are still there. They're strong as ever--we just don't want to see them because it's easier to complain. We take the easy road rather than the right road, to paraphrase many wiser souls than I.
My point is, it's possible to live in community; it's possible to have relationships centered on mutuality, respect, and care; it's possible to not demonize the other, no matter if the other is female, gay, gamer, Republican, or whatever. We just have to get off our asses and do it.
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It's rare that someone kills a gay person and says "They simply weren't contributing to the genepool and were using the resources of our planet in a constructive manner" or "This woman went out and had lots of sex -- and while I respect her decision to do so she knowingly contracted an STD and maliciously attempted to spread it to her partners."
It's more along the lines of what Whedon's said about Dua Khalil -- "she converted to another religion". "God hates fags" is another one that we see in America a lot.
I'm not saying that religion doesn't serve a useful and powerful purpose. I, personally, wager than that purpose is more of a comfort and less of a "truth" -- but I know I'm not going to sway you on that topic. *smirk*
So many religions lay out reasons to kill, maim, harm, and torture followers of other faiths or specific members of their own faith. Many of the progressive members of most of those religions say that those are the old ways and shouldn't be followed -- but those that follow the books as they are written feel they do no wrong in following the teachings of those holy books.
Because of that I call religion the symptom and not human nature. I strongly believe if you were to remove this "reason" from the world there would be much less killing and violence. Especially the personal and vicious kind that Dua Khalil suffered.
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