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A tale of asbestos underpants.
Saturday, 1 December 2007 14:02So now, weekend. And for the first time in a month, I am not under the strain and equal joy that is NaNoWriMo. With it done, I can take it a bit easier as my RE4 novelization nears its end. Soon I will focus on the upcoming character battle contest, but for now, I have the apartment to myself, and I can enlighten you with some inner workings of my head. For those with weak constitutions, you may want to turn back around.
Thanksgiving weekend, I'd gone to Cape Cod to spend it with my family. They got to see the shiny ring I got April, and she was dragged around by said ring. My family is doing well for the moment--I got to finally see my stepbrother's son, Dakota (Rob says he did, but I strongly think he had no say in naming choice); and my aunt's daughter, Natalie. While Rob and Tanya created an accident (due to the couple's mutual hatred of condoms and the laziness to bother with other sorts of contraceptives), my aunt Janna, who's single, wanted a child by way of in vitro fertilization, or as my sister put it: "a tall skinny guy...named Invitro." Regardless, both babies are oodles of cute, and were quiet, which impressed the hell out of me. At least now with two new babies in the family, my mom will take the pressure off April and myself to crank out bundles of joy. In the meantime, I still find it weird and alien at the rate in which my sister's growing up. However, just from my interactions with her these last several trips, she's starting to become someone I don't know. It was only a few years ago when she was the mirror image of myself, shared many of the same interests, and loved being around her older brother. Now, she has become the type of 17-year old I used to avoid like the plague back in high school--the trendy, fashionable, stereotypical teen girl. A cell phone is glued to her ear. She's got her license and her own car now. She's following the crowd, which annoys me to no end. She used to be her own person. Last year for Christmas, she asked me to get her some of the ugliest things in human creation: those fur-lined Ugg boots. Just a year later, she abhors them. She tries to get name-brand stuff, walks around with Vera Bradley handbags, and she's becoming lost in mainstream society. She wants to go to college, and I wish her luck. However, I know my family's financial situation pretty well, and unless she gets a generous benefactor to help her, she's going to come to the same realization that I had, the realization that every penny for college is going to come out of her pocket. The introduction to the real world is always the hardest, especially when you're trying to get money in every which way possible, especially when those who can help won't because of asinine corporate rules and regulations. What will be her outlook then? That's a bridge and a tale for another time.
On Black Friday, I didn't go out to the malls or to Wal-Mart in fear for my life. The holiday shopping season is in full swing now, and so has the season of complaints from people who get offended when someone wishes you a Merry Christmas, but you're Jewish; or you're Christian and you can't find an outdoor Nativity set anywhere because no stores carry it because it will offend the non-Christians. Whatever happened to the love, cheer, and good feelings that used to be so prevalent around this time of year? We've become so politically correct in this society that anyone will become offended by anyone. Christmas trees are being called "holiday" trees. For the record, no one OWNS the entire month of December. There are other holidays besides Christmas that fall in that month as well: Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, all over the planet. We do silly things in the name of religion; stupid, crazy, inhuman things in the name of religion.
Take the current issue in the news about that poor British teacher in Sudan who was arrested and jailed FOR NAMING A TEDDY BEAR MUHAMMED. She taught an English class in Sudan, and her students were overwhelmingly Muslim. They were going to talk about bears, and so the teacher asked the students what they wanted to name the bear. A majority picked Muhammed. You'd think that it was easy, simple, non-intrusive. After all, not only is Muhammed the name of the Prophet, but it is by and large the most common name in the Muslim world. It's just as common as John Smith, or Brian Williams. However, look at the insanity that this has caused! Something that was a class activity, the simple NAMING OF A STUFFED, INANIMATE TEDDY BEAR as chosen by HER OWN MUSLIM STUDENTS has caused such an outrage in Sudan that the people want her dead, blinded by their own religious beliefs, absolutely refusing to see any other points of view. The crusades and rampages that the fundamentalist, radical Muslims are doing today are no different than the Crusades done by the Christians centuries ago, or the Inquisition, when they tried to expunge the world of any other differences of religious views than their own. And the Crusaders lost. Every time. What the Pope is doing now by dividing the Christians further by essentially saying that anyone not Catholic is not of the Church. Translation: Protestants, and every sect therein--you're fucked. There is no religious tolerance anywhere. No one can have a difference of opinion without being blasted for it. Hell, the fight between the Israelis and Palestinians have been going on for decades now--I don't think even they know what they're fighting for anymore. More people have died in the name of religion than anything else on this planet. People are so blinded by their own religions that they take every differing opinion as an attack or insult, even though that the differing opinion is in by no way insulting.
If I don't believe in your Christian or Jewish God, or your Allah; if I don't worship in the exact and proper ways as you do, take the Bible word for word, live a life of complete guilt every time I do something that pleases me and brings me enjoyment; if I believe that God is not really the angry man that will strike me down if I don't go to church every Sunday, or smite me if I have premarital sex or show any physical display of lust and hormones; if I believe that gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry because they are happy together and in love; if I believe that God is really a nice, caring man--that really, He wants me to just be a good person to everyone I come in contact with, to be kind and enjoy life and do things that will make me and others happy, and that really, He also can be a practical joker...then you will shoot me, verbally abuse me, potentially physically hurt me just because my opinions and beliefs of God are different than yours. Look at what has happened in the name of organized religion. Look what happens when you try to ram your beliefs down others' throats. Bloodshed. War. Disaster. Anger. Disease. Resent. Anguish. And this is why I believe that organized religion is the absolute stupidest thing on the planet. Elton John once said that religion turns people into lemmings. How right he is.
Now, it is completely different to be a spiritual person, a person of faith. Persons like these, while they have their beliefs and worship God or Allah or whoever in the way they do, they are also open-minded, open and accepting of people who have other interpretations and other opinions. These people believe in a higher power, but they are not blinded by it. I believe in God, but perhaps not in the same way you do. And that's OK. If you go to church on Sundays, or pray toward Mecca several times a day, or not eat pork, then so be it. You worship your god in your way, I'll do so in mine. And we'll talk about it and share our opinions. I'm not going to slice your head off because you think differently. I'm not going to shoot you because you name a teddy bear Jesus, and you're not going to hang me because I think Morgan Freeman is probably, to me, the best representation of God. Wiccans and pagans are of many views, believing in gods and goddesses, but at the same time, are accepting of those people who believe and/or worship something different. Several of my friends are rather Christian, practicing, devout, and good, honest people. You know who you are. If they weren't willing to accept, would they be going to school in New Paltz, where being a heterosexual couple is in the minority? I think not. They aren't blinded by their faiths, otherwise they wouldn't be coming to the holiday party in a week. And they sure wouldn't be friends with me or my fiance. I know many Jews and pagans who are just everyday people, accepting the world around them. I studied with Jehovah's Witnesses for 5 years, and in that time, I made some great friends, some of the nicest people on the planet. I still keep in contact with a few. But I could never be baptized into it. I didn't want to. I didn't agree with some of their beliefs. And that was OK. We still studied, we read the Bible, and talked peacefully about God. There was no repercussions because I wouldn't get baptized as a Witness.
Why the hell can't people be more open?
How the world would be a better place if we all just took the stick out our asses and learned to accept each other for who we are, rather than killing people over naming teddy bears, rather than forcing people to live in fear for their lives because they don't think exactly as you do, rather than crying out and complaining because the word "Christmas" offends your Jewish beliefs.
Do what makes you happy. Worship and believe in whoever or whatever you think is right. I'll still be friends with you and I hope you treat me in the same kind way.
Because, really, who the hell are we to interfere with the personal lives and happiness of others?
Thanksgiving weekend, I'd gone to Cape Cod to spend it with my family. They got to see the shiny ring I got April, and she was dragged around by said ring. My family is doing well for the moment--I got to finally see my stepbrother's son, Dakota (Rob says he did, but I strongly think he had no say in naming choice); and my aunt's daughter, Natalie. While Rob and Tanya created an accident (due to the couple's mutual hatred of condoms and the laziness to bother with other sorts of contraceptives), my aunt Janna, who's single, wanted a child by way of in vitro fertilization, or as my sister put it: "a tall skinny guy...named Invitro." Regardless, both babies are oodles of cute, and were quiet, which impressed the hell out of me. At least now with two new babies in the family, my mom will take the pressure off April and myself to crank out bundles of joy. In the meantime, I still find it weird and alien at the rate in which my sister's growing up. However, just from my interactions with her these last several trips, she's starting to become someone I don't know. It was only a few years ago when she was the mirror image of myself, shared many of the same interests, and loved being around her older brother. Now, she has become the type of 17-year old I used to avoid like the plague back in high school--the trendy, fashionable, stereotypical teen girl. A cell phone is glued to her ear. She's got her license and her own car now. She's following the crowd, which annoys me to no end. She used to be her own person. Last year for Christmas, she asked me to get her some of the ugliest things in human creation: those fur-lined Ugg boots. Just a year later, she abhors them. She tries to get name-brand stuff, walks around with Vera Bradley handbags, and she's becoming lost in mainstream society. She wants to go to college, and I wish her luck. However, I know my family's financial situation pretty well, and unless she gets a generous benefactor to help her, she's going to come to the same realization that I had, the realization that every penny for college is going to come out of her pocket. The introduction to the real world is always the hardest, especially when you're trying to get money in every which way possible, especially when those who can help won't because of asinine corporate rules and regulations. What will be her outlook then? That's a bridge and a tale for another time.
On Black Friday, I didn't go out to the malls or to Wal-Mart in fear for my life. The holiday shopping season is in full swing now, and so has the season of complaints from people who get offended when someone wishes you a Merry Christmas, but you're Jewish; or you're Christian and you can't find an outdoor Nativity set anywhere because no stores carry it because it will offend the non-Christians. Whatever happened to the love, cheer, and good feelings that used to be so prevalent around this time of year? We've become so politically correct in this society that anyone will become offended by anyone. Christmas trees are being called "holiday" trees. For the record, no one OWNS the entire month of December. There are other holidays besides Christmas that fall in that month as well: Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, all over the planet. We do silly things in the name of religion; stupid, crazy, inhuman things in the name of religion.
Take the current issue in the news about that poor British teacher in Sudan who was arrested and jailed FOR NAMING A TEDDY BEAR MUHAMMED. She taught an English class in Sudan, and her students were overwhelmingly Muslim. They were going to talk about bears, and so the teacher asked the students what they wanted to name the bear. A majority picked Muhammed. You'd think that it was easy, simple, non-intrusive. After all, not only is Muhammed the name of the Prophet, but it is by and large the most common name in the Muslim world. It's just as common as John Smith, or Brian Williams. However, look at the insanity that this has caused! Something that was a class activity, the simple NAMING OF A STUFFED, INANIMATE TEDDY BEAR as chosen by HER OWN MUSLIM STUDENTS has caused such an outrage in Sudan that the people want her dead, blinded by their own religious beliefs, absolutely refusing to see any other points of view. The crusades and rampages that the fundamentalist, radical Muslims are doing today are no different than the Crusades done by the Christians centuries ago, or the Inquisition, when they tried to expunge the world of any other differences of religious views than their own. And the Crusaders lost. Every time. What the Pope is doing now by dividing the Christians further by essentially saying that anyone not Catholic is not of the Church. Translation: Protestants, and every sect therein--you're fucked. There is no religious tolerance anywhere. No one can have a difference of opinion without being blasted for it. Hell, the fight between the Israelis and Palestinians have been going on for decades now--I don't think even they know what they're fighting for anymore. More people have died in the name of religion than anything else on this planet. People are so blinded by their own religions that they take every differing opinion as an attack or insult, even though that the differing opinion is in by no way insulting.
If I don't believe in your Christian or Jewish God, or your Allah; if I don't worship in the exact and proper ways as you do, take the Bible word for word, live a life of complete guilt every time I do something that pleases me and brings me enjoyment; if I believe that God is not really the angry man that will strike me down if I don't go to church every Sunday, or smite me if I have premarital sex or show any physical display of lust and hormones; if I believe that gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry because they are happy together and in love; if I believe that God is really a nice, caring man--that really, He wants me to just be a good person to everyone I come in contact with, to be kind and enjoy life and do things that will make me and others happy, and that really, He also can be a practical joker...then you will shoot me, verbally abuse me, potentially physically hurt me just because my opinions and beliefs of God are different than yours. Look at what has happened in the name of organized religion. Look what happens when you try to ram your beliefs down others' throats. Bloodshed. War. Disaster. Anger. Disease. Resent. Anguish. And this is why I believe that organized religion is the absolute stupidest thing on the planet. Elton John once said that religion turns people into lemmings. How right he is.
Now, it is completely different to be a spiritual person, a person of faith. Persons like these, while they have their beliefs and worship God or Allah or whoever in the way they do, they are also open-minded, open and accepting of people who have other interpretations and other opinions. These people believe in a higher power, but they are not blinded by it. I believe in God, but perhaps not in the same way you do. And that's OK. If you go to church on Sundays, or pray toward Mecca several times a day, or not eat pork, then so be it. You worship your god in your way, I'll do so in mine. And we'll talk about it and share our opinions. I'm not going to slice your head off because you think differently. I'm not going to shoot you because you name a teddy bear Jesus, and you're not going to hang me because I think Morgan Freeman is probably, to me, the best representation of God. Wiccans and pagans are of many views, believing in gods and goddesses, but at the same time, are accepting of those people who believe and/or worship something different. Several of my friends are rather Christian, practicing, devout, and good, honest people. You know who you are. If they weren't willing to accept, would they be going to school in New Paltz, where being a heterosexual couple is in the minority? I think not. They aren't blinded by their faiths, otherwise they wouldn't be coming to the holiday party in a week. And they sure wouldn't be friends with me or my fiance. I know many Jews and pagans who are just everyday people, accepting the world around them. I studied with Jehovah's Witnesses for 5 years, and in that time, I made some great friends, some of the nicest people on the planet. I still keep in contact with a few. But I could never be baptized into it. I didn't want to. I didn't agree with some of their beliefs. And that was OK. We still studied, we read the Bible, and talked peacefully about God. There was no repercussions because I wouldn't get baptized as a Witness.
Why the hell can't people be more open?
How the world would be a better place if we all just took the stick out our asses and learned to accept each other for who we are, rather than killing people over naming teddy bears, rather than forcing people to live in fear for their lives because they don't think exactly as you do, rather than crying out and complaining because the word "Christmas" offends your Jewish beliefs.
Do what makes you happy. Worship and believe in whoever or whatever you think is right. I'll still be friends with you and I hope you treat me in the same kind way.
Because, really, who the hell are we to interfere with the personal lives and happiness of others?
