Welcome to world as defined by humans.
Your questions have been perplexing folks since forever -
Kinda ironic that one of the ways people tried to grasp the concept was to create religions, isn’t it?
Mark Twain said something about how, if everyone woke up tomorrow being of the same color, religion, language, etc., by noon, they would come up with a new reason for hating each other.
Find/make your peace however/wherever you can.
will shut up now, before reciting the glurge known as Desiderata
This is excellent advice.
There is no greater frustration than attempting to live and analyze the lives of others on their behalf. A woman who will not let go of her obsession with the morality of others will find herself in a state of permanent distraction. Release judgment. Find the peace in your own soul. Do not be distracted if some man on a message board likes Nazis. You cannot know him nor why he likes what he likes. Know yourself. Be love. And love him. You will find peace no other way.
I didn’t make the original post, but …
From The Books of Bokonon::
It’s from Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Guinastasia, I’ll be honest. The reason I don’t go out to those boards is because I’m afraid of facing people who will hate me, and I’ve encountered enough hate in this life. I’m female, outspoken, and about as independent as you can get. As I alluded to in a recent Pit thread, I’ve seen too many so-called Christians be cruel to people simply because they’re different. No disrespect meant, but some of the nastiest kids in my school were members in good standing of the local Catholic church, CCD classes and all. I run with heathens and pagans (Hi Happy!) because I find them more open-minded than far too many Christians I’ve known.
I think what’s behind their way of thinking is a need to prove, to believe that their way of life is the right way, despite what they think the media and pop culture tell them. I have a couple of friends who are former Fundamentalists (Charismatic Catholics at one point, if you can believe it) who told me that people in their church sincerely believed they were oppressed and persecuted. For that matter, looking at some of the drek I see on television, I can see why. The world has changed radically in the past 30 years, and, around here, the manufacturing jobs which provided well for my peers parents and grandparents are going away. People need something to cling to.
Also, on this Board, we have a lot of free thinkers. In fact, I’d argue we tend to drive away people who don’t think for themselves. There are, however, a fair number of people who aren’t comfortable thinking for themselves and who just want someone to tell them what to do. I once worked with a young woman who wondered if it was a sin to listen to country music rather than a Christian radio station while driving to work. The idea of questioning what she’d been told, of drawing her own conclusions would have surprised her. Also, I’m afraid, she may not have been capable of it. Faith completely defined her world. Questioning it, even in the interest of seeking out greater knowledge, would have been seen as a threat to all she believed was right and good. To the likes of me, questioning is a good beginning.
As for social justice, I think there’s a little bit of “I’ve worked hard for all I have; why won’t you?” This is just my opinion, but it’s an attitude I’m afraid I find surfacing in myself now and then. There is still in America, a good Calvinist streak of “God helps those who help themselves” and material success equals blessedness – just look at those who follow the prayer of Jabez, for openers.
CJ
I agree-it’s almost like, anymore, I’m wary of people who call themselves religious. And that’s NOT a good thing.
I think the problem is-the nuts are the ones we always see.
A kind and gentle person, living a modest life, and giving support to his community, and love to his neighbors just doesn’t provide much in the way of TV News coverage, does it?
Tris
Actually, there is one line I’ve always wanted to try on men who rant and rave about how all women should be married and at home rather than being out in the workforce taking jobs from good, Christian men. Guinastasia, if an appropriate occaision arises, please feel free to use it; just let me know what happens.
CJ
What’s she supposed to do if he says yes?
shudder
Run screaming?
Seriously, I mean I think one parent needs to be home for the kids-but the idea that any woman working outside the house is against God, merely because of some obscure passage-that’s pretty out there. I mean, women have ALWAYS worked outside the home-going back centuries, you had your tavern wenches, women who worked on farms, as maids, etc.
Sheesh.
I love those tavern wenches!
[Jimmy Buffett]
Barmaid bring a pitcher
Another round of brew …
[/Buffett]
I could not resist.Could the description of a noble wife in following quote from Proverbs 31 in the bible reflect the busy modern working wife and mother?
—The problem is, like I said-they end up worshipping the Bible itself-not the God behind it.—
That’s the problem though: which proper idea of God “behind it”? Surely you do not think that this is a settled question.
I like Spong, but I think his arguments along these lines are excessively dismissive of the wide range of legitimate difference in what the Christian “god” is and wants. It’s important not to gain false sense of harmony in this way, because it essentially just tacitly assumes the correctness of your own particular position, while brushing off the convictions of others as mere prejeduces-looking-for-support. No doubt this happens sometimes, but sometimes the converse is true as well.