Ever so innocently I replied to a mass email from someone I barely know which praised the McCain-Palin ticket (mostly Palin) and I have to admit that coming so close with to this far right Christian collective shocked me. Sure, hypothetically, I understand these people are 'out there' I just never imagined that anyone I know knows them--or is related to them for that matter. Then again, I just learned that out of America's 300M population, about 75% are Christians. It's the largest religious group in this country and has grown at a rate of about 5% every five years.What got under my skin, were the extreme comments such as 'Christians built this country' (i beg to differ, all the immigrants & enslaved did the actual building) as well as the strong pro-life sentiment. I wish we would let them have their way and drop off all the unwanted and uncared for children at their doorsteps. Let's see how they like the world they've created. It can be counted as extra-credit within their creationism curriculum.
Don't get me wrong, I have respect for all religious groups to practice as they wish privately but when the fate of this nation (and mine) hangs in the whim of extremists in any robe, it eats away at my sense of freedom and joy. For how can a diverse community thrive with anything other than impartial justice?
This obssession with our political process and the sometimes closed-minded inhabitants of this nation, make me want to go make out with someone for a while just to forget my troubles. What is it about a good kiss that has such transformative power.
True freedom is: asking for a kiss when you want one.
4 comments:
Hey, I found your blog on Annika's blog and I was immediately attracted to the title of your latest post "Cynical Hopefuls". I can relate :-). Anyway, here's my comment:
As a Christian, I find the extremist's so called "Christian" behavior disturbing and offensive. They took a religion founded on peace, love, and compassion and hijacked it. They should think twice before criticizing "Muslim" extremists who basically did the same thing to Islam - hijacked a peaceful religion to further their own extremely disturbing cause. I also totally agree with your approach to caring for all those unwanted children. Amen! Anywho, I just thought I'd give you some hope that not all of those ~2.25M Christians are crazy extremists.
Lol, I meant 225M, not 2.25M. It's been a long day :-P. I'm an engineer (aka a math nerd), so I am thoroughly embarrassed!
Thanks 'rap' for speaking up on the Christian issue. It's good to know that not all Christians are fundamental to the point of being detrimental.
What angers me the most about extremism is that it completely undermines the vision of a democratic state such as is our country. TExtremists feel that they somehow 'own' this land and everyone should believe what they believe down to the last detail when the truth is that right now there is a multitude of cultures, influences, and systems of belief that make this country work and they need to respect those differing opinions. Anyone can do what they want in the privacy of their homes and communities but it's a different matter to legalize or illegalize certain personal rights. Never mind that we are moving into a GLOBAL existence where we need to work with other nations in a more intimate way than ever so this fundamental 'greater than thou' attitude has no plance in moving us forward.
And maybe that's what it's really about, the fear of change and moving beyond what one knows, when all one knows is the one doctrine.
I've read that the sign of true wisdom is the ability to accept two opposite realities and still being able to function. My favorite example is understanding that as human beings we are both very significant as well as entirely inconsequential on the grand scheme of things. I am fine accepting both because it's all about perspective. A Robin may be huge and terrifying to a fly, and yet to us it is just a bird. This is true of all things.
"Extremists feel that they somehow 'own' this land and everyone should believe what they believe down to the last detail when the truth is that right now there is a multitude of cultures, influences, and systems of belief that make this country work and they need to respect those differing opinions." - YES, YES, and YES!!!! Oh, how I love diversity! Hence, why I love NYC!
People who try to control the beliefs of others are themselves weak minded. They are not people of true faith; they are weak people living in fear and blindly following a "set of rules" (which they all too often thoroughly misunderstand). Can you truly have faith in anything if you do not challenge your beliefs? They are often afraid of change and new information because they are afraid it will weaken their beliefs. In other words, their faith is not as strong as they would like us to believe. When you challenge your faith by educating yourself and experiencing life, you can make an informed decision as to what you believe to be true in your heart. Faith that has been tested is much stronger than untested faith.
Extremists don't decide for themselves what feels right in their hearts, they don't test their faith. They are told by others what they must believe - simply put, they are brainwashed. Beliefs based on brainwashing (beliefs that are not one's own) don't provide a strong foundation for one's life, but rather a very weak easily destructible one. Hence, why extremists are so scared of being exposed to (and God forbid influenced by :-P)those who choose to live differently.
Faith is not about blindly following a set of rules. Anyone who believes this is missing the point entirely. It's about discovering for yourself what feels right in your heart. When you are confident in what you believe, you are not concerned with controlling the beliefs of others.
Post a Comment