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thejunipertreeIt never ceases to amuse me that when people don't agree with another's religion, they immediately go the "that's a pile of make believe shit" route. How very incredibly ignorant and single minded.
Despite the fact that there are myriad religions out there that I don't necessarily fancy, I would never presume to tell someone that what they believe in is a bunch of made up crap. Even if it is, in fact, something that was made up in this century or something that I think is rather silly. You want to worship a head of cabbage? Go ahead, have a ball. Just don't tell me that I need to do the same or else I'll spend the rest of eternity burning in a vat of hellfire and coleslaw.
Take Wicca, for instance. I disagree with the majority of the religion. I think most of the people drawn to it tend to be social misfits, usually with no clue about anything. They seem to be the disenfranchised, the abused, the fat-kid-picked-on-at-recess, the one who had the Bible shoved down their throat all their life. Who am I to tell them that the religion they found and are now embracing is a pile of hooey? It works for them, it would appear. It makes them happy. It gives them a sense of peace and a feeling of self-worth. I may think it's fluffy, but I wouldn't ever tell them that they're ridiculous simply because they're going down a path that I choose not to. I'd tell them they're being ridiculous if they're, well, being ridiculous. I know a few Wiccans, some of whom are my friends. The ones I've chosen to be my friends are more of the down to earth type, but that's just due to the fact that I don't wish to surround myself with tree-hugging hippies blinking faerie dust from their eyes.
Also as an example, Christianity. I ride the fence with a lot of the points of this religion. It seems to work better (for some people) more as a theory, rather then in proper execution. I disagree with a lot of it, but there are still some very valid facets to it. Most people seem to follow it because it's just what they know. It's what their parents practiced and their parents' parents and so on. They were raised in it, so they're going to stay in it. It gets a bad rap, but mostly because of what its followers seem to do in its name. I know a fucktonne of Christians who are rocking people, though. And we have the best debates about religion and ethics. Especially when I decide to play Devil's Advocate, which is most of the time.
At their cores, both Wicca and Christianity seem like rather nice religions. They're just not for me and therefore, I don't practice them.
My own religion may seem very bizarre to the common person. Usually the only things they've ever heard about it are outright lies from sensationalistic movies and Geraldo Rivera specials. This doesn't really bother me, as the mainstream does tend to be very ignorant of anything that doesn't fall into their little pre-described bubble of living. What bothers me is when someone automatically writes it off as mumbo-jumbo or the blackest evil, especially when they know next to NOTHING about what they're talking about.
If one is going to attempt to insult me, it would be nice if they did a little research first. And perhaps even opened their mind the tiniest amount, in an effort to truly know what they're going up against. I've come up against this from all manner of people, from neo-Pagans to ultra-Christians. It really saddens me when the pagans dish it out, since you'd think they'd be a bit more open minded about different religions due to their own following of a rather beyond the norm belief system.
When I enter into a debate, I usually attempt to arm myself first by finding out what it is exactly I'm going to be arguing about. Maybe that's just me, though.
I shouldn't really be surprised, though. Humans, and I speak of this from the highest authority as I am quite human, don't tend to speak from their mind. They speak from their gut, from the lizard brain. It's weird! Step on it and kill it! It's quite scary, really. And it's even scarier when you come across the ones who masquerade as intelligent beings, only to see their true faces when the lights come on. That's not only scary, it's disheartening because here's some random person that one had previously thought was mighty keen, only to suddenly find out that there's a bigoted robot living under their skin that parrots all sorts of annoying and discriminatory adages. Rather distressing, especially when one wishes to surround themselves with free thinking types of people.
What it really comes down is this: I'll only call someone stupid if they're behaving like an idiot, which, unfortunately, I'm seeing quite a lot of these days. If their beliefs don't match up with mine, that's peachy creamy. Personally, I'd prefer that their beliefs DON'T exactly match my own as that can get kind of boring after a bit. And if we are ever to get into a belief gunfight, I'd really rather that they show up with what amounts to a research handcannon, instead of a pathetic cap pistol that only pops out flags with Jack Chick flyers printed on their weakly flapping surface.
I want KA-BLAAAM!!
Not pfffffffft...
Despite the fact that there are myriad religions out there that I don't necessarily fancy, I would never presume to tell someone that what they believe in is a bunch of made up crap. Even if it is, in fact, something that was made up in this century or something that I think is rather silly. You want to worship a head of cabbage? Go ahead, have a ball. Just don't tell me that I need to do the same or else I'll spend the rest of eternity burning in a vat of hellfire and coleslaw.
Take Wicca, for instance. I disagree with the majority of the religion. I think most of the people drawn to it tend to be social misfits, usually with no clue about anything. They seem to be the disenfranchised, the abused, the fat-kid-picked-on-at-recess, the one who had the Bible shoved down their throat all their life. Who am I to tell them that the religion they found and are now embracing is a pile of hooey? It works for them, it would appear. It makes them happy. It gives them a sense of peace and a feeling of self-worth. I may think it's fluffy, but I wouldn't ever tell them that they're ridiculous simply because they're going down a path that I choose not to. I'd tell them they're being ridiculous if they're, well, being ridiculous. I know a few Wiccans, some of whom are my friends. The ones I've chosen to be my friends are more of the down to earth type, but that's just due to the fact that I don't wish to surround myself with tree-hugging hippies blinking faerie dust from their eyes.
Also as an example, Christianity. I ride the fence with a lot of the points of this religion. It seems to work better (for some people) more as a theory, rather then in proper execution. I disagree with a lot of it, but there are still some very valid facets to it. Most people seem to follow it because it's just what they know. It's what their parents practiced and their parents' parents and so on. They were raised in it, so they're going to stay in it. It gets a bad rap, but mostly because of what its followers seem to do in its name. I know a fucktonne of Christians who are rocking people, though. And we have the best debates about religion and ethics. Especially when I decide to play Devil's Advocate, which is most of the time.
At their cores, both Wicca and Christianity seem like rather nice religions. They're just not for me and therefore, I don't practice them.
My own religion may seem very bizarre to the common person. Usually the only things they've ever heard about it are outright lies from sensationalistic movies and Geraldo Rivera specials. This doesn't really bother me, as the mainstream does tend to be very ignorant of anything that doesn't fall into their little pre-described bubble of living. What bothers me is when someone automatically writes it off as mumbo-jumbo or the blackest evil, especially when they know next to NOTHING about what they're talking about.
If one is going to attempt to insult me, it would be nice if they did a little research first. And perhaps even opened their mind the tiniest amount, in an effort to truly know what they're going up against. I've come up against this from all manner of people, from neo-Pagans to ultra-Christians. It really saddens me when the pagans dish it out, since you'd think they'd be a bit more open minded about different religions due to their own following of a rather beyond the norm belief system.
When I enter into a debate, I usually attempt to arm myself first by finding out what it is exactly I'm going to be arguing about. Maybe that's just me, though.
I shouldn't really be surprised, though. Humans, and I speak of this from the highest authority as I am quite human, don't tend to speak from their mind. They speak from their gut, from the lizard brain. It's weird! Step on it and kill it! It's quite scary, really. And it's even scarier when you come across the ones who masquerade as intelligent beings, only to see their true faces when the lights come on. That's not only scary, it's disheartening because here's some random person that one had previously thought was mighty keen, only to suddenly find out that there's a bigoted robot living under their skin that parrots all sorts of annoying and discriminatory adages. Rather distressing, especially when one wishes to surround themselves with free thinking types of people.
What it really comes down is this: I'll only call someone stupid if they're behaving like an idiot, which, unfortunately, I'm seeing quite a lot of these days. If their beliefs don't match up with mine, that's peachy creamy. Personally, I'd prefer that their beliefs DON'T exactly match my own as that can get kind of boring after a bit. And if we are ever to get into a belief gunfight, I'd really rather that they show up with what amounts to a research handcannon, instead of a pathetic cap pistol that only pops out flags with Jack Chick flyers printed on their weakly flapping surface.
I want KA-BLAAAM!!
Not pfffffffft...
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-16 02:06 am (UTC)There are so many things that people just need to chill out over. Have an opinion, but let the individual make their own choices.
Thank you for your wisdom :D
(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-16 05:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-16 05:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-16 06:24 am (UTC)Not pfffffffft..."
This is exactly why I always find myself arguing against atheists in religious debates. I have zero in common with someone who decides a religion's wrong without ever knowing step one about it, other than perhaps knowing the name of one or two televangelists and the ability to shout "But the Crusades!!" every half hour.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-16 10:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-16 11:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-16 01:36 pm (UTC)wow out of that whole speach, which was very good, not one "fucking larry" or "amazing larry"...so who set the short hairs on fire today?
Re:
Date: 2004-02-16 01:40 pm (UTC)I would pay SO MUCH MONEY to personally witness that glorious event, I tell you.
so who set the short hairs on fire today?
Do I ever really need an excuse? I mean, c'mon.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-16 01:41 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-16 04:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-17 12:33 pm (UTC)but what religion do you consider yourself?
ok time for old fred to piss every one off!!!
Date: 2004-02-18 03:46 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-18 04:53 am (UTC)Re: ok time for old fred to piss every one off!!!
Date: 2004-02-18 05:29 am (UTC)Is WHAT about finding a spiritual path or power?
Re:
Date: 2004-02-18 05:34 am (UTC)Voodoo, though I'm fairly new in it.
I've only been studying and practicing for about two years now.
Re: ok time for old fred to piss every one off!!!
Date: 2004-02-18 05:35 am (UTC)It's about a spiritual path for me. If it were anything else, I'd be a deluded fool.
Re: ok time for old fred to piss every one off!!!
Date: 2004-02-18 06:13 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-20 12:22 am (UTC)But, that's nothing unusual.