World in Reverse Gear
My feeling that the world is in reverse gear is intensifying every day. After seeing few cartoons causing a major uproar in the world I am becoming more and more aware how we are moving backward. It is scaring me!
Few cases I have picked up or been told about in the last two days.
Higher Ground Academy (kindergarten) in Minnesota has been forced into banning drawings of living creatures. So no more stick figure drawings of the family on the refrigerator?
South Dakota has passed law which bans abortion (also including in the cases of incest and rape).
40% of UK Muslims' want Sharia Law laws.
Added to this is the entire controversy surrounding the cartoons and how we are being pressed into making laws against criticizing or mocking Islam (or religion in general). We have the whole conflict in USA schools where people don't want evolution to be thought but rather something that fits better with the Bible. We have seen the Catholic church go out and lie that condoms have holes and that is why they shouldn't be used to protect against AIDS.
These few cases are obviously just the tip of the iceberg. What I do have a hard time understanding is how can we be this ignorant in a world that is getting increasingly more open and educated? Especially because these cases are all from the supposedly educated Western world. This is not the same as the Malawi widow cleansing practice where the people simply don't know any better since they live in a harsh world with limited opportunities.
More reading...
Here's some more reading do:
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/rootofevil.html
And to see a fragment of the TV series;
http://www.panopticist.com/archives/183.html
I'm not as optimisitic as Dawkins is, he seems to think things will work out over time. I don't expect to see that happening in my lifetime.
Education might not be the answer
Holy shit! That crazy guy in the clip made me want to punch him really bad. This sounded really interesting and I am now *cough* *cough* acquiring those episodes with the help of wonderful Internet. Thanks for pointing me towards that show Rijk! It seems very interesting.
I agree that I don't think these conflicts will be solved anytime soon. Something major needs to happen and I am not sure what that is. I once thought education was the answer (that at least worked for me) but I am increasingly becoming aware that it doesn't seem to work for all.
Thanks for getting me stirred up this morning :)
I just read the article about the school in Minnesota and I am flabbergasted once again by religion and its intolerances. It said statues and other three-dimensional renderings of human beings and animals are forbidden because they might promote idolatry!!!!! What?? Are you that insecure? Seeing the real thing every day killing each other in the name of religion is OK though.
The conservative christians and intelligent design trying to take us back to the stone ages while wanting the benefits of medical science and modern society is another example of the hypocrisy that defines religion these days.
Religion is a PRIVATE DECISION people. Pratice whatever you want. Don't expect the rest of us to participate. Don't be so hyper-sensitive if we don't understand your adherance to a belief that a 5 year old would question. You don't have the right to kill everyone who is different!!!!!
AAAARRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK. I feel better now. Off to work...
John in Louisville
I was upset too
Hello John,
I am sorry I got you upset but I think it is important that we keep paying attention to these kind of things, getting upset, protesting, and at least if we are ever faced with a situation like this try to fight against it. I have the same kind of reaction when I see these things, I get really upset.
You are absolutely right that religion should be private. As long as relgion is used for good, never used to cover up bad acts, or to manipulate others into doing things they don't want to I don't see anything wrong with it. Unfortunately, this never seems to be the case. People always like to force their opinions and views on others as in the case of evolution and the drawings and statues.
Go through life with your brain turned on
Good Saturday morning!
Sorry for the rant yesterday. This subject just spins me up real good. I was raised a catholic in the 1950 and 60's with all the rules and restrictions that came along with it in those days. Even then I chaffed against the 'you are either with us or against us' mentality. In the farming area where my family lived most of the neighbors were baptist. I was not allowed to even enter their church. I was told by the priests and nuns at school that only baptised catholics could ever get into heaven. It distressed me as a child to think that my friends through the bad luck of being born to baptist parents were doomed. Pretty soon I decided that this could not be true. I also recognized priests that made me very uncomfortable. In hindsight I see why. How could an organization that publicly stood for so much condone, hide and enable these pedophiles? How many are still in the hiearchy of the church and unrecognized?
As a result I am pretty much an agnostic now. The recent uptick in religious fundementalism around the globe and the associated acts of senseless violence and complete intolerance only reinforce my stand. Even so I think that there is a lot of good to be gained from religion. I see my Dad and how he gets comfort from weekly attendance at mass and the community of the parish. That is a good thing.
On the other hand examples like the ones you provided make me ill. Every day in the papers and on tv there is some righteously indignant politician trying to associate some cause to their religous slant. Every thing seems to be colored by it these days. I am often asked my religious preference (on hospital paperwork is one example) by people I meet as if it is a litmus test of my worthiness. If I say 'none' I often get nervous looks and a polite 'oh, ok' reply like I just said I like to eat road kill or something equally bizarre.
My friends know my leanings and it is just a subject that we don't discuss much with some of them. I am a republican by registration but I am an independant by voting record. I think everyone should go through life with their brain fully engaged and questioning everything.
There is a good book on the subject if you are interested. 'The end of faith' by Sam Harris. Quite a good read.
Well I need to go. My Dad had open heart surgery a week ago thursday and I need to go and visit. The reason I mention this is that out of habit I want to say 'god please let him be OK'. Then I realize, 'what god?'. Some imaginary guy floating up in the sky somewhere from my youth? I prefer the god from the Kevin Smith movie 'dogma', Alanis Morissette. One of my favorite movies. Check it out sometime for a different take on the whole heaven and hell thing. Matt Damon, Chris Rock, Ben Affleck, George Carlin and the always yummy Selma Hayek.
Good Day Now
John
Yes, being critical is the answer
I really hope that your dad will be OK! God is good in situations like these. You sometimes need a little bit of faith to keep you going. I don't see anything wrong in using religion to give you a little bit of strength to battle the brutal everyday. It is only when you start believing that believing alone makes you saint that is right in all, that the problems start.
I like your attitude that you should question everything! This applies to everything in life not just religion and politics (while those of course are two big important ones). I have never understood how people can just sign up for a political party in their youth and always vote the same thing the rest of their life. I have major problems just finding anything here in Norway that I could vote on for one election since they all have their problems.
It is scary to see how you were scared as a kid that your baptist friends were doomed. And how you were not allowed to go into their church. If there was a true good God I think he would be good to all and not care if people are catholics, baptists, muslims, hindus, shiks etc.
That book looked really interesting. I need to read that! I have never seen Dogma but that has also landed on my "to-watch-list".
I am actually analysing my religious past a little bit now after you explained your experience as a child. It is interesting to see how we grow up and realize that maybe not everything that we grow up with as being right is right. Makes you wonder how you would eventually teach your children about the world and religion. Hmmmm I think I just need to write a blog entry about this:-)
Anyway, again I hope your dad gets well!
Take care
mediumgeek