This Week's Stupidities - Week 17
It is time for a second entry of this weeks most disturbing or just plain stupid events reported in the media.
Iranian women are getting warnings and being arrested these days for wearing clothing that doesn't adhere to Islamic dress rules. The reason given is that a man who sees these models on the streets will pay no attention to his wife at home, destroying the foundation of the family.
Iran warns women over slack dressing
Then again, Amnesty recently did as survey which found that half of Norwegian men think that if a woman flirts or dresses sexily that she can be blamed for being assaulted or raped. Seems like half of Norwegian men haven't evolved a whole lot more than their Iranian counterpart.
Women to blame
Oh and remember to pick your reading material carefully before you go out flying! Seems like security personell isn't able to think clearly at least in the case of Neil Godfrey at the Philadelphia airport which was stopped with a novel which had a picture of a bomb on the cover. He was refused entrance to the flight. After going home, booking a new ticket, and replacing his reading material with what he thought was safe, he was stopped again and his Harry Potter book was carefully examined. He was then again refused entry.
Novel Security Measures.
Skimpy hejab
While one can have many comments on the Iranian dress code, I'll simply just point out the phrase skimpy hejab (1). I've heard all about skimpy dresses and so on, but skimpy hejabs are new to me. Are they low cut like a blouse, high cut like a skirt or simply just loosely fitted?
(1) Or if it should be hijab? Perhaps that is a difference between transcribing Arabian and Persian.
Out of Control
I'm starting to think that your anti-religious posts are getting out of control.
I've been there. My religious upbringing has caused serious unhappiness in my life. When I broke away from it, my whole family was forced to disown me. When all of this happened, I spent a lot of time venting my anger, and insulting religious people.
But eventually, you realize that atheism can become a religion too.
You're insisting that everyone should have your values, otherwise they are unevolved. Then you'll defend your values as being "right" because they show up in a document such as the UN's Declaration of Human Rights. Can't you see that if you had been raised in a different place, you would see things a different way?
Maybe you see wearing a mini-skirt as a basic human right, but then do you think it's OK to be topless in public? How about nude? I'd be surprised if you did. Can't you see how arbitrary this is? Leg = good, breast = bad?
(To me it's all good!)
Live and Learn
You have a very good point! Everything can turn into a religion on its own and this is something I often state and try to avoid (even though I am not always successful). There are many things that can replace religon such as politics and it is important to always try to keep an open mind and not get brainwashed. It is however not always that easy. You live and you learn.
I actually don't call myself an atheist because I don't like to be put in another group. I state my religion as being "None" as I don't see the reason to put me in a group.
As for mini skirts and nuditity. Yes, I see your point, where do you draw the line? I have no good answers really. I does always make me uncomfortable to see people topless at the beach, but I guess the question is does it really hurt me? Nah, not really so why not just leave it up to people to decide?
I definately think there are many things that I can learn but until someone can give me a good reason why men and women should not be equal and a good reason why for example gay people can be discriminated against I will critisize people that discriminate against them. I understand that many places have a different background than I have but that doesn't make them exempt from being critisized. If nobody ever points out that you are wrong, you will never correct your behavior because you don't know you are wrong.
I try to apply the same to me. If I believe something and is challenged on it with good reason, I do try to apply the new knowledge and sometime even change my mind. Again you live and you learn.
I have tried to only critisize sub-issues of religion and not religion as a whole because I believe the rest that in no way harms other people is none of my business. It took me few discussions and thinking sessions to come to that conclusion.
In this article I am critisizing men in general for not respecting women. Maybe saying that they are unevolved is inappropriate but I will still stick to my belief that men and women should be equal and respected equally and that everyone that believes otherwise is wrong. I will keep saying so until someone gives me a good reason why it shouldn't be like that. Period:).
It is really sad to hear that your family was forced to disown you for giving up religion. I guess I can be grateful for living in a society where almost nobody judges you for giving up religon. I hope you managed to make peace with your family eventually!