Today I want to talk about intolerance and ignorance. There is a great deal of it in the world and it comes from people around the world that follow many different religions. From what I have seen the biggest amount of intolerance comes from Christian and Islamic teachings. I am not as familiar with Islam. So for now the discussion will primarily revolve around Christianity.
During the time that I was a Jehovah's Witness, and indeed for several years afterwards, I spent many hours reading and cross-referencing passages in the Bible. I have read it from cover to cover and have a better memory of and understanding of it than most people that I have met and talked to.
There are Christians, a great many of them in fact, who believe that if you are not following the whole Book down to every last letter and detail that you are not a true follower of God and that you are going to end up in a not so pleasant place after you die. Most of those people have no idea what is in their Bible, at least not anymore than whatever their local preacher tells them on Sunday.
If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. -- Deuteronomy 21:18-21
Been to any good stonings lately? What about a woman defending her man?
Deuteronomy 25:11-12.
"If two men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity."
Did you know that wearing a polyester/cotton blend was a sin?
Leviticus 19:19 reads, "You are to keep My statutes.
You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not
sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together."
There are literally dozens more examples just like this. In the interest of conserving both time and space I will just list a few of the other things that the Bible prohibits.
Tattoos, shaving your beard, fortune telling, divorce, and eating bacon are all no-nos. All of these things are in the Bible. Do you know any adult Christian who stones their bad children, wears no clothing made of two different types of fabric, has no tattoos, doesn't shave, has never been divorced and won't eat bacon?
I hate to say it, but from my perspective it seems like the man lovers and the bacon lovers are going to the same place. Sin isn't about personal preference, about what you are comfortable with. According to the Bible sin is about what God is or isn't okay with. You don't get to pick and choose what is or isn't a sin. It is all there in black and white.
Showing posts with label man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label man. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
What would you do?
As part of my desire to make the world a better place I enjoy spending time finding others that are committed to the same things that I am. I love hearing and in some cases seeing their stories. Being able to imagine and sometimes actually see the impact that they have on others is pretty amazing.
Awhile back a friend sent me a link to Upworthy.com which is a website that is full of tons and tons of inspirational videos. I lost a couple of hours today going from video to video, alternatively laughing, crying and simply awed at different points, due to the many different real life stories people shared.
This one video showed how even the most open minded and fair among us still tend to be racially and even sexually prejudiced and biased. There was a young white man next to a bicycle that had been locked to a post. This man was wearing a t-shirt and jeans and wearing his ball cap backwards. He had all these different tools like a saw, and bolt cutters and things of that nature. He was very obviously attempting to cut the lock.
Dozens of people passed him and many asked if the bicycle was his. Every time someone asked he said that it was not. But hardly anybody did anything to discourage him from stealing it. He was cutting the lock off a bike in broad daylight and admitting to the theft and people were just walking on by as if nothing was wrong.
After this example another one was shown where the set up was exactly the same, except for one small detail. This man was black. He was dressed the same and had all the same tools with him. In mere minutes people were swarming around him to keep him from stealing the bicycle. Whereas before with the white man, nobody seemed to care, now nearly every person that saw what was going on wanted to put a stop to it. Several even called the police.
A third example was then shown where this time the potential thief was a young white woman. Did people ignore her criminal actions like they did with the white man? Did they attempt to stop her like they did with the black man? Nope. What happened with her was worst of all. Even when she admitted that the bike was not hers and that she was attempting to steal it, people offered to help her.
So what you say? Its just a video right? Its pretend. Yeah. Only it wasn't. As it turns out, the clip that I was watching is part of a TV show that airs on ABC called What Would You Do? And what they do on that show is get actors to go out on the street in real world settings and do things that are wrong. And then they film the reaction that the public has to these things.
In this case, in all three scenarios the thief was an actor and all the people that came along were not. All the people that interacted with the thief were normal people going about their everyday lives and their reactions to what was happening were real.
Theft isn't just wrong when black people do it. It isn't okay when white men do it or an approved action for women. It is wrong all the time. We all know that. But somehow what we logically know to be right and what we find acceptable based on circumstance seems to vary. You can say that you know how you would react to the situation if you were in it, but until you actually find yourself there you can't know for sure.
I don't know what the intended aim of the show What Would You do? is. There doesn't ever seem to be any affirmative action to follow up the things that happen. They do interview the people after they find out that they were being filmed and ask them what they were thinking while the event was happening. The people from the show never indicate whether they think that people's reactions are right or wrong. But, it could be a very powerful tool for showing people how the way we act and what we believe really aren't the same. See, before we can make any positive meaningful change in our lives we need to, we get to, find the things that don't work, the things that hurt us, that don't serve us. If you aren't aware of a particular bias you can't do anything to change it.
You can say that you believe in racial and gender equality because you want it to be true. But if you don't test it, you don't know if that is really how you feel. Are you more likely to help a young white woman than a white man? Are you more likely to trust a white man than a black man? Do you hold the door open for men and women alike?
This show gives people the opportunity to find out for themselves whether or not what they say they believe matches up with how they act in the real world.
Awhile back a friend sent me a link to Upworthy.com which is a website that is full of tons and tons of inspirational videos. I lost a couple of hours today going from video to video, alternatively laughing, crying and simply awed at different points, due to the many different real life stories people shared.
This one video showed how even the most open minded and fair among us still tend to be racially and even sexually prejudiced and biased. There was a young white man next to a bicycle that had been locked to a post. This man was wearing a t-shirt and jeans and wearing his ball cap backwards. He had all these different tools like a saw, and bolt cutters and things of that nature. He was very obviously attempting to cut the lock.
Dozens of people passed him and many asked if the bicycle was his. Every time someone asked he said that it was not. But hardly anybody did anything to discourage him from stealing it. He was cutting the lock off a bike in broad daylight and admitting to the theft and people were just walking on by as if nothing was wrong.
After this example another one was shown where the set up was exactly the same, except for one small detail. This man was black. He was dressed the same and had all the same tools with him. In mere minutes people were swarming around him to keep him from stealing the bicycle. Whereas before with the white man, nobody seemed to care, now nearly every person that saw what was going on wanted to put a stop to it. Several even called the police.
A third example was then shown where this time the potential thief was a young white woman. Did people ignore her criminal actions like they did with the white man? Did they attempt to stop her like they did with the black man? Nope. What happened with her was worst of all. Even when she admitted that the bike was not hers and that she was attempting to steal it, people offered to help her.
So what you say? Its just a video right? Its pretend. Yeah. Only it wasn't. As it turns out, the clip that I was watching is part of a TV show that airs on ABC called What Would You Do? And what they do on that show is get actors to go out on the street in real world settings and do things that are wrong. And then they film the reaction that the public has to these things.
In this case, in all three scenarios the thief was an actor and all the people that came along were not. All the people that interacted with the thief were normal people going about their everyday lives and their reactions to what was happening were real.
Theft isn't just wrong when black people do it. It isn't okay when white men do it or an approved action for women. It is wrong all the time. We all know that. But somehow what we logically know to be right and what we find acceptable based on circumstance seems to vary. You can say that you know how you would react to the situation if you were in it, but until you actually find yourself there you can't know for sure.
I don't know what the intended aim of the show What Would You do? is. There doesn't ever seem to be any affirmative action to follow up the things that happen. They do interview the people after they find out that they were being filmed and ask them what they were thinking while the event was happening. The people from the show never indicate whether they think that people's reactions are right or wrong. But, it could be a very powerful tool for showing people how the way we act and what we believe really aren't the same. See, before we can make any positive meaningful change in our lives we need to, we get to, find the things that don't work, the things that hurt us, that don't serve us. If you aren't aware of a particular bias you can't do anything to change it.
You can say that you believe in racial and gender equality because you want it to be true. But if you don't test it, you don't know if that is really how you feel. Are you more likely to help a young white woman than a white man? Are you more likely to trust a white man than a black man? Do you hold the door open for men and women alike?
This show gives people the opportunity to find out for themselves whether or not what they say they believe matches up with how they act in the real world.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Terminology
Religion is somewhat of a touchy subject with many people. Though I
thought it might be good to point out where it is that I stand,
especially since I have several posts talking about the personal power
within a person to be a god and another about the universe providing.
Over the course of my life, I have studied many religions and in nearly every one of them there were good ideas and ideals and also things that I felt were lacking. Most religion has an organized structure that tells people what is acceptable and what is not. The parts that explain how to be a good person I agree with and I love many of the stories that embody these morals.
I do believe that there are higher powers than man. For the most part I do not believe that they seek worship. I do my best to be a good person and to improve the lives of others around me. And that will have to be enough.
The main problem that I have with religion in general is, even though it may not be intended, people are taught that they are just victims, that they have no control over their lives. They are taught to forget about the bleakness and sadness of this life and to just soldier on.
And I find that idea horribly repulsive. No matter how awesome the afterlife may be, nobody living remembers it. For the living, this is all there is. So I think that we should do everything we can to enjoy the lives that we have, to make them as awesome as possible.
Does that mean that I think we should chaotically run rampant and trample over the values of those that feel otherwise? No. I think we should still follow the words of a great yet humble man that declared "An ye harm none, do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" . I think that all peoples of all faiths should live together harmoniously and do our best to make the world a better place.
The concept of a single all knowing and somehow decidedly man-shaped being makes sense to a lot of people. To me the concept that the universe itself (all of it together) is a single super conscious being makes sense. By my words and actions, I mean no offense. So when I say universe, you can supplant the word that means single all knowing being to you. It matters not to me if your word is universe, god, prophet,the spirit, flying spaghetti monster, or hyper-intelligent squirrel. The concepts and ideas that make sense to each are their own to decide. And just because a thing does not make sense to me does not prevent it from being perfection to another.
If it is truly belief that shapes what is and we truly believe in our symbol, however we choose to view and accept it, then it is real, even if only for ourselves.
Let not the word I choose to describe that thing prevent you from accepting the message behind what I say. If you can change that one term and suddenly what I say seems acceptable, then my perspective and yours really are the same.
If not then it's time for jihad!!!
Just kidding.
Love, light and peace
till next time.
Over the course of my life, I have studied many religions and in nearly every one of them there were good ideas and ideals and also things that I felt were lacking. Most religion has an organized structure that tells people what is acceptable and what is not. The parts that explain how to be a good person I agree with and I love many of the stories that embody these morals.
I do believe that there are higher powers than man. For the most part I do not believe that they seek worship. I do my best to be a good person and to improve the lives of others around me. And that will have to be enough.
The main problem that I have with religion in general is, even though it may not be intended, people are taught that they are just victims, that they have no control over their lives. They are taught to forget about the bleakness and sadness of this life and to just soldier on.
And I find that idea horribly repulsive. No matter how awesome the afterlife may be, nobody living remembers it. For the living, this is all there is. So I think that we should do everything we can to enjoy the lives that we have, to make them as awesome as possible.
Does that mean that I think we should chaotically run rampant and trample over the values of those that feel otherwise? No. I think we should still follow the words of a great yet humble man that declared "An ye harm none, do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" . I think that all peoples of all faiths should live together harmoniously and do our best to make the world a better place.
The concept of a single all knowing and somehow decidedly man-shaped being makes sense to a lot of people. To me the concept that the universe itself (all of it together) is a single super conscious being makes sense. By my words and actions, I mean no offense. So when I say universe, you can supplant the word that means single all knowing being to you. It matters not to me if your word is universe, god, prophet,the spirit, flying spaghetti monster, or hyper-intelligent squirrel. The concepts and ideas that make sense to each are their own to decide. And just because a thing does not make sense to me does not prevent it from being perfection to another.
If it is truly belief that shapes what is and we truly believe in our symbol, however we choose to view and accept it, then it is real, even if only for ourselves.
Let not the word I choose to describe that thing prevent you from accepting the message behind what I say. If you can change that one term and suddenly what I say seems acceptable, then my perspective and yours really are the same.
If not then it's time for jihad!!!
Just kidding.
Love, light and peace
till next time.
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