 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To some of you, this might sound like pot talk. xD It's good stuff if you think about your spirituality a lot. I hope to start a discussion: I once stated on my MySpace profile that I'm a strong agnostic, meaning I believe that the "question of the existence or nonexistence of an omnipotent God and the nature of ultimate reality is unknowable by reason of our natural inability to verify any experience with anything but another subjective experience" ( wikipedia). Ignostic thinking which, in layman's terms, is based on the assumption that we puny humans aren't even smart enough to define what a god or gods would encompass - let alone get on to the business of whether or not they exist - makes more sense to me, given my limited knowledge and perception of the subject. It also puts the responsibility on the individual for defining his/her own spirituality, which I will explain below. Other theological stances assume that roughly the same parameters apply when it comes to the characteristics, existence, and/or abilities of god/gods or any other theological or supernatural concepts. Reading about ignosticism and letting the material simmer for a while got me to thinking about my own spirituality and motivated me to finally take the responsibility for deciding what exactly spirituality means to me: I don't rule any existence/non-existence of any sort of spiritual phenomena out. Of course not. I just haven't encountered any examples of the classic definitions of it yet. BUT, recognizing the importance of defining for myself what god/gods/spirits/spirituality means to me puts me in a new position of self-responsibility. Before I can even get started on a proper spiritual journey, I have to define not what spirituality means, but how I apply it in my life. How does this apply in a practical sense? A common problem I have is choosing to perceive a situation in such a way that causes me anger. The consequence of that is profound discomfort in the people around me. The ethical and spiritual plan I want to follow is to have as positive an impact on other human beings and my immediate environment as possible - a cardinal rule of sorts that can apply to just about any thought, action, or response. It's one I've seen in almost all religions broken down to its basics - recognition that one is part of a whole and that he/she can either choose to harmonize or not. So, if I am reacting to external stimuli in a way that causes me to anger, I have chosen the wrong spiritual path, not because of the anger itself, but because of the ripple effect it causes in the people around me. Seeing displays of anger causes tension in other people, for the most part. But, that's just one example of what spirituality is to me. The whole of it encompasses how my inner self dictates the outer self other people see, and how that outer self affects them and my environment. If the effect is negative, I am on the wrong path, doing the wrong thing, perceiving something improperly, etc - like someone in a choir singing WAAAAAY off key at the top of his lungs. Thus far there has been a serious imbalance that has to be regulated, lest I continue on the same destructive spiritual path I've been on my entire adult life. Anger, for years, has been a convenient emotion. Somewhere along my development I picked up the assumption that I had a right to my anger (I suspect male/white privilege has something to do with it *thx Cris, Marvin, Jason Coclanes, and others.*). Recently it has been shown to me (again thanks to Cris, mainly) that I, in most cases, do not have a right to my anger - at least not any more than anyone else. Thus, I see the problem. I've been seeing the problem and have already begun to solve it, but I have to be aware of the effect my problem has had on those close to me and that there will be a natural reaction associated with it. How I perceive that reaction is going to be another challenge, but at least I have a definite goal, instead of just avoiding doing any more damage. The change has to come from within because everything starts within. The religion I grew up with did not address that because it's up to me. The ultimate truth is that there is no ultimate truth. Each of us has to find out our own truth and use it as benevolently as possible. This has been a long time coming for me. "The truth is problematic. Some people do not like the truth. It forces them to face unpleasant facts. It destabilizes their fixed beliefs. It often compels them to change their minds. Even when the truth confirms what they already believe, the process of testing gives them anxiety . . . Only an open mind can pursue the truth with success. People with privileged premises, with opinions they are unwilling to change, are not interested in the truth . . . An open mind listens to new ideas even when they are outrageous. It cultivates new ways of thinking even when they are threatening . . . It is willing to alter its convictions even when the change is painful. — Sherwin Wine, 2005 Tags: personal, spirituality
Current Mood:  contemplative
Current Music: Eyedea - Liquid Soverignty
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is an awesome post. I'm quoting it right here, uncut, for your convenience because I think the author put this whole War-On-Terror-more-patriotic-than-thou, fear-mongering, hateful climate we live in, post 9/11, in the right perspective. Some of y'all aren't going to like this at all, but we should all pay attention to what this woman had to say. Bear in mind, I have no intention, nor have I ever had any intention, to malign the troops that have been sent over there to fight the war, for what I believe are all the wrong reasons (among them - fear-mongering and profiteering). I especially have contempt for the companies that are making money off the backs of our Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen. Karma will have her day with their lot. A friend who loves “dark” movies, suggested we go see Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) last night. What a charming, and “light-hearted” movie. Not. (Then again, despite being the queen of dark, she found my recommendation, “Osama” to be too depressing, so I think we are about even.)
Despite some harsh reviews, what I found so difficult about SOP was that people were so willing to “go along” with what their superiors or even comrades were doing, just to fit in, even when it involved degrading, hurting and humiliating other human beings.
And while nobody over the rank of staff sergeant was indicted in the Abu Ghraib incidents, and I am in no way EXCUSING the heinous behavior, they WERE nothing but scapegoats for the REAL shit that went on in those prisons. The atrocities that were never captured on camera.
Even more disturbing than the shit that goes on in the name of “justice” is the SHEER IGNORANCE of the US public regarding the actions and behaviors of their administration and the atrocities enacted on the behalf of “US interests” and “National Security”.
Shortly after 9-11, I was at a retreat in the USA. People were in a “sharing circle” talking about the twin towers disaster, genuinely ignorant of the kind of atrocities that have been perpetrated in other countries on behalf of the “USA”, and beseeching, “But we HELP so many other countries. WHY would anyone want to hurt us?” Not having a CLUE that their government does things like send CIA interrogators into third world countries to train the dictator’s henchmen in torture, er, “interrogation” techniques. Not aware that their government (or big business interests supported by their government) will support repressive dictatorship regimes, that KILL dissenters, so long as they allow US-Owed/backed companies to operate unimpeded. Not aware that their government supported “rebels” to take down the Nicaraguan Sandinista government, not because it was communist, but because it wouldn’t “play ball” with US conglomerates, despite the fact that with the Sandinistas in power, for the first time Nicaraguans had universal health care, education and a lower infant mortality rate than the USA.
No, I can’t imagine WHY any other people in the world might have a DIM view of the grand old US of A.
The soldiers in Abu Ghraib, who were charged, WERE nothing but scapegoats. Sure, they may also have been sociopaths, sick, and depraved, but what they were caught for, was NOTHING compared to the REAL atrocities that took place at that, and many other prisons in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo. What is just as disturbing as what was NOT captured or punished is that which was labelled as “Standard Operating Procedures”. Apparently, humiliating, degrading, and torturing by sleep deprivation, water torture, and psychological torture is just A-OK by the US govt. standards.
I swear, this really harkens back to Cynthia Heimel’s famous words, “There is nothing worse than a man who thinks himself a victim, because victims think it is within their rights to fuck everyone else over.” It is patently obvious that the current US government regime sees (or at least portrays) themselves as victims - especially post 9-11 - and as such, is putting the country in a position of “raging from victim-stance” as a nation. Abu Ghraib is a prime example of the kind of crap that results. They think that their own victim stance makes it OK to do whatever they want to their “prisoners”, without regard to things like evidence, a fair trial, human rights, dignity. Heaven forvend anyone should do that kind of thing to an American, but it’s A-OK to do it to someone else. As long as you suggest they are a “suspected terrorist”. Yeah, I despair for the state of humanity. Tags: amerikkka, axis of morons, politics, war
Current Music: Dream Theater - Prophets Of War
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some depraved, homophobic asswipes - with so much Christian love in their hearts that they can't help but get it all over you - decided it was a good idea to make their worthless voices heard at people's weddings. Now, my friends, you no longer have to wonder why I have so much contempt for the Christian right - because they're so angry, so cynical, so depraved, and so biased that they don't know when to shut their fuckin' gaping pie holes and leave folks alone. These folks are getting married, for fuck's sake. A lot of them have been together most of their lives, which is more than a lot of us heteros can say. Leave these folks alone and let them legalize their vows in peace. But, no, you have to crash the weddings they've been fighting all their lives to have a right to, as if your definition of marriage (with its 55% divorce-rate) isn't broken already. Real classy of you lot. Y'all need to get a frickin' life and keep your noses out of theirs. Tags: amerikkka, axis of morons
Current Mood:  aggravated
Current Music: The Coup - Ass Breath Killers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've seen this e-mail (this one goes right up there with the obama-is-a-muslim garbage as far as tall tales go) circulating about "illegal" immigrants, how they're taking our jobs, raising the crime rates, and blah, blah, blah. I've decided to confront this drivel head on with some facts. So, if you're so damned afraid of immigrants... You should read this and stop believing the lies racist conservative xenophobes are telling us. My father-in-law and mother-in-law both came here "illegally" and are now both citizens. They've paid taxes from day one. The fact that people believe this kind of crap is the reason Hitler succeeded in Nazi Germany. America is a country of immigrants, always has been a country of immigrants, and ALWAYS WILL be a country of immigrants. ...and finally:  Please rethink your view of "illegals". It's ridiculous. Tags: fsck, immigration, politics, rumors
Current Music: Rammstein - Amerika
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Over in ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) debunkingwhite, this looks to be a promising discussion. I'm hopeful to see how it pans out. One difference I've noted - bear in mind I have limited knowledge pertaining to Sharia-style economics - is that in Islam, charity ( Zakat) is one of the five pillars of faith. The Bible, as well as the Qur'an, speak against levying interest when lending money, but I don't see nor was I ever taught in my Christian upbringing that charity is one of the main requisites in professing one's faith (i.e. the Five Pillars). Perhaps on the Catholic side of Christianity charity is mentioned among the Sacraments, but I remember Southern Baptists only covering the tithe and offering as far as financial support of anything goes, which is part of the reason Christian fundamentalists are conservatives for the most part, but that's another subject altogether. I do know that we had a limited list of requisites for being considered a faithful Christian that left a lot of leeway for interpretation, mostly of the self-interested variety. Anyone know more information about either religion than I do from my narrow-former-Southern-Baptist point-of-view? Tags: religion
Current Mood:  le tired
Current Music: Bjork - Pagan Poetry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
born_stubborn's journal
Previous
sad
amused
accomplished
shocked