tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20647290255101814872024-03-13T04:27:26.456+02:00A life in juxtapositionMysticism, Skepticism, Faith and ReasonEugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-18825518122277749222019-06-02T09:56:00.002+02:002019-06-02T09:56:50.747+02:00I'm OKI realize that if I'm not going to blog often, the previous entry would be kind of a bummer note to leave the story hanging on so just wanted to say that I'm doing fine.<br />
<br />
I believe I mentioned last time that I was making some life changes due to my high blood pressure and the good news is - it worked! Not only am I down 13 kilos my blood pressure is great! But don't just take my word for it, here is what my blood pressure monitor had to say:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xf8d6JU7yOE/XPOAUI76UeI/AAAAAAAACf8/MOqqnxbVCw0-1GMx-3v7Jff7fYaeELQDwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0855%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xf8d6JU7yOE/XPOAUI76UeI/AAAAAAAACf8/MOqqnxbVCw0-1GMx-3v7Jff7fYaeELQDwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0855%25281%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
The only bad news is that because I'm a blood donor, cutting out most of my red meat intake has led to my iron levels getting really low. So now I'm trying to find a balance between eating healthy while getting my iron up. Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-33111135084874508932018-10-12T16:26:00.001+02:002018-10-12T16:26:59.385+02:00Death is not just for other peopleI started my day with a dead body today. I was on the bus on my way to work, listening to Serial and half wondering why the bus wasn't on the side of the road it usually took, and then I found out why. In the street, right next to the Reserve Bank, a young lady lay dead. The police had started closing off the lane but no one had bothered to cover her. We drove right by her and everyone on the bus came over to the side to look. It wasn't bloody or gross, she just lay there on the tar in a strangely crumpled heap, neatly dressed in light blue, one shoe missing.<br />
<br />
When she got dressed this morning there was no way she could have known she'd be dead by 7 AM. That's just not how we are. We get up, we get dressed, we eat breakfast and we leave home with the completely unfounded certainty that we'll be back later. It's a confidence we have right down in our juicy centers, the notion that, sure the world out there is full of dangers and bad things happen all the time, but death happens to other people, not me. I guess we need that belief, else we'll never get out of bed. Still, we can believe that as hard as we like, one day we will all be wrong.<br />
<br />
I was the world's worst cancer patient. In fact I don't like talking about my experience with cancer because I'm like a cautionary tale that didn't play out the way it should have. I never admitted this out loud, not even to my doctors but it was 7 years. I found the growth in my neck and did not go to the doctor for 7 years. In that time I tried anything and everything except seeking medical help. Mostly prayer, also some herbal remedies and detoxes. Of course none of that did anything and by the time I got treatment the tumor had grown to the point of pressing against my arteries. I was near death and it was entirely my own fault. You know the crazy thing? It all worked out fine! Two surgeries and a long weekend in radioactive isolation and I've been in remission for 10 years. I don't know that I deserved that outcome. Last year in the waiting room I met a lady who couldn't have been more than 30. She also had thyroid cancer but hers was incredibly agressive. She only realized something was wrong 2 months prior and it had already started spreading to her other organs. The prognosis was bad and I never saw her again. I don't know what happened to her in the end but I don't think things worked out OK for her. I don't know why it worked out OK for me despite doing everything wrong either.<br />
<br />
It's Friday afternoon now and everyone's heading home for the weekend. I wonder if they've notified her people yet or if somewhere out there her family is still waiting for her to come home...<br />
<br />
I've been a blood donor for a very long time now and my blood pressure has always been very healthy but this year every time I've donated my blood pressure was higher than it should have been. The blood bank moved to the big mall so I always blamed it on whatever food vendor I visited before giving blood but the last time I went, I didn't have any salty snacks beforehand and my blood pressure was 149/96. I'm not a doctor but I know that's high, that's much too high. That's stroke and heart attack levels.<br />
<br />
My dad died of his second heart attack, just like his dad before him, so I've been living with this shadow for a very long time. But now it's real, and I'm not ready. I have not been living a heart healthy lifestyle. Not at all. I always knew deep down it could happen and on some level I was OK with it. I mean don't get me wrong, it's not that I <i>want</i> to die, it's just that I can't afford not to. I can't afford to grow old, I can't afford to retire, I can't afford serious illness or disability. So I ate my oversized portions of KFC and chugged my beer and hoped that when it hit, it would hit hard enough to take me quickly. Except now it's become very real and I don't think I want that anymore. Not now. Not yet.<br />
<br />
Sure, I don't have much to live for. I've made a long list of terrible life choices and there's no undoing the worst of them. But I still don't want to die. Not today. For one thing I really want to see how Game of Thrones ends. I'm not as enthused about the new Star Wars trilogy as I was a year ago but dammit I would still like to see how that whole thing plays out too. Plus Cyberpunk 2077 is launching sometime in the next 2 years and I would very much like to play the shit out of that game! Also there are two very sweet doggies who won't understand if I stopped coming home. So... I don't have much to live for, but I still have reasons to stick around.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vjF9GgrY9c0/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vjF9GgrY9c0?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
And so I have started being pro-active about my health. It's the kind of thing I always imagined I would do if circumstances got better and I had more reasons to get healthy. Turns out, I didn't need that many reasons in the end. So I've cut out all my favourite salty snacks - chips, biltong, bacon biltong, droewors - and I've drastically reduced my alcohol and caffeine intake. I've cut down a lot on my meat eating, red meat especially. I'm eating a lot more fruit and vegetables too. It would probably be healthier to give up meat but I'm not there yet, I'm only 60% meatless at the moment. I have not joined a gym but I do try to walk rather than drive whenever possible. So far I've lost 6 kilograms which is <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20046974" target="_blank">good I guess</a>. Not really following a hardcore diet & exercise program, I'm just trying to make better choices for once in my life.<br />
<br />
I don't know if any of this will help. My blood pressure may still be high or maybe my left arm just feels funny because I slept on it wrong. My next date for blood donation is the end of the month, I will see if all this has done me any good. If not I may have to go to the doctor about this, because I've learned my lesson about not doing that. I hope things get better for me, I would really like not being dead yet. But the fact is, despite our brightest hopes, death doesn't just happen to other people.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SsYaiJgtMSQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SsYaiJgtMSQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-63968785377881918292016-11-11T15:36:00.000+02:002016-11-12T11:32:52.627+02:00Conspiracy/ReligionThe recent death of <a href="http://skepticmystic.blogspot.co.za/2011/07/bran-covered-jack.html">Jack Chick</a> just once again reminded me how intertwined religion and conspiracy theories have been for me. As I grew up pastors changed, congregations changed, denominations changed but there was always a conspiracy theory in there somewhere. When it wasn't scheming papists secretly being behind every terrible world event it was the New World Order or the New Age movement or the Communists or the Anti-Christ (although if you were raised with Chick tracts & Crusader Comics - as I was - you'd <i>know</i> those were actually all the same thing really). I don't think it was just me though, if you look into it, there's a strong collaboration between religious belief and belief in conspiracy theories.<br />
<br />
Now I'm guessing this is the part where an imaginary smug Atheist would jump in and comment that this is true because religious people are gullible and dumb and well practiced in believing unproven, unbelievable bullshit so OF COURSE they'd be easily duped! Well hold your horses imaginary commenter because that doesn't quite explain the whole picture. It's not just the religious who get into this, conspiracy theories also have a large following among some very smart, well educated, non-religious people. That includes Atheists. Remember Zeitgeist a couple of years back?<br />
<br />
So instead of going for the low hanging fruit of "people be stupid" I'd like to offer my own explanation. Conspiracies share a lot of DNA with religion so it's not very surprising that they go together so well. They both help to fulfill an important human need and it's better to admit that than to try and pretend otherwise. Let me show you:<br />
<br />
Here is a religious idea:<br />
The world is a scary place. It's important to know though that <b>God</b> is in control. However chaotic things may look, always remember that <b>He</b> has a plan. If we know this plan we don't need to be afraid. If we<b> worship God </b>and <b>pray to Him</b> then we gain the power to fight back against the forces of darkness. This is how we take back power and regain control.<br />
<br />
Here is a conspiracy theorist idea:<br />
The world is a scary place. It's important to know though that<b> The Elites</b> are in control. However chaotic things may look, always remember that <b>THEY </b>have a plan. If we know this plan we don't need to be afraid. If we <b>look for the clues </b>and <b>learn the right phrases</b> then we gain the power to fight back against the forces of darkness. This is how we take back power and regain control.<br />
<br />
That's what I meant by similar DNA. No one would deny that the world can be terrifying. However, something that is terrifying <i>but going according to a bigger plan</i> is less terrifying than something that is terrifying and <i>completely chaotic</i>*. As long as there is a plan and a reason then the possibility for control exists. If there are rules then you can learn to be safe by learning them.<br />
<br />
So I get why conspiracy theories are so tempting. But having lived in that world for so long, there are some good reasons to stay away from them. Conspiracy theories are toxic to the human mind. I don't listen to them for fun, I avoid them as much as possible these days. See the thing you have to understand is that they are seductive. They make some good points, or at least they seem to. They appeal to all the bad wiring in our brains to connect dots and trace patterns that do not actually exist. We are naturally wired to take all the random events of our lives and weave them into a coherent narrative with us as the protagonist. Conspiracy theories take that to a far grander scale. They weave all the random events of world history and weave them into a <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2011/01/26/fantasy-role-playing-games/" target="_blank">grand adventure</a> with despicable villains and then invite you to be the noble hero in that story. They exploit every logical fallacy in the book but we don't mind (or notice) because they allow us to do the thing we like most: they let us make sense of things. It taps into our primal needs - the need to feel special, the need to feel smart, the need for control - as well as our worst impulses - distrust of our fellow man, hatred of the other, the different, the foreign and of course, the need to feel superior to others. It makes us feel like we are good people, <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2012/02/27/rick-santorum-and-the-anti-kitten-burning-coalition/" target="_blank">fighting a good fight</a> while in truth making us worse people**. It inspires us to casual cruelty, callousness and smugness but prevents us from recognizing it***. It makes us feel smarter while actively making us dumber. Because it's not just that conspiracy theories offer simple answers to complex issues. No, conspiracy theories denies that complex issues exist in the first place. It's all simple black and white. Us vs THEM. I cannot abide this.<br />
<br />
I would much rather make peace with the terror of chaos. I prefer to admit that I don't know and I don't understand. Some things will always defy our need for easy answers and while that's scary it is still reality and reality is where I want to live. No matter what the cost.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*Think of the scariest horror movies you've ever seen. They were the ones where the monster had no rhyme or reason weren't they? The ones where the monster is powerful but works according to very specific rules just aren't that scary.<br />
**Just look up all the bile sent to the grieving parents of the Sandy Hook Shooting after that got turned into a conspiracy. Those people all thought of themselves as good people while sending the most vile messages to the parents of murdered children.<br />
***You're not smug! You're just wide awake to the TRUTH of how the world works! Unlike those sheeple!Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-7244538392382720882016-11-10T19:31:00.000+02:002016-11-10T21:11:30.519+02:00Alea iacta est<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
So that happened.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I don't really know what to say about the US election result. I mean I used to follow American politics as entertainment, mostly because I don't care much for sports and local politics is pretty much just about seeing by how much of a margin the ruling party will win by. I don't think I realized how much I cared about this result until it happened. I have not felt OK since the results came out yesterday. I know it makes no sense, because I'm not American and I don't even live close but I feel like something was taken away from me. That's the best way I can describe it but I'm not sure I can explain it yet. I don't think any election has effected me this way for as long as I can remember.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Maybe it's not so much that Trump won, I think this election was more than that. I feel like this election was a referendum on what kind of a country America is and what kind of people her citizens are.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Does the truth matter?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Do facts and evidence count for anything anymore?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Is it wrong to be cruel, to be a bully?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Can we believe women?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Can we believe <i>in</i> women?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Is sexual assault a big deal?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Should people at least try to not be awful to one another?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
And the answer was just a resounding NO across the board*. This was a referendum on decency and decency lost. I didn't think it would hit me this hard but it makes me really sad. Maybe I shouldn't have but I expected America to be better than that. Maybe that was my mistake. And I get that it was only half the country but half is WAY TOO MUCH for that to be OK. I love America so much. I love the country, I love the people. The friends I have there are some of the best people I know and when I think of America it is with fondness. Always. But now I have a sad hollow feeling I can't seem to shake.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Best I can describe this feeling? This election was like finding out your favourite teacher is a pedophile.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">*And that doesn't even touch on all the uncomfortable things it implies about race relations, LGBTQ rights, 1st amendment rights, etc. But I leave that to more competent bloggers with smarter things to say.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-85103365824835089042016-10-18T12:50:00.001+02:002016-10-18T12:50:10.783+02:00"Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness" (Evangelicals For Trump Edition)<div class="chapter-1">
<span class="text Matt-4-1">Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23211C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23211C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Matt-4-2" id="en-NIV-23212"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>After fasting forty days and forty nights,<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23212D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23212D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup> he was hungry.</span> <span class="text Matt-4-3" id="en-NIV-23213"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>The tempter<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23213E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23213E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup> came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23213F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23213F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup> tell these stones to become bread.”</span></div>
<span class="text Matt-4-4" id="en-NIV-23214">Jesus answered, <span class="woj">“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23214G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23214G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup></span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-4-5" id="en-NIV-23215">Then the devil took him to the holy city<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23215H" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23215H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup> and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.</span> <span class="text Matt-4-6" id="en-NIV-23216"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>“If you are the Son of God,”<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23216I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23216I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup> he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:</span><br />
<div class="poetry top-05">
<div class="line">
<span class="text Matt-4-6">“‘He will command his angels concerning you,</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Matt-4-6">and they will lift you up in their hands,</span></span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Matt-4-6">so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23216J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23216J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="top-05">
<span class="text Matt-4-7" id="en-NIV-23217"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Jesus answered him, <span class="woj">“It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23217K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23217K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup></span></span></div>
<br />
<span class="text Matt-4-8" id="en-NIV-23218">Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.</span> <span class="text Matt-4-9" id="en-NIV-23219"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”</span><br />
<span class="text Matt-4-9"><span class="text Matt-4-10" id="en-NIV-23220">Jesus said to him, <span class="woj">“Hold on. So you're saying that you'll give me the one thing I want most of all and all I need to do to get it is to compromise all the values I proclaimed so strongly up until now?</span></span></span>”<br />
The devil answered, <span class="text Matt-4-9">“Seriously? I mean YES! Of course! After all I'm very well known for always telling the truth and never making outrageous promises I have no intention of keeping! I always keep up my end of a bargain, ask anyone I've ever done business with!</span>”<br />
<sup class="versenum"> </sup>Jesus pensively mused, <span class="woj">“Well on the one hand I've always insisted that even the slightest hint of compromise is completely unacceptable... On the other hand, I get the one thing I care about most so it won't matter much right?”</span><br />
<span class="woj">The devil answered excitedly, </span>“Exactly! I will probably definitely maybe give you the thing you want most and all it will cost you is the moral high ground for, well, ever. Fantastic deal, none better, when it comes to the art of the deal, I pretty much wrote the book!”<br />
<span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Then Jesus exclaimed <span class="woj">“It's a deal!”</span></span><br />
Then the devil departed and said, <span class="text Matt-4-9">“Well that was easier than I thought... </span>”<br />
<span class="text Matt-4-9"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ffdG-UbRcws/WAXHvOQn_PI/AAAAAAAAB54/o-2WYdzkAJ0JfRrIbi7OF8uYmKiXo4w9QCLcB/s1600/trump%2Bidol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ffdG-UbRcws/WAXHvOQn_PI/AAAAAAAAB54/o-2WYdzkAJ0JfRrIbi7OF8uYmKiXo4w9QCLcB/s1600/trump%2Bidol.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="text Matt-4-9"><br /></span>Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-23529218115996605832016-10-08T17:30:00.001+02:002016-10-08T18:03:52.549+02:00Why Evangelical Support for Donald Trump Makes Total SenseThe fact that Donald Trump became the presidential nominee of a major party is baffling to people all over the world but somehow even more baffling to Christian folk all over (US included) is his support amongst Evangelical Christians. I mean here you have the literal incarnation of the bad guy in every one of Jesus' parables and he doesn't just have their support, he has their <i>enthusiastic</i> support! While on the one hand he can't seem to stop doing wrong, to them he can do no wrong! I think I can clear that up though. To a lifelong student of White Western Evangelical Christianity this really shouldn't be all that baffling. When you think about it, it makes utter and complete sense.<br />
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0vEtRg0cweU/V_j_tE7ZNHI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/QsE0Gj07Y4YWkxuTr4lKhT9vfF74nnUigCLcB/s1600/Slacktivist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0vEtRg0cweU/V_j_tE7ZNHI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/QsE0Gj07Y4YWkxuTr4lKhT9vfF74nnUigCLcB/s640/Slacktivist.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But that's only if anyone is still around to see 2024...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
See, in Donald Trump Evangelicals have someone they can treat the way they've been treating God all their lives, so of course they're going to worship him. Think about it, he says one thing and then later says the complete opposite. As his followers they then insist that <thing agree="" don="" t="" they="" with=""> doesn't count and that what he <i>really</i> meant was <thing agree="" they="" with=""> because <reasons amp="" handwaving=""> and also there's no contradiction here, all these alleged contradictions are just being exaggerated by his enemies who hate him and want to distract from all the good he's doing! See? They can treat Trump the way they've been treating the Bible their whole lives. In a way, they've been training for the Trump candidacy since Sunday School!</reasons></thing></thing></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's why it doesn't matter how many terrible things Trump says. You can quote him all you like, you'll have more luck trying to convince Evangelicals to cancel the rib cookoff by quoting Leviticus. </div>
<div>
Or rather, you'll have exactly the same amount of luck. For exactly the same reasons.</div>
Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-13256744428784206352016-09-25T21:23:00.000+02:002016-09-26T08:54:02.982+02:00Won't somebody think of The Troops?So here's something that always goes over really well, a foreigner wants to discuss something Americans hold dear. Very dear. THE MOST DEAR in fact. That's right, I want to talk about The Troops.<br />
<br />
You love The Troops. I know this because you keep telling me. I'm half a world away and yet somehow you find a way to tell me constantly. Lately, I've been hearing it more than usual because some NFL guys haven't been standing for the National Anthem and apparently that is a real slap in the face to The Troops. America, I hope you know I love you lots, but we need to talk. There is something very very weird about the way you talk about your troops.<br />
<br />
So what do I know about loving The Troops you ask? (J/K, I know you didn't say that, you obviously yelled that. The Troops get y'all very worked up. Everyone knows this. EVERYONE.) Well, actually I know quite a bit about loving The Troops. More than you think. More than you'll ever know. See unlike you I grew up in the early 80's in Apartheid Era South Africa. This may or may not mean anything to you, depending on what movies you have or haven't watched so let me explain. If you - like me - were a white person from a small town in South Africa during the 80's your life had one purpose: To save the country from the coming onslaught of the black, communist hordes. Growing up, we loved the troops. My favourite T-shirt had a soldier on it and said "Fight Terrorism" (Full disclosure, I had no idea what that meant, I just knew Terrorism = Communism = Evil). We had colouring books in kindergarden featuring the troops. There were pop songs on TV about supporting the troops. We held concerts for the troops. We all wanted to be the troops, which was lucky because that wasn't optional. Back then all dudes had to report for 2 years of mandatory service after high school. So we cared about The Troops because we <i>had</i> to. My dad was The Troops. My brothers were The Troops. I was going to be The Troops one day and if I managed to not die or step on a land mine*, then so would my children. Didn't stop there! Come High School, every Wednesday all the dudes had to dress up in military browns (yes that's our military colours, get over it) and learn things like marching, shooting and bomb detection. No, I wasn't in a military school, this was every school. Then there was the camps where we had to go into the wild, learn survival and camouflage and how to clean automatic rifles and the like. So just trust me when I say I know a thing or two about revering The Troops, and over here that went way above and beyond wearing flag pins and saying "thank you for your service!" when you saw guys in uniform.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JOFCGFohGvY/SQRw70spAqI/AAAAAAAABiM/4mZR0AnftNgfhKB1q3yyo-w7mSFDQw7rQCPcB/s1600/oldSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JOFCGFohGvY/SQRw70spAqI/AAAAAAAABiM/4mZR0AnftNgfhKB1q3yyo-w7mSFDQw7rQCPcB/s320/oldSA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
That's just half of it. Look I know how proud you are of your flag and national anthem but full disclosure, you were held up as an example to us of people <i>dis</i>respectful to their flag and anthem. Didn't see that coming, did you? We felt we were far more respectful because unlike you, we didn't put our flag on cars, or clothing or bikinis. That flag was sacred, it was treated as sacred as it was hoisted in front of the assembled students each day. You didn't wear it, it wasn't a decoration, it was our flag. Similarly, any artist singing the anthem and deciding to "make it their own" by adding 400 extra notes to it would never have worked again. The was the right way sing Die Stem and then... well no that was it. You did it the right way our you didn't do it at all.<br />
<br />
Of course with hindsight being 20/20 and all I'm not saying we were better at patriotism than you are or that we had it figured out and you don't. After all, we were being prepared to serve as the enforcers of a fascist police state built on the brutal subjugation of all other races so I'm CLEARLY not saying this was a great thing, I'm just saying don't try to lecture me on Loving The Troops, you guys don't have the patent on fervent Nationalism or Military Patriotism. All I'm saying is, maybe listen to me for 5 minutes, I may know what I'm talking about.<br />
<br />
[OK so after thinking about this for a while I decided to put this break in the post. Up to this point, when I used the word "you" I meant you personally. You: the individual, intelligent, curious, citizen of America reading this post. I may or may not know your name but I know the vast majority of my readers are American for some reason. I appreciate you taking the time to read this whole post, trying to digest what I'm saying and not just looking for that one sentence to yell at me for in the comments. I <i>know</i> you're not a monolithic entity, I've been to the USA, I loved it. It's a great big beautiful country filled with a diverse range of truly interesting people, some of whom I'm very lucky to be friends with. The irony is not lost on me that people from outside the US often criticize the US for not understanding the diverse nature of other nations while treating you as if you were all one big homogeneous community with the exact same ideas, beliefs and ideals! That's very much what I'm trying to avoid here. But from here on I'm going to talk to the <i>corporate</i> you, not the <i>individual</i> you. A lot of what I'm about to say may not apply to you personally but that's not the <i>you</i> I'll be addressing from this point. The "you" I'm speaking to now are the Talking Heads, the loud voices with the cameras pointed at them who do seem to think they speak for all of you. They often seem to be of the opinion that you should all be one homogeneous community with the exact same ideas, beliefs and ideals (and that if you disagree with that you should leave the country). So just keep that in mind and maybe disagree with them first and me second. ]<br />
<br />
The way you talk about The Troops is weird because you don't talk about them like they're people. You say you love them, but you love them the way you love the Native Americans. You love the <i>idea</i> of them. You love the noble imagery. You're proud to have a couple in your family tree somewhere. You love them as mascots, you invoke them as talismans to give weight to your own opinions. Sometimes it seems like they're not people to you at all, they're more like crosses you can hold up to ward off dissenters. Because when the real people - the troops, not The Troops - want something more than thanks you seem to love them a whole lot less. When their actual imagery doesn't match the noble picture you paint, you pretend they don't exist. The actual troops are far more than just the square jawed Marines in crisp uniforms saluting the flag. They're more than the noble dead with the Stars & Stripes draped over their coffins. They're also the homeless on your streets you wish could just go somewhere else. They're the crippled and broken desperate for medical care from a broken bureaucratic mess. And because of all that, they're also the victims of police violence more often than you'd like to think about. But what right do you use their sacrifice and suffering as a cudgel against others?<br />
<br />
I'm not asking you to stop loving your country or to stop having pride in those who serve it. I'm saying that when you use them like objects instead of as people, then it's weird. No, not weird, its wrong. Ask yourself, who do you love? Do you love The Troops - some kind of platonic ideal that just happens to fit your exact concept of patriotism? Or do you love the actual people? Because the actual people are not props to rest your opinions on, they're human beings from diverse backgrounds and they're not always going to agree with you. And that should be OK. As an American that is something you should be OK with**. It should be OK to want things to be better, and to keep getting better. Better for the troops and also for the civilians. Is that really such an unpatriotic thought to you?<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nQkqfEbNDhE/V-jF1Q9YXrI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/sRlZWTqu9W4ekmW1ufD4o-hQ7Lsjni1AgCLcB/s1600/Screenshot%2B2016-09-25%2B20.36.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nQkqfEbNDhE/V-jF1Q9YXrI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/sRlZWTqu9W4ekmW1ufD4o-hQ7Lsjni1AgCLcB/s1600/Screenshot%2B2016-09-25%2B20.36.42.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way to alienate the only people who read your shit Eugene...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
*Land Mines. Because conflicts come and go but land mines stick around forever!<br />
**Just going by what you say about yourselves and your ideals here guys.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-55641643330687005142016-09-20T14:16:00.001+02:002016-09-20T14:16:09.565+02:00Learning to Love with LesbiansI fell into a deep 90s music video hole on Youtube last night and I just had to write down my feelings about something. I hope I still remember how sentences work, I haven't done this in a while...<br />
<br />
So here's a thing about the 90's that you may or may not recall. If you were an awkward guy, having no luck in finding love, this was a terrible time to listen to the radio (or to go to the movies or to turn on the TV) because it would constantly be re-enforcing your very worst ideas about life. See, a long time ago even the legendary sex gods The Rolling Stones figured out that "you can't always get what you want" but somewhere during the 90s it was as if pop culture decided to reject that notion completely and got super fucking whiny about it too. The prevailing message was "if you want a girl, no matter what, you should be able to get the girl. Yes, even that girl. <i>Especially</i> that one because YOU want her and therefore you are entitled to her." How? Well easy, just keep passive-aggressively hanging around her, constantly going on to all who would listen about how stupid women are because they always choose the total asshole and not the obviously superior guy (you) that is hanging around her constantly, (pretending to be) her best friend. If you just hang around long enough and act nice long enough you will get your chance declare your love completely out of the blue and she'll realize how perfect you are and reward you with all the sex ever.<br />
<br />
In case I actually need to point this out, THIS IS TERRIBLE ADVICE TO GIVE TO AWKWARD TEENAGE BOYS!! Yet it was everywhere. Every song on the radio, every romcom you took your "friend" to, this was the prevalent message of the time. And it sucked. I don't think I even realized how much it sucked until much later when I could take a sober look back and see just how many great friendships I poisoned and how many great relationships I missed out on thanks to these toxic, self pitying - and lets be honest - downright creepy ideas.<br />
<br />
As the song famously doesn't say:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"If you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cause in this current atmosphere you probably have no healthy outlets for your hurt feelings"</i></div>
<br />
Well, there was one exception. One night the DJ on the local student radio station dared to defy the code of standards & practices and played a beautiful song that happened to have the words "Fuck You" prominently in the chorus. I listened raptly and immediately loved the song. Unfortunately I forgot the artist and title almost immediately and this was back in the infancy of the Internet so Yahoo, altavista and ohmygodI'msoveryold.com was no help in tracking down a song you knew next to nothing about. It was only years later when I tried "lesbian song" + "fuck you" on Google (#StopJudgingMe) and rediscovered Ani DiFranco's Untouchable Face. This song has been on every device ever since and features prominently in my "Most Played" playlists. This is the song I wish I had been listening to as a teen instead of those self pitying, incredibly entitled rock songs about love.<br />
<br />
Firstly, this is a song that doesn't tell you what to feel, this song already knows what you feel. The very chorus gives you permission to feel that bittersweet mix of love-anger-hope-frustration-disappointment-despair-warmth-sadness-longing that you feel when you love someone you can't have:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"So fuck you</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And your untouchable face</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Fuck you</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>For existing in the first place</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And who am I</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That I should be vying for your touch</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Who am I</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Bet you can't even tell me that much"</i></div>
<br />
However, before that point it spends a couple of verses making clear that while it's OK for YOU to feel that way it's not OK to go make the other someone miserable too. After all if they're happy and you really, truly like them then you should want them to stay happy.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Think I'm going for a walk now</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I feel a little unsteady</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I don't want no one to follow me</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Except maybe you</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I could make you happy, you know</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If you weren't already</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I could do a lot of things</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And I do</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Tell you the truth I prefer the worst of you</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Too bad you had to have a better half</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She's not really my type</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>But I think you two are forever</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And I hate to say it, but you're perfect together"</i></div>
<br />
I love how this song makes it clear that feeling hurt and accepting that you can't have this person are not mutually exclusive processes. These things can live side by side in the same heart, albeit uncomfortably at times.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I could make you happy, you know</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If you weren't already</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That one achingly beautiful line is worth more than all the pop culture garbage I absorbed over the years. In it I find that I'm not bad for loving you and you're not bad for not loving me back. We both have worth and we both want to be happy and while I may not always be feeling it right now, I'm happy you're happy. I hope to one day be as happy as you are now.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Anyway you should just go find this song and listen to it if you haven't already, I'm not sure I'm doing it justice here. Ani is the poet here, not me. Get it first hand. I mean look at these lines:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="_Nvn" data-mh="-1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You know I really don't look forward</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To seeing you again</i></div>
</div>
<div class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="64" data-mhc="1" style="max-height: 64px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You look like a photograph of yourself</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Taken from far far away</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And I won't know what to do</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And I won't know what to say</i></div>
</div>
<div class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="64" data-mhc="1" style="max-height: 64px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="64" data-mhc="1" style="max-height: 64px;">
You know, if I had to explain to an AI what that means I don't think I would have the words. And yet, AND YET I know EXACTLY what that means because I've felt it. Deeply. That. Exactly that. Whatever <b>that</b> is. Willing to bet that if you ever hung out with someone blissfully unaware of how painfully in love you are with them, you know it too.</div>
<div class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="64" data-mhc="1" style="max-height: 64px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="64" data-mhc="1" style="max-height: 64px;">
So... off topic a bit but fuck you to all the homophobes out there insisting that homosexual love is somehow other, alien & perverse. I don't know that I have much in common with Ani DiFranco but I do know that I have felt every bit of emotion she is expressing here. There's really no difference, we all love the same. So in the words of the poet: Fuck you.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-62630623122269176772014-11-27T19:57:00.002+02:002014-11-27T19:59:12.521+02:00Beyond Dictionary FundamentalismLeaving fundamentalism behind can be a tough process. Getting fundamentalism to stop following your around after you left can be even harder.<br />
<br />
This week I was involved in a very rowdy online interfaith discussion on fundamentalism. Specifically the claim that fundamentalist Atheists are just as difficult to interact with as fundamentalist Christians. There were a lot of different opinions on that but interesting to me was the fact that a lot of people claimed the question itself made no sense because there's no such thing as a fundamentalist Atheist. I'm going to be a total hippie here and disregard everything the dictionary has to say about fundamentalism and give you my personal take on what I feel fundamentalism means and why you <i>can</i> apply it to Atheists.<br />
<br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">To me a fundamentalist
is someone who values their ideas more than people. Simple as that. A fundamentalist
Christian for instance would be someone who feels telling the world how
sinful homosexuality is, is more important than their relationships with
the gay people in their lives. They may recognize the hurt this causes amongst their gay friends and relatives but they will stick to their guns nevertheless because the idea matters more to them than those relationships. To a fundamentalist Christian it's more important that you
know you're going to hell than that you be their friend. In fact they get taught not to be people pleasers but to fear God more than man. Same with
atheism. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">If it's more important to you that people around you know
exactly how dumb you think faith is than for you to have a good
relationship with them, then you're a fundamentalist atheist. Simple as that. If ridiculing your friends' faith means more to you than their friendship, then there is no difference between you and fundamentalist believer.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">This goes way deeper than just faith and atheism. This type of thinking can infect everything from the serious to the innocent. Feeling that you're right about something can be quite a high and sometimes that high turns you into a mean drunk. But it doesn't have to. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".91.$mid=11417036983976=240863567a19acc0a29.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Not saying you should change your ideas, you can keep them all. You can be passionate about them, talk about them, discuss them with all who would listen. Just don't lose sight of one simple truth - people matter. It is relationships, not ideals, that make life worth living. In the quest to be right, don't lose sight of that.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-48835277904033559562014-09-11T20:56:00.001+02:002014-09-11T22:22:09.979+02:00The Racist HoleSo it seems everyone's talking about racism these days. Some are talking about how it's a problem, others are claiming the only problem is that people are still talking about it! Now I'm going to take a somewhat controversial step here and say that racism is a BAD THING. Furthermore it's a bad thing THAT EXISTS (whether you want it to or not). Therefore we should talk about it, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Bad things that exist do not stop existing when you stop talking about them. In fact, they tend to thrive in the dark.<br />
<br />
OK so maybe now you're thinking "Yay! Another lecture about race!" or maybe "Yay! Another white guy is finally online to explain to everyone how racism works!" but rest assured that is not my area of expertise. I'm not here to even pretend I know what people of colour go through or how much systemic discrimination can hurt. I don't have vast qualifications in the area and I'm not here to heal centuries of damage done by racism both overt and subtle. No, I'm here to talk about race as a reformed racist. This isn't going to be for everyone. If you don't think you've ever been racist then you're probably not going to find anything of worth here. If you're racist and happy with that then I doubt you're going to like anything that follows either. However if you do know in your heart that you can sometimes be racist and you really dislike that about yourself then maybe my story can help a little bit.<br />
<br />
I don't know what your story is or how you came to be you but I used to be racist because I was raised in a small town in Apartheid era South Africa. Racism was pretty much our way of life. Growing up, I didn't even consider the names we had for other races to be insults or racial slurs, they were just the names you used to refer to other races. It's not like we were having big evil meetings and planning to how to make other races miserable, growing up, that was just the only way I knew how to see the world. OK sure, I had an uncle who ran a whites only resort till way after that stopped being considered OK in this country and who proudly framed the newspaper article on the Indian family he turned away but we weren't all like that. My parents were pretty liberal all things considered. Growing up I just thought we were in charge of all the other races for their own good. Eventually though, Apartheid ended and it was right around the time I was finishing school and had to go away to study in the big city where I finally got to meet and live with other races and that's where things started to change for me.<br />
<br />
But this is not the story of how I stopped being racist, I'm just telling you all this so you know where I came from. I was racist through and through and I saw no problem with it. Now I do and I try not to be. Your story may be less severe than that but hopefully you can relate at least somewhat.<br />
<br />
OK so with all that out the way I hope you didn't stick around for the secret of how to be cured of racism forever because I can't give you that. Believe me, if it was possible to make racism disappear through the sheer power of wishing really hard and declaring it to be so then there would be negative amounts of racism in South Africa at this point! So no, I can't offer you a cure because there isn't one. Racism - especially if it's something that got deep inside you at a young age - is not like a disease you can just be cured of, it's going to be a part of you for as long as you live. You can be fine for long periods but every once in a while you're going to get mad and suddenly find a racial slur on the tip of your tongue. Or you'll be watching the news and see something upsetting and before you even realise it you're saying something not about "that person who did that bad thing" but instead talk about "those people". Or maybe you won't even be mad, you'll be in a great mood and without thinking make an assumption about someone that is just a horrible stereotype and say something hurtful. It sneaks up on you. It's subtle and even with the best of intentions it's going to surface from time to time.<br />
<br />
So no, racism is not like a disease or at least not a disease you can take a cure for. Being racist (while wanting to do better) is more like being on a life long boat journey and your boat has a hole in it. Often things are going to go fine but every now and again you'll find that something starts leaking through the hole.<br />
<br />
So here is my advice, do with it what you will. Accept that the hole exist, no good comes from pretending it doesn't. I know it can be more comforting to tell yourself there is no hole and
that you're whole and that everything is fine but that's not helping
anyone. Check for leaks often. When the leaks happen - and they will, don't kid yourself - then stop, clear it out and continue on your journey. Eventually you may be so good at spotting leaks that you have to spend very little time bailing. Maybe that never happens and maybe for you this will always be work. Just remember, it's not a disaster until you decide to give up. The hole is bad, don't let it fill up your boat. Facing it head on is hard work but you grow into a better person by doing it. This is a good work, do not tire of it.<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-51139436785050981882014-09-07T09:45:00.002+02:002014-09-11T22:22:43.930+02:00Shut up and listenHave you heard about those students who came up with the date rape drug detecting nail polish?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8BjRtp9SIZk/VAv9TgOLOCI/AAAAAAAABlQ/EGnvV_B7q-s/s1600/10346543_10203970647001550_5553783203176398025_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8BjRtp9SIZk/VAv9TgOLOCI/AAAAAAAABlQ/EGnvV_B7q-s/s1600/10346543_10203970647001550_5553783203176398025_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
When I first saw this news making the rounds on social media I thought it was awesome news! Unlike<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/20/south.africa.female.condom/"> a certain locally invented product</a>, this can actually prevent rape from ever taking place so surely this would be good news for everyone (except rapists). So I was more than a little bit surprised when I saw that a lot of people were actually very unhappy with this development and they weren't rapists, they were my feminist friends!<br />
<br />
They were arguing that once again this "solution" ignores the real problem - the rapists - and instead adds yet another weight to the already massive burden we place on women to prevent their own rapes. Now added to: don't go out alone, don't wear a mini skirt, don't flirt, don't drink too much & don't get separated from your friends we are adding "wear date rape detecting nail polish". This makes not getting raped the woman's problem and does nothing to stop guys from being rapists.<br />
<br />
Now my first response to that was to say, "You know what? <b><i>I get it!</i></b> Teaching about consent should be a prominent part of sex ed and guys need to be taught that sleeping with a girl too drunk to know her own name is not sex but rape, etc BUT those are all long term strategies and this nail polish can help someone right now. Why can't it all be part of a multi-pronged approach to ending instances of rape?"<br />
<br />
But then I went to breakfast.<br />
<br />
While waiting for my food I couldn't help but overhear the table next to me talking. So one young lady at the table seems to be some kind of traveling salesperson, not sure for what and she was telling a story of something that recently happened to her. She had an appointment with a guy living on a homestead just a bit outside of the city. When she arrived the guy asked her if she wanted a cooldrink which she declined. He then became very insistent that she have a drink but she kept on refusing and eventually he said he was going to get himself a drink and she should have one with him. After clearly hearing him stirring something in the kitchen he returns with one glass and claimed that he had his drink in the kitchen and she should have her drink now. She still refused and quickly became aware that he had no interest at all in whatever she was selling and was just focused on her drinking her drink. So she left and now got to tell this as one of those "a funny thing happened to me on the job the other day" stories and not the obvious horror story it almost was. No, scratch that, it was still a horror story, I was horrified just eavesdropping! But to her, and I assume her friends at the table, this was just one of those things that happens and you have to deal with.<br />
<br />
That's when it hit me. The truth was that no, I did not actually<i> "get it"</i>. I don't know what life is like for women. I can't. Their experience of this world is at time completely alien to mine. And this goes way beyond that. There are social, racial and political realities I do not and cannot experience. Why then do I feel the need to say, "Look guys I may have no experience of your problem but I'm a smart guy so shut up and listen to me while I hand down the solutions to all your problems"? That sort of thing really makes someone seem like a huge asshole, even if those aren't the exact words used. I think we all do it sometimes and we probably don't even mean it that way but that is kind of what it sounds like. At least that's what it sounds like to me whenever the roles are reversed.<br />
<br />
So maybe the answer is to not be so quick to give my 2 cents in every single matter. Maybe the best thing would be for me to shut up and listen. Really listen, not just wait for an opening to step in and unveil my solution. After all, even if I'm right, why should anyone give me the time of day if I'm not willing to make a real effort to understand where they're coming from?<br />
<br />
Look, I'm not saying you should never get to speak your mind or have an opinion. But seriously, if you feel the need to always have your opinion heard, valued and admired in every situation regardless of how well informed you are then what kind of person does that make you?Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-46329733248301351352014-08-29T18:00:00.001+02:002014-09-11T22:23:10.479+02:00Comment of the year!OK I know I haven't been blogging as much as I'd like and so I deeply love and appreciate anyone who still bothers to read this blog and that goes double for anyone who still bothers to comment here. However let it be known that anyone who has ever commented here now has a new comment to try and live up to. But don't bother, you will never match its pure greatness.<br />
<br />
Behold:<br />
<br />
"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-ZA</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
</style>
<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">This is my testimony about the good work of a
man who helped me..My name is Lee Marie, and I am from London.My life<br />
is back!!! After 8 years of marriage, my husband left me and left me with our
three kids. I felt like my life was about to<br />
end, and was falling apart. Thanks to a spell caster called Dr momoh who i met
online. On one faithful day, as I was browsing through the internet, I was
searching for a good spell caster that can solve my problems. I came across
series of testimonies about this particular spell caster. Some people testified
that he brought their Ex lover back, some testified that he restores womb, some
testified that he can cast a spell to stop divorce and so on. There was one
particular testimony I saw, it was about a woman called grace,she testified
about how Dr momoh brought back her Ex lover in less than 72 hours and at the
end of her testimony she drop papa moh e-mail address. After reading all
these,I decided to give great Dr a try. I<br />
contacted him via email and explained my problem to him. In just 3 days, my
husband came back to me. We solved our issues,<br />
and we are even happier than before. papa momoh is really a talented and gifted
man and i will not stop publishing him<br />
because he is a wonderful man...If you have a problem and you are looking for a
real and genuine spell caster to solve that<br />
problem for you. Try the great Dr momoh today, he might be the answer to your
problem. Here's his contact:<br />
<a href="mailto:spiritualistmomohtemple@gmail.com">spiritualistmomohtemple@gmail.com</a>
Thank you great one. Contact him for the following:<br />
(1)If you want your ex back.<br />
(2) if you always have bad dreams.<br />
(3)You want to be promoted in your office.<br />
(4)You want women/men to run after you.<br />
(5)If you want a child.<br />
(6)[You want to be rich.<br />
(7)You want to tie your husband/wife to be yours forever.<br />
(8)If you need financial assistance.<br />
(9)Herbal care<br />
10)Help bringing people out of prison<br />
(11)Marriage Spells<br />
(12)Miracle Spells like magic pens for exams,interviews etc<br />
(13)Beauty Spells<br />
(14)PROPHECY CHARM<br />
(15)Attraction Spells<br />
(16)Evil Eye Spells<br />
(17)Kissing Spell<br />
(18)Remove Sickness Spells like HIV and Aids<br />
You can reach him with his phone number +2347038174961 or<br />
Contact him today on:<br />
<a href="mailto:spiritualistmomohtemple@gmail.com">spiritualistmomohtemple@gmail.com</a><br />
BE CAREFUL IN WHOM YOU DEAL WITH IN ORDER NOT TO BE DECEIVED BY SCAMMERS THEY
ARE ALL AROUND YOU.THEY WILL COLLECT YOUR MONEY FOR SERVICES THEY CAN NEVER
RENDER.REPORT SCAMMERS TODAY YOU MIGHT BE REWARDED.<br />
<br />
SAY NO TO SCAMS!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">I think my favourite part is when they warn you about scams. I mean sure, all the OTHER wizards out there are totally fake but not THIS GUY!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">Best part is this was probably left on <a href="http://skepticmystic.blogspot.com/2011/10/spellcasting-for-christians-101.html">this blog post</a> because the post itself referenced spell casting (as a joke). This means the odds are pretty high that this was left by some kind of internet spam bot. If this was indeed the case then whoever created this spam should not be blocked but celebrated for indeed this has transcended spam and crossed over into art. ART!! </span> Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-1273448137103415092014-05-12T14:48:00.000+02:002014-05-13T18:21:53.163+02:00The Privilege SuperpowerLately the subject of privilege (especially white privilege) has been been generating a lot of discussion. There was the ivy league kid who wrote <a href="http://theprincetontory.com/main/checking-my-privilege-character-as-the-basis-of-privilege/">an essay</a> on it that went viral which in turn generated <a href="http://time.com/89482/dear-privileged-at-princeton-you-are-privileged-and-meritocracy-is-a-myth/">a lot</a> <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2014/05/05/everybody-hates-a-tourist-on-learning-to-be-stupid-at-princeton/">of smart</a><a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/179675/no-one-cares-if-you-never-apologize-your-white-male-privilege#"> responses</a> from smart people. Now since I have both very liberal and very conservative people in my FB news feed I get to read a whole lot about the subject of privilege. Some insist it's real, others insist it's a myth and some feel hurt at the very mention of privilege, taking it as a personal insult.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7mhOHtjwmhQ/U3C9rM55_zI/AAAAAAAABhs/QDBGUTFq-4s/s1600/10336732_600655900041274_1124261429006785788_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7mhOHtjwmhQ/U3C9rM55_zI/AAAAAAAABhs/QDBGUTFq-4s/s1600/10336732_600655900041274_1124261429006785788_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and then some of it is conspiratorial to the point of racism</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Clearly there are a lot of misconceptions regarding the idea of privilege. I don't claim to be an expert, I still have a lot to learn but I do know enough to know that a lot of what people seem to hate about it is completely mistaken. Privilege is not so much an insult as a fact of life. It's not something you're supposed to feel guilty about or apologize for and it definitely doesn't mean you didn't work to get where you are and that you got everything in life for free. Let's look at it in a completely different way, maybe that will make it clearer:<br />
<br />
Imagine you are living in a comic book universe. You are still you but you share this planet with the like of Superman, Green Lantern and the rest of the Justice League (or Spiderman, the X-men and the Avengers if you prefer). You are a human but they are SUPERhuman. How would you feel about that? Would you demand that Superman apologize for being born on Krypton? Would you want him to feel guilty for his ability to be faster than a speeding bullet? I'm guessing you won't. I know I wouldn't mind them because while they have abilities I don't, they use those abilities to do good things.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxRlzPeuDjY/U3C_xvSgevI/AAAAAAAABh4/KohigZ6oyik/s1600/GalleryChar_1900x900_JusticeLeague_52ab8e54d0a6f0.42170553.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxRlzPeuDjY/U3C_xvSgevI/AAAAAAAABh4/KohigZ6oyik/s1600/GalleryChar_1900x900_JusticeLeague_52ab8e54d0a6f0.42170553.jpg" height="300" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
But say there was this apple orchard that advertised a free apple picking day. Gates open at 8 AM and you get to keep all the delicious apples you pick. So you show up at 7 but find that Superman and The Flash are also in line and the second the gate opens they run in at super speed and pick all the apples in a nanosecond. Would you be OK with that? How would you feel if you confronted Superman about the ton of apples he was carrying out and he said "Well I just picked apples as fast as I could with my friend here, why didn't you do the same?"? That would be a dick move, wouldn't it?<br />
<br />
OK! Now you understand privilege!<br />
<br />
See, we don't live in a comic book universe but we still have a world where some people have superpowers. Sure they're not as spectacular as being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound but they are real and they do offer real advantages. Let's take a very easy one that's easy to overlook - having parents that are alive and who love you (and for the sake of this example live above the poverty line and have disposable income). Now that will most certainly make your childhood a lot easier than those who either do not have parents or those who have parents that are around but are indifferent or abusive. But it doesn't stop there though, this is a superpower that can empower you for years. If this is a superpower you have then you probably have help getting through college and you don't have to clear the hurdle of doing it all by yourself. Of course you're still going to have to study and work hard to get through it, no one is trying to deny that, but you have people in your corner who are supporting you in every way they can, emotionally and financially. Then when you are done with college this gives you the power to start a business in your parents' garage (because you have parents and they have a garage). Or maybe you don't, maybe you go out there and try things your own way and you get to, because if you over reach and it all comes crashing down then you have a place to go back to. The superpower of parents means you are never going to be in freefall all the way to the gutter, you have a home to go back to and regroup (free of charge). It may be humbling, it may be downright humiliating but it's a damn sight better than ending up on the street. But maybe you don't start a business, maybe you get married instead and that marriage turns bad. Having parents that would take you in can make all the difference in the world. You don't have to stay in an abusive relationship because your options are not stay or starve. You have parents, you have a safety net, you have a superpower. It's not something to be ashamed of and it's most certainly not something to apologize for but surely you can see that this is an advantage to have? Fact is, not everyone has this advantage.<br />
<br />
That is how privilege works. It's not about getting everything for free, it's about having less hurdles to clear in the game of life. You still have to work, you will still have to overcome, but you have certain superpowers to help you out. Imagine your life as it is and as an able bodied person. Now imagine how your life would have been if you had been born disabled. Still the same life or would the road to getting where you are now have been much harder? Having sight or hearing or the use of your limbs don't seem like much when you've always had them but they allow you a certain level of ease in life that you don't even realize. Sometimes the superpower you have can even be as simple as the ability to fit in. When you belong to a racial group or a gender or a sexual orientation or a religion that is different from the majority of people around you then fitting in is harder while fitting in perfectly just streamlines your voyage through life. Not very spectacular I know but not even having to consider the obstacles others have to overcome just to be on the same playing field as you is pretty much a superpower if you think about it.<br />
<br />
So what then do you do about this superpower? Well if you have one or more superpowers the good news is that you don't have to feel guilty about it! Not at all! You don't have to apologize either! Rather, be like those in the comics who have superpowers and use your superpowers for good. Great news! Using the superpower of privilege doesn't require you to fight giant robots or monsters from outer space. You don't need to go save anyone. Through the simple act of acknowledging your own privilege superpowers and noticing how that changes your world as opposed to those who do not have them can be a pretty radical act. In our world some voices carry more weight than others. You don't need to swoop in like a mighty hero and speak on their behalf, just give those voices space to be heard.<br />
<br />
But fine if you don't want to do that then at the very very very least, don't be a ass about it. Don't be like Superman and Flash at the apple orchard and pretend like the playing field is equal and that everyone else in the world can do what you did if they just weren't so damn lazy. Seriously guys, don't do that. It's a dick move, don't do it. You (probably) have (some) superpowers in life in and if you're not going to use it to help then at least acknowledge the fact that you have them and have some compassion for those who do not.<br />
<br />
But whatever you do, PLEASE do not use your superpowers to oppress those who do not share them. That makes you a supervillain. Don't be an asshole but especially don't be a supervillain.<br />
<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-34920995368691761322014-04-06T18:35:00.003+02:002014-04-06T18:42:37.319+02:00The light in her eyesSometimes you can see the future. It doesn't require anything supernatural, sometimes the dominoes are just stacked so clearly you can see exactly were they are going to fall the moment one gets pushed. That's how on Monday I could see where I was going to stand on Friday. I didn't know it was going to be Friday but I knew it was going to be soon. I tried to stop the dominoes from falling but some things move with far more force than I have the strength to push against.<br />
<br />
I <a href="http://skepticmystic.blogspot.com/2013/02/to-everything-there-is-season.html">wrote before about my dachshund Jackie</a> (who is not technically "my" dachshund) and how the people who do actually own her have been talking about having her put down because of her age. I would hear none of it because while her body may have been aging the spark of life was still burning very strong in her. So I've been doing everything I can to make sure her age doesn't manifest in ways that gives anyone ideas. I made her a big landing pad of pillows and blankets by my bed so she can sleep there and still jump off the bed without injuring herself. When she started having little accidents in the house I made sure everything was cleaned up nicely before anyone else could see. When she didn't want to chew her dry dog food anymore I started adding some wet dog food to it so it goes down easier. Stuff like that.<br />
<br />
Lately though it's been getting harder. It's like she suddenly became a lot older the last couple of months. I think she was getting dementia because I found that the reason she was having accidents in the house was not because she was incontinent but because she seemed to get lost in the house. She would walk towards the doggie door and then take some wrong turns or get turned around and just end up going in the wrong place. Last week she wandered into the garage and got locked in there accidentally and usually we would know because she would start yelping until someone came to rescue her but if I didn't go look for her she might have stayed there all night. So I started carrying her outside and turning on a light whenever it looked like she needed to go, and then carrying her back to bed when she was done so she wouldn't wander around the house and end up sleeping on the cold floor.<br />
<br />
So this Monday afternoon when she started throwing up everything she ate I could see the future. I knew that I was going to have to take her to the vet and that once we went to the vet she was never going to come back home again. So I did everything I could to stop that first domino from falling. I got her some puppy food, figuring it would be both nutritious and easy to digest and for a little while it looked like it worked. She perked back up a little and kept it in. But only for a day. By Wednesday she started throwing up again regardless of what I fed her and by Thursday night she showed no interest in food at all. Not even her favourite treats, not biltong, not cheese not peanut butter could get any reaction at all from her.<br />
<br />
Friday morning I left her some milk before going to work, hoping that she would at least get some sustenance that way but I could read the writing on the wall. I knew that my choices came down to either taking her to the vet and risk having her put down or keep trying to fix her on my own and watch her slowly starve to death and as much as I hated the first option I couldn't bear the second option at all.<br />
<br />
When I came home, she looked terrible. She had lost so much weight so fast, she was just skin and bone and a potbelly. There was some kind of green puss coming out of her eyes and she hadn't even touched the milk but she had somehow managed to throw up even more even though she clearly had nothing left inside.<br />
<br />
That's how I ended up on the exact spot I saw myself a standing at the beginning of the week. With Jackie on a cold table while a sympathetic vet is explaining how dire her condition is. Apparently she had developed pretty severe diabetes, her blood sugar was off the scale - the scale only went to 34 where healthy is under 6. The diabetes had led to some infections and complications. To save her would take a week of hospitalization while they tried to save her liver and kidneys followed by 2 shots daily for the rest of her life.<br />
<br />
That is how it all came down to me. See, Oom Eddie may be her technical owner and he is from the generation where euthanasia is the default treatment for all canine maladies but he's not a forceful or a decisive person so he asked me what I wanted to do. I have owned 4 dogs in my lifetime, 3 of which had to be put down for various reasons, but I never had to make the call. My parents took them to the vet and just informed me afterward. Back then it seemed harsh but now I wished I could make this someone elses problem. I couldn't though, I was the one who was there, I had to make the call.<br />
<br />
So I had to be honest with myself, that the light in her eyes was not what it was a year ago. The happy little dachshund who would jump out of bed at 5 am on the coldest morning even when she had been sleeping very snuggly had started to not wake up anymore, even if I turned the lights on. The Jackie who would shamelessly and insistently beg for a piece of whatever I was eating, whether it was a sandwich or an apple had become less and less interested in food. The spark of life in her that I cherished so much had started to dim, leaving her slow, confused and lethargic. So should I save her? I wanted to. So much. But I knew no amount of treatments would give her more than just a few months more. I didn't want to save her for her sake, I wanted to save because I didn't want to say goodbye. I tried. I saw the future, I saw how increasingly inevitable it became, I tried to tell her goodbye but the words would never come out. So I made the call and told the doctor to put her to sleep.<br />
<br />
It was one of the worst days of my life, hugging my dog for the last time and trying not to openly weep in front of a vet I just met. She was nice though, she gave me some tissues. The procedure took so long at first. She was so old that it took the vet 5 tries to find a vein. Jackie, tough girl that she was, didn't cry out once. Then, right before she got the shot, she looked right at me for the very last time. How I wish I could say that it was something cliche like that she gave me a knowing look or a comforting look or a look of understanding but it was none of that. She looked at me with her eyes full of green puss and the best I could say was that she didn't look scared. Maybe just a little confused. Less than a minute later she had fallen asleep for the last time and the doctor confirmed that her heart had stopped.<br />
<br />
I don't know if I made the right call. Losing Jackie has left me with a big open wound inside and when I think about her the sadness and loss suffocates me. As I have descended into an increasingly hermit like existence lately (I have a beard now!) she was the once small piece of warmth in my life. Even when she snored loudly when I tried to sleep, or farted noxiously when I was trying to work on the computer, I loved her. Loved her when she pestered me for the corner of my toast and I loved her despite all the stains and puddles I had to clean up and the fact that she was constantly licking <i>everything</i>.<br />
<br />
She would have been 15 this coming Saturday. Still feels like it all went by way too fast.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o_MAXEMS5-Q/TfiHs7n7KZI/AAAAAAAAAp0/URGoeFQYlBQ/s1600/Photo-0023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o_MAXEMS5-Q/TfiHs7n7KZI/AAAAAAAAAp0/URGoeFQYlBQ/s1600/Photo-0023.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-84855822436942288882014-02-02T10:13:00.002+02:002014-09-11T22:23:27.313+02:00The dreaded Friend ZoneI usually really enjoy the videos by Cult of Dusty on youtube but recently he posted this video which really annoyed me for several reasons:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/h1SOx2ePySY" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Now one of the big reasons this video upsets me is that if I saw this 10 years ago, I would be cheering and endorsing it for finally telling the TRUTH and I'm ashamed of that. Honestly I'm not sure which stole more quality from my youth, being stuck in a crazy charismatic cult or being stuck in the "friend zone".<br />
<br />
The other big reason this upsets me is because I like Dusty, I like his style and most of all, I like his insistence on using logic. This video, while featuring a lot of memes about "evil women" exploiting "nice guys" didn't actually feature much logic.<br />
<br />
So here is what I wish I could tell my 20 year old self about the dreaded friend zone.<br />
<br />
Firstly I'll grant Dusty this, he did give one piece of solid advice: Stop being a coward! If you are romantically interested in someone, tell them. If they're not interested and you are not interested in them in any way other than sexually/romantically then be brave enough to walk away. Being rejected hurts but not nearly as much as pining for someone for years while they are completely oblivious to your feelings. You're just making yourself miserable and you'll probably end up making them miserable by being all passive-aggressive about it. Be brave enough to be honest with them and if you can't then at least be brave enough to be honest with yourself about the fact that you don't actually want to just be their friend. Which brings me to my next point...<br />
<br />
Stop whining about how "nice guys" are always stuck in the friend zone by those evil bitches. Just stop. If you're in this position then you're <i>not</i> a nice guy. There is nothing "nice" about pretending to be someone's friend while in actual fact you're trying to gain enough emotional leverage to become something else. You're being disingenuous and there is nothing nice about that. This is not a video game. You don't get to level up to sexytimes by investing a certain amount of friendship points. That's not how real life works. And you already know that because... <br />
<br />
You don't apply this kind of reasoning to your life, so why do you expect that from others? If someone you are not attracted to <i>at all </i>tells you they are interested, would you say "Well I don't like you that way but you seem like a nice person who will treat me well so sure, lets date!"? You wouldn't. That's not how attraction works. So why expect it to work that way for others? Here is some hard truth: you are not entitled to love or sex or relationship or intimacy. Just because you like someone romantically that doesn't obligate them to like you back the same way. And again, you already know that because you don't feel obligated to be attracted to people you find unattractive. So stop with this idiotic double standard.<br />
<br />
So if you're stuck in the friend zone here are 3 easy steps you need to take to get out:<br />
<br />
<b>Step 1: </b>Stop feeling sorry for yourself. If you keep seeing yourself as a victim that's all you'll be.<br />
<br />
<b>Step 2:</b> Start being honest with yourself. Chances are you already know if this person is clearly not attracted to you so stop trying to change that by wishing really hard. The Secret is bullshit. Attraction doesn't work that way and you know it.<br />
<br />
<b>Step 3:</b> Be honest, if there was absolutely no chance of a romantic relationship of any kind (ever), would you still be hanging around this person and acting like a friend? <br />
<b>Step 3a:</b> If NO then either tell this person how you feel and bear the consequences or end this "friendship" because you're not doing anyone a favour by hanging around.<br />
<b>Step 3b: </b> If YES then maybe stop trying to make this something it can't be and just be a friend for real without expecting anything more.<br />
<br />
But for fuck's sake, stop acting like being nice to someone entitles you to getting in their pants. That's just fucking childish! If that's your game plan then you're not a nice person, you're a fraud. LOGIC!<br />
<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-8096591974958630082013-09-26T18:00:00.005+02:002013-09-26T18:00:51.280+02:00No one should have to feel this way<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SdBuq2UTruM" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
This video leaves me heartbroken and sad. Also very very angry.<br />
<br />
It hurts my insides to listen to this lady's story. No one, and I do mean no one, should ever have to feel the way she felt. Not ever, not under any circumstances. But it does. All the fucking time! I don't have the words for how sad that makes me.<br />
<br />
But mostly I am angry. I am angry that we live in a world where this happens all the time. I'm angry that society is apparently pretty OK with this being the case. I'm angry at myself for the time spent as part of that culture.<br />
<br />
This is why Modesty culture and Purity culture pisses me the fuck off. I cannot just live and let live, those things are not harmless. How do I hate it? Let me count the ways! I hate the way it divides people into good and bad based purely on whether they've had sex or not. I hate the way it makes you ashamed of your body and your hormones and everything that is completely natural about sex. I hate the way it always finds ways to side against the abused and with the abuser. I hate the shame spirals and the psychological trauma of calling good, harmless and natural things sinful. I hate that it teaches men to hate and fear the female body. I hate that it turns women into things, not people. I hate how it degrades men and teaches them that deep down they are uncontrollable sex monsters. But more than anything I hate how it teaches us that we are <i>supposed </i>to be like his. <br />
<br />
This is the one thing that (as a guy) makes me insanely angry about purity and modesty teachings in the church. It tells guys that they are animals. That they are slaves to their every urge, that they simply cannot help themselves. Men are not in control of their behavior, it all gets outsources externally. Girls have to cover up because guys just cannot help themselves when they are aroused.<br />
<br />
That's fucking bullshit. There's no nice way to say it.<br />
<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-42505835162146738442013-08-30T20:36:00.000+02:002013-08-30T20:44:13.879+02:00Drunk Family HistoryIf you're the type of person that doesn't find <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/drunkhistory">Drunk History</a> funny then you're probably not going to enjoy this post. Also, I don't think we can be friends. Drunk History is awesome! So when I recently learned some dark and awesome family history I knew I had to try doing a bit of drunk history myself. Obviously since this is going to be typed, not told and since there will be no actors acting it out it's not going to be nearly as good. On the other hand, this concerns the Irish half of my family so in a way NOT doing it after a whole lot of Guinness would be disrespectful! I should probably put a warning here somewhere that there is a good chance this post will feature more profanity than usual. If that bugs you then you probably shouldn't be reading this blog.<br />
<br />
Here goes.<br />
<br />
At my grandfathers funeral, someone suggested we try to find the grave of his grandfather, the original Gillingham patriarch Solomon Gillingham. My first thought was <i>Solomon</i> Gillingham? Am I Jew-Irish? And is that even a thing? (Its not and I'm not which is too bad because again, the Jewish section of the cemetery is clearly primo real-estate!) Long story short, I heard a couple of rumours about the man, googled to see if I could corroborate any of that and ended up finding a story* better than I could have dared hope for.<br />
<br />
So at first the only thing I knew about my great-great-grandfather was that he was a pretty successful guy with a big house and his own carriage and he owned a bakery here in Pretoria. Except the successful part was kinda weird because according to family legend his baking was incredibly shitty**. How shitty? Well it was so shitty that even the president allegedly commented on how terrible his bread was.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d8R-FEfHZW8/UiDY9Mc1ZiI/AAAAAAAABbE/5tI2EFVomp4/s1600/Paul_Kruger_Statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="That's right, the guy on the Kruger Rand!" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d8R-FEfHZW8/UiDY9Mc1ZiI/AAAAAAAABbE/5tI2EFVomp4/s640/Paul_Kruger_Statue.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS president!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well it turns out bread wasn't what his bakery was really about. Turns out the "bakery" was actually the headquarters of the local <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenian" target="_blank">Fenian</a> cell. (Go on, click on the link. I had to look up "Fenian" too!) So basically this was where all the local Irish would hang out and talk about how the British sucked and how awesome it would be if Ireland could be an independent republic and how you should buy some cake to help Ireland punch stupid England in their stupid faces. Stuff like that. That's right, <a href="http://goldennemesis.tumblr.com/post/8950211795/transvaal-irish-and-irish-american-brigades" target="_blank">my great-great-grandfather was an Irish radical</a>. The professor I talked to called him "shadowy" and "dangerous". What do historians call your great great grandpa? Yeah... that's what I thought.<br />
<br />
So life was pretty sweet, selling crappy baked goods and rallying support and funds for the Irish Republican Brotherhood but then they discovered gold in the Transvaal. Actually they discovered ALL THE GOLD. Seriously, there was like a million cubic fucktons of the stuff and then Brittain was all, "ooooh that's shiny, we'll take it" and the Transvaal was all like, "Oh like hell you will" and Britain was all like, "Fine, we invade countries all the damn time, we'll just come and take your gold" and the Transvaal was like, "Oh it's on! It's on like Donkey Kong!"*** So the Anglo-Boer war broke out.<br />
<br />
This is where Solomon stepped up. He started going around to all the Irish immigrants saying, "Hey, you know how England totally sucks right? Well now they're coming here to suck right in our faces and that's not cool. They think they can just come over here and fuck shit up and take the gold and that is messed up man. Seriously, fuck those guys! Lets go punch them right in the fucking dick" And all the Irishmen were like "Dude, you had me at hello. Lets do this. Lets go punch those Brits in the dick." So they did. They formed their own commando unit to help the Boere and pretty soon they were joined by some other Irish guys from America who had exactly the same dick punching ideas****. So Solomon was the organizer and his friend John MacBride was the guy who actually led the commando.<br />
<br />
So the fight actually goes pretty well for the home team for a while at least. Solomon sends this letter to his friend and Fenian chief in Ireland saying how awesome they are and how they are just fucking up the English wherever they go and how the Boere are just cheering them everytime they see them and how they just wanted to make him a colonel right on the spot because he was so awesome. So his friend reads this and goes "Holy shit, this is awesome! The people of Ireland need to hear this!" so he publishes it in the Irish press and the Irish just lose their shit. They think its awesome, Irish people dickpunching the English is just the best thing since whiskey as far as they're concerned so this gets circulated far and wide.<br />
<br />
So eventually Solomon finds out this got published and he freaks the fuck out because he made up a whole lot of shit in that letter. There were hundreds of Irish fighting, not thousands and while they did a good job they weren't actually the toast of the Transvaal army. So he writes to his buddy MacBride saying "Heeeeey Broseph, don't know if you heard those horrible rumours about a letter I allegedly wrote that talked all this smack but I just wanted to let you know right now that was a hoax. Don't know by who, I'm as baffled as you are! Wasn't me though. I totally wouldn't bullshit people like that. C'mon, you know me!" I'm not sure if MacBride responded but I assume there was some dramatic eye rolling involved...<br />
<br />
Anyway, pissing off his bro on the front lines was only half the problem! The bigger problem was that now the British knew about him and what he was doing since that letter was published with his full name. And he was right to be worried because once the British finally won the war they hunted him down. Now lucky for him the Boere were all like "Hey, you know we don't like people who speak the English but you Irish guys are OK" so they made the Irish commandos citizens. So now they couldn't hang him as a traitor so they had to treat him as a POW. So they did.<br />
<br />
They caught him and sent him to Ceylon - which is now Sri Lanka but used to be Ceylon, where our tea comes from - to serve time in a POW camp. You know how they say someone was a model prisoner? What is the opposite of that? Because it turned out Solomon Gillingham was the opposite of a model prisoner. He just gave his captors hell 24-7. Eventually the British were like "Hey Solomon Gillingham, you've been a huge fizzy douche and we don't like you so we're going to keep you here as long as possible" and he was like "Ha ha, the joke's on you! I met this lady here and we've been going at it like rabbits so I don't mind staying here!" So he was one of the very last people to be released back to South Africa.<br />
<br />
So he came back and was like "Sup mofos! War hero in the house!" and his wife was like "So what's this I hear about you starting a second family in Ceylon? I want a divorce!" So she makes legal history by not only getting a divorce in like 190-something but the judge was like "Yeah I see what you mean, this guy is a massive asshole" so he sided with her 100% Meanwhile Solomon was like "Whatever losers, I smuggled these rubies from Ceylon and this hot chick I met there followed me here so we're going to keep going at it like catholic bunnies" Which they did. And that's how I ended up being from a peaceful pentecostal Irish family instead of a radical militant catholic Irish family.<br />
<br />
So yeah, as major douchebags tend to do, he totally landed on his feet. He eventually had 9 kids with his new wife so YEAH THAT'S RIGHT I have part Sri Lankan family somewhere out there! As dark family secrets go, this is pretty brilliant! I think the last time he got recorded doing something was when he chaired an Irish Sinn Fein meeting in Pretoria and posing under a bullet riddled Transvaal flag for the Irish press. Like a boss.<br />
<br />
So here's to you great great grandfather! You were clearly a huge tool but at least you were interesting! For all my snark I doubt anyone will be writing about my life in a hundred years! I mean you pissed off everyone everywhere you went but you were also kind of a badass who fought for your beliefs and I can respect that. I'm not done with my life but it's a pretty good bet that no historian anywhere will be using any sexy adverbs to describe me one day so don't mind my snark. Sláinte! <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
*Found a book in Google books called "<a href="http://books.google.co.za/books?id=ZYB0RiqcidIC&pg=PA180&lpg=PA180&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false">Forgotten Protest: Ireland and the Anglo-Boer War</a>" by Donal P. McCracken. It had a bunch of stuff on my great-great-grandfather so I tracked down the author, a professor who specializes in the history of the Irish in South Africa and through our correspondence I learned some more. Before long the rest of the family were adding to the conversation and that's how I learned what I wrote here. If you'd like a more factual account, I suggest reading the book!<br />
<br />
**I would like to go on record saying that this is not genetic. My baking is fantastic. Anyone who has had my chocolate cake with mocha frosting can confirm that my baking will make you cry tears of joy.<br />
<br />
***No one actually said any of this, I'm paraphrasing. <br />
<br />
**** It was pretty much a worldwide open forum for every young man with a yearning to punch the British right the nuts. Americans, Russians, Germans, they all came over here to fight.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-87422394121196876142013-07-30T20:01:00.000+02:002013-07-30T20:06:04.867+02:00The Fun in FuneralFor someone who doesn't like funerals, I've sure been to a lot.<br />
<br />
It's not that I have a particularly big family, it's just that I keep having less as time goes by. I have now carried the coffins of my grandmother, my mother, my father and this week, my grandfather. Always a pallbearer, never a corpse...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oX8UEuvmkhk/Uff9Nd4mVuI/AAAAAAAABaU/Td8_l_1QUOs/s1600/Jong+Oupa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oX8UEuvmkhk/Uff9Nd4mVuI/AAAAAAAABaU/Td8_l_1QUOs/s400/Jong+Oupa.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would rather remember him as young and strong than as old and frail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My grandpa died at the ripe old age of 94 and 10 months and I'm still in a bit of shock over it. It didn't matter how old he got, on some level I always thought he would live forever. This one cut deeper than I thought it would. He was the last parental figure I had left. I don't think there is anyone else now who cares how I turn out or what I do with my life and that leaves me feeling so empty. All I have now is the sadness of his passing. And the regrets. So many regrets... I regret all the times I didn't call, I regret all the times I didn't make the time to talk to him, I regret all the worry I caused him, I regret not being someone he could be proud of. In his death I see mirrored all my failings, every standard I failed to live up to, all the goals I never reached. I think it's all the shame that blindsided me. All the times I didn't call him because I knew he would ask about my life and I was too ashamed to tell him the truth so I never did and I never called and now I will never get to again.<br />
<br />
My grandpa deserved a much better eldest grandson than the one he got.<br />
<br />
At least he had a lot to be grateful for. He lived for almost a century and gathered so much love along the way. He had a long, happy marriage, children who loved him (of which he outlived only one) and a whole lot of grandchildren who are almost all prosperous, well adjusted and happily married adults now. He even got to meet some of his great grandchildren which is more than most people can say I guess. His mind stayed sharp his entire life and apart from his sight and hearing going by the end, he was in pretty good health. He even kept all his hair!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FKjTpuHXEYY/Uff9cDJZTnI/AAAAAAAABac/vRv7JeLiBgs/s1600/Oupa&Ouma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FKjTpuHXEYY/Uff9cDJZTnI/AAAAAAAABac/vRv7JeLiBgs/s400/Oupa&Ouma.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah that's me back when I was still cute...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At least the day wasn't just memorable for its sadness. There was also some weirdness and some laughs, though now that I'm about to write it down I don't think you'll laugh...<br />
<br />
At the grave there was this old guy in a suit and he was hugging and kissing everyone hello and leaning on my cousin all the way to the gravesite. I never saw him before so I just assumed he was a far off family member I've never met. Apparently so did everyone else. He wasn't though, turns out no one knew him! He was just a random stranger who showed up to a funeral to touch people. And by touch I mean physically, not emotionally. Just to be clear, he didn't do anything inappropriate. Maybe he was just a lonely old man looking for some human contact. That, or he was just a really weird pervert who gets off on consoling young ladies at funerals. I guess we'll never know...<br />
<br />
I also learned that the graveyard itself is segregated not only by race but also by faith and denomination. I can only guess that this was masterminded by the department of applied theology so that come the Ressurection we can finally know which church had it right all along! Telling people "I told you so!" before they go to eternal damnation is half the fun!<br />
<br />
Also, just out of curiosity, how hard is it to be buried as a Jew? The Jewish section was by far the part of the graveyard in the best condition. I'm thinking that's the place to be after death! <br />
<br />
The service was at the same place I had my last <a href="http://skepticmystic.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-awesome-pentecostal-sunday.html">fun Pentecostal adventure</a> a year ago and it certainly didn't disappoint. The pastor managed to tone down the crazy at least though he did brandish an "authentic" shepherd's crook from the Holy Land at one point. He also managed get through an entire sermon without including any stories of his battles against the forces of Satan! Still, it could just be me but the choice of "The Lord is my Shepherd" did seem a tad odd. The entire service was wall to wall sheep anecdotes which is weird for a funeral because we all know what happens to a sheep once its life ends and it's never pretty...<br />
<br />
I also got some fun pamphlets! I got one on homosexuality which laid out the case for homosexuality being an abomination and a sin but at least it did include a small paragraph outlining the four simple steps to curing homosexuality. It's in Afrikaans so if you're gay and were hoping to pray it away but can't read Afrikaans then I apologize to you dear reader. You're just going to have to stay gay.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v0jeyDzl5ao/Uff7wy1hEOI/AAAAAAAABaA/Cb9g2UrSBr0/s1600/Praythegayaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v0jeyDzl5ao/Uff7wy1hEOI/AAAAAAAABaA/Cb9g2UrSBr0/s320/Praythegayaway.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
<br />
There was also a pamphlet on tithes and offerings which was basically just four pages of emotional blackmail to squeeze more cash out of congregants as well as little envelopes labeled ""Aircon" fund". Not sure if it's a case of unnecessary quotation marks or if "Aircon" is what the pastor calls his new boat...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ile5KOH_CP0/Uff8KBspI7I/AAAAAAAABaI/zzcSsz_B5GE/s1600/Aircon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ile5KOH_CP0/Uff8KBspI7I/AAAAAAAABaI/zzcSsz_B5GE/s320/Aircon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
If I seem extra hard on the church for the finance stuff, it's because I'm more than a little pissed off about the way the church treated the funeral. My grandfather was a lifelong, committed Christian. He gave his time, energy and money to the the church for as long as he lived and yet when he died, the church acted more like a business than like a family. We were charged for the sermon, there was a fee to open the church, there was a catering fee, etc, etc, etc.<br />
<br />
But I'm not going to end this on a bitter note. If you managed to read this far, congratulations, I know I've been all over the place. That's kind of what my insides look like right now though. It's pretty messy. Despite all the sadness I am also left with love. I loved my grandfather and I know he loved me. When I speak of shame and regret, I need to be clear, he did not force those onto me. He was never anything but kind, loving and interested in my life. All the bad stuff I'm left with now spring from how I responded to that over the years. So let that be a lesson to you. If you have loved ones, let them in. Let them know you, let them be a part of your life. I can't tell you that it will make everything better. I can just tell you that the alternative feels so much worse.<br />
<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-1148499903189536002013-06-05T22:06:00.004+02:002013-06-05T22:13:08.944+02:00Different WorldsMen and women live in different worlds. I'm not referring to that Mars/Venus thing, that's bullshit. We are all on the same planet, we're just not entirely in the same world. I'll let Louis CK explain.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y4LkrQCyIz8" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
See that was funny but also sad, because it's true. I'm sorry to say it took me way longer to catch on to that than it should have. I remember what finally opened my eyes. I forget who said it but I read that what men fear most from the opposite sex is getting laughed at, while what women fear from the opposite sex is getting raped or killed. I read that and it hit me like a lightning bolt. I don't live in the same world women live in. I can walk down the same street as a woman but our experience of it can be so different we may as well be in two different places. I'm a big, scary looking guy so when I walk down the street people leave me alone. No matter where I go or what time I go there, at most I might worry about getting my wallet stolen. I never have to worry about getting raped* or cornered by someone who won't stop hassling me and I most certainly never have to worry about total strangers throwing lewd comments my way. No woman has that luxury. We can share the same space and time but we do not share the same experience.<br />
<br />
I'm a guy, so I live a privileged life. I'm privileged because I never even have to think about any of that stuff. My life is just easier than hers by default when it comes to this. To me, a guy hitting on me on the bus is <a href="http://skepticmystic.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-queer-thing-happened-on-bus.html">a funny story I can blog about</a>. For a woman, being stuck in a crowded metal tube with a guy that won't take a hint can be anything but funny.<br />
<br />
So now what? What do I do after coming to this realization? Well, truth be told I don't have it all figured out just yet. I do think reminding myself of this reality is necessary so I don't unthinkingly belittle those who experience this world differently from me. I try to be more considerate of their experience. I try to just be more considerate in general.<br />
<br />
For instance, this week I was walking to the store as I usually do. My route takes me along this big vacant lot. It's a quiet little side street bordered by this overgrown field with nothing in it but long grass and two horses and it stretches for almost an entire block. Anyway on this occasion I noticed there was a teenage girl a couple of meters ahead of me. Didn't pay her any mind, I was listening to my iPod and planning my purchases for dinner, but I did realize after a few minutes that she kept glancing over her shoulder and walking as fast as she possibly could. Now I could have just rolled my eyes and called her silly for acting that way because I'm a nice guy and I wasn't going to do anything to her and how dare she treat me like a potential rapist? But I didn't do any of that. This is South Africa, really terrible things happen to young girls in vacant lots <i>all the time</i>. She had every right to be wary of me. So I slowed my pace, crossed the street and hoped that would make her feel a little bit safer. I don't know if it did. I don't know if it was the best course of action. All I know is that it was certainly better than doing nothing and it really cost me nothing at all.<br />
<br />
I know I can't change the world. I know I can't undo an epidemic of violence against women as old as our species. But I have to do something. I have to try. Even if I don't know exactly what to do yet, at least I can try to be more accommodating and compassionate. Anything, no matter how small must be better than living blinded by privilege and doing nothing at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<br />
*Yes, I know men get raped too. Not denying that. I'm just saying that getting raped is quite literally the furthest thing from my mind if I walk into a dark parking structure.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-35164572390051369302013-05-30T16:24:00.002+02:002013-05-30T16:24:47.916+02:00Demon Possession Made Easy<a href="http://scotteriology.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/doorways-to-demonic-possession/">Via Scotteriology</a>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UiA3UmUljLc/Uade5u6ZrUI/AAAAAAAABY8/dntkhsjQtuM/s1600/3lVcc0D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UiA3UmUljLc/Uade5u6ZrUI/AAAAAAAABY8/dntkhsjQtuM/s640/3lVcc0D.jpg" width="587" /></a></div>
<br />
This list is like the Oprah of demon possession! You get a demon! You get a demon! Everybody gets a demon! According to this list I have about 8 demonic doorways into my life*. How did you score?<br />
<br />
Seriously though, Vampirism? Lycanthropy? LEVITATION? Do I really have to explain to adult humans that those things aren't real? Good grief Charismatic Christians, you know I love you but you guys are gullible as fuck! I'm not saying you are fucking stupid if you believe in this. I'm just saying that if someone concluded you were fucking stupid for believing vegetarianism makes you demon possessed I wouldn't blame them for reaching that conclusion!<br />
<br />
Also just FYI - those Bible verses at the bottom doesn't actually relate to most things on that list! <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
*********************************************************************************</div>
*Not going to tell you but you're free to guess!Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-12723919575815832292013-05-27T20:33:00.002+02:002013-05-27T20:38:22.377+02:00Passing the Persecution Envy TorchI've written more than once about the strange phenomenon called <a href="http://skepticmystic.blogspot.com/2009/01/persecution-envy.html">Persecution Envy</a>:<br />
<br />
<i>"Persecution Envy (not to be confused with Jihad Envy) is a mutant strain
of Christian Reality Denial Disease (CRDD). It causes some of the most
fortunate, prosperous and free (aka blessed) people in the world to
imagine that they are being discriminated against, persecuted and
oppressed."</i><br />
<br />
Now it seems the torch is being passed to the next generation. Behold, The Thaw: <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DYaJjiHr4rs" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
There is so much wrong here. I thought about debunking the many false claims that video makes but a blog isn't really the best forum for that. I could try an point out all the misinformation, half truths and blatant lies in that video but I think it may be more productive to talk about the deeper issue at play here. It seems to me that these well off, well fed, un-imprisoned kids with the freedom to discuss their beliefs in a public forum are suffering from a severe lack of empathy.<br />
<br />
I may be just a simple seminary dropout but I seem to remember the guy Christianity is named for saying something along the lines of, <i>"Do to others as you would have them do to you."</i> Which is pretty much a statement about empathy is it not? So then I don't think I would be unreasonable to expect Christians to have some empathy. And yet, we all just saw that video.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IVJNGubcSP0/SWXWFw-u9lI/AAAAAAAAAS4/aq9p_fZnctk/s1600/not-persecuted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IVJNGubcSP0/SWXWFw-u9lI/AAAAAAAAAS4/aq9p_fZnctk/s400/not-persecuted.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
<br />
They make a lot of false claims in that video: that they're not allowed to pray or read the Bible or talk about Jesus in school. Even I - a filthy foreigner from the 3rd world - knows that is just blatantly false. They can do all those things. What's forbidden is for the school to tell you <i>what</i> to pray and <i>who</i> to pray to. This is a pretty reasonable rule, unless of course you are completely devoid of empathy, like these kids (and the adults who made them this way). Instead of being grateful for the protection of such a common sense rule, they seem to be deeply offended that they are not allowed to impose their beliefs on everyone else. But what if the shoe was on the other foot?<br />
<br />
What if school prayer was brought back, except it's Catholic prayers to the Virgin Mary, and you're a Baptist and you believe that's idolatry? What if Scripture reading was mandatory but the Scripture in question was the Book of Mormon? What if the God in your history books was Allah? Does that still sound like something you would want, entitled young Christian? No of course it isn't! You'd be feeling very oppressed and persecuted indeed <i>and you would be right!!</i> You would be oppressed, that really would be religious persecution! <br />
<br />
So why would you want to do that to others then? Shouldn't you rather offer them the freedom you would like offered to you? No one is taking your freedom, please stop campaigning to take the freedom from everyone else. Come on, it's the Golden Rule! How can you hate it?<br />
<br />
So, just one more time:<br />
<br />
Are you free to do business? Are you free to take part in your
country’s political system? Are you free to share your opinion in the
press? Are your children welcomed in public schools? Are you able to
work? Are you free to go to the church of your choice? Are you able to
freely purchase and read a Bible? Do you have free access to Christian
radio and television broadcasts? If you answered “yes” to these
questions then you are most certainly not being persecuted. If you
answered no you may want to consider moving.<br />
<br />
Does your government
ever raid your church? Are you forced by law to meet in secret? Are
you in any danger of being shipped off to a
concentration/internment/”re-education” camp for your religious beliefs?
Are you forbidden to vote or run for office due to your religious
beliefs? Are you legally forbidden from raising complaints about
government policies? If you answered “no” to these questions then you
are definitely <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> being persecuted.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nCK_YKTVTD4/SWXV-bQxILI/AAAAAAAAASw/v8yWaZsaOjk/s1600/cuethepitchartangz4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nCK_YKTVTD4/SWXV-bQxILI/AAAAAAAAASw/v8yWaZsaOjk/s320/cuethepitchartangz4.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-40671269709586788692013-05-19T15:40:00.000+02:002013-05-19T15:40:01.498+02:00The Psycho God TestLets do a quick thought experiment.<br />
<br />
You're sitting at home, enjoying dinner with your family when suddenly a SWAT team bursts though the doors and windows. They grab your mother and beat her do a bloody pulp with their nightsticks right there in front of her family. Then they drag her outside and kick her until she loses consciousness after which one of the officers takes out his gun and shoots her in the back of the head. Traumatized and horrified by what just happened, you ask "WHY?! Why did you do this?" The officer closest to you tells you, "Because we found out she had been gossiping".<br />
<br />
What is your response? Do you say:<br />
<br />
A - "Oh, right that does make sense. We warned her that gossip was really bad. I'm sad of course but she brought this on herself"<br />
<br />
OR<br />
<br />
B - "ARE YOU INSANE?! HOW DOES THE FACT THAT SHE GOSSIPED MAKE THIS OK?? WHAT KIND OF PSYCHOTIC LUNATIC WOULD THINK THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT FOR GOSSIP?!"<br />
<br />
So which did you choose? Did you pick B? I hope you picked B, that was the only remotely sane option. In fact I hope everyone would pick B. Problem is, not everyone does. A lot of people have to choose A because they believe that option A is the right, kind and loving option. Despite any and all internal struggles this might provoke, they will have to pretend that is the right option, the good option. They will have to do that because they are Christians and this is what they believe about their God.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kOapP9o6pps/UZjOeuItpdI/AAAAAAAABYY/TxRUu5vPDVw/s1600/1084_12.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kOapP9o6pps/UZjOeuItpdI/AAAAAAAABYY/TxRUu5vPDVw/s1600/1084_12.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption"><a href="http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1084/1084_01.asp">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That is a panel from a Chick tract aimed at children to teach them about heaven, hell and salvation. See all the things that disqualify one for heaven? Dirty thoughts, hate, gossip, lies, revenge and cruelty. None of those are particularly nice but do you consider any of those unforgivable? Do you consider those to be grounds for eternal torture? I know I'm using a Chick tract here but this isn't some crazy fringe notion. While not every Christian denomination believes this, a great many do. Since earliest childhood this has been the message I've gotten in church - all sins are equally bad therefore doing even the most minor thing wrong makes you a sinner unworthy of God and deserving only of eternal torture in Hell. Stealing a paperclip and killing someone is equally sinful. There are no white lies, only lies. Dirty thoughts make you as guilty before God as dirty deeds would. For a great example of this kind of reasoning, check out The Way of the Master's famous "<a href="http://www.wayofthemaster.com/goodperson.shtml">Are you a good person?</a>" evangelical tool.<br />
<br />
So yeah, this is really what millions of Christians believe. Funny thing, this is not what millions of Christians actually practice. I'd like to think that most of them would read my little thought experiment and agree that yes, this is an insane way to react to something as insignificant as gossip. This is because they go through their lives able to forgive small offenses. Hell, they might even consider some offenses too small to actually count as offenses! Isn't it odd how people can be more merciful, more kind, more loving and more forgiving than the perfectly merciful, kind, loving and forgiving God they pray to? Somehow millions of people manage to be more moral than the alleged source of their morality. <br />
<br />
If you wouldn't kill someone for saying a bad word, or for that matter <i>thinking</i> it, doesn't that make you better than a God who would? Eternal torture for inconsequential, temporal wrongdoing seems like something only an insane psychopath would do because<i> it is</i> something only an insane psychopath would do. Deep down, you know it's true.<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-71931169918349350732013-05-04T22:53:00.001+02:002013-05-04T22:55:30.001+02:00God loves you but His angels could take you or leave you!You really can't trust angels. OK maybe that's a little harsh. Maybe you can totally trust an angel with a loan or something. What you can't trust them with is their JOB. A full three quarters of them are just going to blow it completely! Or at least, that's the impression I got from this new Chick tract called: <a href="http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1026/1026_01.asp">Four Angels?</a><br />
<br />
If you thought Jack Chick's views on Christianity made no sense then I'm about to prove you right! I've been in some weird churches in my life but this here is some Grade A crazy! Buckle up! Here we go!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SiLTBc7jijo/UYUtE_wgriI/AAAAAAAABTM/KbVpjT_suqM/s1600/1026_02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SiLTBc7jijo/UYUtE_wgriI/AAAAAAAABTM/KbVpjT_suqM/s1600/1026_02.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Meet the Sawyer family. Well, most of them. Pappa Sawyer is basically an extra with no lines in this story. Frank, Bobby, Charlie and Henry are going spend the rest of this tract living the <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:1-9&version=NIV">Parable of the sower</a>. Spoiler Alert - this is really only going to work out well for one of the Sawyers...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3lqT60Lbk3Q/UYUuS-ueFEI/AAAAAAAABTY/SJoU24S3uOc/s1600/1026_03.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3lqT60Lbk3Q/UYUuS-ueFEI/AAAAAAAABTY/SJoU24S3uOc/s1600/1026_03.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Now meet the titular four angels (they don't get names). One of them is there on a mission from God! The other three, not sure. Maybe they thought they were going on a beer run or something and got tricked into coming to the Revival meeting just like the Sawyers! As the rest of the tract will show, they're clearly not here because they're heavily invested in the whole "angel" thing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jq-IazZeCcQ/UYUvru5r5OI/AAAAAAAABTo/_RcVWb1tcaw/s1600/1026_04.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jq-IazZeCcQ/UYUvru5r5OI/AAAAAAAABTo/_RcVWb1tcaw/s1600/1026_04.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yR2swim6f2c/UYUvt22JaUI/AAAAAAAABTw/wVyEkyDBpIk/s1600/1026_05.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yR2swim6f2c/UYUvt22JaUI/AAAAAAAABTw/wVyEkyDBpIk/s1600/1026_05.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Henry's angel is the one with a mission so he's the one taking the whole "guardian angel" thing seriously. His job is to keep Henry safe so he takes on that snake like a damn honeybadger! In case you were interested, Hebrews 1:14 reads <i>"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"</i> As this tract will go on to demonstrate, the answer (at least according to Jack Chick) is a resounding "Eh, not so much".<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2uoJIk6zlsU/UYUynw1QTcI/AAAAAAAABUE/_y4CEwypF9w/s1600/1026_06.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2uoJIk6zlsU/UYUynw1QTcI/AAAAAAAABUE/_y4CEwypF9w/s1600/1026_06.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ffKUfQsjkg8/UYUys0BK7iI/AAAAAAAABUM/QugAcatpsXM/s1600/1026_07.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ffKUfQsjkg8/UYUys0BK7iI/AAAAAAAABUM/QugAcatpsXM/s1600/1026_07.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Real True Christians know that the best thing for a small child is to tell them they are terrible and that they deserve to be tortured for endless eons. Fear is the path to the Dark Side and also to Jesus it seems!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cX8r4Jl61dQ/UYU10S4PiII/AAAAAAAABUc/E8x2nKR6aas/s1600/1026_08.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cX8r4Jl61dQ/UYU10S4PiII/AAAAAAAABUc/E8x2nKR6aas/s1600/1026_08.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oIIdSS2FF2M/UYU12c63VJI/AAAAAAAABUk/iakUYNgxYPk/s1600/1026_09.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oIIdSS2FF2M/UYU12c63VJI/AAAAAAAABUk/iakUYNgxYPk/s1600/1026_09.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
See? Little Henry doesn't convert because he loves Jesus or because he finds the Gospel compelling or because he desires God in any way. Little Henry converts because he is crap-your-pants terrified of going to Hell. As we go on you'll see that this is not a bug, it's a feature. Of course, as the highlighted text points out, you're out of luck here if you don't get the "believe in your heart" thing just right. As a child this kept me constantly doubting my own salvation and led to many a "re-dedication". As the Slacktivist recently pointed out, I wasn't alone in this, it's <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2013/05/02/trinity-broadcasting-celebrates-3249-years-of-evangelistic-success/">how Evangelicals do business</a>. Can you see the complete lack of enthusiasm in the other 3 angels? Clearly they were told there would be cake! Instead they're saddled with a job they have no enthusiasm for.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l47evp2HGYc/UYU50XSdb_I/AAAAAAAABU0/qYgnnk4UWRY/s1600/1026_10.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l47evp2HGYc/UYU50XSdb_I/AAAAAAAABU0/qYgnnk4UWRY/s1600/1026_10.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_fQITvlgwU/UYU53EMEcPI/AAAAAAAABU8/9FdTIOPW08M/s1600/1026_11.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_fQITvlgwU/UYU53EMEcPI/AAAAAAAABU8/9FdTIOPW08M/s1600/1026_11.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Poor Frank! Because his guardian angel couldn't be bothered to call shotgun, he ends up getting chatted up by a devil while the angel rides in the back making his best <a href="http://imgur.com/r/community/3GbMeDM">judgy face</a>. Frank ends up hellbound because his guardian angel couldn't make five minutes worth of effort to help him out while being mentally assaulted by a demon. Here's the thing though, none of this makes any sense. Frank leaves the faith because a devil convinces him he looks stupid and his girl would leave him. Frank then continues to live a life of outward piety and Christianity. So what exactly changed? Frank doesn't want people to think he's a Christian and yet anyone looking on who wasn't a mind reader would mistake Frank for a committed Christian who loves the Lord. Also it couldn't have been that offensive to his girlfriend because she seems to be his wife now and sitting next to him and their kids in church. This is the kind of nonsensical content that makes me believe that Jack Chick lives in a dark basement somewhere and that he's never actually met <i>people</i>. This is not how people react when they reject the Gospel. This is not how anyone acts. Anyway, clearly Frank here is supposed to illustrate the idea that doing the right thing doesn't matter, only believing the right thing on the inside matters.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hGweIHkmwIc/UYU9jmqRJQI/AAAAAAAABVM/WseqJ_CIdGA/s1600/1026_12.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hGweIHkmwIc/UYU9jmqRJQI/AAAAAAAABVM/WseqJ_CIdGA/s1600/1026_12.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zAxlv5cpTUY/UYU9lCAifnI/AAAAAAAABVU/3ane4m3yMng/s1600/1026_13.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zAxlv5cpTUY/UYU9lCAifnI/AAAAAAAABVU/3ane4m3yMng/s1600/1026_13.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
The same thing happens with Bobby. He is forced to abandon his Christian faith in order to make it at work. He then goes on to practice his Christian faith outwardly exactly as before. So what changed? Is his boss a mind reader? Can the CEO of his company measure the faith in your heart come promotion time? I guess he can, otherwise this entire story would make zero amount of sense. Well, that's 2 angels back in heaven, breathing sighs of relief at the snack table. They didn't put in a whole lot of effort but then again, they clearly weren't planning to. Now we move on to brother Charlie. Charlie gets to be the one thing Jack Chick hates more than Satanists and Homosexuals - a preacher who tells people that God is love. There's an entire tract just about that called <a href="http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0095/0095_01.asp">Reverend Wonderful</a> (which I'm pretty sure is based on Billy Graham, but I can't prove it...)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1dzQkZ3vXbU/UYVKGVUbvtI/AAAAAAAABVk/EFnNEM-Acfk/s1600/1026_13.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ng6X3jEZojM/UYVKKboc7QI/AAAAAAAABVs/fcxbeCOiJeo/s1600/1026_14.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ng6X3jEZojM/UYVKKboc7QI/AAAAAAAABVs/fcxbeCOiJeo/s1600/1026_14.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
So how did the good Reverend manage to drive off his personal angel? He looked at porn, which it turns out is angel kryptonite. Turns out a Playboy is the equivalent of an exorcism for angels. It's weird, angels are immortal spiritual beings who have been watching over humanity for their entire history. That's thousands of years of seeing people get naked, even if you're a Young Earth Creationist. But some boobs in a magazine just makes an angel go "I've seen enough" and run home? Sure... Anyway, now you know - choking the chicken chokes the word!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lgQ9Hy4mHAE/UYVTOITu84I/AAAAAAAABV8/2Qll_D2QKe8/s1600/1026_15.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lgQ9Hy4mHAE/UYVTOITu84I/AAAAAAAABV8/2Qll_D2QKe8/s1600/1026_15.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Anyway so Charlie is a typical sleazy Televangelist, exactly like all the other Evangelical sleazebags. Well... Not exactly... Quick, off the top of your head name me five Mega church pastors! Easy right? It doesn't matter what you believe, these ministries are so obnoxiously big you know about them whether you want to or not. OK, now name me one Christian Mega Ministry attended by people of all faiths. I'll wait. Can't do it, can you? That's not a real thing that exists in our world. They may be sleazy, they may be greedy, they may be telling you whatever you want to hear, but at no point in history has any Christian Megachurch ever been frequented by Muslims, Hindus and Jews. Jack Chick doesn't <a href="http://skepticmystic.blogspot.com/2012/01/us-them-here-not-here-language-lesson.html">understand the basics of the English Language</a>. To him the world is made up of Real Christians and Everyone Else and therefore Everyone Else must basically be all on the same team.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BJ4wcwY-2z0/UYVWFmOu2dI/AAAAAAAABWM/gudFaYUbv-0/s1600/1026_16.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BJ4wcwY-2z0/UYVWFmOu2dI/AAAAAAAABWM/gudFaYUbv-0/s1600/1026_16.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oi2Mx94fNfo/UYVWISaTfMI/AAAAAAAABWU/8kBdf0BO8yI/s1600/1026_17.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oi2Mx94fNfo/UYVWISaTfMI/AAAAAAAABWU/8kBdf0BO8yI/s1600/1026_17.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Now we return to little Henry. No longer little but still somehow sporting a band-aid on his face. Henry is the success story and no wonder since he's the one who got the guardian angel who actually cares about his job. Like a teacher that refuses to give up on a tough class, this angel has been working hard through the years, watching Henry's back and not giving up at the first sign of trouble like his 3 friends. As a result, Henry is a committed Christian who has more compassion for the lost than 75% of God's own angels. His guardian angel didn't quit on him and likewise he doesn't quit on the needy, even if the going is tough. Henry is a good egg.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-26VD3l_7p64/UYVrkhjdqwI/AAAAAAAABWk/-FMeEa-28vE/s1600/1026_18.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-26VD3l_7p64/UYVrkhjdqwI/AAAAAAAABWk/-FMeEa-28vE/s1600/1026_18.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Or maybe not. Here Henry decides to interpret Scripture as literally as possible in order to be as big a dick as possible to his famous brother. Now I share Henry's deep and passionate dislike of sleazy Televangelists but isn't there an off chance that he would have been able to get through to his brother if he didn't just start acting like a huge fizzy douche right out the gate?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pspc8RnUOKg/UYVsLMJ802I/AAAAAAAABWs/SUfmuKsYcLM/s1600/1026_19.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pspc8RnUOKg/UYVsLMJ802I/AAAAAAAABWs/SUfmuKsYcLM/s1600/1026_19.gif" /></a></div>
Like I said, it's not that I disagree with Henry here on principle - exploitative megachurch pastors are the scum of the earth - but wow, he is not as great at picking damning Scriptures as he thinks he is. Here is the entire verse of Jeremiah 48:10 <i>"Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, <b>and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.</b>"</i> Yeah, that verse isn't about telling preachers not telling folks they're going to hell, it's about God ordering the bloody destruction of Moab. Just sayin'... As for the quote from James, well that one is just sad. In a modern English translation, that one reads <i>"But if you show <b>favoritism</b>, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers."</i> It has nothing to do with having respect for people, it's about favoritism. That's what happens when you read a translation from the 1600 as if it's exactly the same thing as modern English - you end up looking like a bit of a twat. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dOxmMnDC5u8/UYVsPzfTPOI/AAAAAAAABW4/NpylpsTqw5o/s1600/1026_20.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dOxmMnDC5u8/UYVsPzfTPOI/AAAAAAAABW4/NpylpsTqw5o/s1600/1026_20.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Brother Charlie has been telling that God loves them instead of scaring them towards salvation with threats of hellfire. Since this is a Chick tract, this probably won't end well for Charlie...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELvf40C0A9o/UYVxJ-VfwQI/AAAAAAAABXE/5EMp4WajBxY/s1600/1026_21.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELvf40C0A9o/UYVxJ-VfwQI/AAAAAAAABXE/5EMp4WajBxY/s1600/1026_21.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RWtH4oyzqiE/UYVxLZJEwbI/AAAAAAAABXM/CbB1D8s-khw/s1600/1026_22.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RWtH4oyzqiE/UYVxLZJEwbI/AAAAAAAABXM/CbB1D8s-khw/s1600/1026_22.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Suckers! They gambled on God being progressive, kind and loving and it cost them dearly. They should have listened to that fire & brimstone preacher in the tent - God will happily have you tortured for uncountable billions of years for not really truly believing in the Gospel! (In a Chick tract, He will...) The porn was just the sin cherry on the sin sundae!<br />
<br />
I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours but if this tract is right, 75% of converts will end up in hell because three quarters of the angels just can't be bothered to help out. Be honest, those other 3 angels were kind of dicks amirite? Mull that over while brother Butler plays us out!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UIJjYt-IBmE" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dOxmMnDC5u8/UYVsPzfTPOI/AAAAAAAABW0/8eazQqfDJpA/s1600/1026_20.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-80054745248457119862013-04-13T12:59:00.003+02:002013-04-13T12:59:36.331+02:00That should have been your first clueI know I'm over a decade late to the party but I recently discovered the delightful British series <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118363/">Jonathan Creek</a>. On the bright side, being late to the party means I get to watch the whole series on youtube for free! For those unfamiliar with the show, it's about a man who devises illusions for a stage magician for a living who uses his skills and insights to solve crimes that appear to have been impossible. If you're into skepticism and/or the very charming Alan Davies I strongly recommend watching it. It frequently demonstrates how the truth behind an astonishing mystery can be incredibly mundane so if you want to believe that magic tricks are really magic, this may not be your kind of show...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FjxZRVIFz0Y/UWktRmQjisI/AAAAAAAABSg/Hdg8Y_r95_U/s1600/Jonathan+Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FjxZRVIFz0Y/UWktRmQjisI/AAAAAAAABSg/Hdg8Y_r95_U/s1600/Jonathan+Creek.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So while watching one of the episodes, an off hand comment by one of the characters made me realize that there is an incredibly banal truth behind the very popular supernatural belief in reincarnation. In the season 2 episode "Danse Macabre" the victim of a baffling murder is said to have been working on her autobiography - or rather her <i>autobiographies</i> - an account of her many lives throughout the ages. They included: <i>"high priestess of the Aztec Empire... a courtesan to King Charles I, a Russian Countess and a Zulu at <span class="st">Rorke's Drift</span>."</i><br />
<br />
I've been fascinated by the supernatural since childhood and read anything I could find on the subject* and this seemed exactly like everything anyone claiming to remember their "past lives" has ever said. It's the weirdest thing when you think about it, how these previous incarnations are always incredibly significant. People were either very important historical figures or they were somehow connected to important historical figures and events. How strange, seeing as the vast majority of people throughout history were neither important nor involved with anything important. For most of history people were born, worked hard, lived lives devoid of comfort or importance and then died. Yet funnily enough, you never seem to hear anyone with a past life being any of those people! No one remembers a past life where they toiled hard, lived off turnips and died young because the most cutting edge medical procedure of the time was getting bled to death. Nope, it's always kings and queens and courtesans it seems! What are the odds?<br />
<br />
Uncomfortable truth time, how important are you? I know we all get told from childhood that we are special little snowflakes and that our lives have much importance and meaning, but does it? Really? I'm not trying to insult you and I'm not insinuating that your life is meaningless. Obviously if you are reading this blog you are an amazing and intelligent person with a sensitive soul and a great sense of humour! Your closest friends and family would no doubt agree that you are totally awesome. However, in the grand scheme of things, how important do you think you are? Will people be reading about you in a 100 years? How about your friends and associates? Will they be famous centuries from now? Will your work be discussed in Universities one day?<br />
<br />
Several important events happened within my lifetime: Elvis died, ABBA broke up, John Lennon was assassinated, George Lucas created and subsequently destroyed several million happy childhood memories, the Berlin Wall came down, the Soviet Union collapsed, Apartheid ended and Lady Gaga was born. I didn't play any part in any of those events. It's a fair bet that you didn't either. Not everyone gets to do something significant with our lives. That doesn't mean we don't wish it wasn't so.<br />
<br />
There is a reason that almost all works of fantasy involve someone plucked from obscurity and turned into someone of great importance. I think all nobodies wish they were somebodies. Who doesn't dream of being discovered and appreciated and admired and remembered? I suspect this kind of dream, this deep wish for specialness, lives inside us all. Therefore the fact that all past life experiences are so special and significant is the only clue you need to figure out that past lives are bullshit. There are no past lives, just current wish fulfillment. <br />
<br />
No matter how much you dream of being special, the cold reality of your life can't be shut out forever. Reincarnation is however a great way of overcoming reality. Maybe you're not so amazing NOW but what if you were incredibly special in a past life (or ten)? Surely that could mean that you might end up being incredibly important in some other life in the future!<br />
<br />
I'm something of a dreamer myself so I completely understand the allure. But that doesn't make it true. You can't make yourself special by wishing it so. Burying yourself in fantasy is comfortable but it's also a little dangerous. After all, if you're reading this you're probably not dead so your story isn't over yet. History is not done with you, maybe you turn out to be more significant than you could even dream. Who knows how your story is going to play out in the end? You're not a Pharaoh or a High Priest or a brave knight. You are you. Why not make the best of it?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
*It led to many tearful repentance sessions and the occasional book burning since by even reading about the occult I was opening myself to Satan's influence. If you didn't grow up Pentecostal or Charismatic that wouldn't mean anything to you but trust me, it was a big deal!Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064729025510181487.post-44094990847212130382013-03-21T17:58:00.004+02:002013-03-21T22:26:56.308+02:00What is Wrong with Rights?Today is Human Rights Day which is great because it's a public holiday. There is however the fact that the words "human rights" still conjure up a vague sense of unease within me is keeping me from enjoying it as much as I should. This is not OK. I was raised to have a negative view of human rights and this needs to stop right now so today I'm going to try to dig this thing up by the root!<br />
<br />
I think part of the problem was that I was never really clear on <i>why</i> human rights were supposed to be bad. For as long as I can remember people in church only mentioned human rights in a derisive manner. Much like "humanism" or "compromise" it was a term that everyone apparently just understood was a bad thing, no explanation necessary. So that was all I knew. Human rights were bad. Actually all rights were bad - Human rights, Children's rights, Animal rights - all of them. Good Christians were supposed to be against having rights. Having rights were bad, you were supposed to "give up your rights". Again, no idea why, it's just something good Christians were supposed to believe. Lest you think I was just in some weird cult, this happens all over. Not only do certain American Christians <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2011/07/childrens-rights.html">oppose Children's rights</a>, they even actively oppose <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2012/12/06/evangelicals-vs-persons-with-disabilities-the-real-dangers-of-fighting-against-imaginary-monsters/">giving rights to the disabled</a>. This isn't just something my weird little pentecostal church taught, this is something Christians all over the world believe. But why?<br />
<br />
Well for the first time in my life I looked up the actual <a href="http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml">Universal Declaration of Human Rights</a> and I have to say, it was no help at all! Everything on there seemed like a great idea! I see nothing in it that could be scary in any way, except perhaps if you were a running an oppressive dictatorship.<br />
<br />
So I've been scouring my memory banks and came up with two possible reasons I was supposed to consider human rights a bad thing:<br />
<br />
Rights lead to entitlement! I distinctly remember one sermon in the student church I attended making the case that we should abandon human <i>rights</i> and instead adopt human <i>responsibility</i>. See having <i>rights</i> make you entitled and lazy and prevents you from taking the <i>responsibility</i> to help yourself. This makes total sense right up until you actually read up on what human rights actually entail at which point it stops making any sense at all. This is just one more nasty offspring from the union of Christianity with political conservatism. There is this deep seated aversion to people getting good things they didn't earn themselves which is pretty ironic considering the basic tenets of Christian Theology... Any mention of human rights also tended to get rather vitriolic when it was regarding the rights of a criminal. This of course isn't confined to church, this happens everywhere. Everyone seems to get really upset at the idea that a suspected criminal could have rights under the law, and I certainly understand that impulse. However this too shows both complete ignorance of what human rights actually entail and a staggering lack of empathy. You don't think criminals should have rights? What if you were accused of a crime? Should <i>you</i> get to have rights? Yes? Well then, maybe having basic human rights isn't the worst thing in the world!<br />
<br />
Rights are a conspiracy! If you want to understand Evangelical Christians you need to understand End Times paranoia. Really if you only have the time to learn ONE THING about Christians, learn this because it colours the world of Christendom more than any other doctrine. What Christians believe about the end of the world determines how they relate to the other groups, international relations, climate change and everything related to the future. This is why many Christians - <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2012/12/christian-homeschoolers-children-dont-have-rights.html">especially in America</a> - distrust the UN. They believe that the UN is just a forerunner for the One World Government the Antichrist will install during the End Times to oppress all Real True Christians (who weren't Raptured)*. Therefore, everything connected to the UN must be viewed with suspicion. No matter how benign it might seem, ultimately it has to be a nefarious trap to destroy the Christian way of life. Since the UN is the one pushing for rights, rights have to be bad. I know it doesn't make sense but then again, neither do their ideas about the End Times.<br />
<br />
So then as best I can gather I was supposed to distrust human rights because it may make people suffer less and because it could all be fantastical plot by a nonexistent evil entity. Well, I guess that settles that.<br />
<br />
Human Rights are to be promoted and protected. Human Rights are not to be feared. These things should be self evident and I'm ashamed that for a while they weren't. Happy Human Rights Day!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
See also: <a href="http://skepticmystic.blogspot.com/2012/09/things-that-are-and-are-not-cake.html">Things that are and are not cake</a>. I should add human rights (or just rights in general) to things that are not cake. You can have the full spectrum of human rights and it will take nothing away from me. I can have all the same rights too. There is enough to go around, rights are not cake! Enjoy!<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17722877695054410613noreply@blogger.com0