Pondering…faith or no faith? The idea of faith and all the splintered choices. Those who willingly shout down anyone who is of faith. All very confusing at moments. If “ANYTHING” is possible and the options are limitless…to say absolutely for sure without a doubt there is only one way to think. Makes me wonder even more about the danger of judging others and condemning them for a belief that is different from theirs. Now if people of faith are taught tolerance, what are people of no faith taught?
The term liberal has been distorted beyond recognition. I was of the understanding that a liberal point of view was one of tolerance. However, many who claim to be of the liberal ilk are very quick to condemn and spout their disrespect for those of a faith that has teachings of tolerance. Ahem…I think that tolerance is the cornerstone in most faiths. Yes, I know there are those who still think that stoning should come back to the market square. I think it is safe to say that public stoning is not what most people want to see. Sadly, some of no faith would gladly go behind the jailhouse and stone people of faith to death. Same goes for the extremists of some faiths.
Now this is not just for those of faith. Oh no, no, no. It goes to political ideology as well and even more so. People die for other peoples beliefs. They die over it. I wonder how that is justified? Sometimes they die in the battlefield. Sometimes in riots on the streets. People with no faith or political ideology get caught in the midst of violence over disagreements between two other groups. Some people are condemned to death by a system that claims it carrying out justice. Even those condemned to death have groups protesting it.
Again, all ideologies or faith structures have blood on them. The blood of their fellow man. It’s been that way forever. I really get to wondering when I hear the phrase “anything is possible”. It means so many things to so many that simply are not capable of coming to any sort of agreement. We are seeing it everyday.
If, in fact, “anything is possible”, it implies that everybody has been wrong over the history of the human experience. AND it implies that everybody has been correct. Now some will argue you can’t have it both ways. Well why not? If anything is possible, especially on the subject of faith, why can’t you have it both ways? One group of faith that is a sovereign nation and has a seat in The United Nations shows that you can have it any way you want. All you got to do is go to confession and all is forgiven. No matter what crime was committed against the fellow human. Seems to me they found a loophole.
Of course, the problem arises from those who are in one camp and look at the other camps and condemn them. Not very accepting is it? Yet, one on one, they will tell you how much tolerance they have for the other side. Makes no sense…if there has to be other sides then why belong to any group? Sounds like fear to me. Standing alone and raising your fist to the oppressor is a terrifying prospect.
It is true that there is safety in numbers. On the other hand, one on one, some will let their hatred for those who do not have the same belief structure flow like a raging river. At the end their exhausting rant, they will sit back with a certain smugness of superiority that is most frightening.
Most of the time, at the end of a rant, it is concluded with…“They’re all a bunch of fucking idiots.” Most of the time when I hear that conclusion, I have to ask myself, “How bright is the person that has resorted or retreated to the name calling vocabulary of (at best) a fourteen year old? Then it just comes back to “anything is possible“. That being said, then nothing is possible as well.
I have had the pleasure of meeting many intelligent, educated, well-read people who simply seem to lose their mind when it comes to such topics of faith or political ideology. It does show that “anything is possible“. Some of the most educated people can become the most ruthless barbarians given half a chance; ready to believe that nothing is possible as long as there is opposition.
Mostly I think it boils down to this: people don’t like to be told how to live. That being said, there are some people who have almost orgasmic joy out of telling you and I how to live. They thrive on being overlords, if you will. Challenge those people and watch what happens. They will show what honor means to them. They will go to any length to smear you publicly and privately. They will spend countless hours making sure you learn that you do not tell them what to do or, for that matter, dispute them. “Click!” They don’t like being told what to do either; especially from anyone that they disagree with.
Seems that there is a protest for just about everything these days. Seems that there is a lot of fear and apprehension. From all sides. The world is still turning at the same speed, it is just plodding along and the inhabitants squabble continually.
I wonder if it is possible for the north and south pole to get jealous of the polarization that is going on? Is this what some meant by the idea of the shifting of the polar caps?
One of the things I have noticed in all of this is that many still live inside of some very old and worn out ideas. Ideas that were relevant back in the immediate years of post-World War Two. It has been over for a long time and many of the ripples still keep lapping to shore.
Like any ocean that has been polluted, the pollutants end up on the beach and we look at it with disgust. We ask…“Who could do such a thing?” Something needs to be done to see to it that pollution is not there.
Attacking others over their ideology or their faith or their whatever is not going to go away anytime soon. That is my cynical conclusion. My optimistic conclusion is very different, yet it requires a part of the human condition to be removed from the nature of the visitor called humans.
As a self-proclaimed student of the human creature, the one common factor that always seems to mess up my optimistic, utopian notion of living in harmony is other’s unquenchable thirst and lust for power. It is recorded throughout history.
Is anything possible? I simply will lead by example. I will make mistakes along the way that I already accept. Is nothing possible? No. Choosing to do something is a part of anything, even if it is nothing.
Chris…
©2011
All rights reserved
Chris J Hutchins
Dog Hair Productions
The term liberal has been distorted beyond recognition. I was of the understanding that a liberal point of view was one of tolerance. However, many who claim to be of the liberal ilk are very quick to condemn and spout their disrespect for those of a faith that has teachings of tolerance. Ahem…I think that tolerance is the cornerstone in most faiths. Yes, I know there are those who still think that stoning should come back to the market square. I think it is safe to say that public stoning is not what most people want to see. Sadly, some of no faith would gladly go behind the jailhouse and stone people of faith to death. Same goes for the extremists of some faiths.
Now this is not just for those of faith. Oh no, no, no. It goes to political ideology as well and even more so. People die for other peoples beliefs. They die over it. I wonder how that is justified? Sometimes they die in the battlefield. Sometimes in riots on the streets. People with no faith or political ideology get caught in the midst of violence over disagreements between two other groups. Some people are condemned to death by a system that claims it carrying out justice. Even those condemned to death have groups protesting it.
Again, all ideologies or faith structures have blood on them. The blood of their fellow man. It’s been that way forever. I really get to wondering when I hear the phrase “anything is possible”. It means so many things to so many that simply are not capable of coming to any sort of agreement. We are seeing it everyday.
If, in fact, “anything is possible”, it implies that everybody has been wrong over the history of the human experience. AND it implies that everybody has been correct. Now some will argue you can’t have it both ways. Well why not? If anything is possible, especially on the subject of faith, why can’t you have it both ways? One group of faith that is a sovereign nation and has a seat in The United Nations shows that you can have it any way you want. All you got to do is go to confession and all is forgiven. No matter what crime was committed against the fellow human. Seems to me they found a loophole.
Of course, the problem arises from those who are in one camp and look at the other camps and condemn them. Not very accepting is it? Yet, one on one, they will tell you how much tolerance they have for the other side. Makes no sense…if there has to be other sides then why belong to any group? Sounds like fear to me. Standing alone and raising your fist to the oppressor is a terrifying prospect.
It is true that there is safety in numbers. On the other hand, one on one, some will let their hatred for those who do not have the same belief structure flow like a raging river. At the end their exhausting rant, they will sit back with a certain smugness of superiority that is most frightening.
Most of the time, at the end of a rant, it is concluded with…“They’re all a bunch of fucking idiots.” Most of the time when I hear that conclusion, I have to ask myself, “How bright is the person that has resorted or retreated to the name calling vocabulary of (at best) a fourteen year old? Then it just comes back to “anything is possible“. That being said, then nothing is possible as well.
I have had the pleasure of meeting many intelligent, educated, well-read people who simply seem to lose their mind when it comes to such topics of faith or political ideology. It does show that “anything is possible“. Some of the most educated people can become the most ruthless barbarians given half a chance; ready to believe that nothing is possible as long as there is opposition.
Mostly I think it boils down to this: people don’t like to be told how to live. That being said, there are some people who have almost orgasmic joy out of telling you and I how to live. They thrive on being overlords, if you will. Challenge those people and watch what happens. They will show what honor means to them. They will go to any length to smear you publicly and privately. They will spend countless hours making sure you learn that you do not tell them what to do or, for that matter, dispute them. “Click!” They don’t like being told what to do either; especially from anyone that they disagree with.
Seems that there is a protest for just about everything these days. Seems that there is a lot of fear and apprehension. From all sides. The world is still turning at the same speed, it is just plodding along and the inhabitants squabble continually.
I wonder if it is possible for the north and south pole to get jealous of the polarization that is going on? Is this what some meant by the idea of the shifting of the polar caps?
One of the things I have noticed in all of this is that many still live inside of some very old and worn out ideas. Ideas that were relevant back in the immediate years of post-World War Two. It has been over for a long time and many of the ripples still keep lapping to shore.
Like any ocean that has been polluted, the pollutants end up on the beach and we look at it with disgust. We ask…“Who could do such a thing?” Something needs to be done to see to it that pollution is not there.
Attacking others over their ideology or their faith or their whatever is not going to go away anytime soon. That is my cynical conclusion. My optimistic conclusion is very different, yet it requires a part of the human condition to be removed from the nature of the visitor called humans.
As a self-proclaimed student of the human creature, the one common factor that always seems to mess up my optimistic, utopian notion of living in harmony is other’s unquenchable thirst and lust for power. It is recorded throughout history.
Is anything possible? I simply will lead by example. I will make mistakes along the way that I already accept. Is nothing possible? No. Choosing to do something is a part of anything, even if it is nothing.
Chris…
©2011
All rights reserved
Chris J Hutchins
Dog Hair Productions
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