Today is not your birthday
As the hour is quite late
I have rather missed the deadline
I'll miss Christmas at this rate!
We know you're growing old now
I hope you aren't put off
Extra naps and nose hair
Won't cause us all to scoff.
I wasn't in town this year
To provide you with meraingues
But in just one week I'll be there
With loads of gifts and things.
I'm sorry to have missed you
Your'e always there for me
But you were in my mind and heart
As you will ever be.
Happy Belated Birthday From Mary
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A day in a walking coma...
The only thing more tired than me is the beehive hair-do.
I have to be out of the house doing things non-stop for 14 hours today with 4.5 hours of sleep behind me.
I am exhausted...
...But that up-do really has seen better days...
I have to be out of the house doing things non-stop for 14 hours today with 4.5 hours of sleep behind me.
I am exhausted...
...But that up-do really has seen better days...
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
President Elect Barack Obama
Wow! Doesn't it feel great to say that?!
This is a complete 360 from the last post.
I don't think I will live to see another election this meaningful... I'm so proud to have voted for the man who won and for the man that will bring our country into a new and enligtened era!
After the announcement was made I quickly gathered my things and drove to the bar next to my house where I relished in our victory! My friend Rachel bought me a "blue shot" and Lindsay and I went off to Taco Bell (our haven) to celebrate. When we got there 4 employees were crouched around an impromtu entertainment center watching the speech. We settled in for the last half of it or so and I literally almost cried. He is such an eloquent man... a true orator.
Incedentally, everyone at Taco Bell (the 5 employees and us) we're thrilled and Lindsay and I ate at half off. The cashier Cassondra told us that whenever we come to eat and shes there "shes got us". We're hoping that means cheap food ;).
Congratulations to all! No matter who you voted for! Either way, America is headed for success and every citizen will be a part of the journey!
This is a complete 360 from the last post.
I don't think I will live to see another election this meaningful... I'm so proud to have voted for the man who won and for the man that will bring our country into a new and enligtened era!
After the announcement was made I quickly gathered my things and drove to the bar next to my house where I relished in our victory! My friend Rachel bought me a "blue shot" and Lindsay and I went off to Taco Bell (our haven) to celebrate. When we got there 4 employees were crouched around an impromtu entertainment center watching the speech. We settled in for the last half of it or so and I literally almost cried. He is such an eloquent man... a true orator.
Incedentally, everyone at Taco Bell (the 5 employees and us) we're thrilled and Lindsay and I ate at half off. The cashier Cassondra told us that whenever we come to eat and shes there "shes got us". We're hoping that means cheap food ;).
Congratulations to all! No matter who you voted for! Either way, America is headed for success and every citizen will be a part of the journey!
Monday, November 03, 2008
Crap Sundae (... or Mondae)
(NOTE: I wrote most of this yesterday then finished it this morning. I tried to change all the "todays" to "yesterdays" but forgive me if I wasn't perfect.)
Yesterday was one of those days... 3 big things and tons of little annoyances that have left me sitting in the dark living room of my dirty apartment writing a pity blog while Sarah finishes a paper due tomorrow that she has had the assignment for for 2 weeks.
God bless her... procrastination runs deep in our veins... Nothing like an all nighter to draw the words out of you. Over my shoulder she says "thank the Lord she has an amazing sister who can write..." I guess thats my cue to help.
Those little things were nothing, but the state of utter mental distress I've been in has pushed them over the edge. Its like if you went to an indoor pool at 10am to swim and at 10:30 someone started pushing your head under. Every time you were able to pop up for a breath he would say something demoralizing that you just had to take in stride because you had to save your breath. At 9:00pm when you finally leave the pool, you're fuming mad and totally humiliated and it starts to rain... as if you hadn't had enough water on your face today... RAIN?! Really?! Thats all I'm saying...
The three big things:
1. Has to do with a felony committed right under my nose but to protect the innocent I cannot say more. Really it wasn't that big of a deal but its irritating, scary, and (frankly) was just the cherry on top of my Crap Sundae.
2. Fight over religion in my religion class.
3. "Political conversation" while painting a child's face at Fazoli's.
My blood is literally boiling. Check me out... I'm on fire. I started my day off with an intrusive vaginal exam but that didn't even make my list... what does that tell you?! I realize that vaginal is a "secret" word that turns your tounge into soilified sin, but I really don't care anymore what anyone has to say but me. I've held it in all damn day so put on your rain coat, its comin' at you.
Anyway, I should start by telling you what I did last Wednesday. I was given 45 minutes in which to present to my collegiate level Religion class about a topic of my choosing. I was personally unaware that "of my choosing" actually meant, "be sure to praise Christianity and don't you dare question any beliefs that the students in this class hold true". I thought it meant, "this is a college level class, we are all open minded acedemics who want to learn and push our boundaries". I was wrong. The class is called Religious Violence and Nonviolence. I knew people would present on the Reformation and on why we shouldn't hate all Muslims because of September 11th. (Frankly, I saw that presentation about 5 times while I was in highschool, I thought we had moved on from the Muslims... there are other religions...) Anyway, I decided to really explore something different... question my beliefs and the beliefs of others, allow us to step back and analyze a situation we took for granted by re-assessing the facts. Why is it that we attack and defend so many cultures and creeds and ignore the most obvious, our own! I went out on a limb and presented on the behalf of the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nations, and the Army of God. These are organizations often thought of as terrorist organizations, but I presented the facts I found about them and encouraged the class to lay aside generalizations and entertain the idea that some members of these groups really aren't so bad. This is not to say that I agree with their ideals, but When Muslims blow up the Twin Towers most of us are intellegent enough to say, "Oh yeah, but that doesn't reflect the majority of Muslims, those people are just crazy!" Why then, can't these same people say, "Those KKK members who terrorize blacks may not represent the majority of KKK members, those are just the crazies! Every group has them!"
For the record, I realize that this isn't coming off as intellegent writing... its just rambling-rushed garbage...
Anyway, my point was lost on my close minded classmates though my teacher pulled me aside after class to tell me that my topic was brave, well approached and cleverly presented... he called me a "true acedemic". One particular student of mixed race and Christian faith was particularly perturbed by my speech. I was nervous today when I caught his eye before class but was quickly reassured when I remembered that I was wearing my Obama '08 button today and that he was an avid fan. This tiny pin was my only hope at winning his affection. Unfortunately, todays presentation was made by a VERY conservative Christian who was bashing an Atheist woman. Allow me to reach my point. The presenter was upset that this woman started a lawsuit over the bible being taught and prayer being mandatory in the public school system. She asked for the opinion of the other students in the class. I raised my hand (knowing full well that all but 2 kids in the class hate my guts now...), " I think prayer should be, and is, allowed in public school systems but should absolutely not be required! Requiring prayer and teaching Bible study is blatently unconstitutional, just read the first amendment!" She retorted that she thought the lady took it too far. I said, "She had every right to defend the beliefs of her son. If he isn't Christian he shouldn't have to pray to a Christian God. Also, If bible study is required then study of ALL religious texts should be required." She, along with many other classmates, argued that if their children had been in that school they would have been infuriated. She can exempt her son, but no reason to ruin it for the rest of them! I gave up. One man asked, "I wonder what this lady had to do with instances such as Columbine?" I gasped, my eyes darted at the teacher and he asked "why?". The man said, "Maybe if prayer had been allowed in school the students would have been nicer and better people." I was aghast. Was he really blaming Columbine on an woman who heroically stood up for what was right against a Christian nation? Granted, the lady went a little nuts... but this was ridiculous! I started to argue my point again but quickly stopped. What is the point?! How can any person read the first amendment and know the vast cultural and religious differences existing in America and still believe that the Bible should be REQUIRED in public schooling?! Am I totally off base here?! Why is it that so many uber-conservative Christians are so insistant that their way is the only way and that their beliefs should just be taken as fact, period. Surely they would raise hell if prayer in school picked back up favoring Allah or Buddha...
I called my mom and cried. How will I ever make a difference in this world when everyone is so intent on refusing new information and when they close off their minds with a lock and key?
This leads me to the second biggie today...
The first monday of every month is Kid's Night over at Fazolis and the mascot Tony Tomato is there along with tons of crafts and face painting! Lindsay offers to play the giant tomato every month. Since he will be there anyway I go to volunteer face painting and playing with the kids. Its basically amazing... Anyway, remember my little saving grace of an Obama pin earlier in the day?... Here it comes to bite me in the ass. Some total redneck comes over to pick up his daughter who is 10 with greasy hair and winnie the pooh clothes that don't fit on. He shows us his big cigarrette hack then looks at me and says, "Who do you think is going to win tomorrow?" DAMN! damndamndamndamn! Sarah was with me (picking my brain for the same paper mentioned above ;) ) and she responded, "Obama obviously!" He said "No! Not who you want, who you think will actually get it." I was representing Fazolis even though I'm not on their payroll so I tried to be respectful, "Honestly, In this case I think they are one in the same." This evolved into him talking politics at me- AT me- for at least a half hour. Anyone in the restaurant could attest that I was very polite until he said he was scared of Obama. A simple "why?" was my return. He said, "because he's a socialist!" His 10 year old asked, "Who is a socialist Daddy?" I snapped, "Noone is! Don't listen to him! Thats not fair. I won't get into it here, but thats unfounded and untrue!" Lindsay, who was back in the kitchen at this point, caught wind of all of this and sent one of his employees to ask for me. I relished in the break then went back to get to cleaning up the station, claiming that the manager asked me to wrap things up. He went on and on about the rich needing to pay even less taxes and about how he is middle of the road and Obama is way too far to the left for him. He told me that his Daddy was a Democrat, and that I should trust his opinion because his father once voted the same way I do now. My response? "I don't vote for my dad and grandparents, I vote for me." He got really heated at one point about the fact that Obama won't show his birth certificate. I asked if he really believed that Obama wasn't American. "His old black granny said she was there the day he was born in Kenya!" I held my breath, counted to 5 and spoke, "His grandmother just passed away so speak respectfully. I'm sure they would have caught it at this point if he wasn't an American." I told people later that it isn't as if the government said "Hey Obama, you're American right?" and he said, "Yeah! I'll even pinky promise!" I'm postive they checked and if he wasn't American the McCain campaign would have used it a little more to their advantage. In the end he was telling Sarah how Joe Biden was the Democratic "fail-safe" if something happened to Obama. This scared the hell out of him. I got in my last comment by saying, "For a guy that is middle of the road like you are you ought to be glad to have Biden as a 'fail-safe' rather than Palin. Biden is as middle of the road as it gets in the democratic party and I'd challenge you to find anyone more one sided than Sarah Palin." He didn't deny it but hinted that he'd rather have a far right republican than a even keeled democrat. Anyway... as he left he got really close, looked me in the eye and said, "Tomorrow if Obama wins, congratulations. If not... tough." I shivered and when his car drove off I lost it.
I realize that I suck with organizing dialogue but that wasn't the point. The point was to get it all out.
I spent my day allowing people to shove their ideas in my face without me being able to defend myself and my ideas in good conscience.
I know this is just a rant. I realize that noone probably cares. Its just my pathetic plea for people to open their minds and never stop searching for facts. Don't believe everything you hear- only trust credible sources. Hell, never trust any source. Don't ever marry any idea- allow yourself to be proved wrong.
In the end I know the truth about the first amendment and about how Atheists deserve to exist peacefully just like the rest of us. I also know that Obama is probably going to win the election tonight. I realize that isn't everyones first choice but I hope that they will be respectful if it happens. I've waited 8 years for something, ANYTHING, to go my way politically. We really need this. Of course this is my opinion but if McCain makes it and does a great job, I'll be happy with that too. I'm not going to pitch a fit. However, for now I'm really desperate to have Barack in office. Time will tell... It is only hours away!
Yesterday was one of those days... 3 big things and tons of little annoyances that have left me sitting in the dark living room of my dirty apartment writing a pity blog while Sarah finishes a paper due tomorrow that she has had the assignment for for 2 weeks.
God bless her... procrastination runs deep in our veins... Nothing like an all nighter to draw the words out of you. Over my shoulder she says "thank the Lord she has an amazing sister who can write..." I guess thats my cue to help.
Those little things were nothing, but the state of utter mental distress I've been in has pushed them over the edge. Its like if you went to an indoor pool at 10am to swim and at 10:30 someone started pushing your head under. Every time you were able to pop up for a breath he would say something demoralizing that you just had to take in stride because you had to save your breath. At 9:00pm when you finally leave the pool, you're fuming mad and totally humiliated and it starts to rain... as if you hadn't had enough water on your face today... RAIN?! Really?! Thats all I'm saying...
The three big things:
1. Has to do with a felony committed right under my nose but to protect the innocent I cannot say more. Really it wasn't that big of a deal but its irritating, scary, and (frankly) was just the cherry on top of my Crap Sundae.
2. Fight over religion in my religion class.
3. "Political conversation" while painting a child's face at Fazoli's.
My blood is literally boiling. Check me out... I'm on fire. I started my day off with an intrusive vaginal exam but that didn't even make my list... what does that tell you?! I realize that vaginal is a "secret" word that turns your tounge into soilified sin, but I really don't care anymore what anyone has to say but me. I've held it in all damn day so put on your rain coat, its comin' at you.
Anyway, I should start by telling you what I did last Wednesday. I was given 45 minutes in which to present to my collegiate level Religion class about a topic of my choosing. I was personally unaware that "of my choosing" actually meant, "be sure to praise Christianity and don't you dare question any beliefs that the students in this class hold true". I thought it meant, "this is a college level class, we are all open minded acedemics who want to learn and push our boundaries". I was wrong. The class is called Religious Violence and Nonviolence. I knew people would present on the Reformation and on why we shouldn't hate all Muslims because of September 11th. (Frankly, I saw that presentation about 5 times while I was in highschool, I thought we had moved on from the Muslims... there are other religions...) Anyway, I decided to really explore something different... question my beliefs and the beliefs of others, allow us to step back and analyze a situation we took for granted by re-assessing the facts. Why is it that we attack and defend so many cultures and creeds and ignore the most obvious, our own! I went out on a limb and presented on the behalf of the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nations, and the Army of God. These are organizations often thought of as terrorist organizations, but I presented the facts I found about them and encouraged the class to lay aside generalizations and entertain the idea that some members of these groups really aren't so bad. This is not to say that I agree with their ideals, but When Muslims blow up the Twin Towers most of us are intellegent enough to say, "Oh yeah, but that doesn't reflect the majority of Muslims, those people are just crazy!" Why then, can't these same people say, "Those KKK members who terrorize blacks may not represent the majority of KKK members, those are just the crazies! Every group has them!"
For the record, I realize that this isn't coming off as intellegent writing... its just rambling-rushed garbage...
Anyway, my point was lost on my close minded classmates though my teacher pulled me aside after class to tell me that my topic was brave, well approached and cleverly presented... he called me a "true acedemic". One particular student of mixed race and Christian faith was particularly perturbed by my speech. I was nervous today when I caught his eye before class but was quickly reassured when I remembered that I was wearing my Obama '08 button today and that he was an avid fan. This tiny pin was my only hope at winning his affection. Unfortunately, todays presentation was made by a VERY conservative Christian who was bashing an Atheist woman. Allow me to reach my point. The presenter was upset that this woman started a lawsuit over the bible being taught and prayer being mandatory in the public school system. She asked for the opinion of the other students in the class. I raised my hand (knowing full well that all but 2 kids in the class hate my guts now...), " I think prayer should be, and is, allowed in public school systems but should absolutely not be required! Requiring prayer and teaching Bible study is blatently unconstitutional, just read the first amendment!" She retorted that she thought the lady took it too far. I said, "She had every right to defend the beliefs of her son. If he isn't Christian he shouldn't have to pray to a Christian God. Also, If bible study is required then study of ALL religious texts should be required." She, along with many other classmates, argued that if their children had been in that school they would have been infuriated. She can exempt her son, but no reason to ruin it for the rest of them! I gave up. One man asked, "I wonder what this lady had to do with instances such as Columbine?" I gasped, my eyes darted at the teacher and he asked "why?". The man said, "Maybe if prayer had been allowed in school the students would have been nicer and better people." I was aghast. Was he really blaming Columbine on an woman who heroically stood up for what was right against a Christian nation? Granted, the lady went a little nuts... but this was ridiculous! I started to argue my point again but quickly stopped. What is the point?! How can any person read the first amendment and know the vast cultural and religious differences existing in America and still believe that the Bible should be REQUIRED in public schooling?! Am I totally off base here?! Why is it that so many uber-conservative Christians are so insistant that their way is the only way and that their beliefs should just be taken as fact, period. Surely they would raise hell if prayer in school picked back up favoring Allah or Buddha...
I called my mom and cried. How will I ever make a difference in this world when everyone is so intent on refusing new information and when they close off their minds with a lock and key?
This leads me to the second biggie today...
The first monday of every month is Kid's Night over at Fazolis and the mascot Tony Tomato is there along with tons of crafts and face painting! Lindsay offers to play the giant tomato every month. Since he will be there anyway I go to volunteer face painting and playing with the kids. Its basically amazing... Anyway, remember my little saving grace of an Obama pin earlier in the day?... Here it comes to bite me in the ass. Some total redneck comes over to pick up his daughter who is 10 with greasy hair and winnie the pooh clothes that don't fit on. He shows us his big cigarrette hack then looks at me and says, "Who do you think is going to win tomorrow?" DAMN! damndamndamndamn! Sarah was with me (picking my brain for the same paper mentioned above ;) ) and she responded, "Obama obviously!" He said "No! Not who you want, who you think will actually get it." I was representing Fazolis even though I'm not on their payroll so I tried to be respectful, "Honestly, In this case I think they are one in the same." This evolved into him talking politics at me- AT me- for at least a half hour. Anyone in the restaurant could attest that I was very polite until he said he was scared of Obama. A simple "why?" was my return. He said, "because he's a socialist!" His 10 year old asked, "Who is a socialist Daddy?" I snapped, "Noone is! Don't listen to him! Thats not fair. I won't get into it here, but thats unfounded and untrue!" Lindsay, who was back in the kitchen at this point, caught wind of all of this and sent one of his employees to ask for me. I relished in the break then went back to get to cleaning up the station, claiming that the manager asked me to wrap things up. He went on and on about the rich needing to pay even less taxes and about how he is middle of the road and Obama is way too far to the left for him. He told me that his Daddy was a Democrat, and that I should trust his opinion because his father once voted the same way I do now. My response? "I don't vote for my dad and grandparents, I vote for me." He got really heated at one point about the fact that Obama won't show his birth certificate. I asked if he really believed that Obama wasn't American. "His old black granny said she was there the day he was born in Kenya!" I held my breath, counted to 5 and spoke, "His grandmother just passed away so speak respectfully. I'm sure they would have caught it at this point if he wasn't an American." I told people later that it isn't as if the government said "Hey Obama, you're American right?" and he said, "Yeah! I'll even pinky promise!" I'm postive they checked and if he wasn't American the McCain campaign would have used it a little more to their advantage. In the end he was telling Sarah how Joe Biden was the Democratic "fail-safe" if something happened to Obama. This scared the hell out of him. I got in my last comment by saying, "For a guy that is middle of the road like you are you ought to be glad to have Biden as a 'fail-safe' rather than Palin. Biden is as middle of the road as it gets in the democratic party and I'd challenge you to find anyone more one sided than Sarah Palin." He didn't deny it but hinted that he'd rather have a far right republican than a even keeled democrat. Anyway... as he left he got really close, looked me in the eye and said, "Tomorrow if Obama wins, congratulations. If not... tough." I shivered and when his car drove off I lost it.
I realize that I suck with organizing dialogue but that wasn't the point. The point was to get it all out.
I spent my day allowing people to shove their ideas in my face without me being able to defend myself and my ideas in good conscience.
I know this is just a rant. I realize that noone probably cares. Its just my pathetic plea for people to open their minds and never stop searching for facts. Don't believe everything you hear- only trust credible sources. Hell, never trust any source. Don't ever marry any idea- allow yourself to be proved wrong.
In the end I know the truth about the first amendment and about how Atheists deserve to exist peacefully just like the rest of us. I also know that Obama is probably going to win the election tonight. I realize that isn't everyones first choice but I hope that they will be respectful if it happens. I've waited 8 years for something, ANYTHING, to go my way politically. We really need this. Of course this is my opinion but if McCain makes it and does a great job, I'll be happy with that too. I'm not going to pitch a fit. However, for now I'm really desperate to have Barack in office. Time will tell... It is only hours away!
Sunday, November 02, 2008
I wish I had time for a proper post...
Unfortunately, I'm off to work a job where I get paid too little, work too hard, and get too few hours...
But on Pretzel Day? Well, I like Pretzel Day... (Name that reference)
I've decided to write my own Christmas letter this year... just like Mofe always does and just like my mom used to do before things got too hard. We aren't like other families... we like to think that a short written card with a family photo isn't going to satisfy the hunger of people we haven't seen in 20 years for details on our fascinating family. I follow in that tradition. They have to earn my Christmas greetings...
Off to Michaels, the arts and crafts utopia... (and hideaway for 60+ aged women who smoke 2 packs a day and have been dumped by their husbands less than 5 years ago with only a "vintage car", a bible, and some dusty silk flowers.)
Unfortunately, I'm off to work a job where I get paid too little, work too hard, and get too few hours...
But on Pretzel Day? Well, I like Pretzel Day... (Name that reference)
I've decided to write my own Christmas letter this year... just like Mofe always does and just like my mom used to do before things got too hard. We aren't like other families... we like to think that a short written card with a family photo isn't going to satisfy the hunger of people we haven't seen in 20 years for details on our fascinating family. I follow in that tradition. They have to earn my Christmas greetings...
Off to Michaels, the arts and crafts utopia... (and hideaway for 60+ aged women who smoke 2 packs a day and have been dumped by their husbands less than 5 years ago with only a "vintage car", a bible, and some dusty silk flowers.)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Its the holiday season!
That picture is what I bought at Michaels yesterday for $86 dollars! 50% off for all associates last week! There are a few christmas presents mixed in there but mostly for Hanne and Emily... so just don't look too close! ;)
Guess what tomorrow is!!!
Pretty little windows... these are the mega tacky part... ;)
YES! and i'll be at work but to represent me while all the children walk around will be my pretty little Halloween house... I've been shopping at Michaels a lot lately because the 25% off associate discount kind of rocks! So for 5 bucks the other day I got some last minute goofy and semi-tacky decorations to raise the morale in the little F-2 household we've got going here...
Pretty little windows... these are the mega tacky part... ;)
Here's the door... the little purple garlands are bats and the sign is made of metal and COVERED in black glitter... The extra garland wouldn't tack around the window so i just threw it up there...
VOILA!
So, there is our beautiful halloween house... and our sad dead bush in the front... if I stay here longer i'll invest in some cheap plants to put over there...
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
One year ago...
Today marks one year from the day that changed my life.
One year ago I had never experienced an extended stay in an "asylum".
One year ago I had never attempted the "S" word.
One year ago I didn't know how much I liked to write.
One year ago today, I never thought I'd be happy again.
One year ago I didn't own any meditation Cd's.
One year ago I didn't take handfuls of meds twice a day.
One year ago I didn't know how to play shuffleboard.
One year ago I was a totally different person.
October 23rd will forever go down in history as the day that I became a Phoenix. I cried so hard that my cell phone shorted out and I drove home unable to focus on the road through the tears welling in my eyes. I thought I would never be whole again... and that everything I thought I had was gone forever.
I was right... theatre, a boyfriend, multiple complexes I didn't even know I had... they are all going away. I've replaced them with a more fulfilling life! I've learned to write and appreciate religion in a cultural and spiritual way... theatre is fun but its no way to make a life for myself... I never would have learned that before. I've mostly solved the destructive complexes I had though OCD (or CDO -in alphabetical order) still runs rampant through my veins. ;)
Last Halloween I was in a hospital playing cards with a bunch of crazy people (my people... we are a league all our own) with eyeliner smeared around my eye so I would look like a black eyed pea with my loony roommate. We were learning to appreciate life again and took the time to put on some fun makeup (even though the nurses had to supervise). Sometimes I find myself missing the hospital. It was safe, I knew my schedule and that I couldn't be hurt while I was there. Only people I wanted to talk to could reach me... It was my cocoon (like my durna at home). I'm breaking out now... I still "cocoon" as my mom calls it... but only when I'm sick or desperately need to... it isn't for hours a day every day of the week anymore... I'm healing.
In a way I want to thank Robert for breaking up with me over the phone on our 2 year anniversary while I was wearing his promise ring. Now I know I can overcome pretty much anything... but I won't need to again... I've found myself... all in one year.
One year ago I had never experienced an extended stay in an "asylum".
One year ago I had never attempted the "S" word.
One year ago I didn't know how much I liked to write.
One year ago today, I never thought I'd be happy again.
One year ago I didn't own any meditation Cd's.
One year ago I didn't take handfuls of meds twice a day.
One year ago I didn't know how to play shuffleboard.
One year ago I was a totally different person.
October 23rd will forever go down in history as the day that I became a Phoenix. I cried so hard that my cell phone shorted out and I drove home unable to focus on the road through the tears welling in my eyes. I thought I would never be whole again... and that everything I thought I had was gone forever.
I was right... theatre, a boyfriend, multiple complexes I didn't even know I had... they are all going away. I've replaced them with a more fulfilling life! I've learned to write and appreciate religion in a cultural and spiritual way... theatre is fun but its no way to make a life for myself... I never would have learned that before. I've mostly solved the destructive complexes I had though OCD (or CDO -in alphabetical order) still runs rampant through my veins. ;)
Last Halloween I was in a hospital playing cards with a bunch of crazy people (my people... we are a league all our own) with eyeliner smeared around my eye so I would look like a black eyed pea with my loony roommate. We were learning to appreciate life again and took the time to put on some fun makeup (even though the nurses had to supervise). Sometimes I find myself missing the hospital. It was safe, I knew my schedule and that I couldn't be hurt while I was there. Only people I wanted to talk to could reach me... It was my cocoon (like my durna at home). I'm breaking out now... I still "cocoon" as my mom calls it... but only when I'm sick or desperately need to... it isn't for hours a day every day of the week anymore... I'm healing.
In a way I want to thank Robert for breaking up with me over the phone on our 2 year anniversary while I was wearing his promise ring. Now I know I can overcome pretty much anything... but I won't need to again... I've found myself... all in one year.
;)
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Japan '09!
Ladies and Gentlemen: Your attention please!
I've thought long and hard about how to address this "note" that I am sending into circulation with such high hopes. I've decided that I'm not going to over formalize and I'll just tell you like it is... in somewhat brief terms.
I'm looking for money, or money making ideas that I have the time or recources to actualize. The INCREDIBLY worthy reason is as follows:
I am currently pursuing a General Studies major. In case you are unfamiliar with the major's requirements, I will briefly explain. In addition to some core major requirements, each major is allowed to choose three areas of emphasis. The first requires 18 credit hours of upper level courses, the second requires 15, and the last, 12. I want to have a career that allows me to move between writing freelance fiction and writing from a journalistic standpoint. I want my work to inform people, in a relatable way, about issues that concern me, including diversity in religion and tolerance of culture and race. My primary area of emphasis is Creative Writing and Journalism. This is followed by Religious Studies and Anthropology.
I recently (only yesterday) finished a paper for my GENS 2000 class outlining my I chose these areas of interest. Creative Writing was to be able to captivate an audience in my style and write effectively. The other two were to build the ground work for beginning a life long search of information on both religion and culture. (What a statement! What is culture without the existence of these many religions?... but they are very different it just amazes me how they interweave.) I wrote that I felt the majority of my knowledge in my secondary fields would come from field work and immersing myself in the culture and experiencing it firsthand.
Well, my "Religious Violence and Nonviolence" is going on a trip for 5 weeks in the summer to Japan with the Religous and Philosophical Studies department. There is room for 15 students to go along because the teachers feel that it is imperative that we live in homes with Japanese families rather than in dorms with more of our own, and only 15 families have signed up. Two classes will be offered on the trip Japanese language (1, 2 ,or 3) and Japanese Religous Ideology! Need I say more, no. However, I can't help myself! In this class we would spend the majority (at least 70%) of the time in field study, out of the classroom. Traveling to visit monks and to Hiroshima discussing Violence in religion and terrorism as its lovechild with textual literalism (among other things). We will delve into Shinto, Buddhism, and Taoism as primary religions... how wonderful!
When I told my mom about this she was thrilled! All universities have programs like this but how often are they so perfectly suited to you that it would be a sin not to try going?! She told me that I should raise what money I could and we would have to get a loan for the rest. I am going to post this on my blog as well... I'll offer any service at all that I can... I write, paint, sing, make jewelry... and I can learn to do anything else. You can even pledge to pay me one dime for every mile I walk around campus. I'll buy a pedometer. I'm really looking forward to this trip... PLEASE help me out! I'll blog everyday that I'm there, it WILL NOT fail to be interesting, I can promise that!
I've have had an argument going on in the back of my head while writing about whether or not to inculde the total goal amount and I decided it shouldn't matter. If it does matter to you, email me... I'm happy to share. I will keep you posted on the %age of the goal that I've accumulated!
I love you all!
Mary
maryconklin.blogspot.com
mfosheec@hotmail.com
678-877-5143
I've thought long and hard about how to address this "note" that I am sending into circulation with such high hopes. I've decided that I'm not going to over formalize and I'll just tell you like it is... in somewhat brief terms.
I'm looking for money, or money making ideas that I have the time or recources to actualize. The INCREDIBLY worthy reason is as follows:
I am currently pursuing a General Studies major. In case you are unfamiliar with the major's requirements, I will briefly explain. In addition to some core major requirements, each major is allowed to choose three areas of emphasis. The first requires 18 credit hours of upper level courses, the second requires 15, and the last, 12. I want to have a career that allows me to move between writing freelance fiction and writing from a journalistic standpoint. I want my work to inform people, in a relatable way, about issues that concern me, including diversity in religion and tolerance of culture and race. My primary area of emphasis is Creative Writing and Journalism. This is followed by Religious Studies and Anthropology.
I recently (only yesterday) finished a paper for my GENS 2000 class outlining my I chose these areas of interest. Creative Writing was to be able to captivate an audience in my style and write effectively. The other two were to build the ground work for beginning a life long search of information on both religion and culture. (What a statement! What is culture without the existence of these many religions?... but they are very different it just amazes me how they interweave.) I wrote that I felt the majority of my knowledge in my secondary fields would come from field work and immersing myself in the culture and experiencing it firsthand.
Well, my "Religious Violence and Nonviolence" is going on a trip for 5 weeks in the summer to Japan with the Religous and Philosophical Studies department. There is room for 15 students to go along because the teachers feel that it is imperative that we live in homes with Japanese families rather than in dorms with more of our own, and only 15 families have signed up. Two classes will be offered on the trip Japanese language (1, 2 ,or 3) and Japanese Religous Ideology! Need I say more, no. However, I can't help myself! In this class we would spend the majority (at least 70%) of the time in field study, out of the classroom. Traveling to visit monks and to Hiroshima discussing Violence in religion and terrorism as its lovechild with textual literalism (among other things). We will delve into Shinto, Buddhism, and Taoism as primary religions... how wonderful!
When I told my mom about this she was thrilled! All universities have programs like this but how often are they so perfectly suited to you that it would be a sin not to try going?! She told me that I should raise what money I could and we would have to get a loan for the rest. I am going to post this on my blog as well... I'll offer any service at all that I can... I write, paint, sing, make jewelry... and I can learn to do anything else. You can even pledge to pay me one dime for every mile I walk around campus. I'll buy a pedometer. I'm really looking forward to this trip... PLEASE help me out! I'll blog everyday that I'm there, it WILL NOT fail to be interesting, I can promise that!
I've have had an argument going on in the back of my head while writing about whether or not to inculde the total goal amount and I decided it shouldn't matter. If it does matter to you, email me... I'm happy to share. I will keep you posted on the %age of the goal that I've accumulated!
I love you all!
Mary
maryconklin.blogspot.com
mfosheec@hotmail.com
678-877-5143
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Religious Violence and Non Violence
The following is a paper I am turning in today in my religion class. I feel pretty strongly about many of the issues and therefore (acedemically speaking) probably strayed a bit from the syllabus but always came back. The paper is a little longer than he asked for (8 double spaced pages) but I hope anyone who choses to read it will find it interesting. It deals mostly with my opinion and I reference the class texts (which are novels, not traditional texts) but I kept the blog in mind when writing the paper and made all references to the text perfectly comprehensible by readers unfamiliar with the material. PLEASE find the time to read this and feel free to question, praise, or argue! (I love questions the best... I am a child of Socrates himself ;) ) Even you christians please give me a fair chance! I do not attack God (I believe in Him too!) I do not attack religion- I only give my view of why and how religion has become corrupt in come cases (i.e. Ku Klux Klan) and how the problems may be solved, etc. Innocent until proven guilty... do read... I want people to argue or point things out so that I will learn and have a broadened view!
Mary Conklin
Religion 3210
Dr. M Stoltzfus
10/8/08
Primarily I believe that religion itself is the cause of most religiously based violence. There is a definite difference between spirituality and religion. Spirituality describes the relationship one possesses with their God and how that relationship affects their day to day lives and their interactions with others. Religion is an organization separating spiritual people into sects by how their God is characterized and how they believe He (or She) should be worshiped and paid homage to. The separation of these people is what creates animosity. If it weren't for darkness, light would have no name. All things would not exist without their opposite. If people were allowed to believe what they chose and divisions were not organized then perhaps everyone could just accept that everyone has their own interpretation of spirituality and we could embrace this common identity.
Also, religious persons often use their religious texts to justify terrorist like attacks. Often scriptures are taken too literally or out of context. In the case of the Bible specifically many people choose to follow it to the letter, forgetting that the word of God as presented in the scripture is written by mortal man in the years during and surrounding Christ's life. This was quite some time ago and the will of God for his people surely has changed in these hundreds (even thousands) of years. I do not claim to have all the answers, and when it comes to religion no one can. Therefore, I do not know how to propose a solution to this problem. Perhaps better education on the sacred texts to its followers is in order. Unfortunately, anyone can decide that they are qualified to teach the text and they, themselves may have a corrupted view.
The idea of elitism and the words “God is on our side!” play a considerable role in justification of war. Because of research in the past I do not believe that Hitler began his anti-semetic rampage due to religious beliefs. It was an economical and racial discrepancy that fueled his anger. However, when forces entered Germany to fight against the Nazi party suddenly God was taking sides. No one can claim God, He will take the side of the man who does His will. It is being very egocentric to believe that you undeniably have God's approval. To assume God's stance with any amount of scriptural evidence is vain and wrong.
Lastly, I want to address those religions, or rather sub-sections of religions, which promote or demand conversion of individuals not sharing their beliefs. In my first example of how religion can be used to cause violence in people I mentioned that without compartmentalizing people into religious “clubs” we could enjoy a commonness and unity. Even if it were possible to all enjoy our beliefs and the fellowship the organized Church, Mosque, Synagogue, etc. provided us with this new idea would tear it apart. At its core the conversion promotes a theme of intolerance. It says that “another religion or set of ideas is below our own and we owe it to God to make these people change, it is His will!” Everyone believes that their ideals are right, but no religious person can claim that they are sure. Religion prides itself on faith. One is expected to believe in their God, etc. without concrete evidence. Faith may even be described as the opposite of skepticism or doubt. One's faith makes an idea true for that individual but not for all people. Converting people revisits my previous argument of elitism. Anyone who believes that their faith is above that of another’s causes argument which leads to violence.
Kimball writes “It is somewhat trite, but nevertheless sadly true, to say that more wars have been waged, more people killed, and these days more evil perpetrated in the name of religion than by any other institutional force in human history." Personally, I believe this statement is true, but not whole heartedly. One particular argument raised on www.hds.harvard.edu is that Kimball never gives his reading audience any examples of these times when wars have been waged “in the name of religion.” They argue that perhaps Kimball has an opposing view of what religion might be defined as. I feel that religion does possess a strong definition. A set of beliefs setting a moral code for a group of people while giving reason to the universe may be a weak definition but I feel that it embodies what religion is. On this website the writers argue that until more modern times, religion and politics were fused. If this is the case, then how could a country, for instance, go to war for political reasons without making religion a part of its causes? My argument is this, since religion did govern many different bodies of people in the past, the people choosing to go to war were taking their religious beliefs into account in their decision. They must have if the church and state were bound. The major world religions all promote nonviolence. Of course, even this can be argued. However, in the case of September 11th, an admittedly modern example, the war started as a political struggle to keep our nation safe from terrorist attacks. Over the seven years since the attack many Americans have switched from fighting the “terrorists” to fighting the “Muslims”. Though America is the melting pot of many races and creeds virtually all of the religions represented in America support a nonviolent approach. The Bible even states plainly that “Thou shalt not kill.” Those that desert their beliefs in support of the war and still claim that we are doing God's work in Iraq are bringing religion into the war and are also misrepresenting their religion. Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for the 2008 election says the following on a www.youtube.com video: “Our national leaders are sending [our troops] out on a task that is from God.” This proves that even political wars can be strewn into religiously backed violence and warfare.
An example provided in the writing of Juergensmeyer is less certain. He references the political elections between Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. According to Juergensmeyer Peres held a 20 percent lead in the polls until a sequence of suicide attacks on Jerusalem buses. Following these events Netanyahu took an edge in the race and claimed that he owed his victory to the Hamas terrorists who instigated the attacks. Upon investigation by both reporters and the author himself, it was discovered that the terrorists didn't care about the Israeli government's affairs and that “Maybe God wanted it.” It is fair to argue here that the attacks may not have been politically based but the Hamas that were interviewed were also very vague in their justifications, either political or religious, for their acts. Perhaps they are not fully disclosing their motives.
Juergensmeyer provides another interesting argument in his text. “The Gita gave several reasons why killing in warfare is permissible, among them the argument that the soul can never really be killed: 'he who slays, slays not; he who is slain is not slain.'” In the Gita this phrase is referring to the death of a soul. In other words, the soul will live on forever. This explains the second half of the quote. The second half is more difficult to understand. My interpretation is this; if someone “slain” can never be killed then how can anyone be called a killer? No one ever dies there the mortal act of killing means nothing to the soul. The body is simply a vessel. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I get a mixed reaction from this analyzation. I can understand the justification some Hindus may have for killing. They feel that by the words in the Gita only the body is dying, but the soul lives on. To me the act still counts as an act of violence as they are taking the earthly life from another and therefore deciding that person's earthly fate without the influence of the divine. Juergensmeyer comments again on Hindu tradition, “Another reason [that killing in warfare is permissible] is based on dharma (moral obligation): the duties of a member of the ksatriya (warrior) caste by definition involve killing, so violence is justified in the very maintenance of social order.” In response to this comment I take the side of famous nonviolent warriors such as Gandhi. Just as in Christianity, perhaps the ksatriya caste was meant to fight the battle of moral justice and evil. Perhaps the battle fought in the Gita is symbolizing a greater good to be fought in the heart and mind of good Hindus.
To conclude the previous three paragraphs I would like to say that I cannot come to a general decision on the case studies made by Kimball and Juergensmeyer. I do not believe that it is ever fair to make a generalization especially in topics as sensitive as religion. Each case must be studied and analyzed on its own. Every person living on earth has a different set of personal ethics, morals, and motives. Terrorists may commit these acts for a number of reasons while the rest of the world looks on twisting the events to fit their own prophesy for the world. I do believe that, a majority of the time, tension begins politically and is almost always strewn into a theological debate. Of course, there is always an exception to the rule.
Despite the previous small attack on religious violence, I do believe that religion can be, and is, used for good. I believe that religion has provided us with the moral codes and ethical standards by which we all live. All people who are considered good, sound individuals follow most of the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule along with many of the commandments appear in the majority of world religions in their own way. These “laws” have become so engrained in society that they are considered common decency and I truly believe that religion can claim responsibility for this. However, I feel that it would be remiss not to mention that I used the terms “Golden Rule” and “Ten Commandments” only because Christianity is so widely recognized in America. All major world religions gave to the code of ethics by which we all live. None is superior in any way to another. In a perfect world all world religions would revisit their individual doctrine and recognize the original ideas set forth in the text. Most people would find that to kill is severely against their religion and that if they were to be loyal followers, they would cease to inflict harm on their fellow man. However, the world is not perfect and I feel that violence can only be stopped by educating people slowly. Showing people the importance of avoiding adopting an elitist attitude and following the laws set forth by their God would be a positive start. Teaching people to understand the symbolism in religious text is important as well, because those who take religious texts literally can gravely misinterpret God's word and may go against His will.
I was convinced by Kurlansky's argument that nonviolence is more effective from a political and religious standpoint than violence. Of his twenty-five lessons, nine struck me as very true and incredibly defensible. This is not to say that the others proved untrue in my mind. Of these nine I will discuss five that I feel are most significant.
First, I will discuss the very first lesson. It states that “there is no provocative word for nonviolence.” Kurlansky discusses the fact that no language possesses a word for nonviolence. He makes an example of Sanskrit in which hisma translates to harm. To not do harm translates to ahisma. Why is it that violence is so important a concept that it deserves many words in our language to be dedicated to it: ferocity, brutality, and war. This says nothing about the act of nonviolence itself, this will be addressed next.
“People who go to war start to resemble their enemy.” This is the eighth lesson of Kurlansky's. Though I have used the example of the war in Iraq before in this paper, I can't help but to mention it again. It is a flawless representation of this lesson! After September 11th American's were shocked by the loss of so many of our civilians. America heroically went to war against terrorism, or so it would seem. We now see that instead of fighting terrorism we are attempting to control the people of Iraq and are occasionally causing the deaths of Iraqi civilians. World War II is another example beginning with the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. America took up arms against their enemy and ended up bombing Japanese land and killing over 700,000 civilians.
My third example comes from Kurlansky's 12th lesson. It states, “The state imagines it is impotent without a military because it cannot conceive of power without force.” I disagree with this statement. I feel that power isn't the goal of force. Force is required by government due to their fear of imminent threat. Force is used purely as a defense mechanism.
The last two lessons I'd like to address relate to one another. The first is number 21 reading, “Once you start the business of killing, you just get 'deeper and deeper,' without limits.” This statement seems undeniably true. When presented with power it is human instinct to relish in it. This can cause people to lose sight of their original goal and ride their influence too far. A wonderful example of this argument appears in Hitler's actions during World War II. He continued adding races and creeds to his list of the damned. Until his power overwhelmed him and led to the overwhelming anxiety over Germany's decline in power that led to his suicide. According to the 24th lesson, “The miracle is that despite all of society's promotion of warfare, most soldiers find warfare to be a wrenching departure from their own moral values.” This lesson also pulls my mind to the Nazis. We have learned that many Nazi soldiers felt that they had to separate their professional lives as soldiers from their personal, religious lives. They knew morally that their actions were wrong, but they felt that their duty as soldiers was equally important. While I do not agree with that method of thinking, it is reminiscent of the discussion of the Gita earlier. Many Hindus would argue that killing was part of their caste duty as soldiers despite the hints of nonviolence in their scriptures. It would be fair to say that most of the Nazi soldiers professed Christianity as their religion. I say most to leave room for the exception to the rule. If they were indeed Christian then killing was against their moral code.
The struggle between earthly duty and religious responsibility has been a long and trying one. Decisions about how to attack the dilemma should be addressed by the individual facing it. No one should try to make a decision affecting every part of another person's life whether it is a moral vs. duty struggle or which religion they should practice. Only education on all religion will allow Earth's people to make informed decisions to better their lives.
Mary Conklin
Religion 3210
Dr. M Stoltzfus
10/8/08
Primarily I believe that religion itself is the cause of most religiously based violence. There is a definite difference between spirituality and religion. Spirituality describes the relationship one possesses with their God and how that relationship affects their day to day lives and their interactions with others. Religion is an organization separating spiritual people into sects by how their God is characterized and how they believe He (or She) should be worshiped and paid homage to. The separation of these people is what creates animosity. If it weren't for darkness, light would have no name. All things would not exist without their opposite. If people were allowed to believe what they chose and divisions were not organized then perhaps everyone could just accept that everyone has their own interpretation of spirituality and we could embrace this common identity.
Also, religious persons often use their religious texts to justify terrorist like attacks. Often scriptures are taken too literally or out of context. In the case of the Bible specifically many people choose to follow it to the letter, forgetting that the word of God as presented in the scripture is written by mortal man in the years during and surrounding Christ's life. This was quite some time ago and the will of God for his people surely has changed in these hundreds (even thousands) of years. I do not claim to have all the answers, and when it comes to religion no one can. Therefore, I do not know how to propose a solution to this problem. Perhaps better education on the sacred texts to its followers is in order. Unfortunately, anyone can decide that they are qualified to teach the text and they, themselves may have a corrupted view.
The idea of elitism and the words “God is on our side!” play a considerable role in justification of war. Because of research in the past I do not believe that Hitler began his anti-semetic rampage due to religious beliefs. It was an economical and racial discrepancy that fueled his anger. However, when forces entered Germany to fight against the Nazi party suddenly God was taking sides. No one can claim God, He will take the side of the man who does His will. It is being very egocentric to believe that you undeniably have God's approval. To assume God's stance with any amount of scriptural evidence is vain and wrong.
Lastly, I want to address those religions, or rather sub-sections of religions, which promote or demand conversion of individuals not sharing their beliefs. In my first example of how religion can be used to cause violence in people I mentioned that without compartmentalizing people into religious “clubs” we could enjoy a commonness and unity. Even if it were possible to all enjoy our beliefs and the fellowship the organized Church, Mosque, Synagogue, etc. provided us with this new idea would tear it apart. At its core the conversion promotes a theme of intolerance. It says that “another religion or set of ideas is below our own and we owe it to God to make these people change, it is His will!” Everyone believes that their ideals are right, but no religious person can claim that they are sure. Religion prides itself on faith. One is expected to believe in their God, etc. without concrete evidence. Faith may even be described as the opposite of skepticism or doubt. One's faith makes an idea true for that individual but not for all people. Converting people revisits my previous argument of elitism. Anyone who believes that their faith is above that of another’s causes argument which leads to violence.
Kimball writes “It is somewhat trite, but nevertheless sadly true, to say that more wars have been waged, more people killed, and these days more evil perpetrated in the name of religion than by any other institutional force in human history." Personally, I believe this statement is true, but not whole heartedly. One particular argument raised on www.hds.harvard.edu is that Kimball never gives his reading audience any examples of these times when wars have been waged “in the name of religion.” They argue that perhaps Kimball has an opposing view of what religion might be defined as. I feel that religion does possess a strong definition. A set of beliefs setting a moral code for a group of people while giving reason to the universe may be a weak definition but I feel that it embodies what religion is. On this website the writers argue that until more modern times, religion and politics were fused. If this is the case, then how could a country, for instance, go to war for political reasons without making religion a part of its causes? My argument is this, since religion did govern many different bodies of people in the past, the people choosing to go to war were taking their religious beliefs into account in their decision. They must have if the church and state were bound. The major world religions all promote nonviolence. Of course, even this can be argued. However, in the case of September 11th, an admittedly modern example, the war started as a political struggle to keep our nation safe from terrorist attacks. Over the seven years since the attack many Americans have switched from fighting the “terrorists” to fighting the “Muslims”. Though America is the melting pot of many races and creeds virtually all of the religions represented in America support a nonviolent approach. The Bible even states plainly that “Thou shalt not kill.” Those that desert their beliefs in support of the war and still claim that we are doing God's work in Iraq are bringing religion into the war and are also misrepresenting their religion. Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for the 2008 election says the following on a www.youtube.com video: “Our national leaders are sending [our troops] out on a task that is from God.” This proves that even political wars can be strewn into religiously backed violence and warfare.
An example provided in the writing of Juergensmeyer is less certain. He references the political elections between Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. According to Juergensmeyer Peres held a 20 percent lead in the polls until a sequence of suicide attacks on Jerusalem buses. Following these events Netanyahu took an edge in the race and claimed that he owed his victory to the Hamas terrorists who instigated the attacks. Upon investigation by both reporters and the author himself, it was discovered that the terrorists didn't care about the Israeli government's affairs and that “Maybe God wanted it.” It is fair to argue here that the attacks may not have been politically based but the Hamas that were interviewed were also very vague in their justifications, either political or religious, for their acts. Perhaps they are not fully disclosing their motives.
Juergensmeyer provides another interesting argument in his text. “The Gita gave several reasons why killing in warfare is permissible, among them the argument that the soul can never really be killed: 'he who slays, slays not; he who is slain is not slain.'” In the Gita this phrase is referring to the death of a soul. In other words, the soul will live on forever. This explains the second half of the quote. The second half is more difficult to understand. My interpretation is this; if someone “slain” can never be killed then how can anyone be called a killer? No one ever dies there the mortal act of killing means nothing to the soul. The body is simply a vessel. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I get a mixed reaction from this analyzation. I can understand the justification some Hindus may have for killing. They feel that by the words in the Gita only the body is dying, but the soul lives on. To me the act still counts as an act of violence as they are taking the earthly life from another and therefore deciding that person's earthly fate without the influence of the divine. Juergensmeyer comments again on Hindu tradition, “Another reason [that killing in warfare is permissible] is based on dharma (moral obligation): the duties of a member of the ksatriya (warrior) caste by definition involve killing, so violence is justified in the very maintenance of social order.” In response to this comment I take the side of famous nonviolent warriors such as Gandhi. Just as in Christianity, perhaps the ksatriya caste was meant to fight the battle of moral justice and evil. Perhaps the battle fought in the Gita is symbolizing a greater good to be fought in the heart and mind of good Hindus.
To conclude the previous three paragraphs I would like to say that I cannot come to a general decision on the case studies made by Kimball and Juergensmeyer. I do not believe that it is ever fair to make a generalization especially in topics as sensitive as religion. Each case must be studied and analyzed on its own. Every person living on earth has a different set of personal ethics, morals, and motives. Terrorists may commit these acts for a number of reasons while the rest of the world looks on twisting the events to fit their own prophesy for the world. I do believe that, a majority of the time, tension begins politically and is almost always strewn into a theological debate. Of course, there is always an exception to the rule.
Despite the previous small attack on religious violence, I do believe that religion can be, and is, used for good. I believe that religion has provided us with the moral codes and ethical standards by which we all live. All people who are considered good, sound individuals follow most of the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule along with many of the commandments appear in the majority of world religions in their own way. These “laws” have become so engrained in society that they are considered common decency and I truly believe that religion can claim responsibility for this. However, I feel that it would be remiss not to mention that I used the terms “Golden Rule” and “Ten Commandments” only because Christianity is so widely recognized in America. All major world religions gave to the code of ethics by which we all live. None is superior in any way to another. In a perfect world all world religions would revisit their individual doctrine and recognize the original ideas set forth in the text. Most people would find that to kill is severely against their religion and that if they were to be loyal followers, they would cease to inflict harm on their fellow man. However, the world is not perfect and I feel that violence can only be stopped by educating people slowly. Showing people the importance of avoiding adopting an elitist attitude and following the laws set forth by their God would be a positive start. Teaching people to understand the symbolism in religious text is important as well, because those who take religious texts literally can gravely misinterpret God's word and may go against His will.
I was convinced by Kurlansky's argument that nonviolence is more effective from a political and religious standpoint than violence. Of his twenty-five lessons, nine struck me as very true and incredibly defensible. This is not to say that the others proved untrue in my mind. Of these nine I will discuss five that I feel are most significant.
First, I will discuss the very first lesson. It states that “there is no provocative word for nonviolence.” Kurlansky discusses the fact that no language possesses a word for nonviolence. He makes an example of Sanskrit in which hisma translates to harm. To not do harm translates to ahisma. Why is it that violence is so important a concept that it deserves many words in our language to be dedicated to it: ferocity, brutality, and war. This says nothing about the act of nonviolence itself, this will be addressed next.
“People who go to war start to resemble their enemy.” This is the eighth lesson of Kurlansky's. Though I have used the example of the war in Iraq before in this paper, I can't help but to mention it again. It is a flawless representation of this lesson! After September 11th American's were shocked by the loss of so many of our civilians. America heroically went to war against terrorism, or so it would seem. We now see that instead of fighting terrorism we are attempting to control the people of Iraq and are occasionally causing the deaths of Iraqi civilians. World War II is another example beginning with the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. America took up arms against their enemy and ended up bombing Japanese land and killing over 700,000 civilians.
My third example comes from Kurlansky's 12th lesson. It states, “The state imagines it is impotent without a military because it cannot conceive of power without force.” I disagree with this statement. I feel that power isn't the goal of force. Force is required by government due to their fear of imminent threat. Force is used purely as a defense mechanism.
The last two lessons I'd like to address relate to one another. The first is number 21 reading, “Once you start the business of killing, you just get 'deeper and deeper,' without limits.” This statement seems undeniably true. When presented with power it is human instinct to relish in it. This can cause people to lose sight of their original goal and ride their influence too far. A wonderful example of this argument appears in Hitler's actions during World War II. He continued adding races and creeds to his list of the damned. Until his power overwhelmed him and led to the overwhelming anxiety over Germany's decline in power that led to his suicide. According to the 24th lesson, “The miracle is that despite all of society's promotion of warfare, most soldiers find warfare to be a wrenching departure from their own moral values.” This lesson also pulls my mind to the Nazis. We have learned that many Nazi soldiers felt that they had to separate their professional lives as soldiers from their personal, religious lives. They knew morally that their actions were wrong, but they felt that their duty as soldiers was equally important. While I do not agree with that method of thinking, it is reminiscent of the discussion of the Gita earlier. Many Hindus would argue that killing was part of their caste duty as soldiers despite the hints of nonviolence in their scriptures. It would be fair to say that most of the Nazi soldiers professed Christianity as their religion. I say most to leave room for the exception to the rule. If they were indeed Christian then killing was against their moral code.
The struggle between earthly duty and religious responsibility has been a long and trying one. Decisions about how to attack the dilemma should be addressed by the individual facing it. No one should try to make a decision affecting every part of another person's life whether it is a moral vs. duty struggle or which religion they should practice. Only education on all religion will allow Earth's people to make informed decisions to better their lives.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Religion Paper
I'm going through a bit of a moral dilemma.
Let me begin by saying that I love Religion. I am not religious myself, but spiritual. However, I love to study world religions, their intricacies and their startling similarities. Now I am taking a class titled Religious Violence and Non-Violence. What a great topic! Mennonite pacifists all the way to organizations like Al Qaeda and the Ku Klux Klan are discussed. I am so interested to learn all of this but my teacher has a certain way of running the class that I don't agree with. We meet on Monday and Wednesday and are expected to read 4-5 chapters by each Wednesday from a book. We then write a paper reflecting on the material. On Monday he lectures and on Wednesday we have discussion that is meant to be guided but often goes very off course and accomplishes nothing. This material is precious to me and I don't want to learn it from these books! The authors give their opinions and their bias slants... I just want the facts and I'd like to have more directed discussion with my peers on the really substantial matters so that I can broaden my views. Today I have 45 minutes to write a paper spitting back at the teacher the ideas that have been given to me as intelligent fact.
I should do what the teacher asks of me so that I pass the class and can move on but it’s really upsetting to me. I am by nature a procrastinator and always put these things off but usually I do them at the last minute to turn them in. I could very well do that today but I just really don't think these papers are helping.
The professor has given us a great final project, a 10 page paper on a topic of our choosing along with a 30 minute presentation. I am going to discuss the religious justifications of a few Christian extremist groups like the Army of God and the Ku Klux Klan. This project allows me to study a singular topic and acquire the points of view of as many scholars as I choose.
Argue with me if you disagree, but I feel that Religion and Philosophy classes (excepting history) should not have textbooks. There is so much to be said about human interpretation in these subjects. I can't stand for having the ideas of a couple selected men being my only knowledge on the subject.
That's all I really have to say for now I suppose... What do you think?
Let me begin by saying that I love Religion. I am not religious myself, but spiritual. However, I love to study world religions, their intricacies and their startling similarities. Now I am taking a class titled Religious Violence and Non-Violence. What a great topic! Mennonite pacifists all the way to organizations like Al Qaeda and the Ku Klux Klan are discussed. I am so interested to learn all of this but my teacher has a certain way of running the class that I don't agree with. We meet on Monday and Wednesday and are expected to read 4-5 chapters by each Wednesday from a book. We then write a paper reflecting on the material. On Monday he lectures and on Wednesday we have discussion that is meant to be guided but often goes very off course and accomplishes nothing. This material is precious to me and I don't want to learn it from these books! The authors give their opinions and their bias slants... I just want the facts and I'd like to have more directed discussion with my peers on the really substantial matters so that I can broaden my views. Today I have 45 minutes to write a paper spitting back at the teacher the ideas that have been given to me as intelligent fact.
I should do what the teacher asks of me so that I pass the class and can move on but it’s really upsetting to me. I am by nature a procrastinator and always put these things off but usually I do them at the last minute to turn them in. I could very well do that today but I just really don't think these papers are helping.
The professor has given us a great final project, a 10 page paper on a topic of our choosing along with a 30 minute presentation. I am going to discuss the religious justifications of a few Christian extremist groups like the Army of God and the Ku Klux Klan. This project allows me to study a singular topic and acquire the points of view of as many scholars as I choose.
Argue with me if you disagree, but I feel that Religion and Philosophy classes (excepting history) should not have textbooks. There is so much to be said about human interpretation in these subjects. I can't stand for having the ideas of a couple selected men being my only knowledge on the subject.
That's all I really have to say for now I suppose... What do you think?
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