The Grammys So-Called Controversy

     Let's start with stating that Macklemore's performance at the Grammys was better than I expected. The mass wedding ceremony was... touching; though it is not my cup of tea, I was glad that someone took a stand for marriage equality in a worldwide broadcast - Queen Latifah: well done. There has been a lot of criticism coming from the religious right, but I fear we have only seen the beginning. A lot of hate has been expressed over this public act of defiance against a broken system of thought; I wish people would learn to mind their own damn business. To those on the religious right, or what I like to call "The Wrong Side of History": Why can't you understand that if same sex couples are allowed to get married, the only thing it will affect is same sex couples getting married? A marriage certificate is merely a symbol of legitimacy that would be shown to all, a symbol of acceptance from a society which had led to the very hatred of those people, not because of a choice, because of a slight deviation in sexual orientation. In his song, Same Love, Mackelmore speaks of understanding, and progress; why can't people who pride themselves in being wise and understanding understand the idea that love can't be wrong? It is the best tool we have to understand each other, whether we are straight, homosexual, bisexual, transgender,  whether we have the ability to love more than one person at the same time, or just one, there is no reason to judge each other on this basis, as love strives to not hurt people, and is an expression of respect, understanding, and, of course, affection. There is no war on Christianity, or Christian values; there is a war on bigotry and hate. If you do not agree with someone's love life, keep it to yourself. It's none of your business anyways; no one comes in and tells you that being straight is unnatural, or that you shouldn't have the same rights as homosexuals or anyone else. We are merely stating that everyone should be equal under the law. If you can't understand that, I believe it was Lily Allen who said it best: Fuck you, Fuck you very, very much, your point of view is medieval.

     Some people even complained that they are being persecuted, stating that this is similar to the so-called end of days persecution Christians would endure. Let me tell you something - the morons who stated this, who live in the majority, are complaining that they are unable to persecute or torture - oh yea, some parts of the commonly used gay conversion therapy use psychological torture as well as electroshock therapy in some cases (Source). Those people swear up and down that they do this out of love. This is anything but; love is caring, attempting to prevent harm from coming to those on the receiving end. Some relatively influential preachers, and indoctrination camp president Michael Brown, even speak in favor of such harmful treatments (Source). But in countless interviews they tell you they do it out of love. This is absolute emotional masturbation, and obvious hiding of the true motives of the religious fanatics pleading for special rights, as well as working to control the political process by intimidating those in power out of their dwindling power base. What they don't know though, is that their own audience is leaving them, tolerance is prevailing, just as it did during the civil rights movement. The same bigots who claim that Martin Luther King Jr. would've been on their side, the same egotistical maniacs who spit on the grave of Nelson Mandela, those are the people who claim to be on the side of love. No, friends, they are on the side of hatred, they are on the wrong side of history. Progress can't be stopped, it can be slowed down some, but it will rise, and, as it stands, us progressives are gaining momentum. We have science and reason on our side, not the remnants of a dying archaic belief system which belongs in the history books. They liken our scientists to the leaders who imprisoned Galileo, not realizing the irony of such a statement. They tell us that we are fighting against society as a whole, and, at some point in time, they were right, but societies change, and we have succeeded at making it better. We will fight society at every turn if we need to, not only for tolerance, but for acceptance as well. I was once told that it is similar to banging a clay pot and an iron pot together. Well, the reference wasn't wrong, but it is that which we are fighting that is clay, and we are made of iron!

Live Your Life

My atheism isn't a big secret; I will tell of my lack of belief to anyone who has an ear. It's not because I believe I'm smarter than those who believe in a deity of sorts; no, it is because, in my opinion, the burden of proof hasn't been met. But why go ahead and speak out against religion? Why bother those who believe in their chosen deity, using derogatory terms such as believers in a bearded Tinkerbell? Well, it is because I believe they are misled and I am trying to shock them into reality.

    

    I use Abrahamic religions as they are the most commonly held group of belief systems in the western hemisphere. Those religions teach us that while life is worth living, if we do not reach our goals, it's okay, we will meet them in heaven/paradise. Those faiths teach us that this life, the only one we have proof of, is merely a dress rehearsal for the real party, the heavenly North Korea, in which death is not an option. It teaches us to live in complacency with a complete disregard for what matters in this world, and yet it teaches us to fight against some extremely important aspects of the heart of our humanity, including those we are allowed to love. Well, I say this needs to end.

    I recently encountered a situation where some who are close to me spoke out against something they disagreed with in a rather casual yet venomous manner. They did not know that I adhere to the ideology which they spoke badly of; had they known, I have no doubt that they would have refrained from offending me or mine, and kept their ideas to themselves. This reminded me of Stone Sour's "Through Glass" lyrics, "While you're outside looking in, describing what you see, remember what you're staring at is me". It's interesting to see what people would say to you if they thought you agreed with them, when really, they are insulting you without even knowing it. Religion teaches us that it's okay to discriminate against those who are different, simply for being different: the LGBTQ community, the polyamorist community, some sects even fight against interracial marriages to this day! Why hate those who are different than us and try to infringe on their rights to be happy? Why hate at all? After all, consenting adults are aware of what they are doing and are prepared to face the consequences of their actions, consequences which have absolutely nothing to do with you.

    It is something I have been fighting for within myself for at least 20 years, where I knew of such acts of love, and did not think anything wrong with it. Yet society, ingrained with religious dogma, teaches that those behaviors are wrong. I have sat silently for 20 years and fought internally to keep a straight focus on equality among all humans, regardless of sex, gender, "ethnicity", or sexual orientation. It is our right, as human beings to want to be happy! I was always taught that "my freedom ends where yours begins", I am free to believe, or do what I want to, so long as it doesn't infringe on your freedom to do the same. Why won't more people believe and live by this simple truth?

    We only have one life folks - why waste it on fairy tales which teach us to be bigoted and mean spirited towards those who are different? There is only one race in the human genome: Human. We come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. The same can be said about our character; we are all different and have different inclinations. Why judge people based solely on what we are taught is right? Are we not smart enough to figure out what is right ourselves? Do we not have the capability? What about the Socratic method of learning, to question everything? I am reminded of Thomas Jefferson when he said "Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear". Those are powerful words that Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other faiths refuse to abide by; indeed the very questioning of the existence of our deity of choice is forbidden. In Luke 4:12 Jesus flat out says: "You must not test the LORD your God", a statement that insures the unquestioning slave-like position of the followers of the Christian Messiah. It is a method we see in the Wizard of Oz: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! In other words, be willfully ignorant and unwilling to see reason!

  A lot of apologists would use Pascal's Wager (If you believe in God and turn out to be incorrect, you have lost nothing--but if you don't believe in God and turn out to be incorrect, you will go to hell.) in which one states that the existence of god is binary. This is, of course, intellectually dishonest as it presupposes that there is only one god, and that the person posing the wager is worshiping the right one. It also insinuates that believing is a conscious act, and that an omnipotent deity would not be able to see through a hypocritical fake belief "just in case". Worst of all, Pascal also assumed one last thing, that believing in this chosen deity would not cost the believer anything. This is wrong; the most valuable thing we have is, arguably, time. Those who believe are so entranced by their beliefs that they waste their life away, not actively participating in making this world a better place, "Because why should we, it's only temporary anyway, and the sooner it is destroyed, the faster we all get to leave to meet the magical sky Gandalf who punishes gays and people who don't believe in him!" And he's supposed to love everyone unconditionally! Think of all of the good that could be done, all the problems that could be solved if believers would actively work to make this world a better place instead of sitting by complacent and content while waiting to meet their nonexistent creator...all of the wasted talent and potential!

We only have this one life, why not enjoy it, and live it as who we are, without fear of shame or guilt, cultivated in us by a society which strives to control and shape us into sheep, obediently being led to our deaths. Never be satisfied with being half the person you can be, or want to be. If society can't accept you for who you are, it is time to change society, do not let it change you. For far too long, we have felt the weight of our failing society crush us - let us rise and strive to leave this world a better place than the world we entered. Let us make this world a world of acceptance, love, and a legitimate search for truth!

The Evils of Fundamentalism

     It's no big secret that I am an atheist who has no respect for religion. Now, don't get me wrong, religious people, so long as they do not try to trample my rights or the rights of others, are fine, and deserve respect. That, fortunately for me does not include some vocal minorities such as Michael Brown, who, in his latest article mentioned a war on the unborn, supposedly waged by New York mayor Bill de Blasio. While the opinion that there is a war on the unborn seems fair to fundamentalists, it is also fair to state that those who claim to be "Pro Life" are really simply "Pro Birth", as they also tend to not care about the likelihood of survival for those families and infants who are born. Indeed, those same self proclaimed advocates for the sacred nature of life are also those who would vote for cutting of funding for lower income families as they "are lazy and living at the teat of the government". To be fair I haven't heard Brown make such a statement, but those he associates with often do.
   
     I am  pro choice, it doesn't mean that I am pro abortion, I respect life as it comes, though I also understand that such procedures can sometimes be more beneficial to the unborn, as well as to their families. It is my opinion that pro choicers are more in favor of life than their opposition as the vast majority tend to be pro birth as well, though with the caveat that those children who are born along with their families should be taken care of. Hell, welfare and food stamps are basic tenets of Christianity, but it is those same people  who advocate forced birth who oppose such social safety nets for those in need. I have asked several people as to why they are against the government being in charge, after all they like to proclaim that we are a Christian nation. I usually get the answer that it is the Church's job to take care of those in need, well, you're doing a damn fine job! How about instead of financing lavish lifestyles with numerous travels around the globe, you start fixing your communities? How about, instead of investing in extravagant building for your cults to gather in, you start a food bank, or donate to actual charities who will take care of those in need with no strings attached?

     Christianity, along with every other religion who claim to do good in their communities, are nothing but giant corporations who care about nothing but the implementation of a political agenda designed to bypass the laws of the nations in which they reside. In the United States, I hear a lot of hate towards those who hold no belief in gods, going so far as to petition for the expulsion from the country, as we are, apparently sub par citizens. Of course, it is a small minority who feels so emboldened by their own political power that they allow themselves to betray their true position on human rights. This minority, though tends to have a lot of social power, through the tax free money they get. The rights of several groups are still being undermined by such powerful so-called "charitable" corporations. The hatred that spews from fundamentalism knows no bound, it was what kept the civil rights movement from advancing for so many years, and still does to this day. I keep calling churches corporations as it is what they are, they are the worst type of retail where they sell you merchandise which cannot be verified. They are always asking for money, and that is the first thing one notices about churches; they get members in a trance like state through songs, then pass the collection plate, then guilt trips those same members through sermons which inevitably end in a request for donations.

     The sad thing about this whole thing, is that most of the members live in poverty, most are unable to afford healthcare, and most trust that their faith will heal them. This illusion is enhanced by the biblical scholars who encourage such beliefs. I have seen well respected pastors and ministry school faculty flat out tell a family, in public, that their dead child would rise again, as their god told them that fasting and praying would be necessary. That is the worst kind of false hope you can give to a grieving family. Of course, the child remained dead, and the family worse off because of the crushed hope. Fundamentalism is evil, and should be removed from the face of the earth.

Reflections on Individuality

     Lately I have been a little depressed, I quit my job due to the inability to perform my duties because of lack of backup from my supervisors. I have had a lot of opportunities to reflect on my own personality and, while I understand the person that I am, I can't, for the life of me tell whether I like it or not. I am, for the most part a neutral person, neither good nor bad, and that is what I thought human beings are like. I have come to the realization that I do not know how to interact with people and this leads to several awkward discussions/moments. I try to plan every single interaction I have during the day, most of the time at a moment's notice. I have come to understand that most people do not try to predict human interactions and go with the flow. This causes a serious problem in my social interactions, as sometimes I do not act as quickly as I think, and my movements do not develop the way I have planned, causing some undue awkwardness. 

     

     This is giving me some issues in my life as, after nearly 30 years on this planet, I have not once come to think that most people don't act this way. This is somewhat telling of the way I see the world. I am an outsider trying to fit in. My poor attempts to understand the human mind have come to a rather unnerving conclusion that it is easily manipulated, and, while I do not indulge in the practice of mental manipulation, it scares me that people can be so susceptible to suggestions. Entire concepts can be rearranged in order to benefit one person or the next, though the earlier they are planted, the harder those very concepts are to break through, especially when reinforced by a society which does not care about the well being of its denizens, but rather in their complete obedience and the adherence to several semi religious dogmas. 

     Life, as I see it in others, is meant to be enjoyed, not feared or simply lived through. This is hard for me, as the things I enjoy are severely reprimanded by society, legal, but heavily frowned upon, to the point of social exile for those participating in such behaviors. In the past year, I have achieved my goal of leading my life in such a way that my very existence is a sin, though it came at great social cost, the impact of which I had not fully understood in my life. I had not foreseen the repercussions it would have on those few who are close to me, and how they would be affected. I had indeed been blind to the casualties of my own social sacrifice. I can easily live with being ostracized, that is not the problem to me, but my loved ones are suffering for decisions they have not made. Hell, they are suffering for decisions I haven't made about who or what I am. 

     So in retrospect, I am what I am, and to those who are offended by it, you don't have to tolerate me, you can just ignore me and act like we never interacted, no pain will come to me in that, as I value honesty above all else. If you are so small minded that my existence and my way of thinking offends you, nobody's forcing you to remain sociable with me. To those who are hurt by others' behaviors: don't let them affect you, those who are quick to offense and project their own fears on others do not need to be in your life, they do not deserve the gems that you have to offer. We all have something to bring to the table in the marketplace of ideas, some ideas and concepts, though hard to understand are easier to deal with than others, and some have more merit than others, but everybody has a right to participate. I am seemingly quick to dismiss ideas that I disagree with, though I can't say that I have completely dismissed any without careful consideration, I just expect the same respect from other members of society.