fundamentalism, religion, religious, christian, modesty, muslim, atheism, atheist,In reading about modesty, I learned something. Well, I learned two things. As is clearly demonstrated above, I am not modest*. I also learned something else. As much as I love having choices**, other people clearly do not.
Choices are scary.
Religion can save you from them.
Not sure what to eat? Religion's got you covered. Not sure what to wear? Oh yeah, religion really has you covered there. Not sure what to movies to watch, what music to listen to, what books to read? Religion has an approved list. Not sure what to do with your time? Religion has an itinerary. Not sure when, or how many, children to have? There's religion for that, too. Sexual desire got you down? Not sure if that particular fantasy makes you a freak? Religion will tell you who, when and how to fuck.
Not sure what to think? Religion has your opinions for you right here.
So tell me, other than the promise of a better tomorrow, what's the difference between fundamentalism and slavery?
*I consider the WonderBra to be the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th century.
** I buy tea three flavors at a time just so every time I make tea, I have a choice as to flavor. Choice is the bestest thing every.
doesn't this at least imply that one is a choosing a religion that is closest to what they think they want?
ReplyDeleteother than that...
most religious have at least SOME loss of choice once you enter. its why i stopped trying to be Wiccan (i wanted to have other people to worship with on a regular basis, if there is one thing i actually envy Christians its Fellowship. yes, i have quite few family members who are ban-draoi, but most are in either CA or OK, and they are family. not the same, somehow)
i am used to the rules of my religion, and i think that they are as perfect and flexabil (for me) as any religious rule could be. i am pretty sure that a LOT of that is because i was raised with it. my spasms of rebellion, of which i only had a couple, were when i tried twice to be Christian (and both times out of anger because of the pain i was in). not only could i not understand the "rules" of Christianity (which are NOT the rules in the Bible, note) but i thought they were petty and too involved in punishing women for being women.
i couldn't live that way. most of the rules i have, religiously, revolve around how to treat people. the only thing about what i wear, or what i do, is "don't try to be something you are not) (wearing things - don't dress punk rock if you don't like punk rock but are trying to impression some, say) and the other is "don't abuse your body" which doesn't mean no drinking or drugs (well some think it does, but i wasn't taught it that way) its don't ABUSE drink or drugs. plus, taking too many drinks or drugs makes you not be yourself a in a lot of ways. plus, alcohal makes me hurt more and frankly, there isn't a street drug on the planet that doesn't scare the shit out of me (even pot will kill me. and i am TERRIFIED of the hard drugs)
a lot of the point for most religious (now, at least) is "giving your life to God"
which, yeah, does pretty much seem like "voluntary slavery"
in the same way you VOLUNTARILY sleep with the man who tells you if you don't quitely have sex with him he will kill you. if you don't follow the rules of the church you will burn in Hellfire. forever.
sounds like cohersion to *ME*, na da?
Choice is hot. So are yer bewbs.
ReplyDeleteI have a hot wonderbra, really.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think people do gravitate to the sort of religion that fulfills that sort of need they have. People who like choice gravitate to something that allows them choice (episcapalion or paganism comes to mind), where people who have a deepseated NEED to be told what to do gravitate towards fundamentalism.
This does leave out people who were raised to a particular faith, to them, it would seem normal to have no choice.
It is very coercive: "Do exactly what I tell you or burn forever" isn't far off from "Do exactly what I tell you or I'll shoot you".
"I buy tea three flavors at a time just so every time I make tea, I have a choice as to flavor."
ReplyDeleteNow, you see, this is the kind of postmodern liberal PC nonsense that is getting the world in the kind of mess it is in today. Teen pregnancies, same sex marriages and choice of teas.
There is only one, God-given tea: "English Breakfast" blend of Assam and Ceylon. Brewed in a pot and the milk goes in first you damn heretic.
I'm drinking Earl Grey right this instant! BWAHAHAHAHAHA
ReplyDeleteIf you were modest, you'd be denying the world ;)
ReplyDeleteI've got a box of Earl Grey, a box of Prince of Wales, and a box of Lady Grey tea sitting on my desk right now, in addition to this weird can of what may or may not be green tea my brother-in-law brought back from China on one of his business trips. I do dogmatically believe in the supremacy of Twinings over all other conveniently pre-bagged teas. I am otherwise henoteaistic, however, since I am aware that it's much easier to procure Bigelow or Lipton amongst the teathens.
ReplyDeletemy shirt is a public service!
ReplyDeleteOh, no, I've started a tea holy war on my blog! Oh, the humanity!
ReplyDeleteEverybody, get down!!
Excuse me, why have I not seen Irish Breakfast Tea mentioned? Is it because people hate the Irish?! Heheh.
ReplyDeleteNice cleavage!
Constant Commentarian here. I like it best. Also Leonhard Cohen referenced it in the song Suzanne. I know it is Constant Comment because I saw him mention it in an interview! So I'm hoping our shared tea preferences mean I have a chance to tilt at the towering windmill of his songwriting ability.
ReplyDeleteYour boobs are perty; also I envy your shirt. OH NO teh sin!
I have been having religion spasms lately. Invisible God as described in actual Bible is fine. It has never told me I was evil and stupid, lied to me, manipulated me for personal gain or turned my brain sleazily inside out for a freaky personal power trip. Humans who claim they know what invisible God wants have done all those things to me.
And apparently none of the God-believers can tell the difference between each other. So the power-trippy people tend to have the most social power because they wants it more, precioussss. So to re-Goddify publicly would be to walk back into the lion pit after having previously escaped with only slight maiming. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Seriously, my wife and I are tea addicts.
ReplyDelete1 cup on waking
1 at breakfast (maybe 2)
a couple thru the morning
1 at lunch (maybe 2)
a couple thru the afternoon
another 3 or 4 in the evening
Makes between 10 to 14 cups (mugs actually) of tea a day. With skimmed milk, no sugar. Brewed fairly strong, but not stewed. Fiona will kill me if I make tea directly in a mug and squeeze the bag with the spoon. She can tell.
There is then a whole other thing going on about the best biscuits to have with tea. Hobnobs are unavailable in France but there are the fantastic cinnamon flavoured Spekoloos
In between cups of tea we can be found snorting cocaine and indulging in sub/dom rubber fetish and free solo mountain climbing
Truly, a god belief in and of itself doesn't bother me. It's religion that destroys and oppresses and generally makes people miserable. If theists could just believe without all the religion (i.e., pagans), the world would be a calmer place, at the very least.
ReplyDeleteConstant Comment? I expected the Irishwoman to throw a molotav cocktail, but now you're dropping A bombs in the tea holy wars!
I do drink coffee first thing in the morning, but after that it's tea, tea and more tea. I am, however, a ateatheist, as I also drink a lot of Celestial Seasonings, too. I had to stop drinking soda because it upset my stomach too much, so now I'm going through 15, 16 cups of tea a day.
And I use sugar. Lots of it. *ducks*
erm... i'm going to stand over here in the corner.
ReplyDeletei mean, i sometimes drink tea, but its rare. i'm a Pepsi girl. and when i DO drink tea i prefer chai (NOT some sort of chai-flavored coffee, real chai)
so, um, I'm Switzerland? (ha, that used to be my catchprase, and i haven't been able to use it in years!)
Switzerland! Two of the partners at the firm have been friends since the first grade. (They're in their 60s now.) They are always trying to draw me into the ongoing debate as to whom is better liked, and my response is always, "Switzerland!"
ReplyDelete*i think the internet ate my response, so i will attempt to recreate it*
ReplyDeletei love using "Switzerland" because almost everyone understands it, except for badly educated teens, and i then always end up spending a half hour explaining it.
"to whom is better liked, and my response is always, "Switzerland!"
another great answer is "ME!"
Who doesn't love fine chocolates, well made watches and neutrality?
ReplyDelete