(no subject)
Jul. 8th, 2003 08:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vicarzA short time ago, I held back making a post in which I was going to thank god. I was going to thank god for not existing, or existing and failing to ever show one shred of evidence that it existed or gave a damn about anything good. I was going to thank this non-existence for making me strong enough to take control of my own damn life and fix the things that need fixing alone, since they weren't there. I held back that smartass post.
Well, today I'm in work and I'm processing the removal of someone who was severely injured in a rollover in an SUV. They are uber uber xtian, and all their correspondence is littered with xtian quotes etc. She thanx god for the two big miracles in her life - getting her job in USDA, and surviving this awful accident. Huh? How about "Fuck you god for giving me this shitty job in a slaughterhouse, the inability to strive for more, and then shredding my body in a 1-car accident without even having the decency to allow me to die an instant painless death?" How about "Take me into your kingdom, biatch, coz I mofo earned it already!" The perspective is just hilarious. I mean I can see it either way, but it seems a more negative situation than a positive one.
Well, today I'm in work and I'm processing the removal of someone who was severely injured in a rollover in an SUV. They are uber uber xtian, and all their correspondence is littered with xtian quotes etc. She thanx god for the two big miracles in her life - getting her job in USDA, and surviving this awful accident. Huh? How about "Fuck you god for giving me this shitty job in a slaughterhouse, the inability to strive for more, and then shredding my body in a 1-car accident without even having the decency to allow me to die an instant painless death?" How about "Take me into your kingdom, biatch, coz I mofo earned it already!" The perspective is just hilarious. I mean I can see it either way, but it seems a more negative situation than a positive one.
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no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 05:32 am (UTC)The point is, God -- when treated in that context -- is something that cannot be changed. So, please read the quotations above as: I am actively happy with the way of the world! Which is a lot better for her than being dissatisfied with the fundamental nature of existence, since she can't change -that-.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 05:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 05:53 am (UTC)See, nihilism has its up side. Esperanto dirges, for one.
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Date: 2003-07-08 05:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 08:33 am (UTC)Personally, I think that constant divine intervention is a crutch. If God exists (I'm not about to rule it out), He only intervenes once in a great while and generally lets things go on their course and watches us make our own decisions.
Basically, Christians are like Nazis at Nuremburg who are "just following orders", but don't realize that their führer is a random number generator.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 02:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 06:47 am (UTC)on the other hand, you completely cracked me up with "Take me into your kingdom, biatch, coz I mofo earned it already!" Can we get t-shirts made?
no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 07:12 am (UTC)Also? The USDA job will have gotten her terrific health benefits. That's something, innt?
I'm very sorry
Date: 2003-07-08 07:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 08:01 am (UTC)The slaves of the south were often portrayed as a very religious group of people - when there is little hope, you find some to convince yourself to keep going. If you have little control over your future, your destiny you need something to believe in.
Me, I'll take my fuck ups, my sucesses, and I guess my fate.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-08 10:16 am (UTC)Everyone has their obscenely devoted belief to something. Personally, I'm going to make a sweeping generalization and say the élite loves them their Sumerian blood cults, the middle class are big fans of empiric humanism, and the lower classes be pah-raaaaisin' jaysus or some other salvatory religion. But it is a sweeping generalization and not a very correct one, at that.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 04:32 am (UTC)Studies like that have been done. I'm not positive how current any results would be. People who beleive in one higher power or another come from many different backgrounds. In my case for example: I'm educated, fall into the top 6% on the IQ scale, come from a family where if I wanted anything (including a car when I graduated) I just had to ask for it, have no major psych disorders and have a professional career. It seems to me for those who poke fun at people who do beleive in some form of a god, it is just from a lack of understanding of why they believe. Personaly mine is not one of blind faith. From my perspective it is much more difficult to believe than to not believe. If you have a spiritual belief system then you are ridiculed more often than not. Especially in the freak community where everyone presents as so open minded. (This I'm annoyed by at times but have really just become used to it.) The other reason for feeling this is that to not beleive then means you only have your rules to abide by. Death is sleep and there is no after life. The prospect of an after life to me is much more scary than just dying and that's it. All this is just my opinion of course.
-Had to write this in a hurry so hopefully it ties together well enough to be understandable.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 05:37 am (UTC)I doubt that a study would be outdated on such a broad topic, given the scope. People haven't changed all that much, not in relation to how socio-economic status affects them and spiritual belief sytems (guesses me).
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 05:55 am (UTC)Um...
Date: 2003-07-09 01:44 pm (UTC)Having had grad level Testing and Measurement in college and being a person who has conducted research work, I think I would realize that I alone do "not count as a study." I did not say I am a study. i used myself as one example of a person who is a Christian and what my stats would look like.
"I doubt that a study would be outdated on such a broad topic, given the scope. People haven't changed all that much, not in relation to how socio-economic status affects them and spiritual belief sytems (guesses me)."
Of course the stats change. That's a given. Many more factors than just socio-economic status go into affecting the current ebb and tide of spirituality. You may focus your study just on socio-econimic status and the correlation and effects between it and spirituality, however, current cultural trends are going to play a part in your survey results no matter how controlled you attempt to keep the study. The trend that is being seen now more broadly is the renouncing of old traditions and traditional spiritual beliefs. This is being seen across cultures and socio-ecnomic levels. It's been becoming more and more pronounced for a period of roughly 10 years. Whether or not an officiasl study of late has been conducted would be interesting to see and what population base that they used.
Re: Um...
Date: 2003-07-10 03:31 pm (UTC)Before I entered school, Mom gave me the choice between catholic and public. I chose public b/c I had older friends who couldn't read and write very well that went to Catholic. I went through a time where I had to search for the correct spiritual fit. I studied many different religions. Pagan didn't feel right. Druid only felt partially right. Non-denominational Christian fit my beliefs and feelings the best with a little Druidish feel thrown in. The key for me however is that I don't believe in "religions". I even went through a "is there really a God" period. In the end it comes down to my spiritual choices are for me not my parents and I truly believe in a higher power. E-mail me if you'd like to continue this discussion.
Re: Um...
Date: 2003-07-10 11:05 am (UTC)Just going along the vein of how something is introduced to someone has a great impact on how they view it later - and whether they rebel against it when the achieve freedom from their parents.
I for one am glad that religion wasn't forced upon me, I'm also glad I've been introduced to a fair number of religions - and that I've chosen that I'm more concerned with a way of life and how I deal with other people. I'll spare you my Catholicism rant - but if you're interested I'll pull up the URL for my journal entry on it.
Re: Um...
Date: 2003-07-10 03:41 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-09 05:53 am (UTC)I believe that for alot it is another way to continue that rebellion against their parents - which most freaks have issues with (preceived, real or not). And this happens to be one of those issues where I would say that peer pressure actually plays a role as well.
I don't have enough confidence in humans to believe that we should state that there isn't some higher power. In the same right, I don't think we should be stating that some higher power is all loving and good.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 08:54 am (UTC)Better to worship goodness than strength, that would be my take.
Re:
Date: 2003-07-09 09:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 01:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 01:50 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-10 08:49 am (UTC)You are right, many gods aren't portrayed as loving and good all the time - but often their cruelty and might was deemed necessary.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 03:40 pm (UTC)