Last updated on December 31, 2018
Be warned… semi-rant coming up…
What set me off? Walking back from the grocery story with one of my demon spawn, we were accosted, twice within two minutes, by pamphlet-waving zealots as we crossed the intersection on two different sides. And then again five minutes later when we reached the subway where we had to navigate a gauntlet of them.
Now, I’ve spent quite of lot of years in comparative religious study, because it interests me. Out of all that study, I learned one thing – they really all say the same thing at the core. That’s fact. Don’t take my word for it – go study.
My personal perspective on spirituality is whichever of those frames makes sense to you and helps you organise your morals, figure out your purpose and your place in the universe, then embrace it. I’m cool with that. I also allow and agree it can differ from what’s right for me, because we’re not the same person. And because I’m pretty basic, I think everyone should follow the general rule of “don’t be a dick” in all circumstances. I think it’s a good rule and covers a lot of bases.
Not everyone takes this perspective.
Humanity is a petty little race, y’know? A large portion don’t even understand the differences between the organised religions were driven by human agendas, political and otherwise. Or worse, they fail to recognise that the differences between all the dogma and invented rules people must follow to be in their clubs are what they’ve made the most important things. Those things are what they bicker over and even sometimes kill each other over and do it in the name of their god or gods.
I dislike zealots of any kind just on general principle, because they never speak from a place of empathy, logic, fact or even common sense. It was these, the illogical and the ill-informed, that I ran into today.
If you can’t even explain to me what it is about something that makes you so passionate about it, how can I enter into a productive conversation about it with you? If you explain it, I can see your perspective. I’m actually like that, I’ll talk to anyone if they’re making sense and even when their viewpoint differs from mine. I can easily debate my own position. And I’m willing to listen. I’m a writer. I live to figure out what catches people’s interests and winds them up to that degree. And outside of authorial interest and just as a human, it doesn’t matter to me if I agree with them or not. I want to understand where they’re coming from, so we can all get along.
People who operate without ability to make rational sense over what winds them up to the degree they want to light themselves on fire are dangerous.
It’s mob mentality and not toward any positive actions or thoughts. It’s a negative, mindless position. It lends itself to anger, knee-jerk reactions and the tearing down of those around us, our siblings in humanity, who we’re all in fellowship with on this rock.
I just don’t get it. Why do you care if someone bows or kneels or stands while they’re contemplating their actions or communing with a higher power or the universe? Who cares in what type of building or no building people come together in fellowship? Are these the things we should really be concerned about? Why is it all about who’s right or wrong? Spending all our time fighting over who owns a holy day or whose interpretation of what it takes to gain a reward on some other plane doesn’t leave much energy or time left for looking out for and supporting each other.
Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?
What set me off? Every one of those zealots broke my general “don’t be a dick” rule. I hate that. There’s no reason for that. These people lost their shit over my replies and when I asked questions they didn’t have answers to. I wish I was kidding. Do you know what I said? I said (in reply), I believe I should do good deeds and be a positive example for those around me, because it’s the right thing to do. Not because I’m going to get some reward later. That strikes me as a rather self-serving goal. So what does that mean? If there was no reward, you wouldn’t bother?
Perhaps, too blunt? Yes, it must have been my fault for setting them off with my bizarre perspective.
Maybe it’s just me, but if you’re attempting to gain more members for your special club? You might attract more by not attacking people at the top of your lungs. That sort of makes no one want to be anywhere near you. Just saying.
These types of people just get right up my nose, so I’m sorry for the rant. I promise, I’m done. No sense dragging all that negativity around with me. I won’t give anyone that kind of power over me.
Do me one favour, though? Remember to not be a dick. And pass it on. You do that? We could counteract the damage from these weenies.
We can use it as practice for a counter-offensive on the flat earthers. 😉