The problem with encountering Bt early in the norning is that he has read the paper when the only thing I've done is pick the thing up out of the yard. On the train he pointed out the article in the Metro section about the little boy who shot a 7 year old classmate. He asked me if I thought the child was evil and the father was creating an evil machine. I didn't read the paper but I heard it on the news, my answer is no. No, I don't believe the child or the parent is evil. Stupid. But not evil. The kid is 8. There is a chance for redemption.
I found myself arguing the liberal side of my church regarding hell and evil. On the way liberal end of my church there is no hell or there is a hell but no one is in it. I don't really believe that but it is really rude to tell people they are going to hell, how Episcopalian is that? On one level I guess it would be lovely if Stalin is hanging out in heaven, because then I have a chance. Bt wasn't buying it. When do these people get redeemed? He asked. I almost mentioned the loving power of Jesus, but I just said G-d. Yeah, it is a weak arguement that criminals and mean people will come into heaven because G-d loves us all sooooooo much that he won't let not one soul escape his loving grace. I don't buy it myself. I'm going with hell is the place where one is far from the love of G-d. Heaven is closer to him and his love. The more love the closer to heaven. Oh and I'm not going to tell anyone they're going to hell because, that's just so rude.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Apparently I'm incapable of independent thought
I'm not going to link to the post that annoyed me, because it isn't just that one I've seen this pop up several times.
Children, people, raised in a household with religion squashes independent thought, is the assertion. Being surrounded by friends, who are liberal and one level of agnostic or downright athestic I'm accustomed to hearing it, but not agreeing. Strangely, I was raised Baptist, stayed with the church till college where I latched on the the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches. All through then, apparently not one single independent thought entered my head.
Yet my memory tells me different. I wasn't a mindless automiton. Actually I wasn't too aware of whatever the Baptist party line was. Drinking bad. Heck, I coulda figured that part out on my own after dealing with drunken relatives. I had to get out of a alcohol abusing environment such as grad school to see that alcohol had other uses besides getting drunk off your ass. Sleeping around bad. Pregnant girls on my school bus, I'm sure they knew the risks but didn't care. People fighting because of sleeping around, yeah, witnessed that in my neighborhood growing up.
My mother was the more religious one where my dad was very suspious of religion. Mom could not pray in dad's presence because he was afraid that she was "reading the Bible" on him. Just because you don't believe in G-d doesn't make one less supertious. That I observed with my own eyes.
But back to kids or religious people in general who strangely enough are able to build up an independent thought on their own. Faith is not a form of abuse, and depending on the group there is disagreement and divergent thought. There are groups that get caught up with "group think" but it is not limited to religion. See communism. And strangley, some people who grew up in strict or even not so strict religious families have been able to move away from it in adulthood. There are people driving around in cars who grew up Amish and are no longer so. There is probably some guy who grew up in a conservative Jewish family, eating a crab cake sandwich. I know a girl, grew up Buddist but is lapsed. I know a lot of lasped people.
My faith gives me strength to endure and peace, why wouldn't I want to pass it on? We all have our own political and philosophical beliefs that we treasure and want to pass on, is that abuse? It is only true independence when you allow others to disagree with you and have thoughts and ideas that are opposed strongly to yours. I have listened to my friends who have thoughts strongly opposed to my own, and it is their right as Americans to have opposing thoughts, as is mine.
Children, people, raised in a household with religion squashes independent thought, is the assertion. Being surrounded by friends, who are liberal and one level of agnostic or downright athestic I'm accustomed to hearing it, but not agreeing. Strangely, I was raised Baptist, stayed with the church till college where I latched on the the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches. All through then, apparently not one single independent thought entered my head.
Yet my memory tells me different. I wasn't a mindless automiton. Actually I wasn't too aware of whatever the Baptist party line was. Drinking bad. Heck, I coulda figured that part out on my own after dealing with drunken relatives. I had to get out of a alcohol abusing environment such as grad school to see that alcohol had other uses besides getting drunk off your ass. Sleeping around bad. Pregnant girls on my school bus, I'm sure they knew the risks but didn't care. People fighting because of sleeping around, yeah, witnessed that in my neighborhood growing up.
My mother was the more religious one where my dad was very suspious of religion. Mom could not pray in dad's presence because he was afraid that she was "reading the Bible" on him. Just because you don't believe in G-d doesn't make one less supertious. That I observed with my own eyes.
But back to kids or religious people in general who strangely enough are able to build up an independent thought on their own. Faith is not a form of abuse, and depending on the group there is disagreement and divergent thought. There are groups that get caught up with "group think" but it is not limited to religion. See communism. And strangley, some people who grew up in strict or even not so strict religious families have been able to move away from it in adulthood. There are people driving around in cars who grew up Amish and are no longer so. There is probably some guy who grew up in a conservative Jewish family, eating a crab cake sandwich. I know a girl, grew up Buddist but is lapsed. I know a lot of lasped people.
My faith gives me strength to endure and peace, why wouldn't I want to pass it on? We all have our own political and philosophical beliefs that we treasure and want to pass on, is that abuse? It is only true independence when you allow others to disagree with you and have thoughts and ideas that are opposed strongly to yours. I have listened to my friends who have thoughts strongly opposed to my own, and it is their right as Americans to have opposing thoughts, as is mine.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
No really NBC needs one more L&O: Cow Bell
Some of my fellow conservative episkys have bothered to complain about the new NBC program "The Book of Daniel" (link to BoD blog). On the surface it doesn't even look remotely interesting. If all you are selling is "look created 'controversy'" and no real character development then screw them. They aren't even worth protesting. Give me a dead body every week, maybe I'll watch.
No what NBC needs is a new L&O: Stolen Vechile division. I watch the L&Os, of course Trial by Jury was a bit dull. Think, L&O: Stolen Vechile Div. mix Grand Theft Auto with what we love about L&O. Car chases, tough guys, NYC, good stuff. Or just bring back Homicide: Life on the Streets.
Better yet L&O: BWI/DC Homicide. Move the action down to Bawlermore and the District of Columbia. Mix Homicide, lovely views of the Inner Habor and then a few shots of the Mall. Have all crime occur in PG County but suspects, witnesses, possible alibis all live somewhere between Woodbridge, VA and Baltimore Co, MD.
No what NBC needs is a new L&O: Stolen Vechile division. I watch the L&Os, of course Trial by Jury was a bit dull. Think, L&O: Stolen Vechile Div. mix Grand Theft Auto with what we love about L&O. Car chases, tough guys, NYC, good stuff. Or just bring back Homicide: Life on the Streets.
Better yet L&O: BWI/DC Homicide. Move the action down to Bawlermore and the District of Columbia. Mix Homicide, lovely views of the Inner Habor and then a few shots of the Mall. Have all crime occur in PG County but suspects, witnesses, possible alibis all live somewhere between Woodbridge, VA and Baltimore Co, MD.
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