Posts Tagged ‘religion’

Yes, cumbersome title. But go read it anyhow. My sons are circumsized, and not just because their daddy was, too.

The linked article is one of the best I have found at dissecting the screaming meemies folks have these days over whether to whack off a prepuce from baby boys. Logic has fallen by the wayside; everyone locks and loads illogical arguments. Did the many peoples practicing male circumcis

(image from lolcats site, not my own)

Sometimes, I do try to not address an issue that intrudes on my life. Just a bit of a disclaimer before I go a bit purple in the face, you see. Because, no, I am not Christian….but I was once upon a time. And silly, gutless crap like I am about to rant about is one reason why I left it all behind me.

Halloween just passed, of course. It falls at the same time as the pagan holy day of Samhain, but is not the same thing. Halloween comes from Hallows E’en (evening), you see. It is the eve of All Hallows, a Catholic holiday that comes before All Saints Day—the “everybody else dead and not in heaven day, one could say.

Of course, in America, Halloween is when kids dress up and go trick or treating. When I was a child it was one of the rare purely joyous days of the year. When I came home with my siblings, we would fill several saved metal coffee cans with candy and it would be the source of treats for months to come! But, oh, it is the “evil” don’t you know?

First, Pat Robertson put out the word that you shouldn’t even buy candy at the Halloween season, because “witches have prayed over and consecrated it” and, oh, btw, put DEMONS in the candy. I had no idea of the risk—here I thought excess calories and tooth decay were evil enough! And really, the idea that “witches” want to fill candy with demons was just funny-crazy.

But then, word came from the Vatican (apparently, our terrible American ways are spreading to Europe) saying that good Catholics should not participate in this “dangerous” behavior that is “a pagan celebration of terror, fear, and death“! Right. Gee, I know if I was the leader of a major religion and I had to do a press release, I’d surely single out something as vile and earthshakingly evil as Halloween! (Why is there NOT a special sarcasm font, anyhow?)

I mean, what could possibly be more important than telling parents to forbid their children to dress up like ghouls, vampires, ghosties, and movie characters, right?

The world is engulfed in war, famine, environmental changes that could kill millions. And “the” Church decides to decry Halloween?
Give me a frakking break. It reminds me of the high school my kids attended. The authorities there disciplined kids who put a bit of cayenne pepper in a pushy jock’s jockstrap. But drug sales went on in the hallways. Sad to see that the Catholic Church is now so literally gutless that is is adopting the “pick the enemy you can defeat” techniques used by minor bureaucrats everywhere!

That way, you can look like you make plenty of noise and change, right? We can’t stop war. We can’t stop famine. We can’t stop the planet from finally killing us off in huge numbers in recompense for us killing sections of the planet. But BY GAWD, we can stop Halloween and binging on chocolates by small creatively costumed children! Way to go!

Maybe this comes of the rule for celibacy? Is it like they say at the gym “Use it or lose it”? They didn’t use their balls, so now they have finally lost them? Seriously, I have more at heart here than being verbally dismissive and insulting; this is what “God” finds important? Costumes and candy? I was proud to be an ex-Catholic; proud of the Catholic part—there was so much that even after I left, I admired. Stupid minor league stuff like this makes me merely prouder of the “ex” part.

People talk a lot about honor and tradition, don’t they?  And they talk about loyalty.

I find that sometimes that conversation about loyalty goes one way and means, “You be loyal to me, or ELSE.”  I have a family member who operates this way, very  much into talking about the importance of “family” when something is wanted—money, childcare, use of a car, a place to live when evicted.  But nothing is to be said except, “I’m not a child, Mother, you can’t tell me to do dishes/stop drinking/stop drugging!” when WE invoke family loyalty and unity.  The term “reciprocity” is not in this person’s vocabulary, it seems.  Obviously, this family tie has been stretched to the point of no return by such behaviors.

I see a lot of that.  And not just in families.  I see it in social groups.  I see it in religious settings.  I see leaders who want sheep like cheerleaders, not a group of equals seeking together.  I see friends who are friends as long as they get enough ego-stroking and attention, but who have hissy fits if they are told something is not as they choose to see it.

Critical thinking and honesty seems to be lacking.  Acceptance of constructive criticism and logic is lacking.  If good reasons  for dispute and disagreement are offered and rejected, how can trust possibly result?  How can anyone feel less than rejected and disrespected if the overall caveat seems to be “I am right, and you are wrong to think otherwise.”  When the only recourse is to take one’s ball and go home because change and honest disagreement and compromise is impossible, loyalty is a moot point.

Loyalty means BOTH sides commit to the relationship and working issues.  Loyalty is not the privilege of an autocracy.  That idea of leader-down supremacy is the realm of despots, tyrants and gurus.  It is NOT the true tradition of Northern Europe, the British Isles, or America.  If I don’t bend knee to tyrant governors, or tyranical deities, why would I EVER do it for a dictatorial relative, priest, or friend?