I found myself in the middle of an intense discussion with several co-workers today. We didn’t have enough to do, it being the end of the month, and I made the mistake of being drawn into a conversation I should have avoided. I’m not certain that I could have found the mental temerity to just stay out of it even knowing the outcome. Color me foolish.
It started innocently enough - “Let’s talk about our scariest dreams”…this turned into a talk about recurring dreams, and how to interpret what they might mean. I shared something far too personal, and was met with a barrage of pseudo-psycho-intellectual advice on what was wrong with me, my life, my beliefs. I hit the defensive fence running and never looked back, trying to explain myself to an audience that was so closed off to any intelligent thought they believe every morsel of fear-mongering crap fed to them from birth.
Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I would never be able to reason with this group until it was far too late. By this time, I had explained that rather than tell my sons what to believe about religion (or anything, for that matter), I exposed them to as many differing opinions as I could find so they could make a choice for themselves. I was asked, “But what if they choose the wrong thing?”…”Umm, their choice will be the right thing for them, even if it is not the right thing for me; that’s the beauty of allowing them to make an informed choice - they know their options and pick one.” I was then told that I was a neglectful parent, allowing a child to do/think/feel something that doesn’t necessarily fall in line with my ideas. That I may as well give them drugs and alcohol and not expect them to go to school every day. That I was not protecting them like I am supposed to. That by exposing them to all the world has to offer, I have opened them up to being influenced by “bad things”. Apparently, once they see all the bad in the world, they begin to think it is okay because they are numbed, and this will make them do things that “good” kids don’t do.
I’m still so fucking stunned that I can’t even get my head around the narrow-mindedness of people, and the sheer stupidity of thinking that if you live in a bubble nothing bad will ever happen. More on this when I can think straight.
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Dick Cheney's daughter, Ronald Reagan's kids, most right wing conservative congressmen, the more than occasional evangelical pastor.
The above list have "strayed" from the so called path of righteousness despite (or because of?)the stringent beliefs of their peer group / parents.
The thing is, as I explained over a waffle at Denny's is that some people, especially fundamentalist christians (although fundamentalists in general) live a life of fear and lies.
They are incapable of handling anything logical because the largest premise upon which they base their lives is an unprovable myth.
They have nothing but dogma and dictat to back up their belief.
They'll say "God created everything, look at that sunset, proof that God is everywhere"
You say "So God created children with leukaemia, blindness, down's syndrome, what a bastard" and you will be met with "mysterious ways"
They have to lie to themselves (they call it keeping their faith)and it's so ingrained they don't even notice they are doing it anymore...
I've met your sons, you did fine, they're fine, fuck everyone else.
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