Amusing Finds 13

First act, second scene, in fact, Mutt.

''So foul and fair a day I have not seen. What are these
So hideous in their... something
That belong not on the earth and yet are on't''

Or something like that.

Seen while in Derby for Bloodstock '04.

Whoa.

Slen wants one of these.

This is Slen!

see here for comparison & cute guys)

Ummmm... I found the drum and bass/dance version of a classic: ''All Your Bass Are Belong To Us''

But I can't figure out how to post it yet...

You would copy the link from the top of your browser (including the http:// bit), and then put:

\link{http://www.whatever.blah/blah.html,Link text}

Yeah, but the thing is I found it on my Real Player Media Guide, so I don't actually know the link...

Grrrr...

''You will be protected from the terrible soundlet of Bass''

Urg. RealMedia ebul. *pokes it*

Piccies for Mutt, Slen and Ree and Rincewind fans

I like this guy. He says stuff I agree with. :D

(Selfish Gene, Brief History et al are other things on my "will read someday honest" list...)

You want to borrow Selfish Gene? I may still have it hidden somewhere...

Read the Richard Dawkins interview. I have to say there's a fair amount of stuff in there that I would agree with too. Whilst I don't think it's 'wicked' to label children with the religion of their parents, I would say it's quite confusing for the child.

My parents became Christians when I was about 11, and from then on, others labelled me as a good little Christian kiddy (which, I can assure you I was not. Nor am I that stereotype now... at least I don't think I am.) I actually didn't become a Christian 'til a few years later.

Anyway, after a brief trip through my life-story, back to what I was going to write:

I find the way he describes the revelation of nothingness very amusing. He says that when he found out there was no higher spirit/being/designer etc. it was like 'scales falling from his eyes'. The reason I find this amusing is that it actually has it's origins in the Bible.

In the story of Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul is lead into the city, having been blinded, and after a few days is visited by Aenanius, who prays for him. As Aenanius puts his hands on Saul, his blindness is healed and is described in the Bible as 'like scales fell off his eyes'. Also, at the same time, he recieves the Holy Spirit and, therefore, faith.

So I just find it rather amusing he used that phrase, because it's associated with a revelation that there is a God.

I just find this stuff interesting.

Mm - I recognised the scale thing as being some such related imagery. I'd imagine it was deliberate, for whatever reason, but dunno.

[engage ramble mode]
My parents have always been secular, though one is now Buddhist. I had no contact with people expecting me to believe what they believed until infant or junior school. I've a vague memory of coming home and repeating to one parent or other the things we'd been told about Jesus in assembly, which had been presented to us as facts. Probably I was straightened out pretty quickly!

Since I can remember, my brother and I have always been taught to be sceptical. Quite a difficult thing for an Aspie, but arguably even more important because of that. Of course, I've taken it further than intended, with the result that I'm now very cynical... but that's probably not their doing.

I should have an awful lot of respect for other religious people who stand up for what they believe, but to be honest I find it very hard.

Part of it is probably because they don't believe the same things I do, and I find it very hard to respect something I think is wrong. That seems to be a very controversial thing to say these days, that someone else is wrong, but let's not get into this whole multiple truths debate. I believe there's one truth and that what I believe is truth. It could be that I'm wrong but, fairly obviously, I don't think so. And I don't mean to offend anyone who doesn't share my beliefs. Of course I can still love and appreciate friends who have different veiws in this area, but I find it's far too easy to offend them. These days everything I believe seems offensive, but that's what Jesus means when he says 'If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first'. And it is fair to say that there are people living today who hate God.

Another part of me finds it hard to respect others beliefs because it seems all too easy to be anything but a Christian. Now, once again, I'm not saying that everyone takes the easy way out, but I always notice a bias to other religions and non-religions in the world today. For example, 'Jesus Christ Superstar' brought you Jesus: The Moody and Misunderstood. The series 'The Son of God' showed Jesus: The Revolutionary. Both interpretations strongly contradicted the Bible and the Christian beliefs. Now lets put the boot on the other foot. Can you imagine the outcry that would have ensued form any production claiming to be educational that contradicted the central beliefs of say the hindus or muslims? I also noticed whilst I was in school that, when people found out I was a Christian, they spent ages telling me what their beliefs were and why they believed I was wrong. Yet when it came to my turn to do they same, they'd accuse me of trying to convert them, when in fact, it was only because I found their beliefs interesting. (I know Slen will laugh at this point, but I promise you it's true). I've found it's actually more acceptable to be a drug addict than it is to be a Christian.

But let's note here, that any religion is much more than adopting a set of beliefs or following a rigid code of conduct. Whether you know all the right Bible verses to prattle off at the right time, or whether you know the Ten Commandments off by heart, it doesn't count for anything. Fact and knowledge are praised in the Bible, but there is also the warning that 'without faith it is impossible to please God'. When *racks brain* Nicodemus(?) asks Jesus what he must do to be saved, Jesus does not reply 'Go and learn The Old Testament off by heart', he instead says that he must be born again. Naturally Nicodemus is a bit confused at how he'd fit back inside his maternal unit, especially since she was probably dead, but Jesus explains that being born again means, quite simply, dieing to sin and being born into eternal life. And that happens through faith.

Often faith is critiscised in society too. People like solid facts, and as a scientist I don't blame them. But faith was never supposed to be about that. I know there are facts for me to base my beliefs on, such as historical records of Jesus, of which the Bible is one that has time and time again proven to be accurate, but faith is something different. Now, here is where I forget the exact wording (if you want to double check it's Hebrews 11:1) but 'Faith is being sure in what we know and certain in what we cannot see'.

Realising that this has gone on for a very very long time, here endeth the rant.

Well, none of this is surprising to me, or shocking. Often it takes several steps back to realise just how different other people's worldviews can be. I tend to respect people who reject unthinking convention, in spite of myself. *g*

I think you'll find, though, that other religions are just as misrepresented in popular culture. Neopaganism's far too easy an example, and Islam's fairly self-evident too... character traits tend to get associated with religions, and I don't just mean "they're all West-hating suicide bombers". Judaism is even worse for that, it being a race as well as a religion - secular Jews, anyone? Confusing as anything to read the Middle East papers.

Christianity's an easy option as far as references go, living as we do in Europe and the US where most people at least know what it's about. (Hands up who's heard of Moses? Now, keep them up if you know who Parvati is.) I find it hard to believe that people get all their information about Christianity from Andrew Lloyd-Webber, but their only contact with pagans may well be through Buffy or Charmed, and Muslims through the news headlines from Iraq.

If you are a girl and have been exposed to Mark Twain or Robert Louis Stevenson, heed this warning! These are Boys' Books! Protect your family.

Oh dear. I have at least five Twains and three Stevensons, all of which I enjoyed. I must be genderfucked. Or perhaps gender bias is itself fucked up.

*carefully ignores religious discussion for lack of knowing what to say*

I never know what to say...

Just end up hoping I'm not offending. 'Cause I'm interested in this stuff.

A mi tampoco

The only thing I should say is don't assume Christianity's the easy option just because we live in the UK or the 'Christian West'. Christians aren't in the majority here and there are a lot of mixed messages and little herecies that can confuse and tangle.

Funnily enough, these tend to disappear in places like China, where the house churches are illegal and heavily persecuted.

Like in this book. Check out the reviews.