Monday - On "Troubles"

On these "troubled times" -- people demonstrating in the streets, making demands for equality, for change -- or, if you're a Fox News follower, people rioting and looting, trying to destroy the American way of life... How much of the injustice and prejudice we see around us is directly attributable to religious dogma? Deep, under the surface tensions brought on by poverty, by unemployment, by lack of health care, by extreme "law & order" enforcement policies, by rejection of social programs... how much has been justified in the name of religion? If a person can say their 'god says', they relieve themselves of personal responsibility for heinous acts taken in the name of  that god.

Matthew 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. -- a particular special or chosen people

1 Corinthians 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. - women silent, women not to "be above" men, women not to instruct men... - "The woman is to 'put herself under' the headship of her husband, her own husband." from an apologist site; like this somehow makes it all better, LOL.

Colossians 3:22-25 (Paul) "Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, ..."

1 Peter 2:18-19 "Slaves, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly."

Ephesians 6:5  " 'Slaves', obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear." (usually 'slaves', occasionally 'bondservants'-ESV, 'servants'-KJV) 

So, you're of a "special" group of people, not a slave, and not a woman. Hmm, what does that leave -- white males (whose wives submit to them). These few people are better than all the rest of the people in the world (because an old book says so). People irrationally vote against their own self interests in  an attempt to keep "them" from getting something "for free". We don't have nationwide health care for this reason. The ERA has still not been passed (it's been over 40 fricken years). There are ongoing attempts to limit voter turnout (objecting to mail-in ballots while at the same time closing physical voting sites). Surely national suffrage is for the good of all. Immigration keeps the country growing and the new arrivals often take the lower level jobs that allow you to buy oranges or asparagus regardless of the season; to have janitors or recycling plant workers or agency vetted weekly housekeepers; who probably later become doctors and scientists and green-grocers. All of these people also pay taxes, contributing to the maintenance of the nation as a whole. Where is the downside?

No one is better than anyone else. There is no finite amount of equality.. Simply, if everyone doesn't have the same rights, opportunities, and responsibilities -- it isn't equal. We are all children of the same universe (the tagline of the Universal Life Church Monastery).

Universal Life Church

On technology "troubles", sometimes I hate technology. I changed the 'reaction' input line on this blog to show just 'ack' instead of 'cool', I think it was. Just so a reader has the opportunity to say 'yea, I saw this, ehh' kind of thing. All existing 'reactions' seem to have vanished. *That* is annoying. Or, maybe not all, just some? No rhyme or reason -- older, or subject, or label, or something? *That* is even more annoying; there's no logic to that. Too, too weird. Ain't technology grand!