Sorry, no jokes in this post. Consider this fair warning of this post’s tone.
I’m not sure what the “Taliban” is all about in this context (and don’t care), but these are some terrifying quotes from some powerful people. These extreme viewpoints frankly scare the poo out of me.
This really hit a nerve with me, having gone to church all of my childhood and having attended a Christian high school. Let’s just say that currently I’m not a fan of the whole going to a random building and singing songs and listening to some guy talk about stuff in a way that doesn’t resonate with me. Who is this guy to tell me how I should live my life? Who are these people? What is this building? I think you know what I mean.
I’ve experienced the attitude found in the linked quotes first hand, though it wasn’t so extreme, and it wasn’t perpetrated by people who were running the country. I experienced this at church and in school, and it really makes me want to blow chunks into the nearest recycling bin. This is why I don’t go to church. One reason anyway.
I’d like to have more of a spiritual connection to a higher power, to god, or to God, whoever she is, I really would. I’m not even sure what that would mean exactly – I just have a vague feeling there’s more to this life than meets the tape-measure, but if it means hanging with this crowd and acquiring these viewpoints, then I’m so out. I’m as far out as possible. I’m no longer in the Milky Way, I’m so far out.
It also strikes me that having a relationship with god is so not about this. It’s so not about people who don’t take personal responsibility for themselves. It’s so not about forcing intolerant morals on others. But unfortunately (for me) I associate church with this so strongly that I really get a major case of the hee-bee-jee-bees (internal gurgling and build up to chuck blowage) in any church I set foot in. Even in the Notre Dame in Paris I felt this way! How sad for me. It’s a decidedly unpleasant feeling to be avoided. Kind of like food poisoning. Ok one joke. Sort of.
I hope this doesn’t offend anyone used to my lighter fare. Some of very best and oldest friends are Christians, one in particular, as is my family (you know who you are and I love you all). I respect their beliefs and, thankfully, they don’t fall into this category of narrow moral blindness and they don’t judge or pontificate or try to convert me. So thank god for that (he said ironically).
So there is hope, actually. So some kind of separation between the intolerant dogma, and what modern intelligent, and self aware Christians believe exists. That’s good. That’s very good. It’s hard for me not to throw the baby out with the bath water though. I admit it. I can’t separate it all very well. I probably don’t have a very objective or rational viewpoint on all this. But you know what? That’s on me. That’s my responsibility. So there.
So in lieu of a point, I’ll just stop typing and I’ll now return to my regularly scheduled programming. Thanks for reading.
