Why are Americans so damn antagonistic?
It seems there always has to be a "them" to measure the "us" against. Not to bring up caroling again, but I grow weary of being with any random three other people in the car who insist on constantly bitching about how "they" are trying to take Christmas away. Oh, the anonymously evil "they!" Liberals, atheists, Arabs, whoever happens to be other enough so that you can puff up your feathers and righteously bitch about them at your cocktail parties! NO ONE IS TRYING TO TAKE CHRISTMAS AWAY FROM ANYONE, GODDAMMIT.
I am an agnostic. I've never needed religion. I have never felt a need for a higher being in my life. There might be a god or goddess or the Taffy of Universal Life or whatever out there -- but as I've said in the past, God, Zeus, or the Tasty Pink Morsel of Light-Filled Sweetness is welcome to walk up to me and slap me in the face, and I will say "thanks for the heads-up, good day to you," and until then I'm doing just fine on my own. I celebrate Christmas (well -- "celebrate" is a strong word), but that's mainly because of my Christian family -- were there not such social pressure to celebrate SOME sort of holiday around then, with Xmas being my default, I probably wouldn't do it at all. (It's so much nicer to give gifts when you feel like it and not when you're annually obligated, don't you think?) However, people everywhere, anywhere, are WELCOME to celebrate Chrismahanukwanzakah however they like. Have at thee! Put up your menorahs and your tacky inflated snowmen! Perpetuate your myths to your children! Huzzah! More power to you! (Maybe. Not the nuclear type.)
And yet Wal-Mart is now being boycotted by defensive Christians because they're saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." (I do not support Wal-Mart -- but it shows my point.) Is it just me, or does this seem like the white folks whining about "reverse discrimination?"
Why must we always, always, always divide ourselves up into teams? It starts with a good-natured game of kickball and ends with the Ku Klux Klan. I don't understand this need to make ourselves feel good by saying "I am better than you" for the most arbitrary of reasons. Why the pack behavior? Americans LOVE to pat themselves on the back for their independence, and yet they're caught up, sheeplike, in any fad that blows their hair on the way by. "The Liberals are trying to ban Christmas! That doesn't even make sense, but RAR I hate them!" Excuse me, but aren't we supposed to be a "melting pot?" Aren't we supposed to be practicing religious tolerance? How does forcing baby Jesus in a Santa hat on people display that open-armed acceptance that this whole country stands for?
Ha ha, yeah, I'm kidding (myself).
Still, I wonder why it's so impossible to live and let live here. Why people must either be in the club or be targets of hatred and ridicule. Why people will leap upon their soapboxes and blast another religion or another culture that they know next to nothing about. I don't understand all the God/Anti-God furor lately. Embrace! Pratice loving! Read the damn book you are so often throwing at people! As far as I can tell MOST religions out there preach tolerance and love, so let's try it, shall we? One, two, three go!
*hides from torches and pitchforks*
See, I do it too. The us-vs.-them thing. I try not to but it happens. I try to recognize it and keep it to a minimum, though. Sigh. Would that everyone would put forth the effort.
It seems there always has to be a "them" to measure the "us" against. Not to bring up caroling again, but I grow weary of being with any random three other people in the car who insist on constantly bitching about how "they" are trying to take Christmas away. Oh, the anonymously evil "they!" Liberals, atheists, Arabs, whoever happens to be other enough so that you can puff up your feathers and righteously bitch about them at your cocktail parties! NO ONE IS TRYING TO TAKE CHRISTMAS AWAY FROM ANYONE, GODDAMMIT.
I am an agnostic. I've never needed religion. I have never felt a need for a higher being in my life. There might be a god or goddess or the Taffy of Universal Life or whatever out there -- but as I've said in the past, God, Zeus, or the Tasty Pink Morsel of Light-Filled Sweetness is welcome to walk up to me and slap me in the face, and I will say "thanks for the heads-up, good day to you," and until then I'm doing just fine on my own. I celebrate Christmas (well -- "celebrate" is a strong word), but that's mainly because of my Christian family -- were there not such social pressure to celebrate SOME sort of holiday around then, with Xmas being my default, I probably wouldn't do it at all. (It's so much nicer to give gifts when you feel like it and not when you're annually obligated, don't you think?) However, people everywhere, anywhere, are WELCOME to celebrate Chrismahanukwanzakah however they like. Have at thee! Put up your menorahs and your tacky inflated snowmen! Perpetuate your myths to your children! Huzzah! More power to you! (Maybe. Not the nuclear type.)
And yet Wal-Mart is now being boycotted by defensive Christians because they're saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." (I do not support Wal-Mart -- but it shows my point.) Is it just me, or does this seem like the white folks whining about "reverse discrimination?"
Why must we always, always, always divide ourselves up into teams? It starts with a good-natured game of kickball and ends with the Ku Klux Klan. I don't understand this need to make ourselves feel good by saying "I am better than you" for the most arbitrary of reasons. Why the pack behavior? Americans LOVE to pat themselves on the back for their independence, and yet they're caught up, sheeplike, in any fad that blows their hair on the way by. "The Liberals are trying to ban Christmas! That doesn't even make sense, but RAR I hate them!" Excuse me, but aren't we supposed to be a "melting pot?" Aren't we supposed to be practicing religious tolerance? How does forcing baby Jesus in a Santa hat on people display that open-armed acceptance that this whole country stands for?
Ha ha, yeah, I'm kidding (myself).
Still, I wonder why it's so impossible to live and let live here. Why people must either be in the club or be targets of hatred and ridicule. Why people will leap upon their soapboxes and blast another religion or another culture that they know next to nothing about. I don't understand all the God/Anti-God furor lately. Embrace! Pratice loving! Read the damn book you are so often throwing at people! As far as I can tell MOST religions out there preach tolerance and love, so let's try it, shall we? One, two, three go!
*hides from torches and pitchforks*
See, I do it too. The us-vs.-them thing. I try not to but it happens. I try to recognize it and keep it to a minimum, though. Sigh. Would that everyone would put forth the effort.
3 Comments:
great blog. My own blog is in spanish, but i recomend this site to you.
www.venganza.org
talking about agnosticism...
Needing a retail store to recognize ones spiritual bend….
Wanting to hear your specific 'wonderful' holiday uttered, from the sales-persons mouth, as they gouge you at the register…
Makes sense to me… most people like to hear their name when it’s being put to ‘em.
Do I sense a trend of cynicism? Sounds familiar (oh voices in my head, leave not this wandering psycho into extinction...).
As "we" are fond of saying: "Freedom of religion means every religion." Bullsh**. Freedom means you get to do what I tell you and, if not, keep it to your damn self. As I do. As "we" do.
As most of U.S. do.
;-)
Ironic twist for the day: "we" are "they." Nothing can be taken away if we embrace everything, right? Good call.
Huzzah! Pass the mulled wine!
Anyone know of a job for a possibly soon-to-be unemployed genius?
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