Where Education is a Crime

If you know me you know that I value education more than just about anything. For most of us, education is available at the tip of a finger. It can be formal or not as the seeker chooses. It is largely free. There is no excuse for being ignorant.

Such is not the case everywhere. The people who don’t value education are ideologues. They are content in their beliefs, and education tends to upset that. They assault education by various guises by trying to label it as “liberal” or fantasy of one sort or another in some attempt to make it go away. So fearful are they that they ridicule it. Equality issues suffer from this onslaught and so do things like climate change.

A Facebook friend of mine alerted me to an instance of education suppression that is both appalling and telling. Telling because it so mimics what is going on in America today in certain conservative pockets in the country. That is, the attempt to rewrite history in some fashion that is deemed acceptable to a particular ideological mindset. In Texas and Kansas and Oklahoma, efforts go on to adjust American history to better suit the vision of the right-wing. This includes artificially creating a “Christian” framework to the foundation of this country, to downplaying America’s very real aggressions and misdeeds over the years.

Similarly Iran has tried to eliminate voices of education of “not the right sort” in its country.

One such voice is Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE).  The Bahá’í faith values education and achieved a 100% literacy rate among women in Iran by 1973.

In 1979, the new regime in Iran expelled all Bahá’í professors and students from their universities. There are only four religions accepted in Iran today, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. In 1987, BIHE was formed, teaching mostly through correspondence. It continues today online, albeit with a lot of care being taken avoid detection.

People who are members of the faith or involved in educational matters are subject to arrest as “spies” and purveyors of propaganda. The public, both professional and lay, has spoken out in dismay at this suppression of the right to be educated.

Today, graduates gain acceptance in graduate programs throughout the world, and in at least 30 universities within the US. This is testimony enough of the seriousness of the educational work being done “underground” in Iran.

This feels eerily like some of the rhetoric coming out of areas of the US today, where it now seems that one must be a Christian to be eligible to run for any government position, and one’s version of Christianity is now picked over and defined as good enough or not by some elements. The proof is in the right-wing belief in this country that our President is not “really a Christian” or not a good enough one to suit their evangelical proclivities.

The young people of Iran are in, as we all know, a repressive religion based regime, similar to the theocratic state that some want to erect in this country. In fact there have been articles in just the past day of the similarities in philosophy of the writers of a certain “open” letter to the Iranian regime, and the philosophy of that regime itself. Such is always the case when religion turns to its most extreme and “purifying” forms.

Those caught in the middle of course are all the sincere believers wherever they may be who are judged as blasphemers or apostates because they don’t align with the created principles of the dominant interpretation. Such are the Bahá’í faith adherents in general, and students who merely want an education, in particular.

If you want to help Bahá’í students, I urge you most sincerely to go to Education is not a crime. There you can find easy and effect ways to register your dismay and urge increasing pressure on the Iranian government to stop this absurd and ugly repression of education.

Join the Facebook Page.

Buy a t-shirt.

My deepest thanks to Darcy Lewis for bringing this to my attention. I had previously read a small bit about the faith and found it elegant, peaceful, and intellectually challenging. This is a good cause folks, and I hope you will take a few moments to offer assistance to the people of Iran in their struggle for what for you and I  consider easy–to simply learn the truth.

 

Are We There Yet?

Tags

Barack Obama, Catholic Church, contraception, Election 2012, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Scott Walker, Wisconsin

I didn’t put much credence in this at first. The Contrarian brought it to my attention as an genius evil machination of the Obama administration. But I’ve now read it other places, and well, there could be something to it. At least the timing seems fortuitous.

I mean let’s face it, before Tuesday, it was hard to find a cartoon about Ricky S. He was a non sequitur. He was old “frothy mix”, an extraordinarily rabid right-winger outlier, who like Dr. Paul, was desirous of spreading the message rather than having any grand expectations of getting a nomination.

Well, times change, and the desire to find ANYBODY GOD, JUST ANYBODY BUT MITT, has led us to Ricky. And, if you believe that Obama and his team are seriously brilliant, the contraception “issue” was dragged forth at precisely the right moment to give Ricky a platform to spew his crazy religious mantras and light a match under the mostly apathetic crazy Right.

And thus: upset the Romney apple cart once more.

Now I don’t know if that is true, or even plausible, but it sure was convenient wasn’t it? Now the two, stand poised to speak to CPAC that joyful religious/reactionary love fest being held in Washington D.C. Romney, as we know, enters with fear and loathing, for these are not his people. This is not a case of “I know my sheep and they know me.” On the other hand, Ricky enters the convention coming near to walking on water. Two more different approaches could not be found.

And you can hear the love across the conservative air waves. The pundits, pretending to be fair all the while they are not, talk about how Ricky is just being Ricky, the tried and true, never-changing, beacon of C O N S E R V A T I S M. From David Brooks to Peggy Noonan to RushiePushie, they are all looking adoringly at the new “favorite son”.

Ya just gotta wonder. How does Mitt stand it? Being so despised by so many. It’s not hatred, it’s just YUCK. It’s that creepy crawly feeling of revulsion when you hear the name, when you see the dopey pasted on grin, when you see him stand with hand on hip, trying to look casual, when you are sure that he has a butt plug lodged tightly up his ass at all times as some sort of penance for God knows what. Mitt may just not make it folks. Money is still favoring him, but heck, Ricky has dealt a pretty nasty blow with virtually none.

¶

There is a rather long but very well done analysis of Obama and his Presidency to-date from James Fallows. He’s got some decent credibility and the piece is largely devoid of partisanship. I saw him interviewed last night, and I was impressed. He points out Obama’s strengths and weaknesses, I think fairly. You may not agree with all he says, and I didn’t, but I also thought it was well done.

¶

Wisconsin voters can feel secure that when they vote to boot out Walker this year, they are making a sound decision. As most of you have no doubt heard, the banks are paying out several billions of bucks in wrongful foreclosures. The monies are going to the states, as the result of the actions of 48 State’s Attorney’s General actions. Well, dear old hard-heart, is taking 25 million of their settlement (of a 140 million total) and applying it to the state budget deficit rather than give it to the afflicted homeowners.

I guess he figures it will be a better argument to claim he’s “balanced the budget” instead of helping out homeowners.

He’s a turd. I bet him and Karl float around in the same toilet.

¶

Well, it’s harsh, but I’ll say it. I agree. Under the LobsterScope points out that the moral outrage of the Roman Catholic Church is a fine diversion from its perennial moral deficit–the child abuse problem that won’t go away. The reason it won’t go away? Because the Church continues to try to sweep it under the rug as best it can, although the lump in the rug is so damn big, everybody notices. (My rant). And they talk about the immorality of contraception!

And while we are at it, where is their moral outrage when African women contract AIDs because they are not allowed to use condoms and their infected husbands turn a deaf ear to their pleas for continence. (My rant ended).

¶

Ricky, giddy with new-found appeal, is as anyone would know, already steppin’ in it. He’s so far said we are on the road to the apocalypse, compared the Obama-led America to France heading to the guillotine, suggested that Obama would force the Roman Catholic Church to hire women priests, reminded us that global warming is a hoax, suggested that Obama has a “wink, wink, nod, nod” relationship with Iran’s nuclear desires in return for getting some oil, claims that the recession was caused by high gas prices, and now suggests that women shouldn’t be in combat because of “other types of emotions.”

Oh yeah, bring on the Rickster! Heck Obama can stay home and play hoops.

Related articles

• Enough Of The Fake Outrage Over Contraception (angrydd.wordpress.com)

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

Tags

Congress, corporate America, Election 2012, Fox News, GOP, Iran, Media, teabaggers

I’m thinking of sending a Christmas card to the RNC.

Seriously.

The Contrarian always said that Limbaugh sent a card to the Clinton’s each year. After all, they supplied him for years with hours of material.

Well, the GOP never stops giving. When one buffoon bites the dust, another rises from the ashes of stupid glue to replace them. Sometimes even doing the deceased one, one better.

It seems only years, months, days ago, since we lost our Herm Cain. And who can forget the Sarah? Oh and we must look far, far back to the protozoan days to recall the likes of Sharron Angle and Christine McDonnell.

Happily, some of our favs pop up out of their burrows now and again, to remind us just how much we have lost.

Barbara Walters has, for the last millennium or so, had a year-end collection of the 10 most available, lazy, shockingly stupid, fascinating people of the year. I have long since stopped caring and don’t watch.

But I will this year.

Herm is one of them! And a peek at the interview, leaves nothing to doubt–it will be worth the watch. Herm was asked if he were in some alternate universe, what cabinet post he would like. His answer? Oh I will not spoil it for ya, but it caused the “I’ve seen everything” Walters, to blanch with a “WHAT???”

And then there was our witchy-poo Christine. Now I been wondering how that girl was doin’. I worry about how she pays the rent these days. But somebody thought her opinion was of value. I kid you not. So, anyway, Mittens is clapping his um, mitts together, cuz she likes him, for his “steady, calm and consistent adherence to conservative ideals.” Until it was pointed out to her, that one of the complaints about old Mittens is that he has been wildly inconsistent when it comes to a lot of important issues. To which the Poo replied, “that is what I like about him, his flexibility!”  Oh yes, you can’t write copy like that folks. It’s a gift to have such GOP friends as these.

Just to keep up the hilarity, you recall that has been, Ricky Perry has cut an ad in Iowa that says all kinds of insulting things about gays–mostly that it is a horror that they are allowed to serve openly in the military, and he will put a stop to that by stomping his foot three times, when he is given the orb of Presidency.

Well, I have no clue if it’s true, and frankly, I’m inclined to doubt it, but heck, he IS a Republican after all, and therefore prone to speaking out of multiple sides of one mouth. At least one politico in TEX-ASS suggests that Perry, while not gay himself, surely appreciated the extra delights that one might enjoy at the hands of someone of one’s own sex. Just sayin’.

And who doesn’t miss the word-salad that was our Sarah. I wonder if Todd has an eye unblackened these days. No doubt Moosilla is throwing everything in sight. “I coulda been a contenda!” I could have been flav of the week! And I woulda kept it, I tell ya! I could be queen of the country and holder of the 4th Order of Sceptre. They could be playin’ ‘Hail to the Chieftess” right now!” , I heard her exclaim as she drove out of sight.

♦

Now we return to normal Republican stupidity.

Such as: Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced this amendment to an already stupid bill about Iran:

No person employed with the United States Government may contact in an official or unofficial capacity any person that…is an agent, instrumentality, or official of, is affiliated with, or is serving as a representative of the Government of Iran, and… presents a threat to the United States or is affiliated with terrorist organizations.

And, if that don’t work, stick your head in the sand and babble.

Geez are these folks just plain uneducable? I doubt that the collective IQ of House Republicans reaches 75 on a good day.

♦

Oh and did you get this little faux pas from Fox? Or was it an oops at all? Foxy (we impersonate a news operation) Noise likes to play fast and loose with facts all the time. Are they simply registering their opinion here?

♦

Once again, we here in Iowa are forced to take the walk of shame.

Yes, Love Boat aside, we confess, we harbor another ignorant oafish brain-dead, slithering excuse for DNA–one Fred Grandy, once the beloved if stupid purser on Love Boat, and long ago, ex-Congressman, and recent fired radio blabberer, and all-around Islamic phobia crazy person, has endorsed the Newtster.

I hang my head and accept your vilification.  (Hey Iowa GOP! You could go a long way to resurrecting yourself by just saying “none of the above” when you vote in the Iowa caucuses. Hint, Hint!

♦

It’s nice to know that CEO’s had pay raises of between 27 and 40% last year. These praiseworthy “job creators” are still discussing how best to create those jobs, all the while the average person 50% of whom are low-income or below (and below would be BOTTOM) saw their wages increase by 2%.

Always good to know whom to thank.

Sigh…so much to talk about, so little time. Congrats, as Keith would say, you made it through another day of crap!

 

 

You Neandertal!

Tags

Einstein, foreign policy, general relativity, GOP'ers, Ground Zero, Iran, Israel, Media, Muslims, Neandertal, Olympics, paleontology, physics, Quayle, relgious freedom, teabaggers, terrorism, wingnuts

It used to be that to call someone a Neandertal, was to hurl a telling insult. You basically were saying, your kinda dumb, kinda out of touch with the world, and kinda doomed to extinction.

No more.

What I love most about science is it’s lack of certainty. Nothing is ever written in stone, but all is subject to the proviso of: “This is true, so far as we know now.”

For decades, perhaps longer, Neandertals were relegated to the failed category. A dead end hominid that couldn’t cut it in a modern world and died out.

Genetics and that wonderful world of genome testing has virtually proven evolution to be true, and at the same time, has re-written the human family tree. That’s why the field is so darned exciting.

Michael Shermer, science writer for Scientific American and Skeptic, explains how Neandertals are now re-categorized as homo sapiens neadertalensis, the sapiens being new. For indeed, they were not a dead end but in fact contribute to the genome that you and I today share. I have no idea why I am glad it is true, but I am.

It’s not so hot today, so far that is. I haven’t even heard a weather report. Not that that means anything if I did. They said we would be hot this week, but would have little actual rain. So far, in three days we’ve had at least three inches. So listening to them is wasting precious minutes of my day. I think mold is growing everywhere, and I’m thinking that weeds will be popping up through the floor any moment. This is SO tiresome.

I read this next one earlier today, but D-Cap explains it in his perfect style and wit. The Phyllis Schafly “son” has joined ma-ma in loolo land, now claiming that Einstein and general relativity is all bunk and just another of those liberal lies. Oh Lordy, Lordy, when will the teabaggin’ crazies combine to make up one good brain?

By the by. I LOVE Greek style yogurt. It is so fantastic that it doesn’t even compare to the regular type. Anybody know why the freakin’ stuff costs an arm and a leg? Is there some serious process that costs billions to create it like this? I would love to know.

William Lindsay has an interesting post at Bilgrimage about the tea party phenom as well as how the elites who have little to do with you and me control these conversations. Interesting take on Catholic conversation and gender domination. As many of us have said, we are the mere puppets in this charade of a national debate. We control no agenda, no topic.

I don’t know about you, but I’m so deathly sick of every politician, right or left who has the unmitigated gall to speak for me in that smarmy “The American people don’t like. . . .” Not a damn one of you has a clue what I don’t like or do. So speak for yourself, since you obviously only vote for yourself.

Big Think does a great article on Ground Zero and religious freedom. Lots of good links so you can continue learning. As I’ve said before, this situation has all the makings of tragedy in the making. In saner heads do not prevail. Be one of the sane ones. Make your opinion known by supporting Muslims in your community, writing letters to the editor, and speaking out clearly. The haters (who are always complaining they are being denied the right to their religion) cannot be allowed to win this one.

I included this one for fun. Ala Sharron Angle’s “I want you to ask the questions I want to answer so that the message we want out there is out there,” state Texan GOP’er, Debbie Riddle was taken aback when Anderson Cooper asked her to provide proof of her allegations. She alleges that terrorists were sending in sleeper pregnant women to give birth to American citizens who would in twenty or so years commit acts of terror. She got this info from FBI sources. She could not, of course, come up with any such sources and ended by accusing Cooper of grilling her, and that his network had not warned her to be prepared with actual answers. TOO FUNNY.

I swear, some day we are gonna find that this was all a monumental comedy hoax perpetrated by Candid Camera. I mean really, how do you grow up to adulthood with no brain? Yet if we listen to the Gopers, apparently dozens of them do.

We hear tell that Dan Quayle dubious VP under Bush numb nuts #1, and all around IQ misfit, has spawned a child called Ben who is carrying on the family dull tradition. Running for office he is calling Obama hands down the worst president in US history. This said with tongue in cheek no doubt. Coming from such illustrious parentage, one can but exclaim–Anyone for duck hunting? But he is running in Arizona, proof positive that the Continental US  is sagging southwest due to an excess of poop. A high colonic please!

Speaking of empty skulls,  I saw an interview with the guy who played piano for years at the WH. He was at Blair House when the Numb nuts #1 returned with the clan following his inauguration. Piano player said he recognized most of the Bushie family members, even the weird one who sat alone in the corner. Any guess who that might be?’

A very long, but very thorough article at Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg on Iran, Israel, and US foreign policy. A long haul, but then you come here to learn where to go to be informed right?

And just for fun, here’s a little post about how the British are gearing up to make nice with all the Olympic visitors come 2012. How to talk to foreigners! Enjoy! (Read the comments!)

Learning from Iran

Tags

civic responsibility, democracy, elections, Iran, protests, voting

If you are like me, you’ve been keeping a close eye on Iran, and the results of the last election. I at least, have remained measurably hopeful. I don’t suppose that is very realistic.

A country that cheats as inelegantly as Tehran has done, probably is not likely to respond with a “my bad” when their deception is uncovered both at home and abroad. I don’t expect they will be announcing a “do over” any time soon.

It is painful to watch as people struggle to just have a fair election, where their voices actually count for something.  I think we take that for granted here in the US. Everyone alive in this country has never known anything different if they were born here.

Of course, we are not free from our own dirty tricks. There are plenty of election shenanigans to go around, mostly in attempts to suppress the votes of opposition voters through “legal” objections to voting rolls. But by and large, we think they are pretty fair. I mean if ever there was one that wasn’t, we can look to 2000, and Gore bowed to the right of the SCOTUS to have the final word. He signaled that that stamp was authoritative and was “fair.”

Because of this overall complacency, we are in danger here, and few realize it, or even believe it. We stood by as the Bushites pushed through “Patriot Acts” designed to take away freedoms such as privacy and speech, making it seem “unpatriotic” to oppose such legislation.

We’ve learned that there are ways around Congresses sole right to declare war, and we have now lost that means of control over our government as well. Plenty of people when polled, are happy to give up rights we claim to hold dear in the name of “national security.”

While we have been busy with life, our elected officials have had their power eroded and controlled by mega conglomerates, beholden to only themselves. They dictate just about everything these days. Obama and his team promise a dismantling of all this, but it’s so far unclear how much they can and are willing to do. Much too much ends up being aimed at re-election rather than the public good.

You can ask, and I invite you to, and plenty of folks will tell you that unfair police practices are okay, because, like national security, crime must be stopped, and “honest” people have nothing to hide, right?

I used to get asked a lot, and still do occasionally, how I “can/could” represent criminals when I “thought they were guilty?” The short answer is that because the law doesn’t assure them a lawyer who believes they are  innocent, but a lawyer to hold the state to its burdens of proof.

The long answer is that we have a country of laws. If lawyers don’t have to represent those they deem guilty, then why have courts or juries at all. Let the cops do justice on the street by personal whim. If you, your child, or loved one were charged with a crime, you’d want the best lawyer in town, not the ignorant sap who “believes” you.

We’ve grown soft in democracy, or federalism as you wish. We actually think we are doing our civic duty by voting. Precious few of us can even bother with that. Far fewer than that go to town councils meetings, and join groups who actively work for issues. I’m not wagging my finger at you, because I fall in the same category. I try, but fail, to convince myself that blogging is my contribution to improve the “public discourse.” Uhuh.

And don’t tell me that this happens to all democracies. We have the lowest voting record of any of them I believe. We are complacent. Well, not all of us. White people are complacent. When we move off that  demographic, there is at least a lot of folks who have been the recipient of our less than “fair” democracy. Like African Americans, Latinos, American Indians, Asians, all the non-whites actually. Yet even here, there is  a lack of co-ordinated voting of any kind, and poor turnout as well.

Can you imagine Iranians not voting because they had something better to do? Or Iraqis? Perhaps it is our less than long history of oppression in a real and obvious way that allows us to sink so rapidly into shrugging our shoulders and assuming nothing bad will happen. I don’t know, but I do know, that Iran is important.

Important, not just because we could use some more rational people to deal with there on big issues that face them and the region. We can look repression dead in the face, and place ourselves there, on those streets, in that fear of what will happen next? Will I get out of this alive? Will I be free to say and do what I wish?

We have lost any sense of how precious our freedom is, until of course, we wish to strut it around as giving us permission to dictate to the world on any issue under the sun. They we parade it and our flag high and strong. I find that I can use a remark of  Jesus’ often and well. America, remove the plank from your eye before you go about instructing the rest of the world how to live. Iran reminds us, we recently retreated from the edge, and we can peek over the edge once again all too easily.

Freedom requires vigilance. We best not forget that, or we too may one day face the streets, the batons, the water hoses, and the bullets.

It Wouldn’t Be an Issue, But. . . .

Tags

cruise ships, David Letterman, Fox News, Iran, John Ensign, Obama, Promise Keepers, religious right, Sarah Palin

It wouldn’t be an issue that married Republican Senator John Ensign had an affair with a married woman, but for the fact that said Governor was also a “born-again” Christian and active in Promise Keepers.

Isn’t it tiresome to see folks telling the rest of us how to be “moral” when they themselves are the worst of hypocrites? One finds this rather regularly these days, and one begins to wonder.

Sure, these folks can spout scripture at you all day long to justify whatever admonitions they are throwing at the rest of us, but when it comes to anything about justice, equality, compassion and so forth, they don’t recall any passages at all. Perhaps its time they were forced to repeat a hundred times: “Remove the plank from your own eye before complaining of the splinter in someone else’s eye.”

***

It wouldn’t be an issue that Fixed Noise never seems to have anything but negative reports about the Obama Administration if they were at least legitimate in their criticism. I mean by that, that at least they used arguable facts. They instead rely on pure lies, trusting apparently that their “base” doesn’t get any real news anywhere else.

Everybody who has a brain knew that no matter what happened in the Iranian elections. Somehow it would be bad for Merika. So true to form, it is Obama’s fault that Ahmadinajad has been declared the winner. The theory goes that had not Obama made it clear that he was willing to dialog with Iran in some fashion, they would have allowed the real winner to be declared. Since Obama will deal with Ahmadinajad, then they can continue to be repressive.

The logic is astounding of course, but actually Foxy is only pretending outrage at all this. They were fervently hoping and are jumping for joy and hoping that this “victory” stands up. Why? Because they believe this will enhance the likelihood that Israel will bomb Iran’s nuclear potential, which is something they really want to happen. 

The wringing of hands and the awful “suppression” of freedom talk is just for the boobs that watch them. They are of the Cheney Darth Vadar, American exceptionalism/World SuperPower/DictatorsareUs persuasion.  

***

It wouldn’t be an issue about David Letterman’s “joke” about Sarah Palin’s daughter, but for the fact that Sarah, as  usual doesn’t know when to stop, and now comes off the worst of the two.

Letterman’s joke was arguably in poor taste regardless, though I am perfectly sure he had no idea the daughter in question was Willow and not Bristol. While Bristol may be considered “fairer” game in the sense that she was a pregnant, and now unwed mother, and is eighteen years old, still, it was a bit crude.

Now plenty of comics are crude, so as we say, one can go yech, and go on. Sarah could have said as much, and reminded Mr. Letterman that he should take more care in research. The two girls look amazingly alike, and frankly I can’t tell them much apart. Mr. Letterman could have nicely apologized for
the mistake, and life could go on.

Instead we have this nonsense by Sarah da moosey hunter, likening Mr. Letterman to a pedophile. If that were not enough, she really jumps off the cliff and starts accusing the media of treating her children differently than the precious Obama kids, since when Obama speaks, we all must obey.

Trouble is I seem to recall on the campaign trail that she always had her Down’s syndrome baby in the photo op, and her pregnant and about to be married daughter Bristol front and center with the prospective hubby and daddy, who was the salt of the earth.

Of course when that didn’t work out after the election, (and we rather expected it would not), Bristol is pushed onto the talk circuit to promote abstinence only, even when she of course had gone on record saying it doesn’t work! So, I’m a thinkin’ that Ms. Palin, knows a thing or two about exploiting children that is pretty competitive with the charges she levels at the media.

***

It wouldn’t be an issue that another woman appears to have fallen off a cruise ship, but for the fact that this conversation ensued:

Contrarian: “Ya hear there was another woman who fell overboard from one of those cruise ships?”

Me, sipping morning coffee: “mmmmm, no.”

A definite “knowing” look from the man told not to disturb my mornings with his nuttery.

Me: “I guess I should take that as a warning?”

Contrarian: (Smiling). “I can almost hear it, the nagging wife, I want to go on a cruise, I want to go on a cruise. Finally her husband can take no more. Fine dear, if that’s what you want.” Another of those self-satisfied smiles, and he stares off into space, contemplating.

Me: “Uhuh, I take that as a threat.”

So, dear readers, if I should suggest that I’m heading off for a cruise, you can be sure if I don’t resume blogging, well, just drop a dime on the local authorities. No doubt they will find the Contrarian peaceably lounging on the couch, without any nagging wife. I’m counting on you to avenge my death!

Circling the Sun

Tags

brain physiology, choice, ego, God, Iran, psychology, sin, theology

Forgive me if this comes out somewhat disjointed. But in order to figure this out I need to set it down. It’s one of those living with the questions type things, and I don’t really expect an answer to be spit out so much as I want to finger the parameters of question.

You see, I don’t believe in Satan. I cannot reconcile God to be “all knowing” and the “perfect” creator, and then that he creates a creature who ends up flawed. Oops, Satan chose to wrestle power from God? If he knows God better than I or we, how could that be? Aren’t we told by the religious righties that all will be “understood” one day when we croak and meet God face to face? Well Satan supposedly met God face to face and opted for his own ego driven power base. Makes no sense to me.

So I see Satan as but  a metaphor for our egos, that thing which makes us realize that I am I and not you or we. It has many drawbacks as we know. One is that it seems to think its survival is paramount to all other living things. It will go to extraordinary lengths to preserve itself, even including ending another live to preserve itself. We sometimes protect that right, and sometimes we do the anomalous thing of extinguishing that life. In other words, sometimes it’s okay and sometimes not, and it’s best to understand quite clearly the difference.

Sin, in my humblest of opinions came into the world when the first of our barely human acting ancestors denied food or shelter to another of his kind in the hopes of enhancing his own survival. That’s how I see it. We placed ourselves first.

Now this is where it gets sticky to me. On the one hand we have, as all life on this planet does, a strong, sometimes overpowering desire to survive. And survive we do, sometimes against incredible odds. Yet on the other hand, we also will offer our lives for family and friends, compatriots, and country. One cannot lay this down merely to helping the species or one’s offspring survive, since sometimes clearly that is not at risk. It is sometimes just inexplicable, and fully altruistic.

Yet, it seems nearly undeniable that we always act in our own self interest. Think about that. It may seem strange, since we all can vision a whole lot of crazy behaviors that don’t seem objectively to be directed toward self interest. But I think they still are.

The bank robber seems hell bent on personal destruction. The consequences of being caught are grim, at least they seem that way to us. The same goes for the drug addict, the alcoholic, and a whole host of “self-destructive” behaviors we can name. But clearly, at the moment of decision, they seemed to be the best solution to whatever problem the person faced. All other choices seemed “less good.”

So we have three things here. First we introduce sin (bad behavior vis a vis the admonition to “do unto others”), as a means to protect our survival. Second, we have undeniable altruistic behaviors that clearly can’t aid survival, and third we are driven always to make a constant choice as to each action or inaction we take–is this the best alternative for me at this moment in time?

There is a war going on inside that I suspect we are often unaware of. We are making thousands of choices per day. Most we do with little or no thought, but we do the action, or don’t do the action based on this largely unrealized assumption that we have weighed alternatives and judged this choice the best.

That much of what we do appears thoughtless to others is somehow our failure to really empathize. We engage in this process yet we don’t recognize it in others, perhaps because we judge their choices to be “wrong” and alien to our own thinking.

Worse, we then conclude that the “other” opinion or choice is not just wrong, but that the person who makes that choice KNOWS that it is wrong and chooses it anyway. For purposes of greed, sociopathy, or any other ignoble reason, the “other” is deliberately making the “wrong” choice. Somehow we internalize it even worse, that they are doing this deliberately to make us angry, to stick it to us.

Yet in the end, the real problem as was said in “Cool Hand Luke,” is ” failure to communicate.” A failure to communicate empathically. I’m unable to see the processes by which you came to decision A, in large part because you are yourself unaware of how you got there. You are sure, just as the sun shines that you are right. I am just as sure that you are not. And I am just as unaware of how I got to where I am. But I’m here now, and God damn it, I am right, and you are wrong.

You see where we get? We end with a fist shaking at each other, and all because we can’t puncture that veil of how you decided that this was the best choice. And more to the point, we aren’t much inclined to try. We are right after all, and you aren’t.

I guess I’m convinced that we need to spend a lot less on armaments and plasma screens, and I lot more on brain physiology and psychology. Maybe if we could understand how we decide better, we could understand each other better.

Iran is at a strange place. Much like China was a few years back. There is a huge disconnect between a significant part of the population. China just cracked down. Will Iran? Probably. Somehow they see it as the right choice, and in their collective self-interest. I’d like to understand, but I can’t.