(Here's #48... 50 is growing ever closer... this one's a bit serious again but i promise i'll get back to swearing and sarcasm soon enough... it must be the contemplative nature of fall)
Religion: how can something intended to improve lives be the basis of so many wars, so much killing, for oh so long? One must question people's interpretation of their respective prophets/gods/founders if this is how people are acting in their name.
The US vs The World (currently Afghanistan and Iraq): oil and money may play a part in US motivation but ultimately it comes down to a battle between fundamentalists in both the US and Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc. Extremists are driving this war on both sides and the rest of us are paying for it (quite literally, have you see the budget? Let's not even discus the human toll: fathers/mothers, sons/daughters, brothers/sisters).
Israel vs Everyone Around Them: Land taken away from several groups of people and given to another group of harmed people (how it came to be). The parties who did this then left the groups to sort it out for themselves. Rival theologies fighting for holy land each feels they have the right to. Groups fighting ever since they came into existence.
i could go on and on mentioning areas of Africa, former Soviet countries, etc, etc, etc as religious battle are occurring on every continent (even Australia with aborigines fighting to maintain their spiritual ways... wait... Antartica? Maybe a penguin vs leopard seal philosophical upheaval?). i get disgusted when i think of how Native Americans are still struggling to be able to worship in their holy places here in the land of supposed religious freedom (we wouldn't want rock climbers or hippie campers to have to go a day without access to these lands on holy days). The one that seems to be so near to my heart, however, is...
Northern Ireland:This is such a magical little island, such a beautiful little island. So many wonderful people live here (as, i'm sure is the case in all these struggling areas of the world). England came in trying to rule the entire region and like some drunk frat boy was unable to pull out all the way. Generations later, groups of people who believe that they are English and groups of people who believe they're Irish are trying to live together in land they were both born in, stuck because of previous generation's mistakes and religious differences. Two religions based on the same person: Jesus, yet they can't seem to get his ideals straight. For all the stereotypes about the Irish being stubborn it seems it's the English Protestant side that is pig-headedly holding up the best chance of peace Northern Ireland has seen in quite some time.
i could go on and on about Northern Ireland but maybe another time.
If you could put Jesus, Buddha, The Great Spirit, Krishna, Ganesh, Mohammed, David, Moses, etc, etc, etc together in a room (just imagine that visual) i cannot believe that they would all start duking it out. i tend to think that it would be a pretty peaceful room seeing how most of them were teaching about peace, and loving one another, and improving yourself, and respect for life.
Yet, when i see pictures of Paisley, Bin Lauden, Bush, etc, etc, etc and i look at their eyes, i can't help but believe that they are missing the plot (as well as a proper sized heart...maybe the Who's could help, it worked on the Grinch... yeah, that's it... lets shift the military budget over to trying to find where the Who's live). Are they really understanding the intent of their respective religions? They're like children who walk in halfway through a movie, watch 5 minutes, and think they understand the storyline. When the 10 Commandments seem to be the ultimate set of rules for Christian religions, how can these battles, these wars, these conflicts be explained away? It's like people who say they're vegetarian but then eat chicken and fish. If you eat chicken and fish then you're not a vegetarian (fuckhead).
When religion gets brought into it things quickly get bogged down and hopes for logical ends disappear as minds close and hatred rises (the very opposite of most religious teachings). People have got to stop hiding behind religion to justify their behavior (i can't stand excuses). i hope that if i can't see world peace in my life time i can at least see peace in Ireland. Erin go bragh!
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