I think I'm angling back into a dwojwierny period.

[kiya]

Given that the Muse just booted me in the head and had me scrabbling through the Gospels frantically so that I could do a decent job of writing the parable that wanted written now, absolutely, put down everything you're doing and write, damn you, that came about while I was in the middle of reading this essay. I've been suspecting that I was headed back this way again ever since I got into the argument on TC with the person who seemed to be questioning whether or not I, as a pagan, could possibly have a legitimate interest in Christian theological analysis; it's an interesting confirmation. (And before that, with some odd insights, but that was the bit that sort of seriously confirmed it as a reasonable suspicion.)

It's a weird little piece, the thing I wrote. I'm not sure what to do with it; I'm dithering about posting it somewhere, as I doubt I'll try to get it professionally published, and putting it on a webpage or something might be of some use. I've showed it to humanx and oneironaut; I'll probably email it to teinedreugan, brooksmoses, and suzimoses before I go to bed. Perhaps my parents. I don't know. It wanted written, but now that it's written, I don't know what I'm supposed to do with it.

What if the rough beast that slouches towards Bethlehem is the spectre of the condemning Son?

I need to work through the weird akhu theological notion I got and see if it works, see if I can incorporate it into the syncretism I'm building. I want to stick a warning sign on my thought processes to make sure that people who wander too close are properly armoured. "Caution: Hard Hat Area."

Sometimes I wonder why are we so blind to fate?
Without compassion, there can be no end to hate.
No end to sorrow caused by the same endless fears --
Why can't we learn from all we've been through
After two thousand years?

In other news, my throat is a large rubber mat of itchy-painful complaint. I keep having my swallow reflex triggered to deal with whatever's in my throat. Unfortunately, it's being triggered by my throat. From observing teinedreugan, this will not improve.

I should get back to working on the WIP. Evil Genius eat brain. Wordcount should resume soon.

Comments

Thoughts

[the-real-diana.livejournal.com]

That was a really good article-

I've always believed that Pagans, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, whoever, can choose to take the most compassionate parts of themselves to live out those beliefs. I feel that the message of all these beliefs is that we have a responsibility to take care of each other.

I am a Christian, even "worse" a Catholic. This is an important part of my history, and listening to my father talk about how he was constantly risking arrest by being an alter boy in a Communist country really makes me realize how lucky we have it in the US. He told me a story recently about how the secret police caught him and brought him to his school to be punished. The school administrators told him that he had to write an essay about evolution and read it in front of the whole school. Also being interested in science, he agreed with evolution and wrote the best essay he could. After he read the essay in front of the school, a member of the party actually liked the essay so much he ended up winning an award for it, which pissed off the school administrators to no end. Both my parents are in science, and they met each other in a Catholic student group in France. They are also really liberal people. So growing up I never saw a conflict between my history and reason.

I will not condemn my Pagan brothers and sisters for their faith, since many modern Christian traditions come from our pagan friends (Christmas anyone?, All Saints Day?). Sometime in the distant history, my ancestors were also pagan. I think there are many similarities between Christians and Pagans, thats why the traditions were able to meld. I would never ignore a person in need, or even judge them because of their faith or lack of faith, that is losing the bigger message.

I also think that my faith is my own personal thing- not something to be pushed on others. If they ask, I'll tell them, but I hardly think that my way is the "right" or "only" way for people to attain fulfillment. You must look inside your own heart, and as long as you're doing the searching, then that's the important thing.

Many people who point to the single issue of abortion are missing other huge point that the official position of the Catholic Church is anti-war and anti death penalty. Why don't those views get more attention?

Most religious groups have bought into the whole politics thing at some point or another, but some of these groups have also brought positive change to society. Convent schools were the only place that women could get an education for much of history. It was also the only place in society where a woman could choose to study or contemplate rather than get married and be subservient to a man. I'm not saying it was all good, and that really bad stuff didn't happen, but it wasn't all bad either. There were good people actually motivated to try to help others in the name of their religion, I don't think that's a bad thing.

Ok my brain is now melting too...