Gay Marriage: The Sickness

Where I Stand

First of all, let me explain where I stand on a few things and you'll probably guess where this post is going. You'll definitely understand my attitude and rational.

I don't like homosexuality. More specifically, I don't like male homosexuality. The idea of two hairy men coming together to "smash" each other disgusts me. And, that's why I don't do it. There are a lot of things I can't, don't, and won't do - crack, heroin, fellatio, door-to-door sales, necrophilia, etc etc etc. At the same time, there are a lot of things I do that others won't do - eat meat, watch girl-on-girl pornography, cunnilingus, smoke marijuana, etc etc etc.

The point is that we all do things that others may or may not do. But, what does it matter? As long as what I am doing doesn't hurt you and what you're doing doesn't hurt me, why should either one of try to prevent or prohibit the other from doing it. Homosexuality doesn't affect me. It doesn't affect anyone but the people who engage in it. So, I don't see myself supporting any measure that treats homosexuals as second-class citizens.

We are all human beings first. Any categorization after that is arbitrary as it pertains to society as a whole.

Arguments Against "Gay Marriage"

I recognize there are two arguments against gay marriage. These are not separate arguments but different arguments in their intent to shape gay marriage. The first stems from outright hate of homosexuality altogether. This argument is against anything that would promote or even accept the concept of homosexuality. The second fights over the definition of the word itself: "Marriage is the union between man and woman." Supposedly, they don't mind civil unions but they don't want to "share" their definition of marriage. Neither argument is of any real relevance as both are based on ignorance and stupidity.

America's HIV: Blending of Church and State

The very reason there is a separation of church and state is because our forefathers were sick and tired of the twisted ways people, specifically the royalty of England, use religion to limit and/or pervert an ever changing and growing society. Examples of this perversion include justifications for slavery, rape, incest, murder, torture and more. President mis-elect George W. Bush said that God told him to do certain things. Those things lead up to well over 4000 American military troops dying along with the senseless slaughter of near 1,000,000 Iraqi and Afghan people. Bush is a prime example of someone who is religiously perverse and wielding the power of the presidency of the United States.

It's this same limitation and perversion of religion coupled with an unconstitutional blending of church and state that gives life to the "sickness" this nations suffers. It's like the AIDS virus, corrupting and distorting the cells one by one until eventually the body turns on itself in a vicious civil war shutting down organ by organ until the entire body falls. One ramification of this nation's "sickness" is the persecution of gays through the denial of marriage. While I will not assume our forefathers anticipated this specific issue, they did anticipate these types of issues. By separating church and state, they give the future the freedom from this "sickness" to decide their respective present.

Marriage vs Civil Union: The Solution

The United States government should recognize civil unions in general and disassociate itself with any religious concept of marriage altogether. That is, all marriages, heterosexual and homosexual, are civil unions and will be respected as such. Civil union should be, and are, considered legal agreements between two people to share a life together. Marriage, as it is defined by any church, will not have any respect with the US government.

Allow me to introduce a possibly new concept. All civil unions should be agreements that are decided upon before the marriage takes place. In other words, just as two people sit down to settle terms for a divorce, they should sit down to settle terms for a civil union much like a prenuptial agreement but for ALL civil unions. There would be an absolute default civil union option. While Congress should define it, I am thinking something along the lines of a 50/50 split is said civil union fails in divorce.

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Blogging While High Ep 2: Gimme some Christianity, Hold the God

This Blogging While High episode was brought to you by Northern Lights.
Read Blogging While High Episode 1: What happen to the story in porn?

This is something I've been thinking about for quite some time now. It sort of came to me backward in the sense that I understood the answer before I knew the question. The answer came about when I was having my troubles believing in God. It's not that I am atheist completely. I consider myself a realist, a rationalist, and a naturalist. I think there is a god but not a Christian god nor a Muslim god nor a Jewish God nor the bunch of other gods out there. It's only just now that it hit me did I realize the question. If Christianity didn't have the strong faith of a God behind it, would Christianity be better?

ABSOLUTELY YES

I believe the problem with Christianity is in the the Bible's strict and tight connection with God. If you believe in a god, any god, then the stories attributed to that god become real for you. Some part of you has to believe in the mythology of the Three Kings following a star to baby Jesus, Moses parting the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments, and Noah building an enormous ark for two of each animal. That's some incredible shit to pull off.

But, let's try to separate God, or the strict belief in God. Let's read the bible and view the stories as if God were just the connecting character in a series of short stories, poems, and songs written by different people at different times. What if Moses was part of a larger group and Exodus was in one of those raids to free slaves in Egypt? He had a few rules and didn't want anyone getting in the way. And, Exodus, being the poet/writer, wrote the story and decided to embellish it a lot. So, wading through some water or taking a boat became "parting the Red Sea" and those simple rules of Moses' original group became the Ten Commandments. They stuck simply because they're a damn good set of rules. And, Moses isn't necessarily chosen by God, but instead was lucky enough to carry Exodus to freedom.

The scenarios can get crazy in describing how the bible came about. What if God was a real person? He was just telling some great stories and someone decided to write them down. That would explain the whole, "as told to me by God" issue. My point, with the Ten Commandments, is that the message can still be delivered without believing that it came from a higher omnipotent being.

Revelations

In separating God from Christianity, I reject the frivolity and think more dynamically about the stories. I take lessons from them and at the same time keep away from the rabid fanaticism. I truly do believe in, "Thou shalt not kill." However, I am not "faithful" enough to sit quietly and "accept God's will" or pray for a different outcome. I don't believe in God. So, if I have to break that commandment, then so be it.

Sober Update

I have to say I agree. Christianity, through the Bible, does offer a lot of good guidelines to living. However, there are some concepts and ideals that are taken too far. It's my ultimate opinion that it's the strength that people give to a god that allows them to take the stories of the Bible too far. The Bible is a book of parables or fables. We should learn from it, not force its stories into reality.

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God is a childish superstition...

Personally, I've kept thoughts about "God" to myself so as to not offend others which include my own mother and father and many other people that I hold dear in my life. My willingness to express my disbelief in any god came from the recently uncovered writings by Albert Einstein.

"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish."

I agree with Albert Einstein in many ways. I've always felt "God" was more like an imaginary friend that people use as a crutch to get through life. And no, I am not going to look at all the "beautiful" things around me as "proof of God" while I completely ignore all of the bad things in the process; nor will I seek to blame some imaginary "Satan" for the problems of the world, either.

I also agree about the bible statement as well. It's a great piece of literature and you can learn a lot from it, but it's not some handbook for life. There are many other books that I've taken knowledge from and the judeo-christian bible is probably on the very bottom of a short list of books that offer knowledge. If you want a real "bible", go read The Art of War by Sun Tzu. He's my "Jesus Christ" and there's no doubt that he actually existed. I like the idea of the Ten Commandments and Seven Deadly Sins.

At any rate, "God" has been a recurring issue in my mind for possibly the last few years. I've come to the conclusion that I am agnostic...

agnostic
a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly; one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god.

The primary reasons for my decision stem first from the rejection of organized religion, specifically Christianity/Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam; the chief monotheistic religions of the world. Next came the need to understand the concept of god. I realized that since time immemorial, god was the reason for everything - the sun, the moon, the stars.

This primitive excuse for existence lead people to believe to assign different gods for different duties. This brought about the idea of mysticism, or magic, much like tarot card, and palm, reading. People would view specific circumstances and match their consequences, thus becoming prophets. For example, a person who may have had a broken leg may know it will rain when they feel pain in that leg.

These men and/or women, were treated as prophets, or even priests. They were thought to have connections with the gods for their abilities. Then if they praised a specific god, they would gain some sort of specific reward, or blessing. The lowly farmers praying for a blessing of rain for a good harvest would ultimately find out when their prophet was signaled through the pains in his previously broken leg. When no pain came, they were told, they didn't do enough. When the rains did come, they were told that their god was pleased with them and that they would be blessed.

What's sad is that not much has truly changed since then. I was watching an episode of Good Times. The Evans family was going to be evicted unless they could come up with the rent. So, when it came time for the moving men to kick them out, James went to go hustle pool while Florida stepped over to her picture of Jesus Christ and asked the Lord "to make it rain." James came back with the rent money. After all was said and done, Florida thanked "God"! I guess not much has changed in the last few millenniums.

Ultimately, my views of god center around the infinite possibilities of the universe. This is why I don't completely discount the idea that there is a god as atheists do. There's simply too much in this universe to accept or reject a being that can be defined as a god, in general terms. However, I do not subscribe to the Christian definition of god, or any organized religion's definition of god. One thing that's great about the universe is that in it's chaos, there's incredible order and balance. I believe in balance, equal and opposite reactions, and karma. For example, if you maintain evil people and evil ways, evil things will come back to you. An easier way of saying that is, you live by the gun, you die by the gun. And the opposite is true; it's balanced.

The great thing about my beliefs is that I don't have to live according to any arbitrary restrictions. I can enjoy a ham sandwich. I can enjoy premarital sex. I do unto others as I'd have them do unto me. I don't have any misconceptions. I don't imagine that some old white man will catch me when I fall. There is no old white man. When I fall, the earth catches me. Whether I live or die depends on how high I am. The force with which I hit the ground is equally spread throughout my body. Small fall = small force = no damage. Big fall = large force = potential for damage/death. I may scream out for God but that's only because settling on being agnostic is new to me. I am still shedding my Catholic upbringing.

Anyway, read the article. But, take notice toward the end. I think Einstein does understand his views offend his people and even lies a little so as not to offend. Sometimes, it's easier to just shut up! I guess we geniuses think a lot alike! LOL.

Belief in God 'childish,' Jews not chosen people: Einstein letter
Tue May 13, 9:02 AM ET

LONDON (AFP) - Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London this week, an auctioneer said Tuesday.

The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.

As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people but said they "have no different quality for me than all other people".

"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish." "No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this," he wrote in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, cited by The Guardian newspaper.

The German-language letter is being sold Thursday by Bloomsbury Auctions in Mayfair after being in a private collection for more than 50 years, said the auction house's managing director Rupert Powell.

In it, the renowned scientist, who declined an invitation to become Israel's second president, rejected the idea that the Jews are God's chosen people.

"For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions," he said.

"And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people."

And he added: "As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."
Previously the great scientist's comments on religion -- such as "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" -- have been the subject of much debate, used notably to back up arguments in favour of faith.

Powell said the letter being sold this week gave a clear reflection of Einstein's real thoughts on the subject. "He's fairly unequivocal as to what he's saying. There's no beating about the bush," he told AFP.

And here is another article that I found with a few extras.

Einstein letter calls Bible 'pretty childish'
Famous scientist also dismisses belief in God as product of human weakness
The Associated Press
updated 3:16 p.m. ET, Tues., May. 13, 2008
LONDON - Albert Einstein: arch rationalist or scientist with a spiritual core?


A letter being auctioned in London this week adds more fuel to the long-simmering debate about the Nobel Prize-winning physicist's religious views. In the note, written the year before his death, Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as "pretty childish."


The letter, handwritten in German, is being sold by Bloomsbury Auctions on Thursday and is expected to fetch between $12,000 and $16,000.


Einstein, who helped unravel the mysteries of the universe with his theory of relativity, expressed complex and arguably contradictory views on faith, perceiving a universe suffused with spirituality while rejecting organized religion.


The letter up for sale, written to philosopher Eric Gutkind in January 1954, suggests his views on religion did not mellow with age.


In it, Einstein said that "the word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish."


"For me," he added, "the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions."


Addressing the idea that the Jews are God's chosen people, Einstein wrote that "the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are also no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."


Bloomsbury spokesman Richard Caton said the auction house was "100 percent certain" of the letter's authenticity. It is being offered at auction for the first time, by a private vendor.


Quirky beliefs
John Brooke, emeritus professor of science and religion at Oxford University, said the letter lends weight to the notion that "Einstein was not a conventional theist" — although he was not an atheist, either.


"Like many great scientists of the past, he is rather quirky about religion, and not always consistent from one period to another," Brooke said.


Born to a Jewish family in Germany in 1879, Einstein said he went through a devout phase as a child before beginning to question conventional religion at the age of 12.


In later life, he expressed a sense of wonder at the universe and its mysteries — what he called a "cosmic religious feeling" — and famously said: "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."


But he also said: "I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil. My God created laws that take care of that. His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking, but by immutable laws."


Brooke said Einstein believed that "there is some kind of intelligence working its way through nature. But it is certainly not a conventional Christian or Judaic religious view."


Einstein's most famous legacy is the special theory of relativity, which makes the point that a large amount of energy could be released from a tiny amount of matter, as expressed in the equation e=mc2 (energy equals mass times the speed of light squared). The theory changed the face of physics, allowing scientists to make predictions about space and paving the way for nuclear power and the atomic bomb.


Einstein's musings on science, war, peace and God helped make him world famous, and his scientific legacy prompted Time magazine to name him its Person of the 20th Century.

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Half-Jewish?

I am not anti-semitic, I am anti-bullshitic!

Something has been hitting me in the head from time to time. It's never usually enough to warrant a blog but the buildup over the years brings me to mention and remind people of something.

JUDAISM IS NOT A RACE. IT'S A RELIGION.

Why do I feel the need to mention the obvious? Simple! How many times have we heard the FALSE term - half-jewish? Honestly, I am sick and tired of hearing that shit as if you can be half of a religion. People don't walk around saying they are half-Muslim and half-Buddhist! It would be the dumbest damn thing anyone would have ever said. So, how in the hell do Jewish and even non-Jewish people get away with claiming they're, or there is, something as silly as being half-Jewish? It's simple SAT question when you think about (see below):

Instructions: Choose the answer that fucking fits best!

Blue is to color as Jew is to

• a) race
• b) religion
• c) gender
• d) sexual preference
• e) fake ass Reggae artist

If a Jewish person donated sperm, would that child then be half-Jewish as if they were half-Black? No! That child wouldn't know a damn thing about Judaism. But, you sure as hell would know that the child was half-Black!

You'll know more so if the NYPD shoots 'em in the back for no reason (read: being Black)!

If they did DNA tests, would some "Jew" gene pop out with a propensity for craving money, having a big nose, and wearing a furry ass top hat during certain ceremonies? NO!

Anyway, lets quit this crap. People like Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet are NOT half-Jewish. They are half-White. Are they really Jewish in faith and practice Judaism? Who the hell knows? Who the hell cares? The point is that there is no such thing as half-Jewish. You're either a Jew or you're not!

Now, anyone can claim their own bullshit theories, thoughts and ideas about this issue. But as I've said before, I am anti-bullshitic. So, I won't be paying any attention to the bullshit as I have a bias against those who practice the religion of Bullshitism!

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