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So those familiar with my blog know that I normally stick to facts and random posts about Atheism. This is also my blog though and as a result I will post my opinion. If you disagree with my opinion you are certainly welcome to it but disagreeing with someone and simply calling them a racist are two different things. I don’t even know how the subject of race really got dragged in to the discussion. My comments added on to the story about people being MURDERED over some burned paper did not discuss race at all but apparently it is taken as racist.
So simply and briefly I want to explain a few of my comments. Perhaps those unfamiliar with the situation and culture of Afghanistan could see it as a baseless stereotype. I want to be clear that I am not attempting to stereotype all people of Afghanistan. My wording when discussing a horrific and disgusting act didn’t go out of the way to clarify that not all Afghans are that way, but it also does not specifically say that all Afghans are that way. To assume one way or the other would be an assumption but it seems so much easier for people to assume the worst.
It is no secret that culture of Afghanistan is very different from our own. Honor killing and honor rape are not uncommon practices. Middle aged men will take boys between the age or 9 and 15 to use as sex slaves. They see it as a matter of status, they openly flaunt it. It’s socially accepted pedophilia. Afghanistan ranks number 2 in the entire world in infant mortality second only to Angola with nearly 150 children out of every 1,000 born passing away before the age of 2. They are also second to last in the world in life expectancy (again behind Angola) with an average age of about 45. Obviously this is not a thriving country that highly values life or the continuation of life. This culture has deemed it entirely acceptable to kill a young girl for the shame of being raped or marrying someone their family does not approve of. They see it as perfectly acceptable for men to force sex upon young boys, it isn’t considered a crime in the least bit. This is not even to touch upon the horrific treatment of grown women as well.
What about wanting to get high? That’s a pretty bold statement right? Since I am sure many people on her have access to a Netflix account I would suggested the documentary “Camp Victory”. It is a good look at many of the struggles that the US and other allied forces have faced in attempting to train Afghan people to police their own country. You hear stories of how many of them will stay up all night long smoking hashish and opium and run out from cover in just a shirt and shorts firing guns recklessly as if they are living a video game. There is even one story of an Afghan solider who almost fired a missile launcher, pointed the wrong direction because he was too high to realize. Many of them, dare I say the majority, who are being trained to help bring order to their country are too busy smoking day and night to do anything productive.
This isn’t even to get in to the general animosity between the allies and troops that have already been trained in Afghanistan. It wasn’t long ago that a uniformed Afghan military official killed 4 French service members which prompted France to put a hold on all of their operations there. It is not an isolated event as the number of trained Afghan solider killing Western aid workers as well as solider is very prevalent. It seems no matter what we do the Afghan people can not overcome their animosity to these “foreigners” being in their country.
The riots of the Quran should honestly come as no surprise. There were similar riots not more than a year ago over the ignorant Terry Jones in Florida setting fire to their “sacred” book. Book burning does not mean today what it used to mean. It no longer means people are suppressing information and looking to destroy it for all of eternity. What it means now is exactly what it is, someone burning a book. People can be upset, people can be offended, no one can say what others will be offended at because it is their choice, but to murder 23 people over the act? It is in-human.
If me stating bluntly my opinion of the current situation in Afghanistan and the temperament the people of Afghanistan have displayed is considered racist, no one is forcing you to follow my blog page. I temper my words too often out of fears of offending someone sensibility so I will not stay quiet when a few ignorant people want to cast disparaging and entirely incorrect insults against me. If you see this as a subject of race, perhaps you are the one that needs to re-evaluate your views, not me. I’ve never said this was a subject that had to do with race at all. Considering how often I have it tossed at me to recognize the differences between cultures, races, and religions I would think people could return the favor. It has to do with the ignorant, barbaric, brutal, misogynistic, drug addicted, and violent people that are controlling the lives of everyone in Afghanistan. Ignoring the problem only perpetuates it and attempting to silence those that wish to discuss it gets us no where.
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I admit I spend a bit more time on Twitter looking for people to get in to discussions with than I probably should but you never really expect someone to up the ante to such a ridiculous level.
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I apologize for the poor quality of my camera phone but I drove past this today and had to take a picture. The house may look slightly like it went through a fire but it is an area where well over half of the homes are condemned and boarded up. The other sides of the house are all covered in spray paint and tags as well. I can’t understand, religious graffiti or are they telling people where to complain? Either way just a bit down the road is a small church, which also appears closed down.
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Late Night Ramble
If you couldn’t already tell from reading my blog I tend to ramble quite a bit. One thought will lead me to another, to another, and to another, I’m a sparked thinker. I don’t do it often anymore but sometimes I like to just type and rant and see where it goes. It was one of the reasons I started this blog but I don’t do it as often as I should…so I feel like rambling. Since it’s a ramble please be generous in overlooking grammatical errors and thank you to anyone who takes the time to actually read it.
Something I’ve had it pointed out to me before, and I think about quite a bit, is the fact that I’ve built a fairly successful blog page and online persona not necessarily based on what I am as much as on what I am not. Atheism is so unique as an idea when compared to other fields of thought and ways people identify themselves. People don’t make blogs dedicated to not being a football fan, or not being Irish, or not being a Libertarian. Atheism is different in the fact that telling someone that you are an Atheist tells them almost nothing about who you are, only really about what you are not.
In some ways the reasons why a religion is so important to people is the same reason that Atheism is important to many non-believers. Now I know the moment anyone draws a comparison from Atheism to religion people jump on it and say “DON’T DO THAT!” because we aren’t and don’t want to be classed as a religion. Yet in the same way that a spark starts a flame the answer to the simple question of “Do you believe in god?” sparks a firestorm of follow up. That simple answer will lead to another prerequisite idea, which leads to others, which often leads to others. At some points people will often diverge as the proverbial fire spreads, but it can all be traced back to a spark.
Let’s imagine you’re in a room with 9 other people watching a wonderful performance from a magician. You all marvel as he works his way through the act soliciting awes and applause from the onlookers. Seamlessly blending his slights of hand and tricks of the eye with a well worked out performance to the point where it could impress even the most seasoned magician. Now let’s imagine that after the performance you and your fellow onlookers start talking and you mention off hand what amazing tricks you just saw and you wish you could understand how they were pulled off. You feel off put as the other 9 look on at you with stunned silence.
Perhaps they begin to question your skepticism of the performance. “What do you mean tricks? We know he made those doves come out of no where, the hat was empty before!” “Yeah, you can’t understand it, it’s magic. Magic isn’t able to be understood!” “Why can’t you just be happy with believing it was magic, why would you have to question it?” Imagine the embarrassment you would feel as 9 people look to you as if they can’t comprehend what you’re saying. Partly embarrassed at their credulity, partly embarrassed at the fact that you seem to be the only one that wants to understand.
Now take up the scale and imagine that shows like this are going on all across the world. Everyone is seeing these shows but almost always with the same results of 9 people in awe of the amazing performance that they feel is far behind their comprehension but just 1 questioner. How often would the 1 be shouted down in to silence? How often would the 1 feel so much embarrassment at the situation that they quickly pretend to switch their view to join the majority? How often would that 1 be left stunned, wondering how in the world so many people can fall for something, when if only they really tried to understand, they really tried to seek out the information, they really looked for answers…they could understand and appreciate the magnificence of the show even more?
If you are an Atheist, you are that 1. That is why it is still important for us to point out who we aren’t, not just we are. We are the ones who aren’t simply satisfied with magic. We are the ones who won’t aren’t simply satisfied with marveling at the wonders we see around us without understanding. We are the ones who can still enjoy and appreciate the wonderful show of the magician, but aren’t going to believe he is bending the will of space and time to do it.
As long as we continue to face the impossible odds against us that we do, we need to continue to speak out. As long as we continue to see Atheists put down and shunned from their families and society, we need to speak out. As long as we continue to live in a world where more people seek to answer questions with magic than with reason, we need to speak out. We are Atheists, which only means we are not the believers. Someday, I hope to see that day I no longer feel the need to say I’m an Atheist but that won’t happen until the day that what we are stands out more than what we aren’t. Until that day, the day we finally have more people look to understand the magic than we do accept it without question and shun others into silence, I will be an Atheist.
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Man….I have no idea what you’re even talking about, but like…that’s not cool man.
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Brief comment on Christopher Hitchens…
I just need to take a brief moment to talk about Christopher Hitchens. In the coming weeks I’m sure I will be talking about him often. His death is really hitting me hard. I’ve been able to piece together in my mind why but it doesn’t make it any better. Despite the fact that is fairly personal I feel the need to share it with my blog because I don’t know how else to let these emotions out.
I never had the chance to meet Christopher Hitchens face to face but I feel as if he has taught me more than nearly anyone in my life. He’s opened me up to new information and ideas and theories I had never heard of or considered. He encouraged me to learn, he made me want to learn, he made me want to think. He opened my eyes to so many things, it’s impossible to express how strong of an impact he had on me. Christopher Hitchens became more than just a man I admired, more than a man that I looked up to, he became almost like a father figure.
I honestly wish that I could be as well spoken and intelligent as Christopher Hitchens. Indeed I have styled many of the things I’ve written similar to his writting style, even though I couldn’t currently hope to match his vocabulary. He sincerely loved his family. He sincerely loved humanity and the world. He wanted better for the world. That view may not of always been perfectly clear because of his silver tongue and razor whit. Many people simply had to dismiss him when they refused, or where unable, to really understand him. As goofy as it sounds I really feel as if I understood Christopher and I really feel as if he would of understood me. He has inspired me to become a more responsible and more active person.
I will never have the opportunity to tell Christopher how much he really meant to me. Perhaps I’m only realizing the full extent of my appreciation for him now. It is certain that I will never forget him and the amazing impact that he had on my life. I only hope it will encourage me even more to do anything I can to make up for the loss the world experienced when they lost Christopher Hitchens.
PS, it is always Christopher, never Chris. Paraphrasing a quote from him “I promised my mother, no circumcision of my name.”
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Sincere thank you for the messages. I don’t always post all the nice anon messages I get but I love getting them and always appreciate them. It’s great messages like this that keep me motivated whenever I feel my passion starting to wane. Thanks again.
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Have to post it for the rant. Plus as a point of reference. I can understand not wanting to be called a bigot, nobody wants to be called something derogatory but it is appropriate when it fits that view. As I tried to say if he absolutely must maintain that opinion he can, no one can force someone else to change their mind against their will but he should at least be able to recognize it as a bigoted view point.
I do definitely understand there are times I come off a little arrogant. I don’t think this particular time was too bad but perhaps. My girlfriend always used to tell me “You always want to be right don’t you?” to which I’d reply “Of course, who wants to be wrong?” When the discussion has such a clear cut and simple answer with no real valid detracting points, it’s hard not to get a little arrogant with it when it drags out so long.
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You know what I hate…
You know what I haven’t done in a long time? A late night rant about anything. So I feel like talking, it’s late, and this is my blog. I’m going to rant away. You know what I really hate? I hate funerals. I hate the disingenuous bullshit that you have to hear at funerals. I hate how people have to sit there and listen to it even when so many of them are deep down screaming inside about how wrong it is.
A few weeks ago I had to go to a funeral. Thankfully I haven’t been to one in quite a while, they’re never a pleasant experience for anyone. It was my girlfriend’s aunt and I admit I barely knew the woman. Most of what I knew of her came through second hand information in the family “rumors” that got passed around. One thing that is for certain is she had her issues. Her husband had passed away very suddenly a few years ago and as a result she spiraled into horrible depression and alcoholism. Just two days before she was supposed to enter a rehab facility she was found dead in her home. Just two days away, just two days away from getting a chance at turning things around. Rehab was a decision she had agreed to herself. Just two days away though, she is gone.
The whole atmosphere of the funeral just made me feel uneasy. It was a situation where most people were consoling themselves with the fact that she had been through so much in recent years that she was “in a better place”. Many people were chatting openly with people they hadn’t seen in years. There was the occasional mourner crying over the loss of someone they had known so well, mostly remembering her in better times. Some people were laughing, smiling, almost happy well still in the presence of a somber atmosphere…I didn’t know how I was supposed to react. Perhaps thankfully before the actual “service” started my son got fussy and I offered to take him out to the front of the funeral parlor.
Being a modern funeral home they had a live feed of the funeral service playing in the front room. I sat there listening to the service well my son jumped around on the furniture. I listened to a man who had never even met the dead woman he was talking about, attempting to describe her life. He spoke just briefly of her life, her family, a few small events, perhaps filled in with small details he received just minutes before expected to express her entire life in a few minutes. Being a funeral though, of course, it moved on to religious undertones. It moved on to how “the Lord” is watching over her now. How he is keeping her safe, and is looking out for her. Other loads of random bullshit pleasantries meant to make the surviving feel better about the fact that they will never see a loved one, that they hardly recognized now, ever again.
The services ended in a matter of about 20 minutes. After I didn’t feel sad about the words said, about the message delivered, but about the service itself. The fact that this woman was just 2 short days from trying to better herself, but now people are being told of how a loving God is with her and taking care of her. How they sat their quietly through this speech well I know they must of been feeling deep down as if this woman was just shorted out of her chance of turning things around. How they had to be feeling as if these pleasant little messages fell short of the chance of ever seeing the woman they once knew and loved in her familiar state ever again. How can these people talk of the love and care of God now? It’s shameful.
After the services, I was still a bit uneasy about what to say. I have dealt with death many times in my life, to the point where it is hard for me to muster comforting words in the situation. The thing that stuck out most is how me and my girlfriend spoke of the service. “I don’t want anything like that.” We both said it at almost the same time. We were both disgusted by it. We were both saddened by it and it is what stuck out to us most at the moment. These were the last moments people would gather to say good bye to a woman that touched many many lives. Yet we had to hear “pleasant” lies delivered by a man who never knew her, and this is how people are expected to say good bye. It is not a way to say good bye to life, it is a way to stroke people into believing comforting lies, and I hate it.
We both agreed that we don’t want a service anything like the traditional funeral. We want people talking about the good times, people who really knew us. People remembering our lives, and thinking of the great memories. We don’t want people sitting there, too afraid to say what they really think, well some boring drone is paid to say a few random pleasantries. We want nothing to do with any religious idiocy thrown in as a way to capitalize on people at their most vulnerable as well as “comfort” them. Saying good bye to life should be to celebrate life, it shouldn’t be to remind us of “God” and other bullshit that is just meant to fluff up people. I don’t want my death to be anything like that, I can’t really imagine why anyone ever would.
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Random Promotion
So, if you’ve followed my page for a while you know I never really promote pages. I want to break my general rule and give a promotion to one page because I really think she deserves something. (Lots of other pages really do deserve it, so please forgive me.) Amanda was one of the first followers I had on my page, she was within the first 20 and I’ve follower her page ever since. Due to a bit of an increase in NSFW content I’ve had to unfollow her (I spend a lot of time on here at work) but I appreciate that she’s supported me for so long. We haven’t talked a whole lot but there have been times and she’s always been a great person and very supportive of my page. So if you enjoy beautiful sometimes naked women (including her modeling photographs which are beautiful) and an awesome person please follow her here: http://amandadarling.tumblr.com/ she is an absolutely wonderful person and I hope despite the fact I can’t follow her anymore I’ll still keep in touch with her.
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