Jihad on You!
Jun. 13th, 2013 12:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
storytimewithjoeTrying to keep up with the affairs of the world is a daunting task, to say the least. Whenever we read an article or witness a broadcast about some sort of conflict, the challenge involves framing the issue within its proper context, which can include a variety of descriptors such as culture, language, religion, color, age, etc. Yet, despite the location of the conflict, the people, the culture or any other factor, many of these conflicts really can be boiled down to a common denominator – I/we don’t like what you are doing so I/we are going to prevent it/suppress it/make it illegal/condemn you for it.
Conflicts in the Middle East? Extremists believe that not only they need to live by an exceptionally strict moral code, but so does everybody else. And by Allah-la-la-la-la-la, they are going to force you to do what they say!
Condemnations and intolerance from the Vatican? Apparently, some sins are worse than others. And while it seems to be ok to sin like mad as long as one confesses and is absolved, other things are deemed by mortal men to be so atrocious as to be unforgivable by God. So in the name of the all-loving-all-forgiving-God (how ironic?) the church condemns you if you don’t do/believe as they do.
Cray-cray threats from communist governments? ONLY their view is right, and any variation from such a viewpoint is clearly a threat against the people, punishable by death-from-a-thousand-cuts or some such.
Sure, this is an overly simplistic viewpoint, but I’m hoping you all see my point – there seems to be too few cases of “live and let live” and too many cases of “you are doing what I want you to do so I’m going to make you change or condemn you.”
So without further ado, I am going to present a little list of things that I believe should happen in the world:
I’m a foodie, but I want to be skinny. So I want to be able to eat as much fattening sausage and cheese as I want each and every morning and never gain weight from it.
I like a peaceful hood. So I want everyone in the neighborhood to stop littering, stop tagging, and stop playing any form of loud music that I don’t like.
I want to get all the benefits of government programs but not have to pay for them at all – that includes taxes.
I want to not have to work for a living. I should just get everything for free.
I want to have the most perfect garden ever – but not have to tend it.
I want to have the body of a Greek muscle-god, but never have to go to the gym.
I want all the kids in the neighborhood to stop playing soccer in the parking lot near the house, but to instead just stay home and read and do their homework.
I’m not a Christian, so to me it is a waste of time for anyone to go to church. So clearly, because it is all about me, nobody should go to church anymore but instead spend their Sunday mornings instead doing things that are constructive – and by constructive, I mean things that I personally would approve of.
See where I’m going with this? The fact is, the world is NOT all about me. It isn’t all about what I personally want. It isn’t all about making just me happy. Nor is it all about you, or your church, or your race, or your country. So, to sum it up, I have one message out there to those people or cultures or religions who insist upon trying to tell others what to do – Quit wasting so much time telling your neighbor how to live. Seriously! Life is precious. Instead of wasting so much time trying to direct the life of your neighbor, doesn’t it make more sense to instead spend your time building a more quality-life for yourself?
Conflicts in the Middle East? Extremists believe that not only they need to live by an exceptionally strict moral code, but so does everybody else. And by Allah-la-la-la-la-la, they are going to force you to do what they say!
Condemnations and intolerance from the Vatican? Apparently, some sins are worse than others. And while it seems to be ok to sin like mad as long as one confesses and is absolved, other things are deemed by mortal men to be so atrocious as to be unforgivable by God. So in the name of the all-loving-all-forgiving-God (how ironic?) the church condemns you if you don’t do/believe as they do.
Cray-cray threats from communist governments? ONLY their view is right, and any variation from such a viewpoint is clearly a threat against the people, punishable by death-from-a-thousand-cuts or some such.
Sure, this is an overly simplistic viewpoint, but I’m hoping you all see my point – there seems to be too few cases of “live and let live” and too many cases of “you are doing what I want you to do so I’m going to make you change or condemn you.”
So without further ado, I am going to present a little list of things that I believe should happen in the world:
I’m a foodie, but I want to be skinny. So I want to be able to eat as much fattening sausage and cheese as I want each and every morning and never gain weight from it.
I like a peaceful hood. So I want everyone in the neighborhood to stop littering, stop tagging, and stop playing any form of loud music that I don’t like.
I want to get all the benefits of government programs but not have to pay for them at all – that includes taxes.
I want to not have to work for a living. I should just get everything for free.
I want to have the most perfect garden ever – but not have to tend it.
I want to have the body of a Greek muscle-god, but never have to go to the gym.
I want all the kids in the neighborhood to stop playing soccer in the parking lot near the house, but to instead just stay home and read and do their homework.
I’m not a Christian, so to me it is a waste of time for anyone to go to church. So clearly, because it is all about me, nobody should go to church anymore but instead spend their Sunday mornings instead doing things that are constructive – and by constructive, I mean things that I personally would approve of.
See where I’m going with this? The fact is, the world is NOT all about me. It isn’t all about what I personally want. It isn’t all about making just me happy. Nor is it all about you, or your church, or your race, or your country. So, to sum it up, I have one message out there to those people or cultures or religions who insist upon trying to tell others what to do – Quit wasting so much time telling your neighbor how to live. Seriously! Life is precious. Instead of wasting so much time trying to direct the life of your neighbor, doesn’t it make more sense to instead spend your time building a more quality-life for yourself?
