* This is a very personal post, and has critical religious content. Read if you feel comfortable with it.
Yesterday I read an article on the guardian by Glenn Greenwald, and I slowly watched my faith-in-humanity-bar as the scale lowered itself once again to absolute zero. The article is well written and I loved it. I am so happy that I found it and I read it because it helped me shape a few thoughts I have had from before into solid beliefs and theories. It is a little long, and without a bit of background knowledge you might find yourself walking into stranger territory but if you have time, and you are interested I would definitely recommend it. The article is about what Mr. Greenwald thinks of the "New Atheists" and specifically Sam Harris. Although he, himself, denies the claims, I personally believe that Sam Harris is in fact an Islamaphobe and sadly he has too much voice in the media and influences a bigger audience than one might expect. I am not going to summarize the article here, just read it if you want, and check the links in the article because they are essential to understanding the whole story.
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I have been indeed in a battle with all of humanity from the beginning of time. The whole world right now, at this moment, is a mess. A jumble of moral decline, societal decline, and financial decline. We are going down.
Nobody can deny that we aren't fixing the issues we are creating and then imposing on ourselves. Little side organizations, volunteers, educated people who are trying to make a difference, are really paddling upriver and going nowhere. It is extremely sad, but we have to realize that to change the way we live, we need action on a bigger scale. A few people cleaning up trash doesn't really affect anyone, and has a near zero impact on society. I know people will argue against this notion of no achievement, but let's be honest - our attempts at fixing the world aren't the same as our attempts to get people to vote.
Every vote counts. So every individual makes a difference, not by themselves, but together because there are many individuals who constantly need to be reminded of their significance no matter how insubstantial. With voting, we have achieved our goal. With social welfare, justice, law enforcement, ethics -we are not quiet there yet.
Unfortunately, although the world's greatest nations keep bragging about their greatness, while living in the land of opportunities, I still face negative stereotypes, racist remarks, unfair assumptions, and plain inhumane treatment, because of my religion, my gender, and ridiculously enough my clothing choices.
Freedom of speech, I respect with all my heart, but respect for other humans, is the backbone of my ethical beliefs. Atheist bashing on religion, criticizing belief systems to the degree that the followers of those belief systems are deemed 'uncivilized,' judging and commenting on things they do not understand and then hurting people scores a major negative on the respect scale. Religious people arguing over their absolute truths, and ignoring each other's existence is also childish and unfathomable.
Respect. I don't care if you worship a crimson llama with an ice-cream hat who feeds on surf boards. I. Don't. Care. You are as much human as I, and therefore I will respect you and your choice. But I expect the same treatment.
Lots of droplets,
Belle
Yesterday I read an article on the guardian by Glenn Greenwald, and I slowly watched my faith-in-humanity-bar as the scale lowered itself once again to absolute zero. The article is well written and I loved it. I am so happy that I found it and I read it because it helped me shape a few thoughts I have had from before into solid beliefs and theories. It is a little long, and without a bit of background knowledge you might find yourself walking into stranger territory but if you have time, and you are interested I would definitely recommend it. The article is about what Mr. Greenwald thinks of the "New Atheists" and specifically Sam Harris. Although he, himself, denies the claims, I personally believe that Sam Harris is in fact an Islamaphobe and sadly he has too much voice in the media and influences a bigger audience than one might expect. I am not going to summarize the article here, just read it if you want, and check the links in the article because they are essential to understanding the whole story.
--
I have been indeed in a battle with all of humanity from the beginning of time. The whole world right now, at this moment, is a mess. A jumble of moral decline, societal decline, and financial decline. We are going down.
Nobody can deny that we aren't fixing the issues we are creating and then imposing on ourselves. Little side organizations, volunteers, educated people who are trying to make a difference, are really paddling upriver and going nowhere. It is extremely sad, but we have to realize that to change the way we live, we need action on a bigger scale. A few people cleaning up trash doesn't really affect anyone, and has a near zero impact on society. I know people will argue against this notion of no achievement, but let's be honest - our attempts at fixing the world aren't the same as our attempts to get people to vote.
Every vote counts. So every individual makes a difference, not by themselves, but together because there are many individuals who constantly need to be reminded of their significance no matter how insubstantial. With voting, we have achieved our goal. With social welfare, justice, law enforcement, ethics -we are not quiet there yet.
Unfortunately, although the world's greatest nations keep bragging about their greatness, while living in the land of opportunities, I still face negative stereotypes, racist remarks, unfair assumptions, and plain inhumane treatment, because of my religion, my gender, and ridiculously enough my clothing choices.
Freedom of speech, I respect with all my heart, but respect for other humans, is the backbone of my ethical beliefs. Atheist bashing on religion, criticizing belief systems to the degree that the followers of those belief systems are deemed 'uncivilized,' judging and commenting on things they do not understand and then hurting people scores a major negative on the respect scale. Religious people arguing over their absolute truths, and ignoring each other's existence is also childish and unfathomable.
Respect. I don't care if you worship a crimson llama with an ice-cream hat who feeds on surf boards. I. Don't. Care. You are as much human as I, and therefore I will respect you and your choice. But I expect the same treatment.
Lots of droplets,
Belle