|
| Undoubtedly, there are days in our past that we will all look back and remember as historical days. It just so happens that September 11 is one of those days. To begin, I don't even think it is necessary for me to recount the impact that one particular event that happened on this day has had on the American psyche and our country's history.
There will always be conspiracy theory and there will always be speculation, thus there will always be controversy. But in light of this, we will always have the facts and the facts are that it happened and it will have an effect on all of us — good, bad or unrealized.
As the events of that fateful day unfolded, a multitude of emotions flooded across the country as people silently watched. America was glued to its television set, uncertain about what would come next. The first impact was historical, the second only solidified the significance of what had just happened.
Since the event, our opinions and lifestyles have changed for better or for worse. As I said before, controversy surrounding the event has erupted to the point that it has since caused division in our nation and an often claimed unjustifiable war.
No matter what your opinion, I think we should all take a moment to reflect on September 11 and realize that the historical events of this day have changed us forever. And while I was only 3 years old when Pete Rose hit his record-setting 4,192nd hit (of course, on Sept. 11, 1985), I know that it has forever changed me and the game of baseball which I cherish so dearly.
Thank you Pete Rose for your significant contributions to our history. Major League Baseball is forever in debt to you. | | |
| As I mentioned below, this post is going to be about one things: a confession of sorts. That confession, or more appropriately, that realization is this:
I am not a Christian.
To some, this may not come as a surprise. Actually, I would hope that this revelation would come as a surprise to no one, because I don't think that I've tried to conceal this fact by "playing the part." Even so, while I've made this known to some of my friends, it has been difficult for me to share this information with everyone that I care about. Nevertheless, I apologize to the people that may feel deceived.
My only defense is this: Imagine that you have come to the conclusion that you no longer find it possible to believe something that has been presented to you as the TRUTH for your entire life.
While I feel no shame for who I am, I know that this news is hard for some people to take. While I can try to offer consolation to these people, it really isn't my place. I hope that this won't change things in my many personal relationships, but I understand (to an extent) if it does.
Beside that point, what many people might be wondering now is "If you are not a Christian, then what are you?"
That is a good question and the answer is, I don't know, to be totally honest. In fact, I hope that the revival of this blog will help me to better solidify my own beliefs and interact with people from all religious experiences with secular worldviews.
What I do know is this:
• I am unwilling to blindly accept the totality of any religion of whose doctrines I am either partially or wholly ignorant. While I am fairly knowledgeable of the doctrines of Christianity (being raised in a Christian home) it has come to my attention that there are several aspects of this doctrine which may contradict my own personal beliefs. Until I've researched such issues, I cannot deny or accept Christianity as my chosen religion.
• While I deny acceptance and/or support of any organized religion, I am not yet willing to accept the fact that there is no God (or god, where appropriate) that could possibly be responsible for the creation of the world as we know it. Nor do I totally deny or accept the idea that mankind and other animals have wholly or partially evolved into their modern forms. Truth be told, creation theory is of little significance to me at this juncture, though I do find it fascinating.
• To clarify part of the previous statement, I am not currently an atheist. Nor am I anti-Christian or anti-religion. On the contrary, I personally strive to respect both your personal religious perspective and the individual experiences and revelations that have manifested these beliefs. As for me, and because classification seems to be such an important thing these days, I suppose that it would be acceptable to call me a Deist.
• Before religion and worldview, I think that our most important gift (no matter the source) as humans is love. I believe that love fosters and promotes mutual respect, cooperation, hope and ultimately change.
As I said before, I welcome the comments and perspectives of individuals of all religious and secular worldviews. With this post serving as a foundation, I hope that we are capable of building something on this site that will challenge each of us to think and act in ways that transcend our individual agendas and beliefs. | | |
| This blog has died and been revived at least twice.
I am not writing now as an attempt to revive this blog again, but mostly as a personal attempt to hash things out that have been going through my mind. The wheels have been spinning and this will be my chance to see if there is anything of use going on upstairs.
Feel free to read and comment as you wish.
I'll start this 'revival' in what might be the toughest possible way: with a confession that will likely disappoint and upset many people in my life. Even so, its necessity is unquestionable.
See my next (above) post for more information. | | |
| there is more than this for me.
and i can certainly give more than i have already.
up until i came to college in ohio, i was a constant mover and an adventurer. this wasn't entirely my own choice, mostly because my dad was in the military and i lived with him. and he just so happened to be one of those military people that moved every few years.
at the time of a new move, which happened (on average) every three or four years, i was kind of sad about leaving my friends, but there was a bigger part of me that was pumped about seeing something new and going somewhere else. in fact, when we were in the same place for more than four years, i started feeling bored.
i've become accustomed to this kind of live and i think was lucky to be born into it. so i don't think i need to say how big of a drag it is to have been in ohio for more than six years now. i'm fortunate to have relocated to another city, but still don't feel like i've made much of a change.
don't get me wrong, i know tons of people that live in the same state, the same town, even the same house their entire lives and they are perfectly content with that. i can respect that, but it's not for me. i just feel like there is so much more for me out there. so much to see, so much to do. which leads to my point.
my biggest complaint is this: there are two types of people in the world — those that DO and those that WATCH. i used to be a doer, but i have become a watcher. i've got big dreams, but i feel like i've put my dreams on hold. i don't know why. even the things that i claim to be actively doing are coming along at a snail's pace.
i don't know what the hold up is. maybe i'm afraid to fail, maybe i'm afraid to succeed, maybe i'm afraid to try. i wish i knew. i used to be able to see the successes of others and translate that into my own passion to succeed. now it seems that i am content just to see others succeed. what the hell is wrong with me?
the good news is that i'm writing this now, which means that i've woken up to some extent. i've heard a lot about people chasing dreams recently and a lot of it has resonated with me. i've even come to grips with the possibility of failure. i'm okay with failing because failing is better than not trying.
so i think i'm ready. i hope i'm ready. i hope this isn't just some temporary thing. i really want to follow through. i want to get off my couch and start doing. i want to stop watching others succeed and take what very well could be mine.
i like this new attitude — and this new me. maybe i should listen to simon and garfunkel more often. | | |
| You want my political stance? OK, here it is:
Political parties are crutches for people that don't know how to stand on their own.
There is one ultimate truth that flaws the idea of party politics: People are fundamentally different and individually unique.
Having given you that thought, I believe that the political system that we've got in place actually causes more problems than it avoids. If this statement was valid for no other reason, then it would hold true with the solitary fact that mindless and (often) uninformed people waste entirely too much time arguing about political issues TO NO RESOLUTION.
Now, the politically-minded among you are probably thinking, "But wait. There is nothing wrong with a good political debate to get the blood flowing."
Political debate? Maybe that's not so bad.
But that is rarely what occurs. Often times, these innocent "political debates" turn into slanderous, hateful arguments where the parties involved verbally abuse each other with the use of methods as elementary as name-calling. And, as the argument comes to a close, neither person has budged in their opinions but thinks even less of the education level of supporters of the opposing political party.
Additionally, party politics pigeonhole people into broad, generic categories that even the politically declined cannot avoid. Whether you like it or not, when you associate with a party (including ONE vote for ONE candidate), you are assumed to take EVERY SINGLE POLITICAL STANCE that the chosen party supports. This may not be your personal interest, but as far as your opponents on the "other side of the fence" are concerned, you are a party extremist. Oh, and a nutjob.
Here is another flaw to the partisan system: It's manmade.
I get an impression of arrogance from politicians and their most loyal supporters/party members. It is as if dedicated party members are naive enough to believe that the system that they are aligned with is actually "perfect." At first, I dismissed this idea. After all, no one could be moronic enough to think that. But this arrogance is too bold and too thick to be fake. The mere fact that partisans refer to themselves as "right-wing" or "left-wing" invokes a feeling of instability. If it doesn't, it should.
I am not saying that people should avoid taking a stance on issues. That's not logical. Everyone has opinions. However, I think too many people are giving political parties too much credit for figuring out what is right and wrong in EVERY situation. I doubt that there are more than a handful of people that actually align perfectly with one party or another (by their own design, that is). There are even fewer people that actually stand in the middle of the road on EVERY issue.
But even these "political agnostics" are not as bad as the aforementioned uneducated masses that simply vote the party card out of some assumed dedication to either red or blue. Everyone is unique, remember? Your political alignment should not dictate your stance, your stance should dictate your political alignment. (Notice that I said "alignment" and not "party")
That leads into another misconception that people tend to have about politics. Most seem to think that you have to take a side. It's as if this is some kind of war and choosing your political party is a rite-of-passage. In reality, political parties are little more than glorified social groups.
The sad thing is that, even if you do not align with one party or another, you still have to participate in party politics. After all, since candidates are pretty much required to support a party to even run for office (if for no other reason than financial support), everyone who casts a (meaningful) vote has to choose someone within a party that they may or may not be affliated with. And thus, the unwilling "independents" (and I use that term very, very lightly) are forced to suffer undue wrath.
Now let's discuss the actual positives of having political parties. Actually, there is only one that I know of. It's called checks & balances. Think of the political realm as a giant teeter-totter with political parties on both sides. If one were to jump off, we'd all be screwed. So the existence of one forces the existence of others.
That is, until someone thinks of a better way. I know, why don't you kick out that crutch under your arm and start thinking for yourself?
Pet peeve #4: The amount of time I wasted on this post — just because it's about politics. | | |
|
