But turn it around. How about when God inspires crime? I went through so many headlines, and didn't find anything (in the title, at least) that mentions Religion inciting horror. How misrepresented. What about those cult leaders? I once was speaking with a Christian friend, who was gushing about how he communicates with his God and how his God would never put him into a horrible situation. So I ask, how does he respond to the multiple cult leaders and killers in history that have pointed at God as the instigator Who instructed them to kill? Then my friend recalls the only case he knew of (obviously he's not very familiar with the cult history) and quickly points out, "He was a ________; not a Christian." I forget which denomination he separated himself from, but it was a branch of Christianity. So if it was a branch of Christianity, it means that the cult leader believed in the same glorious God that my friend believed in. So if God put the cult leader in the position to mass-murder, what makes my friend believe that God will have mercy and bestow grace on him? It's a moral binary. I finally understand what Krazy Katz was talking about during that lecture on moral binary in Hollywood.
So back to Nietzsche. I excerpt this quote from that poorly-written Crime Library entry... Yes, they are all poorly-written, elementary-style masterpieces.
" Tulloch was a reader of Nietzsche, and was especially impressed with the idea that, without God, there were no absolute moral values. A powerful individual could decide what was right — including murder — and do it."See the italicized. I am absolutely disgusted with the false link between morality and Religion. Why do people think that they need Religion, that they need some Supreme being, that they need some false and intangible concept to structure their lives? It's a horrendous and erroneous way of thinking. So I quickly read up a bit on Nietzsche--of course through Wikipedia--and I found that the public understanding of his philosophy is widely misperceived and disconnected. His famous quote "God is dead," juxtaposed with his anti-Religion philosophy, leads many to believe that he held an immoral approach to Life, when in fact--at least from how I understood Wikipedia--he believed that one should not turn to Religion to seek values. Rather, one must look within oneself. I couldn't agree more.
Wikipedia also brought up the point that in his lifetime, he was not as popular a writer. I never read Tuesdays with Morrie, I feel maybe I should; but I know the basic foundation of the book. Why show appreciation for significant people postmortem, when you can honor them during life. But whatever, that was a tangent. I appreciate reading philosophy. I like to absorb (and inevitably, filter) ideas that I like and dislike. But I think it is so unoriginal to adopt a so-called philosopher's set of ideas fully. I believe that everyone should be their own philosopher, and have unique philosophies of life. Just as how one should always be looking in oneself for value, whatever one considers value comes from personal experiences. Personal experiences. So no doubt, Nietzsche, or any other widely-adhered philosophers' ideas culminate from their cumulative life experiences. According to Wikipedia (this is not an academic paper, so I am allowed to cite Wikipedia!), Nietzsche had death early on in his life. To some extent, however much "extent," that must have affected his thinking somehow. So I guess what I'm advocating is for people to be more original in their values and beliefs. Your code of ethics should derive from your experiences as a person. (And I wish people had more pleasant experiences--growing up in South LA could either make or break your character, I guess.) No one should submit (and incidentally stifle) their freedom to Think to any Religion Institution or School of Thought. I'm not so much a skeptic though, as I am an advocate for "personalized" philosophy.
Yez. Zo I vaz feeling a bit existential.
No comments:
Post a Comment