haahahhaha

Holly!! You're actually reading this? I would have thought you'd stop after that first time.
Well, I'm rather torn on the "Religion creeping into social norms" (I choose to use the word creeping).

I want to clear the air a bit. I at first made this blog to write down ideas, and not have to waste computer space, but I'm realizing that it projects an image of me that perhaps I don't want to be projected. I put a lot more energy into thinking stuff than I ever write down. This blog is so crude, and it definitely does not reflect me and my set of ideas. The things I write down are whatever I'm thinking at the moment. But behind this thought lies a plethora of auxiliary thoughts. When I think about the contradictions in my mind, I almost fall into an existential crisis just thinking about the possibilities and the different ways of seeing things. So the things I choose to "keyboardly"-express are never close to encompassing all my feelings and ideas on so-and-so subject.

But anyways, back the Religion/social norm thing. It's just the idea that irks me. That so many people believe in this one Thing. It's so oppressive and, dare I say, omnipotent/present in society--the entire mankind! I guess that though God doesn't really exist, he practically does because so many people have been led to think in their minds that he does. The cult leader who first started to preach that a superbeing exists achieved his goal--he made a God exist for a large portion of the world. It's a mobocracy. I'm kind of drifting off--back to the main point. Some part of me sees "One nation under God" as a historically-significant part of the Pledge of Allegiance. But most of me screams at the idea that blatant Religion was injected into what was supposed to be secular governance. I know, it is so awkward when I sneeze or when anybody else sneezes, but there's no "Bless You." I'm not condemning the phrase, but I just refuse to be active in the spreading and protracting this social "norm." I see the historical significance of how these things have become "norms," (but since when is the Flying Spaghetti Monster normal) but at the same time, when do we come in to change history.

This thing with change/status quo is so mind-boggling. It's like the theory of natural selection. Evolution tends toward sameness and monotony. I previously blogged about keeping the element of "excitement" in society by maintaining this full-of-conflict cultural status quo. Like gang culture (sans violence) Religion (sans God)... I admire those Jewish who preserve the cultural traditions, but not the religious dogma.

I don't know if I was joking, but what if the world was all love, everyone looked the same, talked the same, and held the same beliefs (which would guarantee harmony)--would that be boring and unexciting? Or really cool!? I read an article about New Atheism in Wired--definitely hate it. It's a group of people actively seeking "converts." Atheism becoming a Religion. But somewhere in that article, the writer talks about New Atheists asserting their beliefs, which may get irritating to the rest of God's world. At a dinner table, somebody blurted out "I'm an Atheist," and some God-fearer said, "Oh you seem like the type." I'm proud of that blurter. He wasn't trying to convert. When Atheists speak, it's mostly their trying to appeal, not impose, by sharing their side of the story. They try to enlighten and spread Reason.

And so, in not saying "Bless you," it's not because I don't care, it's because I don't want to spread this. Bye no longer has religious connotation, but in "Bless you," it still lingers. That's my objection.

Another thought. God is a manmade ideal. As far as my observations and academic studies of and in nature are concerned, no other living thing--not only animals, but also plants, worship a higher being. It is so ironic that though we are the highest developed, most sophisticated and complex organism in our know Universe (though I am compelled to believe in other Life, if the Universe is indeed infinite--yet, which doesn't make sense according to the Big Bang--how is the Universe contracting? It's got no bounds to pull in! I really need to study some astrophysics), many members of our race believes in something so nonsensical, and holds the ideas so firmly.


That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Sigh. Time lost for math. Blogging grabbed and interrupted my homework and didn't let go until 1:06 AM.