X is…

I really don’t care for pop culture and try to avoid all the hoopla as often as possible.  People whore themselves our for publicity constantly and it’s not anything that interests me.

This becomes tougher for me as my daughters get older.  At 12 and 10, I have to be ready to discuss and approach most topics that catch their eye or that their friends are discussing.

Such is the case with Miley’s back.  Yes, the 15 year-old daughter of a country music singer and Disney’s most cherished possession recently took off her shirt and they took a picture of her back.  I’m indifferent.  She didn’t show anything that would truly upset people.  It’s more what she didn’t show.  The public has become worked up over what is not seen in a picture and that seems poor.

My oldest daughter said that she thinks it’s wrong.  The picture.  I asked her why and what ensued was a rather lengthy discussion about when others determine what is wrong and right for us- the public.

We covered language and who determines what is proper for us to say and what isn’t.  How the trouble she can get in at school is based on some crazy meeting held years ago.  I asked her to tell me the difference in meaning for the following four statements.

• God Damn It
• Holy Fuck
• Holy Crap
• Wow

Based on when they are used- nothing.  Two of those, though, will get her in trouble.

We discussed television and how it’s perfectly fine to show murder, dead bodies, and violent acts against people.  Yet, it’s not fine to show any ounce of nudity… or Miley’s back.

We discussed the fine line that is created by society regarding art vs. pornography.  This discussion began with Renaissance era artwork.  Michelangelo was a great artist, yet much of his work involved unclothed people.

We even discussed prohibition briefly.

It was a great springboard into a discussion of socialized norms.  Of course with cautionary words regarding the consequences of breaking those accepted norms- no matter how conservative the rules we break seem.

I would like to thank our conservative Christian nation for have such terrible norms.  For making a ridiculously unappealing picture such as that one become such a great controversy that I was able to have a discussion of such great magnitude with my daughters.  That I was able to discuss with her how we are seemingly unable to make up our own minds and that we are often expected to accept that society’s judgement regarding most issues.

It was also a perfect opportunity to remind her to think for herself and ask questions.

Popularity: 42% [?]

Or, more specifically, Christianity.

How does an article like this not catch your eye?

When Specialist Jeremy Hall held a meeting last July for atheists and freethinkers at Camp Speicher in Iraq, he was excited, he said, to see an officer attending.

But minutes into the talk, the officer, Maj. Freddy J. Welborn, began to berate Specialist Hall and another soldier about atheism, Specialist Hall wrote in a sworn statement. “People like you are not holding up the Constitution and are going against what the founding fathers, who were Christians, wanted for America!” Major Welborn said, according to the statement.

Major Welborn told the soldiers he might bar them from re-enlistment and bring charges against them, according to the statement.

So, Specialist Hall was raised Baptist and became atheist after joining the military and meeting those who convinced him to question.  I think that’s the way it happens many times.  People find others who create questions and make the cruise control turn off in the thought process.

The crime here is that a commanding officer decided to use his position of power to enforce his beliefs on others.  Apparently the commanding officer doesn’t believe in the First Amendment despite using the Constitution to make his point.

According to the article, religious discrimination is likely more widespread than we will ever know, but is fairly common.  Although citing only 50 complaints over 1.36 million active duty service members, there are many more complaints never made because of fear of backlash.

Complaints include prayers “in Jesus’ name” at mandatory functions, which violates military regulations, and officers proselytizing subordinates to be “born again.” After getting the complainants’ unit and command information, Mr. Weinstein said, he calls his contacts in the military to try to correct the situation.

Uncle Sam wants you to be born again.  And serve three or four tours in Iraq.

I know it was once said that there are no atheists in a foxhole.  Perhaps it is because of fear of backlash from superior officers?

Popularity: 37% [?]

Apparently, MSN was concerned about Christians, Jews, and Muslims and whether or not they are confused about the money they make.  Yes, moneycentral on MSN wrote a whole article outlining what their god says about making money and how much they should have.

Faiths usually offer parents very clear direction on child-rearing. Premarital sex, for instance? That’s pretty much a no-no, no matter what deity you worship. Dietary rules can also be pretty straightforward — no pork for Muslims and Jews, no beef for Hindus.

But when it comes to money, the picture is cloudier. What does the Bible or the Koran actually say about money? Does God want us to own a fleet of yachts? Or does he (or she) think suffering and hardship is noble?

Happily, the consensus among most religious leaders seems to be that the Almighty does not want you to live off food stamps and is quite happy for you to drive a Porsche. But Scriptures say that a portion of your earnings should be returned through gifts to charity and offerings to the church — what some denominations call tithing.

Which finance your favorite preacher’s fleet of yachts.

Maybe I’m simplifying this too much, but when your preacher drives a really nice car and has a really nice house and wears really nice suits and builds really nice churches and his wife has really expensive jewelry, then maybe people can pay their way into heaven with a little less money.

People are always complain when their tax dollars go toward something that seems wasteful or that is not for its original intent.  The $600 toilet seat from a few years back or when they see five construction workers watching one work.  Somehow they never get worked up when the preacher takes it with an almost, “Well, good, he deserved that face lift” approach.

When I was a child, I remember my neighbor laying there as several of us slept in a tent outside, that he wanted me to accept his god as my savior so that I could live in the mansion next to him in heaven.  That always bothered me.

For one, that he would jeopardize our friendship in that way.  Secondly, that the whole point of getting to heaven was to be rich.

“The Bible teaches us to train a child early, and when they are older they won’t forget,” Castleberry says. “I try to get kids focused on creating goals early, which comes from Proverbs 4:26: ‘Know where you’re headed and you’ll sit on solid ground.’”

I always knew that the point of any religion was to train children early.  One cannot risk allowing children to think for themselves at any point, but I never realized that the same principles that worked for Hitler and Muslim crazies could also be used to teach our kids to become rich.

None of this is groundbreaking.  I am glad, though, that MSN decided to spend some bandwidth highlighting this important topic for all the really confused folks of faith out there.  Of course, the article only highlighted the Western religions, but that’s OK.  The Eastern religions don’t really count anymore.

Oh, and for the record, premarital sex:  necessary.

Popularity: 39% [?]

How low can our political system seemingly sink?

Obama is an elitist who cannot bowl.  Hillary loves her guns and whiskey.  McCain is running around telling people his life story.

These two have been in Pennsylvania for what feels like six months making asses of each other, themselves, and the entire political process.

My mother and I have had an ongoing conversation.  We both think that HIllary will win the Democratic nomination, but it won’t matter.  McCain has it sewed up.  There’s no telling what tricks these people who have been in politics for as long as these candidates have will pull.

We will see how it pans out.

The fact is that there is one more week until the PA primary.  One more week of garbage.  One more week of pathetic attempts to get the working class vote by showing just how working class they are.  One more week of showing just how low each candidate can go.

Then they can make asses of themselves all over again in North Carolina (?).

Popularity: 35% [?]

I was considering a conversation I had with my dad several years back.  It was a phone conversation and we were discussing a movie we had both recently seen.  He enjoyed it.  I don’t remember which movie; I just remember that it was an action movie that was rather boring to me.  I’m in the minority, but I find very little value in the summer action blockbuster.

I said to him, “I didn’t like the movie.  It had no moral.”

He replied simply, “Fuck morals.”

Taken aback, I really do not remember saying much.  Probably one of those words that don’t mean much was all I mustered.  He continued to explain his position,  “I watch movies to be entertained, and not to learn anything.”

Understood.

Dad went from being a person who liked to read and be educated to a person who simply wanted to be entertained.  His favorite television channel was E!.  He watched any and every movie.  Maybe he didn’t change at all.  Instead, he took the opportunity that age and a little wealth afforded him.

I think that one line, though, describes the attitude of much of our civilization.  Fuck morals.

Don’t explain to me anything important in world events.  I want to see the mug shot of Mischa Barton or find out what kind of terrible things those little rich brats are getting into.

Impeach a president?  Only if he is getting blown in the Oval Office.  All real crimes are just not entertaining.

Get down to the root of a problem and address it?  No, find somebody famous to crucify on national television.  We want blood.  Fuck morals.

You want news?  How about fluff pieces on the 24-hours news channels intermixed with opinionated fundamentalists who tell YOU what to think instead of challenging you with facts?

The religious right forcing their brand of morals down our throat with threats of a terrible afterlife if we do not donate enough or believe enough or pray enough for them.  Do not question.  Just give.  Have faith.

I think I’ve been reluctant to admit it all these years, but I’ve met many people that hold true to what my dad said.

Society is no longer interested in doing what’s right or seeking truth.  Entertain us.  Excite.  Demean.

Dad was on to something.  He had given up.

Will I?

Fuck morals.

Popularity: 38% [?]