Symbolism As Ideology

Symbols mean different things to different people. I suppose this view depends on how these symbols - and what they symbolize and represent, affect you personally.

According to BBC news, Hindus now want to 'reclaim' the use of one of their traditional symbols - the swastika. Why would they want to do this? 

 

Although they must have their reasons - however pure in intent - I don't think they will ever shake the Nazi association with that symbol... even though it has been used by Tibetans and Vikings and other ancient Germanic peoples to symbolize other things altogether since the times of pre-history.

What Makes A Fundamentalist?

It seems to me that I often ruffle the feathers of Christian supporters, friends and relatives with my articles on human rights, gay rights, feminism and religious fundamentalism.

In speaking out against the frequent attacks on human rights which undeniably comes predominantly out of the Christian fundamentalist quarter, it seems that spelling out the FUNDAMENTALIST or EXTREMIST part is not helping to clarify things much. People just seem to see the world "Christian" and jump to the conclusion that "oh, she's hammering the Christians again. She must really hate us."

People frequently accuse me of being anti-Christian, anti-God and anti-religious freedom - which given my clarifications that I'm speaking about Christian FUNDAMENTALISTS and NOT ALL CHRISTIANS makes no sense to me whatever. I am none of those things - and oddly enough, the people accusing me of these things are often NOT EVEN FUNDAMENTALISTS! 

 

Yet, for some reason, THEIR feelings are apparently getting bruised and they are somehow offended by the undeniable truth that some people who claim to be Christians just aren't very nice people, and are doing some really unpleasant things - and then using the deity or religious teachings they have in common with the nicer, less genocidal, hate-filled people also calling themselves Christians.

Can't you read, people? Or does this misunderstanding arise because you don't understand the difference between a Christian - an ordinary, practicing Christian, and a Christian FUNDAMENTALIST?

Or is it really just the word "fundamentalist" you don't understand?

Building A Better Mouse Trap

I noted the other day the similarities between some ancient South American religions and modern puritanical Christian fundamentalism. This is of course, only my conclusion - but feel free to take it all with a pinch of salt (and, if it is your "world-view", light):

The Maya, Toltec and Inca practiced human sacrifice of their enemies to satisfy the wrath of their blood-thirsty gods. Oddly enough, despite this minor shortcoming, we miss the contribution their cultures made to the body of scientific knowledge we as a society would have benefited from today. For one thing, their method for predicting the end of time and all life on earth by December in two years time, would've been quite nice (thank you, Mr Cortez). It would have been nice to know if they were accurate, scientific - or just smoking their orchids at the time. I am sure there will be some people who will actually give away all their worldly goods a day early and go sit on the nearest mountain to get a good view of the end of the world. I hope they remember to take pop-corn, if anything to make the trip worth anything.

Sadly, the records and knowledge of these ancient and (in some ways) highly civilized cultures were all but completely destroyed by the Spanish marauders when they conquered South America. Today we know they indulged in practices such as genocide and "ethnic cleansing" while under the mistaken impression that they were doing "God's work", while stealing land and hunting treasure. I don't wish to be a pain, but this seems strangely familiar, don't you think?

Christian fundamentalists today may not actually kill the people they don't approve of, or consider their enemies in their temples - but they certainly do make the gesture by destroying and endeavoring to destroy their lives in the world outside their churches.

Resistance To Change

I have seen Puritanism being described as "The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy", and I have to agree that puritans, a.k.a religious fundamentalists are the embodiment of the "Fun Police".

Everywhere people dare to have more fun than them, they appear, stern-faced, outraged and protesting. Whatever it is, a casino, the Sexpo in Cape Town or a Pride march - they show up in order to try to drain the fun and enjoyment out of it like a great big serious, religious black hole - which has far more in common with the reality of it than being a mere literal device.

They see threats everywhere - and honestly, the way they have been going on the past decade or so, whining about gay rights threatening the fabric of society, religion, morality of the country and the "family unit" - before long I think they will have us seeing threats in our soup. Amazingly enough, not a single one of the "threats" they have warned of have come to pass, and most certainly none that could ever be connected to the pink community.

They see every group trying to achieve equality with them as a threat, because obviously if they become equal to them, THEY won't be able to stomp all over their human rights anymore. Duh.

Behind The Benevolent Facade Of Eugenics, A Genocidal Monster Lurks!

Most of us know the biblical legend of Adam and Eve. Eve, being the wife of Adam, made from Adam's rib and created (at least according to the patriarchal fairy tale) subservient to Adam. Not many people actually are aware that Eve was God's second attempt. That's right - Adam, the first man, was a divorcee. (So much for the so-called sanctity of marriage, James Dobson.) Adam's first wife was Lilith - and Lilith unlike Eve, was created equal with Adam - but she questioned the authority supposedly given Adam over her by God. And she didn't like the idea of a life in servitude. And who among us today can blame her? Because of Adam's treatment of her, she rebelled - making her the very first feminist - and human rights activist!

Consequently, Lilith is often regarded as a heroine for feminists. Lilith, for her pains and for daring to challenge Adam's patriarchal position as head of "the family", was ostracized by God, and chased out of Eden. According to lore and myth, both ancient Hebrew and Mesopotamian, Lilith was turned into a night-demon - and among other things, has been called the "mother of all Vampires". (Now there's one for the Twilight fans!)

Is Christianity Biological or Environmental?

(The following was inspired by a rather weak and badly researched religious fundamentalist attempt to discredit medical and scientific evidence which shows that a person's sexuality and gender are determined by biological factors. Enjoy - and please folks, don't take it personally - see it for the tongue-in-cheek dig it is!)

We all know somebody who identifies as Christian. Most of us are too ashamed to admit it, and shy away from such things. We live in fear of the day our son or daughter may come to us and tearfully admit "Mom, Dad, I'm a Christian." Oh, the shame!

We know these deviants are active in society, in our government, in our schools, on TV, in the media - they're everywhere, and everywhere they are, they're pushing their agenda. Very credible scientists now believe they spread by recruiting others into their unhealthy, narrow-minded, and dangerous lifestyle, perverting people's morality and just generally taking the fun out of everything.

Resistance Is Futile

Thinking about all the gay-hating homophobic and transphobic groups infesting our fair country today, and masquerading as religious or even educational or even civil institutions - I counted the big boys. 

 

Right at the top of the list of lunatics, there's the "Christian Action Network" (CAN), a vocal umbrella body which appears to operate like a sort of sanctuary for the crazies - a haven for smaller independently created activist bodies set up around a seemingly shared or common (I mean, really common) ideology of Christo-fascism. Together, they share the limelight from whatever local press will be desperate enough to give them attention, resources, and of course, rotate their talking heads to address rallies, meets and whatever these people get up to in their spare time.

 

After occasionally stirring up all sorts of drama over "blasphemy" in student magazines, publishing perverse false "expose's" on homosexuality, and whipping the minority of religious conservatives in South Africa into a froth about "moral" issues like abortion and the "Sexpo" in Cape Town, this body - which I would eagerly describe as a nest of domestic terrorists, has fallen remarkably quiescent of late. 

 

In the meantime, other, newer associated groups which haven't been around the political stage quite long enough to lose their veneer of public respectability yet, have emerged to take their shared repugnant anti human rights agenda into the halls of South Africa's government.

Religion - The Guilt-Edged Sword

When we think of human relationships, the relationships between people, whether friendships or romances, we often come to a point where there is a parting of ways - a place where friendships stop being rewarding, when a love relationship ceases to be a love relationship and just devolves into something less. Just like a marriage where the love has exited stage left, all things end - and attempting to keep them alive artificially serves no purpose other than to drag things out to the very bitter, painful end.

Guilt shouldn't bind you to a person or trap you in a failed relationship. If it isn't love that keeps you there, but guilt - then you're both better off with someone else - or alone, because otherwise you will be doing yourself (and each other) more harm than good.

In many ways, the same thing can be said about religion.

Of Proof And Puddings

The evidence against South Africa's government as being homophobic continues to mount. 

 

Remember how it started in December 2008 when the SA government refused to sign the UN Declaration to Decriminalize Homosexuality? Well, obviously it didn't end there.

SOUTH AFRICA FAILS LGBT PEOPLE AT UN - "In February 2009, South Africa acted as spokesperson for African nations demanding the removal of references to sexual orientation from the draft declaration of the second UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance." How much more proof do you need that SA's government has an anti GLBTI, anti human rights agenda?

The above article described this as "failing the GLBTI people". In my opinion this is not "failing LGBT people" - it is an outright BETRAYAL!

Out Of Focus

Has anybody taken note of what's happening in our northern neighbor Zim-BOB-we lately? 

 

Not only did they refuse to include the human rights of their pink community in the negotiations for their country's new constitution - but they are now saying they will build criminalization and punishments for homosexuality into it as well.

Can't say I'm the least bit surprised.

Sad, but true.