As I mentioned, this weekend I was looking to push buttons with Boy's friends concerning religion. As can happen in lively debates, new things get discovered, like when you shake a dirty blanket and out pops a cockroach you didn't know was there. I know some people would rather leave things alone and just not displace anything, but I love knowing where all the roaches in my domain exist, so I can deal with them.
A subtle thing that came out of discussing and learning about Lillith, other than men 2000 years ago really didn't like women, is that Boy's friend has an issue with how I bring up my debates. I think I do a very straightforward approach, because I want to be able to use it with Chubs all the way to when I discuss with some of the guys at work that really know a thing or two. Her point is that when one deals in absolutes, there is the risk of a slippery slope. I didn't really follow, and she was trying to bring up for example with gay rights which I didn't get her point.
When I debate, for example, in religion, I like to compare religions, and why does yours matter and not the others. Not to pick on my Mom, but last time I brought it up, I asked what about the Greeks, were they just wrong in believing in Zeus and Apollo and all those gods? "I got something like oh Junior, those make nice stories, but Jesus Christ is my god, so he is the one that counts." That is really great except we know Jesus came about later, even if we accept that notion, then all the people born before Jesus who did not get a chance to believe in him are seating in purgatory or some lesser place than heaven for not praying to the right god simply because he was not yet born? I am going from logical step to the next, I'm not trying to prove anyone a fool. These are facts. People did exist before Jesus, and they have a written record and they mattered, at the time.
As far as Boy's friend bringing up gay people, I am pretty much a liberal, whatever makes one happy, hey, as long as nobody is getting hurt. Why do old white men care so much whether they can get married or not? If marriage is such a holy affair, how come people are let off so easily? There should be some sort of classes to explain what marriage will be like. Wife and I could have split up a couple different times, but we don't. At this point, I want to see her succeed and I believe in her and what she is going to accomplish in the near future. We made offspring and it is both our responsibilities to see them grow and succeed, like mighty oak trees, they are both saplings right now, but someday, their roots will run deep, and I will take full credit for that. Not because I phoned it in and talked to them once a month, but because I deal with their shit every day, I get in their face and make sure they aren't being idiots. When they need a hug, I am there, and when they need a flick of the pointer finger on their forehead, I am there as well.
The point was how come some people get to talk like authority figures on things they barely comprehend? How come me asking simple yes or no questions makes me a slippery slope kind of guy? I think I also risk coming across as a jack-ass when I do that, I was told. Wife simply says I'm a jerk because I don't stop. I know I am not going to change people's minds, but those that I challenge and debate I believe are capable of arguing, and I am really looking to learn from you, not change your world view.
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