pagsz's Journal: Ramblings of an Idiot (7th Installment)

Well, it's that time again. Time to ramble on about nothing, nothing, and yes, more nothing (how you can have more of nothing is beyond me, but . . ). So, here I go . . .

• Just realized during my last journal post (American Imperialism: A History of Hypocrisy) that I could use the paragraph tag instead of two line breaks. Took me, what, three months to figure that out? Talk about slow . . .
• I've got a cut on the middle finger of my left hand. Makes it a bit difficult to type with my little home-made bandage (toilet paper and Scotch tape) on it. Keep hitting the wrong keys, then having to backspace and fix it. Oh, well.
• The news out of the Middle East has been a bit more hopeful in the past few days. Looks like Arafat is finally condemning the suicide attacks against Israelis (civilians, anyway). It also looks like he may begin enacting some reforms within the Palestinian Authority, including elections.

  Here's my take on Arafat: he does whatever is necessary to survive. When it suits him, he supports attacks. Having come under intense international pressure, and having Israel refuse to deal with him, he has been forced to change his position to retain his position. Elections are not dangerous to him now, after the siege at Ramallah; he's more popular than ever. Luckily, it seems that what he needs to do to survive and what needs to be done to move towards peace are the same (or at least similar). If that situation holds, we may finally be able to get something going over there.

  But, of course, there is still Hamas, the leader of which has declared the bombings will continue until the Israeli occupation ends. However, as I understand it, when most people refer to the Israeli occupation, they mean the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Hamas means those areas plus Israel proper.

• Couple of things that I've decided:
  1. Marriage is not sacred. Love is. The place I see the "marriage is sacred" argument most is when it comes to same-sex marriages. Opponents of it always point to the "sanctity of marriage" in their opposition. Bull. Marriage is a social contract, not a sacred bond. The actual sacred bond is love. Remember, marriage for love is a relatively new concept. Back in the olden days, marriages were arranged; mostly for social reasons. Very often marriages were set up to improve a family's social standing. This is not to say marriage is not important in a social sense. As a social institution, marriage is a necessity. It helps to promote stable relationships, and allows the couple to be treated as such on a government level (it allows a person to legally be a part of the spouse's family, whereas otherwise direct blood ties are needed). But it is not sacred.

     As well as being a social contract, it is a social statement. It is a declaration before man and God of the love that the couple shares. This in itself is important, but not sacred.

     Love is love, whether it be between a man and a woman, two men, or two women. The marriage is not what's important, the love is.

  2. One of the weirder things that I've heard in the recent Middle East mess is the position of the religious right. Some in this camp support Israel not because they have any real care for the people thereof; instead because they believe that a free and secure Israel (including ancient Judea) is necessary for the Second Coming of Christ. When the Mid-East crisis is settled, Christ can come back and bring Armageddon. Strange, but true.

     Here's my position on all of this: He ain't coming back any time soon. According to the Book of Revelations (if I'm not mistaken) after the end will come the redemption of mankind, and the world of plenty; with plenty for all and scarcity for none, or something like that. Even if you believe this, I submit this idea: We are not ready for such a world. Think about it. Say the world ends tomorrow, and the day after paradise is created. What then? Will there still be psychopaths? Yes, because many mental disorders are genetically based. Will there still be pedophiles? Yes, because this too, is rooted in genetics. Will there still be greed? Will people still steal? Will husbands still cheat on wives (and vice versa)? Will there still be murder? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Why? Because it's basic human nature. Nothing will change. So, we start over. New nations will form. New wars will be fought. New legends made. New prophecies foretold. New world, same problems. We are who we are; we are what we are. That ain't changing anytime soon.

     Say He does come back. Say, He was born yesterday, somewhere in war-torn Bethlehem. And a Christian (odd when you think about it, He would be raised to worship Himself). Thirty years later, in 2032, He begins His ministry. Will Christians take notice? Will they flock to Him, to be reminded of what we have forgotten over the years? Or will He be ignored by the majority, thought a crackpot or a lunatic? Will the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, or any Protestant Church accept these new teachings? Or see them as a threat to their entrenched power? Will our expectations of what He is supposed to bring get in the way of our acceptance of Him? In other words, if He doesn't live up to our expectations, will he be rebuffed?

     A little history lesson. First-century, AD. The Jews are awaiting their Messiah; to come and save them. They expect that the Messiah will come, defeat God's enemies, and bring God's Kingdom to Earth (sound familiar?). Along comes Jesus. The details of His birth fit the prophecies. Is He the Messiah? He, at age thirty, begins his ministry. He begins teaching; along with a small band of followers. But He does not fit expectations. He is not a warrior king, as most expected. He comes not to smite God's enemies, but to remind God's children of the basic truths that they have forgotten. His teachings threaten the entrenched power base, and He is rejected my most. To protect themselves, Jewish leaders hand him over to the Romans . . .

     Get my point?

  3. I'm going to go have lunch right now

See you later,
--Pagsz, World's Smartest Moron