this summer has passed quickly, too quickly… the new season of white shirt, philosopher is well underway – in fact only 6 strips remain before the season ends mid-september. i’ve been on the fence on whether or not to continue writing the comic, and if i do continue, how is a big question, as i’d like to eventually get an actual artist to draw the strips, but that could just be a pipe dream. anyhow, new haikus are also being posted semi-regularly via twitter, and i’ve finished a short film this summer which i have yet to decide what to do with(in regards to how i release it). i’m contemplating/plotting some more video haikus, and releasing a collection of those along with the new short could be fun. i’ve also got more than enough haikus to publish a paperback compilation, but that’s a ways off at least also.
since i haven’t been posting here too much, i thought i’d pop in to give everyone some news. unfortunately, there’s not much to tell, really, except that if you’re looking at this on my website, you’re looking at a new layout. it’s simplistic, and should be more accessible for older browsers and quicker for everyone overall.
in case you couldn’t tell, i haven’t been taking new photos, and i haven’t been writing much at all lately. mostly, i got bored with photography, and completely outclassed, and i wasn’t really having fun with it anymore. as for writing, well, i haven’t been bored with it, i’ve just been preoccupied mentally with other things.
i do have a pet project i’m working on that has little to do with either of those things, but i won’t be announcing it here until it’s ready. if you follow my RSS feed here or follow me on twitter, you’ll see it soon, i hope.
from the tv show penn & teller’s bullshit comes this short clip talking about which biblical commandments so-called fundamentalist christians will pick and choose from. while they make some good points, and i completely agree, two things occur to me: (1) that they’re trying to reason with people who will not be reasoned with, and (2) that they come across as unnecessarily offensive/insensitive.
so what’s the point in posting this? that many christians i know (and especially the more prominent ones) apparently spend their free time actively looking for something new to be offended by or to declare as an enemy of their faith. but why give them another reason to cry “martyr!” because they feel persecuted? the principle should always be that if you’re going to denounce someone’s religion on the basis of logic and reason, at least employ some basic reason and decency enough to say what you have to say without – for example – kicking a bible at the end of your rant.
the reality is this – that even though they might use their own scriptures as their reasoning for oppressing others even to the point of removing human rights or even committing acts of genocide, you’re only going to incite more hatred and prejudice approaching the situation with insensitivity. while it might appeal to their audience on a sort of childish-humor level, it won’t bridge any gaps or open any dialogues, and shouldn’t that be the point of calling “bullshit” on something?
…as you would have them do unto you means the church gets what it has coming to it. for some weird reason, the mormon and catholic churches are acting all shocked and offended that there’s a massive outcry against them for their bigotry in supporting california’s prop 8.
apparently it’s ok for churches to take an active part in bigoted oppression, spending time and money promoting hatred and division, instead of championing social justice. apparently it’s ok for the church to take political stands in clear violation of federal tax laws, despite the scriptures stating to honor the laws of the land. apparently it’s ok for them to declare people with alternative sexual preferences as abominations, despite the fact they should deem themselves abominations because they trim their beards and eat fish and swine and don’t throw their wives out of their house every month when they’re on their period.
so, to these churches and to the people who support their policies i say this sincerely: fuck you. your oppression is your own doing. pull your heads out of your hypocritical asses and realize this: you are the problem with society, not them. maybe if you spent more time reading and focusing on the parts of scripture that teach you how to love, you wouldn’t have enough time to spread all that hate. gay people and even homosexuality in general are not your problem, YOU ARE. grow up and grow a pair, and confront your leaders when they speak out in bigotry and hatred. speak out for social justice and the human rights of others, or you will only stir up more hatred against yourselves.
stand up, grow up, and act right, or any oppression that you may face will be your own doing, and will be for the cause of hatred and evil, not for god. i promise you that.
Updating...
Subscribe via RSS