2001.09.18 and another thing:
here's another thing that i thankfully hadn't thought of before today. the possibility that the leaders of our western religious communities are going to use this tragedy as an attempt to "prove" the "superiority" of their religions.
people saying that these people "need Christ" because their religions are "obviously inadequate" and permit or even promote killing innocent people in the name of the cause… it's just ludicrous. in my experience the western religious community is just as capable as any other of close-mindedness, racial intolerance (not to mention the many other examples of intolerance we've seen), and violence against innocent people in the name of their "ideals." Abortion, homosexuality, race, and religion have all been issues that have caused supposedly religious people in our communities to perpetrate acts of violence against others despite the fact that all the religions i'm aware of preach tolerance, brotherhood, understanding, and love.
thankfully there are a few leaders in both the east and west who are teaching according to the true ideals of their faith. if i had one wish for this world, it would be that people would actually understand what it is they learn from the church and from life, and then live according to these principles. and this applies to you atheists as well… there are some ideals that life itself can teach us, if we pay attention, not the least of which is that our world will be a better place if we can learn to love each other for the things that make us different and that make our world interesting.
paul said:
hey, aren't you a licensed minister? hehe. anyway, i'm there with you, bro (though the "you atheists" part kinda sounds confrontational).
matt said:
yeah. you got me there.
and yeah, the "you atheists" was meant to be confrontational, not in a "you stupid evil atheists" way, but in a "you atheists should know this already because you're generally an intelligent bunch, but i'm going to direct this at you anyway because… well, because it needs to be said, i need to say it, and just in case you actually hadn't come to this realization on your own before."
did that make any sense?
anyway, i was mainly singling out atheists because i'd been talking a lot about "believers", and wanted to emphasise that that just because you don't have "a faith" doesn't mean you are exempt from learning these truths about life, or the need to be kind to your fellow man.
paul said:
thank you, that helps clarify things.
Sara said:
Hey Matt! I love you. I think that I'm going to start dating an atheist. Just thought you ought to know.
SARA
matt said:
just in case anyone didn't realize my family is weird…
i don't know how to respond to that, sis. uh… congrats? uhm… i like cheese?
Javan said:
Well, I know how to respond to it. Yes, I like cheese, but I don't like athiests. Sorry, but thats the way it is. (Sorry to all offended.) If this Andrew fellow from New Zealand is the athiest, I (And of course Mom, Dad, and Grandma) want nothing to to with himI have to go. I'm a shcool.
matt said:
ok folks. my family has problems. apparently, my sister thinks i would be concerned about her dating an atheist, and my little brother think's he's a school. or something.
hi sis! hi javan!
joliciel said:
I love both my brothers and I'm SO EXCITED to see that Javan is reading this blog.
That's so inappropriate, Matthew!!!
Anyway, Javan needs to learn to read a joke for a joke and also that if I choose to have someone in my life and I choose to love them, then I expect him to try to love them as well.
Hmm… better go now, starting to get riled up!
Love you guys!!
brian. said:
man, matt…your family is fucking weird.
SARA said:
Not to mention your friends!!!