Soldier in a Box
It's really hard to determine what is really "right" and what is "wrong." It's so subjective based on how you were raised and the culture that you live in. I've been watching this show "Big Love" lately - mainly b/c I've been bored - and all of Europe is on vacation and so work is pretty dead right now. It's a show about polygamists in Utah - some of their family lives on a compound and they live in the suburbs. It's an interesting insight to a completely different life and why they live as they do. What makes something palatable to some and completely disgusting to others? It's amazing to see what people do in the name of "god."
To give you some background: I was raised Catholic. From the time I was in diapers until I moved out of my parents house I went to church every Sunday. There were a few expections to this rule. a) Going to Saturday afternoon mass b) major sickness (i.e. puking) c) random times when my mom didn't want to fight with me to go to church in the morning during high school only. I would say that I missed maybe 1 or 2 Sundays a year. These were made up for church during the week for special feasts or whatever (i.e. if Christmas happened to fall on like a Wednesday.)
I went - begrudgingly every week. By the end of high school I knew it wasn't a fight I was going to win with my mother - and I went - didn't really participate - but I went. I went through all the classes and went to an All-Girls Catholic school (yes I wore the plaid skirt, knee-high socks, and white shirts everyday - please check your fantasies at the door. -- On an off note: all the boys I know that went to Catholic school don't have those catholic school girl fantasies... I guess they got the reality and weren't that interested in the fantasy...)
I've blissfully chosen not to be involved in organized religion. I do go to church with my mom on Christmas if I'm home - but it's really because she wants us to more than anything. It's meeting expectations more than anything. But I would by no means call myself a religious person - or even a spiritual person. I couldn't even tell you were to find a Catholic Church in Boston or Rochester.
The irony of this is that my boss at work is really religious. He doesn't try to force it upon people - but you have this feeling that he really does want to talk about it - he's just not that willing to bring it up.
I don't really understand the really religious people. I don't feel at all moved, motivated, or lead by any religion. I feel like the only guidance I have had in terms of if things are moral or not - is the way I've been raised and the culture I've been raised in. The religion and religious beliefs that people tried to instill in me I think goes into that "culture" bucket. It may have had some marginal affect because my friends and family all believed and lived that way - but it's really more a lead by example than feeling any need to appease a certain church or "god." Maybe I should become a Buddhist or Hindu or something... or I'll just keep doing what I'm doing - which is fine by me. I guess I don't think that any religion or person has a monopoly on morality - nor is any one specific morality the right one for everyone. It's really just my fucked up version of the army's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
I have a question about people who are against gambling. Are they also against arcades? Both are paying to play a game... you just have the chance to get your money back when you gamble - but you have no chance of getting it back when you play at an arcade. So with that logic - isn't gambling better than an arcade?
To give you some background: I was raised Catholic. From the time I was in diapers until I moved out of my parents house I went to church every Sunday. There were a few expections to this rule. a) Going to Saturday afternoon mass b) major sickness (i.e. puking) c) random times when my mom didn't want to fight with me to go to church in the morning during high school only. I would say that I missed maybe 1 or 2 Sundays a year. These were made up for church during the week for special feasts or whatever (i.e. if Christmas happened to fall on like a Wednesday.)
I went - begrudgingly every week. By the end of high school I knew it wasn't a fight I was going to win with my mother - and I went - didn't really participate - but I went. I went through all the classes and went to an All-Girls Catholic school (yes I wore the plaid skirt, knee-high socks, and white shirts everyday - please check your fantasies at the door. -- On an off note: all the boys I know that went to Catholic school don't have those catholic school girl fantasies... I guess they got the reality and weren't that interested in the fantasy...)
I've blissfully chosen not to be involved in organized religion. I do go to church with my mom on Christmas if I'm home - but it's really because she wants us to more than anything. It's meeting expectations more than anything. But I would by no means call myself a religious person - or even a spiritual person. I couldn't even tell you were to find a Catholic Church in Boston or Rochester.
The irony of this is that my boss at work is really religious. He doesn't try to force it upon people - but you have this feeling that he really does want to talk about it - he's just not that willing to bring it up.
I don't really understand the really religious people. I don't feel at all moved, motivated, or lead by any religion. I feel like the only guidance I have had in terms of if things are moral or not - is the way I've been raised and the culture I've been raised in. The religion and religious beliefs that people tried to instill in me I think goes into that "culture" bucket. It may have had some marginal affect because my friends and family all believed and lived that way - but it's really more a lead by example than feeling any need to appease a certain church or "god." Maybe I should become a Buddhist or Hindu or something... or I'll just keep doing what I'm doing - which is fine by me. I guess I don't think that any religion or person has a monopoly on morality - nor is any one specific morality the right one for everyone. It's really just my fucked up version of the army's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
I have a question about people who are against gambling. Are they also against arcades? Both are paying to play a game... you just have the chance to get your money back when you gamble - but you have no chance of getting it back when you play at an arcade. So with that logic - isn't gambling better than an arcade?
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