Holy crap, I'm probably really asking to be attacked with this one, huh? It's like I just decided to take the two most touchy subjects with Americans and weave them into my blog, huh? Well it's not like I'm just deciding to piss off anyone who reads this....to be perfectly honest I could give a flying fuck. These thoughts are mine and putting them to actual words is a great release for me as I tend to be plagued with over analyzing and over thinking every little fucking thing.
So last night as I was laying in bed next to Kiel, trying to fall asleep, I started to think (as I often do when I'm trying to go to sleep, it's like I suddenly become philisophical or something and start debating issues in my mind). And I started to think about God and what I've learned over the past year (which really has been so much!) and then I started thinking about my work with the Obama campaign here in Nevada as well as my internship with the DNC and the lessons that I have learned in politics and then THAT got me thinking- there really isn't much difference in deciding a political party and deciding your religion.
1) Most people follow a lead started by their parents.
Seriously- how many of us are Christian or Buddhist or whatever because that is the environment we grew up in? And how many of us are Republicans or Democrats for that same reason? I come from a HEAVILY Democratic family?
2)Some of us rebel against our parents wishes.
I know a few people who radically changed their religions because of issues they had with the religion presented to them by their parents (or just to piss their parents off). How different is that when you take a college kid from a conservative family that suddenly rebels- gets some piercings and joins the OWS movement as a bleeding heart liberal?
3)Many of us are set in our ways.
It's pretty much a given that nothing less short of the party flip due to LBJ and the Civil Rights Act in the 60's would be able to turn most people (for those of you that don't know- take a look at how the Dems and Repubs were split geographically during the Civil War then look at how it is now- LBJ did that when he persued Civil Rights). Most of us have our party and we tend to stay with that party. Not much different with how we are with our religion. Most people are born into a certain religion and consider themselves to be that religion until the day they die unless there is some huge event that takes place (Age of Enlightenment, Protestant Reformation, the scandals with the Catholic Church).
4) Ideology is EVERYTHING.
Euthanisia, abortion, gay marriage, birth control, capital punishment, women's rights, slavery, medicinal marijuana, war, taxes- these are issues that political parties have argued about since the inception of our country. But how different is that from the Catholic Church's stance on abortion or the Hindu caste system? The ideology of a religion is the backbone of that religion and the same goes for a political party. Just look at how the idea of taxes tends to hold our government hostage? Or how there was almost a government shutdown due to the issue of funding Planned Parenthood? As I have searched for a religion that calls to me, the ideology is the biggest thing I consider and a strong confliction with my beliefs is something that can make me write off a religion as the right way for me.
5)Want to piss off someone? Talk down their religion/ party.
Want to see an argument get out of hand fast? Just read a news article online that involves politics or religion and read the comments section. People will get heated quick! I'm sure some of these people are really nice in real life but online, when their beliefs are challenged- they turn into a pissed off honey badger!
So those are my thoughts for now, I'm sure I will come up with more stuff, but that was just the stuff that stuck in my head last night.
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