There are many types of people in the world. Just like snowflakes, no two are alike (similar, yes...the same, no). No matter who you are, what you believe, where you live or who you love...everyone deserves to be happy. But, some can't see past their own nose (or their Bible of Convenience) to see that their actions, their beliefs and their arguments are going against everything they preach.
There are ignorant people, patient people, pompous people, and forgiving people. People come in all shades, sizes, and sexuality. There are homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals and asexuals. And there are homophobes. There are those who determine the law and those who follow the laws. But, it seems that those who are making the law don't care about the people who are law-abiding.
For decades, the fight for gay rights has been waging. And just when our country takes a baby step forward, a landslide awaits to push the issue to the back burner. The issue at hand? That a marriage 'should be between a man and woman'.
My question is why?
And there are many answers. Most reference the bible. Because Leviticus stated, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination." Says Leviticus.
So many right-wing leaders look to their bible to influence laws. A Bible of Convenience. If you want to find support for your argument - no matter what it is - look no further than the Bible of Convenience.
Shame on you lawmakers. Where is the separation of church and state? How many politicians have come out announcing an affair? Isn't adultery a sin? Perhaps we should take away their health benefits and their right to be married.
According to the Bible of Convenience, women should not be allowed to vote. Black people should not be allowed to vote. Blacks and whites shouldn't sit next to each other, let alone love each other. Prostitutes should be hanged and homosexuals will automatically go to hell. Better start praying now.
But to who? What God would deny a person the ability to love, the ability to commit themselves to each other, to proudly benefit from that partnership? I believe in God, I just don't know his or her name.
MY God wants equality. MY God wants you to love and be loved. MY God wants you to treat others as you would like to be treated. THAT is what religion should be about - the Golden Rule. So, I ask you Mr. Lawmaker who's wife could not bear children: Should you be allowed to be married? After all, the purpose of marriage between a man and wife is procreation, right?
And what about you Mr. Redneck Bumpkin who beats the crap out of his wife because she didn't 'obey' you? Do you deserve to have a certificate of marriage? We have grown men marrying 15 year olds, men with multiple wives and men who cheat on their wives every chance they get and THEY are allowed to get married?
Of course, because a man is not laying with another man. Thanks Leviticus and all of your followers in the Bible of Convenience.
I am a woman. I am a heterosexual. I am Caucasian. I am a mother. I am a wife. But, the only thing that is truly important is that I am a person who loves and is loved and believes that everyone has the right to the same.
So, in the battle of Church vs. State, I have faith in the law. The Bible of Convenience has no place in my government. Respect. Dignity. Fairness. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those are words in MY bible.
Monica Stoneking
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Biodegradable Gossip
We all have fallen victim to gossip. We hear it around the water cooler. We get reports from TMZ. Our mothers, mothers-in-law, the neighbor in apartment 3D. What makes one gossip and what makes one listen to it?
Gossip can originate from anywhere. A disgruntled employee. A cowardice ex. A nosy, chatty Cathy. Over time we learn who to ignore. We know to take certain things coming from a certain person's mouth with a grain of salt. We know to wait for a beloved cup of coffee until the office snitch leaves the break room.
Gossip has different levels of ignorance. For example, if the National Enquirer is your bible, you have a very loose definition of reality - the entire publication is a form of gossip - flat-out lies.
The next level of gossip can be compared to People (or 'Poop-le' as it's referred to in my house). There is some truth to the stories, but they center around celebrities who make their living off of getting into and staying in the spotlight. They WANT to be the talk of the town. Any press is good press.
But the fine line between fact and fiction is sometimes tough to decipher. Every lie starts somewhere. Every story has an origin. And every person has their own perception as to what is fact and what is fiction. It is what his or her audience chooses to believe that is important to them.
If you want to get the best gossip in town (especially in Podunkville, KANSAS), visit the local coffee shop, bakery or gas station. There is no privacy in these towns. Everyone knows everyone else's business and has an opinion about it. In these towns gossip is actually a source of news.
However, gossip in the real world is not real news. It's people telling stories to get attention. If they wanted to share real news with people, they would be reporters on the local television station. Individuals who gossip do not realize that what they are doing could hurt someone or someones.
There is a scene in the 2008 movie, Doubt, where a woman confesses to Philip Seymour Hoffman - playing Father Brendan Flynn - that she is guilty of gossiping (there would be a line out the church door if everyone went to confession for gossiping). He takes her to the roof of the building (no, not to kill her - spoiler alert) and proceeds to shred a down pillow. As all of the feathers traveled with the wind to find a resting place, he tells the woman her gossip, her stories, her lies are like those feathers...they are out there and she can't get them all back.
In discussing this scene, a very wise woman looked at it from a different angle than Fr. Flynn. "What if the feathers represented gossip that was spread about you? You can either spend your time trying to round up the feathers, stressing about the falsehoods or you can let the feathers fall where they may and realize you have no control over what others say about you."
Gossip doesn't go away. Once the stories, lies and untruths are spoken or written, they live forever. They, like the feathers, are out there, scattered, unable to be retrieved. But, unlike the feathers, they don't dissolve. Gossip is not biodegradable. Recyclable, yes. Biodegradable, no.
Gossip can originate from anywhere. A disgruntled employee. A cowardice ex. A nosy, chatty Cathy. Over time we learn who to ignore. We know to take certain things coming from a certain person's mouth with a grain of salt. We know to wait for a beloved cup of coffee until the office snitch leaves the break room.
Gossip has different levels of ignorance. For example, if the National Enquirer is your bible, you have a very loose definition of reality - the entire publication is a form of gossip - flat-out lies.
The next level of gossip can be compared to People (or 'Poop-le' as it's referred to in my house). There is some truth to the stories, but they center around celebrities who make their living off of getting into and staying in the spotlight. They WANT to be the talk of the town. Any press is good press.
But the fine line between fact and fiction is sometimes tough to decipher. Every lie starts somewhere. Every story has an origin. And every person has their own perception as to what is fact and what is fiction. It is what his or her audience chooses to believe that is important to them.
If you want to get the best gossip in town (especially in Podunkville, KANSAS), visit the local coffee shop, bakery or gas station. There is no privacy in these towns. Everyone knows everyone else's business and has an opinion about it. In these towns gossip is actually a source of news.
However, gossip in the real world is not real news. It's people telling stories to get attention. If they wanted to share real news with people, they would be reporters on the local television station. Individuals who gossip do not realize that what they are doing could hurt someone or someones.
There is a scene in the 2008 movie, Doubt, where a woman confesses to Philip Seymour Hoffman - playing Father Brendan Flynn - that she is guilty of gossiping (there would be a line out the church door if everyone went to confession for gossiping). He takes her to the roof of the building (no, not to kill her - spoiler alert) and proceeds to shred a down pillow. As all of the feathers traveled with the wind to find a resting place, he tells the woman her gossip, her stories, her lies are like those feathers...they are out there and she can't get them all back.
In discussing this scene, a very wise woman looked at it from a different angle than Fr. Flynn. "What if the feathers represented gossip that was spread about you? You can either spend your time trying to round up the feathers, stressing about the falsehoods or you can let the feathers fall where they may and realize you have no control over what others say about you."
Gossip doesn't go away. Once the stories, lies and untruths are spoken or written, they live forever. They, like the feathers, are out there, scattered, unable to be retrieved. But, unlike the feathers, they don't dissolve. Gossip is not biodegradable. Recyclable, yes. Biodegradable, no.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)