Absolutism: The true enemy!

On 11/27/2013 at 07:51 PM by BrokenH

Activism can go "bad" too. Nothing is "uncorruptable'.

Across the universe is one of my favorite movies. My father didn’t do me many courtesies in my youth. His views on women were horrid. He sold weed out of one of our bathrooms where he grew marijuana plants. (Admittedly I don’t think that in particular is too awful all things considered. At least it wasn’t heroin. lol.) He was also a closet alcoholic who often used his skills at playing the guitar to get in the pants of younger more impressionable females. (One of whom was my mum.)

But dad “did” introduce me to The Beatles and by extension he also introduced me to the civil rights movement of the 60’s. To me the 60’s and 70’s have always been a very fascinating era in history. A lot was going on during those generations and all things considered, most things changed for the better because people back then were committed to setting the wrong things right.

You would think because of this I’d be on board with anything remotely libertarian or remotely related to a noble cause. However, this scene between Lucy and Jude gets across how I truly feel about certain kinds of activism.

There’s a reason I try not to identify as a feminist. The first being that the very word is in need of a re-design that includes even those who happen to not be a woman. Yes, you can shove the meaning down my throat. “Feminism is about equal rights for EVERYONE!”. Well and good surely, but then why does the very term exclude anyone who is not female?

Gauge went to college for two degrees but couldn't get hired for those professions after people discovered she was a porn-star.

To confound this issue what the heck is objectification and furthermore, why is it “evil“? I mean some women do in fact “enjoy” pole dancing, dressing in sexy cosplay, posing nude for art classes, and starring in pornos. Even during the hippy movement women were wearing revealing see-thru sun dresses and engaging in “free love” activities. On one hand feminists think there should be no slut shaming. Yet on the other hand they would be quick to attack a porn star, booth babe, or stripper under the accusation these particular females are agents of misogyny, fakers, or brainless fuck dolls for the patriarchy. This very hypocrisy excludes certain women based on their life style choices.

Before you get on my case, I’m pro-choice, pro gay marriage, and pro gender equality. I feel the need to throw that out there because by this point accusations of being a religious conservative bigoted misogynistic redneck are being loaded into the ad hominem cannons as I type! (My danger sense is tingling!)

"Krishna jams with Jesus!"

This dichotomy also defines my earlier struggles with Christianity. Truthfully Christians follow a beautiful life philosophy. Love thy neighbor. Judge not lest you be judged yourself. Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. These words are wise and benign. But as with feminism, I couldn’t swallow the whole pill. Many (though not all Christians) believe you have to be Christian to get admittance into heaven. If you are not Christian you wander aimlessly in purgatory or burn in eternal torment no matter how virtuously you have lived your life. Feminism is the same way. Either you embrace everything about feminism or you are not a true feminist. Matt and I both agreed it’s fanatical absolutism in any belief structure we tend to have a huge problem with.

Yet in my heart somewhere I think I have parts of feminism and Christianity swimming around inside me. There are many Christian and feminist ethics I try to live by each day. Yet I also do things and believe in things Christianity and feminism would find unacceptable. (Such as looking at porn, drawing illustrations with a lot of fan service, and borrowing the better philosophies of other religions too.)

My point is even noble causes and noble beliefs often have their own types of discrimination and bigotry. This makes it impossible for me to simply embrace them at face value. However, I do try to take the "good aspects" of those things and make them my own!

Cary Woodham

11/27/2013 at 10:11 PM

Yeah the 60's and 70's were interesting times. But ONE cool thing happened in 1976 on Sept. 15. Can you guess what that was? :)

BrokenH

11/28/2013 at 01:23 AM

Were you born then Cary? I was born in 77. There was also a teaser to the first Star Wars film in 1976. If you mean something else I'm sorry my trivia knowledge is "derp". lol.

V4Viewtiful

11/27/2013 at 10:45 PM

I know a porn star, she's nice

Anyway, Christianity for me is like life, full of contradictions.

Over at the escapist there's a thread on why no one brings up male objectification, it's interting seeing what defines idealising and or the former. Like when is a woman wearing a revealing outfit in bad taste and for a man it's empowering, or something. Also how females objectify men and how it often opposes the male power fantasy

In the end standards are different, to gauge (teehee) the western view on sexuality is so awkward 'cause not enough people are equipped to properly discuss or change things.

11/28/2013 at 01:31 AM

Yeah, I never got the contradiction either. Sexy man? Empowering! Sexy woman? Objectfication! I'd argue muscles on guys are not always an "idealistic trait" depending how you look at it. After all, big muscles can negatively portray men as nothing more than beasts of burden. Never mind that most of the enemies we're usually killing in games are other men. Yet if a woman is killed in a game people flip out and call it misogyny. I think we're so used to male deposability we're desensitized to it. I was raised believing men sacrifice themselves for the greater good and taken to extremes that really deflates a man's self worth and self confidence.

To get to that "futuristic utopia" we're going to have to tackle both men's and women's issues equally. And that cannot be done under a banner that includes one gender while excluding the other.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

11/28/2013 at 08:19 AM

Good blog, man. I like that movie too.

Did you ever get the last message I sent u on Pixlbit? Maybe I fucked up and didn't send it. Just wondering...

11/28/2013 at 12:58 PM

I'll check,Matt! Sorry, I kind of got lost in the rush of pre-thanksgiving madness. lol. I figured you'd like Across The Universe. A lot of good messages in that movie.

mothman

11/28/2013 at 12:11 PM

I'd reply but Words aren't flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup today,

11/28/2013 at 12:59 PM

Heh, nice reference, Peter!

Alex-C25

11/28/2013 at 09:16 PM

Yeah, not everything is perfect. As noble as a cause is, there's also some weakspots to it and some people don't have the right mindset. I sometimes agree with the song Revolution, both on the version of Across the Universe and the original song.

11/29/2013 at 12:50 PM

Exactly. I really wish things could be more concise but I find most "activist movements" kind of scare me away. Why? Welp,JB puts it pretty well in his own post. For example, Christianity is a good thing but there are certain Christians that are not "as nice" as the beliefs they claim to carry.

But I do believe it's possible to fight for a positive cause and bring about positive change "if" you find the right people to march with you.

jcal94

11/29/2013 at 01:07 AM

I pretty much just have this to say, being Christian and all Ben. Christianity isn't being nice to others, or treating others as you want to be treated, etc. It's accepting that Jesus died on the cross to keep all of our sins from being held against us (hence why say, someone who looks at porn can still go to heaven), and trying to live as close a life to Jesus as possible. Those are the two main pillars of Christianity.

What's really funny, is Jesus hung out with regular people, even the lowest of the low. He hung around with tax collectors, prostitutes, sickly people, etc. But because of what the Catholic Church, and by extension the Protestant movement and the Puritan movement associated with them had made up, it became terrible to be around these people, or to say "Hey, this person may be a prostitute, but they would otherwise starve to death, and their kids need food too." Sure, that's not really an excuse to make it okay to be a prostitute, but if someone sees that as their only option, what Christianity SHOULD teach is to spend time with that person, help them get out of that situation, talk to them about it, things like that.

It's why I've more and more slowly moved away from organized Christianity. I still go to church college events and help with the kids, but I tend to do more of the learning on my own, instead of having someone who earned a degree from a school with their own ways of thinking telling me how to be a Christian. There's the one way to get into Heaven, and the one way to try to act as a Christian. It's not a hard religion, but people who abuse power make it harder so that they can gain profit. Just look at divorcing as a Catholic. You don't only have to pay the government and court fees, you have to pay fees to the Catholic Church and appeal to have your marriage annulled by some high-up "God-appointed" man, which is bullcrap, because no man is closer to God than any other, except Jesus.

Sorry for the little rant there, I meant to just say a small something on it, but it just kept a-flowin'! And Happy Thanksgiving Ben!

11/29/2013 at 01:24 PM

When I mentioned things like "Love thy neighbor" I meant living like Christ. Sorry if that wasn't clear,JB. lol. To me that's the closest Christians get to the light, when they live by Jesus's example.

The only thing we disagree with is the "one way rule" that is so popular with many Christians. When you tell "good people" they're going to burn in hell just because they believe something else that seems condescending and haughty to me. Why does salvation have to be a VIP club? To me that comes off as those wealthy gated communities in which you have to make a certain income or be a part of a certain group just to live there.

Yet when I think of "God" I think of an ascended being of unlimited love who takes on many forms. It just seems as if God would be open minded and rather reasonable. Why would he have the same prejudices and dogmatic zeal as us humans do? I would imagine he's (she's?) above that.

Regardless,not meaning to bump heads,JB. lol. Happy thanksgiving,brotha! (Sorry if I'm late wishing you good tidings)

11/30/2013 at 12:55 AM

There's no bumping heads, so it's all good Ben! I think where we really differ, is I don't see it as being something hard to achieve, getting into heaven that is. It's rather simple, especially if someone is a good person. It's just a choice of "This guy died on a cross so that none of my sins would be held against me" or "That guy died on a cross for trying to say he was a god." That's why I feel it's so simple, and can wonder how people don't believe that. Sure, there's other stories in the Bible that are much harder to believe and understand, even for many Christians, but when there's historical proof that Jesus existed, it's then just a matter of believing if he was crazy for letting himself be crucified, or if he really had a purpose in it. It's the main reason I believe, outside of my personal experiences that have shaped my beliefs, because one man letting himself have a horrible death for no crime, all so that he could save millions of lives of people he didn't even know and didn't even exist yet... You wouldn't really see anyone do that. We can say we would, but when it comes down to it, most of us would only save another if we knew them or if our death in their place would be quick and easy. That's my reasoning.

NSonic79

12/03/2013 at 03:04 PM

that is true in some reguads. Indeed if you get to "overzealous" you end up promoting all the negatives than the possitives with any given religion/ideal. It's why sadly only most people rememver the negatives about christianity and feminism these days. They get the fully they have to be "extreme, in your face" to get their point across. It's as those individuals no nothing about what they stand for and try to make up for it by being over the top just to prove themselves and others.

Sadly it has a negative effect.

Absolutims has it's place in things but only if the teachings and beliefs of the ideal are followed thru despite pompous thinking of mere mortals. It's transending beyond our own person standards and taking on a great good. Sure you'll meet those that take offense but with proper knowledge and knowing of the belief/ideal will help you far better tahn just raising your voice in hopes of proving one wrong that trying to show one where they are coming from.

Something that most people are losing the art to do these days. *sigh*

PixlBit