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Thought for the Day: The World Is Far Bigger Than You Think
11 years ago
Commission info here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/7685884/
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Thought for the Day: The World Is Far Bigger Than You Think
It seems to me that there are more and more Hollywood movies coming out lately trying to rally support for Christianity, and I can't help but feel this is a response to far right-wing Christians claiming persecution, that they have been under attack for their beliefs, and producing movies like this on a large scale is their form of push back after realizing their own failures in the political arena to control social issues such as gay rights and abortion. I believe the intent is to try to use a bit more honey and a bit less vinegar to convert people, but there's an underlying theme that I witness that still makes movies like this initially feel like pure propaganda. That theme is the self-righteous one that says, “We're right and you're wrong, and you're less than us for being wrong.”
It's a theme that prevails in the title of the latest blockbuster from the Christian limb of Hollywood (or as I like to call it, “Biblewood”), “Heaven Is For Real.” That title alone is argumentative in its very wording, because it implies that there is an idea that Heaven (and Christianity or the realm of the spiritual/supernatural/divine/metaphysical as a whole) is NOT real, and that this movie needed to be made to prove to everyone just how real it all actually is. Initially, the very idea of this sort of pushy agenda turned my stomach. Initially, it came across as haughty as people who end an argument with, “I'll pray for you,” as if that gives them some moral high ground where they are “above” such petty squabbles, when the reality is that such a sentiment comes from a place of judgment that they “know” better than their debate partner, because they fall into a trap believing that their subjective certainty is the same as objective reality, despite not being able to quantifiably prove their position.
That's how just the title of this movie felt to me...initially. And that's the distinction I want to make here today. I had an emotional response—a somewhat potent and negative emotional response—just to something as simple as the title of a movie. Ridiculous, right? It certainly seems so, when you stop to think about it.
So what, then, is REALLY going on? Why would I have such a strong emotional response? Why would titles like “Heaven Is For Real” crop up in the first place that sound so pushy? The simple answer, like with so many things that cause negativity in our lives, is fear. More specifically, it's the fear that I will not be heard, that my opinions and my voice have no place in this world, because my ideas—and, as a result, a significant portion of my identity—is being muscled out by something contradictory.
Well, I'm here to tell you something that helped me sleep easy after realizing it: the world is far bigger than you think. So big, in fact, that there will always be room for your voice and your thoughts and your way of life. Yes, I know that some people will actively try to create an atmosphere where it's shunned—even illegal—to speak and live in accordance with your own set of ethics or sense of identity, and this is still tragically the modus operandi in certain parts of the world. But those systems are only set up because the few in power rallied enough people and mongered enough fear to perpetuate the myth that it's either us or them, without there being enough room for both.
I can tell you without hesitation that there IS room for both us and them, for you and I, because I have been living all my life in a culture that has more religions and philosophies than I have counted, all living side by side without any law or social precedent prevailing that says they can't exist (except for the philosophy of intolerance). We recognize that certain ethical commitments to kindness, compassion, and generosity lead to a culture that not only survives, but flourishes, leading to the development of systems that continue to build us all up closer and closer to the most fully-realized versions of ourselves that we can each individually become. And all of this happens in a culture that celebrates diversity, that recognizes that while our similarities unite us, it is our differences that further strengthen us by providing the whole with different skills and perspectives on solving whatever issue may be at hand.
What's more, there is room for all of us because the world is so vast that billions of different things are happening all at once on this planet—even in your own town—that are vastly different from the way of life you know and have come to adopt. I remember the first time I ever went to a LAN party and how new and different the entire atmosphere was. I was completely out of my element, but was there to hang out and meet people, because my best friend—who was a music major like me—was dating a computer science major, and these people were his social circle. It was enlightening and thrilling (and admittedly a bit intimidating) to see a whole new avenue of knowledge, a whole new focus of ideas and skills and personalities. I was out of my element, and loving every moment of it (in spite of feeling intimidated), because it was a glimpse into a world that I never even knew existed.
But it wasn't some foreign planet. It wasn't a different country. It wasn't even the next town over. It was all being held on my college campus, with different students attending the same university I was. Different people. Different ideas. Different strengths. And they taught me so much. My social circle and my perspective on the world were forever changed that night, but not in a way that diminished what I already had; it was only an augmentation to what I already knew and had experienced.
And there's the rub: Different philosophies don't have to muscle each other out, even when they contradict each other, because understanding an opposing viewpoint can only help augment your overall knowledge of the world and get you that much closer to understanding the truth. I've spoken before about the importance of divorcing the ego from an argument, of not tying your identity to your belief system, and I'm just as guilty about doing this thing as anyone else. (What, you think I write this stuff just for everyone ELSE'S sake? I need the reminders myself.) I was guilty of it when having the reaction to “Heaven Is For Real.” The important thing to remember is that while certain core, unchanging lessons may be necessary for everyone to adopt in their lifetimes, the messenger of those lessons can be as varied as the people themselves. Don't begrudge others for trying to bring peace and love just because you disagree with the medium. I can guarantee that it doesn't mean your voice is any less significant. The world is far bigger than you think, and there's room for those principles to be taught in so many ways.
It seems to me that there are more and more Hollywood movies coming out lately trying to rally support for Christianity, and I can't help but feel this is a response to far right-wing Christians claiming persecution, that they have been under attack for their beliefs, and producing movies like this on a large scale is their form of push back after realizing their own failures in the political arena to control social issues such as gay rights and abortion. I believe the intent is to try to use a bit more honey and a bit less vinegar to convert people, but there's an underlying theme that I witness that still makes movies like this initially feel like pure propaganda. That theme is the self-righteous one that says, “We're right and you're wrong, and you're less than us for being wrong.”
It's a theme that prevails in the title of the latest blockbuster from the Christian limb of Hollywood (or as I like to call it, “Biblewood”), “Heaven Is For Real.” That title alone is argumentative in its very wording, because it implies that there is an idea that Heaven (and Christianity or the realm of the spiritual/supernatural/divine/metaphysical as a whole) is NOT real, and that this movie needed to be made to prove to everyone just how real it all actually is. Initially, the very idea of this sort of pushy agenda turned my stomach. Initially, it came across as haughty as people who end an argument with, “I'll pray for you,” as if that gives them some moral high ground where they are “above” such petty squabbles, when the reality is that such a sentiment comes from a place of judgment that they “know” better than their debate partner, because they fall into a trap believing that their subjective certainty is the same as objective reality, despite not being able to quantifiably prove their position.
That's how just the title of this movie felt to me...initially. And that's the distinction I want to make here today. I had an emotional response—a somewhat potent and negative emotional response—just to something as simple as the title of a movie. Ridiculous, right? It certainly seems so, when you stop to think about it.
So what, then, is REALLY going on? Why would I have such a strong emotional response? Why would titles like “Heaven Is For Real” crop up in the first place that sound so pushy? The simple answer, like with so many things that cause negativity in our lives, is fear. More specifically, it's the fear that I will not be heard, that my opinions and my voice have no place in this world, because my ideas—and, as a result, a significant portion of my identity—is being muscled out by something contradictory.
Well, I'm here to tell you something that helped me sleep easy after realizing it: the world is far bigger than you think. So big, in fact, that there will always be room for your voice and your thoughts and your way of life. Yes, I know that some people will actively try to create an atmosphere where it's shunned—even illegal—to speak and live in accordance with your own set of ethics or sense of identity, and this is still tragically the modus operandi in certain parts of the world. But those systems are only set up because the few in power rallied enough people and mongered enough fear to perpetuate the myth that it's either us or them, without there being enough room for both.
I can tell you without hesitation that there IS room for both us and them, for you and I, because I have been living all my life in a culture that has more religions and philosophies than I have counted, all living side by side without any law or social precedent prevailing that says they can't exist (except for the philosophy of intolerance). We recognize that certain ethical commitments to kindness, compassion, and generosity lead to a culture that not only survives, but flourishes, leading to the development of systems that continue to build us all up closer and closer to the most fully-realized versions of ourselves that we can each individually become. And all of this happens in a culture that celebrates diversity, that recognizes that while our similarities unite us, it is our differences that further strengthen us by providing the whole with different skills and perspectives on solving whatever issue may be at hand.
What's more, there is room for all of us because the world is so vast that billions of different things are happening all at once on this planet—even in your own town—that are vastly different from the way of life you know and have come to adopt. I remember the first time I ever went to a LAN party and how new and different the entire atmosphere was. I was completely out of my element, but was there to hang out and meet people, because my best friend—who was a music major like me—was dating a computer science major, and these people were his social circle. It was enlightening and thrilling (and admittedly a bit intimidating) to see a whole new avenue of knowledge, a whole new focus of ideas and skills and personalities. I was out of my element, and loving every moment of it (in spite of feeling intimidated), because it was a glimpse into a world that I never even knew existed.
But it wasn't some foreign planet. It wasn't a different country. It wasn't even the next town over. It was all being held on my college campus, with different students attending the same university I was. Different people. Different ideas. Different strengths. And they taught me so much. My social circle and my perspective on the world were forever changed that night, but not in a way that diminished what I already had; it was only an augmentation to what I already knew and had experienced.
And there's the rub: Different philosophies don't have to muscle each other out, even when they contradict each other, because understanding an opposing viewpoint can only help augment your overall knowledge of the world and get you that much closer to understanding the truth. I've spoken before about the importance of divorcing the ego from an argument, of not tying your identity to your belief system, and I'm just as guilty about doing this thing as anyone else. (What, you think I write this stuff just for everyone ELSE'S sake? I need the reminders myself.) I was guilty of it when having the reaction to “Heaven Is For Real.” The important thing to remember is that while certain core, unchanging lessons may be necessary for everyone to adopt in their lifetimes, the messenger of those lessons can be as varied as the people themselves. Don't begrudge others for trying to bring peace and love just because you disagree with the medium. I can guarantee that it doesn't mean your voice is any less significant. The world is far bigger than you think, and there's room for those principles to be taught in so many ways.
Malcolm's "You Oughtta Know" Artists:
at the same time though, just to give a sense of scale, to the universe beyond it, one world, is no more then one grain of sand on one beach of one ocean, of which there are uncountable oceans.
yes, a world is big enough to be diverse enough to be healthy. there's nothing else wrong with our own world, then humans trying to reduce or eliminate that diversity.
and trying to make everything have to be owned, not just within the habitat of one culture, but to force that on every other, that is one of the very roots of that wrongness.
of course that diversity is still there, whatever we do. at least that which is beyond our relationships to each other.
we cannot touch nor damage the natural diversity of the universe.
but no conquest noble. all are dishonorable and inexcusable.
schools teach this completely backwards and wrong. that imposing one culture over another by force, is something we should be proud of having done.
the reality is that nothing is more shameful.
the need for some sort of international law, is not to homogenize the planet, but to stop nations from imposing their homogenizing will upon it.
so that once again, to each one person, one planet, can, once again, be a whole wonderful, diverse and inspiring universe.