Don't tell anyone, but I'm heterosexual, white, male, evangelical, listen to Rush Limbaugh whenever I can, drive a rusty and fuel inefficient pickup, and I'm not vigilant about recycling. I've been around these here Interwebs for a bit and come to find out, I'm not a very popular person. Apparently, I'm a mind-numbed robot for listening to Limbaugh, I'm an oppressor for being white and male, I'm stupid for being an evangelical, I'm probably a homophobe for being heterosexual and evangelical, I'm certainly a fundamentalist whacko, and I'm destroying the environment to boot.
If I were known for publishing harsh language, I'd interject a four letter word here. If I were just talking I probably would. Here's the point: All of you "Holier-Than-Thou's" out there on the Internet and anywhere else can stuff it.
I listen to Rush Limbaugh because he's funny and I get a different point of view to set up against everything else I hear out there. I absolutely do not agree with him on several subjects and I'm no robot. If you want to write off my opinions on that basis, then you're the robot. You're the one who lives by a formula where only one point of view is acceptable and any other shouldn't even be considered.
I've never attempted to oppress anyone. I've recommended people of several different races and of both sexes (and possibly various sexual preferences, I don't usually ask about such things) for jobs I've had influence over in the hiring. I've certainly been friends with people of many different races, religions, genders, and sexual orientations. I even took a Women's Studies course while working on my undergraduate degree and thoroughly enjoyed it.
On the other hand, I absolutely do have my own opinions about what is right and wrong, but I've never managed to "force" those ideas on anyone else. I'm not sure how I can force someone to make up their mind. Just trying to persuade someone doesn't count as foisting my beliefs on others. This is free country and everyone has a right to speak their mind. I'm not going to apologize for sharing mine.
I have two degrees, which doesn't necessarily make me smart, but I'd say that it's evidence that I'm not a complete moron. My coworkers tend to tell me I'm smart, but they could be lying just to make me feel better. On the other hand, I don't think my boss would put up with me if I wasn't smart enough to produce. Christianity isn't a crutch for the dumb or the weak anymore than Atheists are automatically smarter and wiser than everyone else. There have been plenty of very smart people of all religions, it's not about intelligence or wisdom. If you assume that just because I'm a fundie, I must be a dummy, you are the one who is acting dumb or at least ignorant. You have lost your ability to see another perspective and your life is shallower.
The environment thing I just threw in for kicks. No one has ever bothered to convince me that the ecosystem needs saving. Besides, environmentalism is seriously the highest form of hubris I can imagine. The earth is really so important in the universe that we should make sure we don't waste resources or pollute? Humans are so excellent a species that we should worry about saving ourselves? Humans are so omnipotent that we can damage a truly massive environment? (I'm always surprised at how small most people think the earth is.) If someone can present an argument that doesn't sound like it's completely based on humans' thinking extra-highly of ourselves, I'll start paying attention. Not that I'm opposed to responsible use of resources or avoiding pollution for purely selfish reasons, but there's got to be a balance. (Keeping third world countries down in the disease infested, malnourished states they are currently in to save the environment should be criminal, Mr. Gore.)
Anyway, I'm just getting irritated that my opinion and the opinions of others who think like me gets written off as stupid or biased or selfish or unfair just because I or they have an opinion that isn't PC. I'm irritated for my own reasons, but realistically, if you can't listen to someone else's point of view and really try to put yourself in the shoes of someone else, you are an ignorant and weak and shallow person.
I don't change my point of view often, but I do try as best as I can to reevaluate on the basis of my experience and any attempts at persuasion I encounter. This has lead to serious doubts in my self, my faith, my abilities, my comrades, etc., but I like to hope that continually forcing myself to face these doubts and conflicting points of view has made me a stronger person in the end.
Cheers.
O_O!
Man that was the most stupid, selfish, biased, and unfair piece of blog that I have ever read in my life!
Only kidding. ;)
You know who you are and you are constantly building upon that. Somebody who might say something about you didn't grow up in your shoes, so who qualified them to speak about you, with any substance?
That's like people telling somebody, 'You'll never be able to do that.' (I've been told quite a few times. Marines, College, Being a Programmer, ...)
I know myself, and I know what I am capable of.
Same goes with you. You know what makes you tick. Anybody else out there trying to talk about how you tick, is truly the stupid one for wasting their time.