(no subject)

[liptonrm_backup]

The past few days have been absolutely gorgeous. This would be a spectacular weekend to go camping. It's a shame we had to put the trip off till next weekend but I'm sure the weather will be nearly as nice. It had better be as nice or I will SMASH REND KILL!

Ahem. =D That reminds me. Seeing as the camping trip will be my only real vacation of the year, if anyone wants a postcard from Michigan's Upper Peninsula email me with your address and I'll be more then happy to send it out. Domestic, international, whatever the case may be. I can be reached at liptonrm [at] livejournal.com. Postcards are love.

Am going to see The Wedding Crashers with the Big Lug tonight. Generally I'm not a big fan of wacky comedies but it's a free movie and it looks better then most. I'll let you know what I think.

Had a very interesting discussio with the Mum last night about religion, feminism, gay marriage, family values and all sorts of things. I always enjoy a nice, chewy discussion on topics that have no exact or specific answers, that deal with human beliefs and emotions and philosophies. I'm a firm believer in Truth but I also believe that people interpret and redefine Truth in their own particular, personal ways and that those personal Truths are just as real and valid. I enjoy the complexity in attempting to understand the whys and wherefores.

Last night I flipped by one of those nightly news magazine shows, Nightline or Dateline or some such, that was doing a piece on the strange polygamous cults that seem to be growing out in the Mountain West. That subject tends to be especially difficult for me to contemplate as those sects tend to go be the name 'Mormon Fundamentalists'. They claim to follow the same religion that I do and yet our interpretations of that religion are so vastly different as to have little to no resemblance to each other. It horrifies me to think that something that brings so much good into my life can be interpreted in such a way as to be a force for evil.

That's what we do, the very act of belief can not only change the believer but also what is believed. We see examples of that in so many aspects of modern life. Islamic terrorists strongly believe in a Muslim religion that is completely alien to adherents of what can be considered by outsiders as the same religion. It is one of the great human tragedies of both this generation and all those that preceded it that such deep philosophical differences can rarely be resolved without pain and bloodshed.

And somehow I have managed to turn this whole post into one big downer. =D My big, squishy brain just can't stop turning this subject over and over and poking at it with sticks and things. It requires constant vigilance to keep the little grey cells in line.

Viva Friday!

Comments

[writerj.livejournal.com]

That's what we do, the very act of belief can not only change the believer but also what is believed.

That is one incisive thought! I have stolen it.

[writerj.livejournal.com]

BTW, you did catch me raving on and on about the movie 'Latter Days', right?

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

I've rated a stealing! *is flattered*

I do remember you waxing rhapsodic over Latter Days. It would be a fascinating movie to see. From a purely psychological viewpoint ... of course. *winks* =D

[writerj.livejournal.com]

Of course. It's a moving and romantic exploration of love, faith and the expectations society places upon people that they themselves may not be aware of. I like how much Christian, the gay party boy, has to learn from Elder Aaron, how it's not just "let's convert the repressed Mormon boy". I also like how Aaron strips out of the uniform.

Oh, and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt has a small but searing role as Aaron's partner -- fascinating bookend to his appearance in this year's 'Mysterious Skin', which I haven't yet gotten the courage to see.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

I really should look into that movie. I feel like I'm using the word 'fascinating' a lot in regards to it, but my mind is intrigued by what you've told me.

I always appreciate a movie that is true to character and treats difficult subjects with respect.

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't call this a downer at all. It's interesting thoughts on the world.
I've always found it a shame the way a tiny minority in a group can manage to give the rest of the group a bad name. I have friends who are outspoken against Christianity for instance and yet most Christians are nothing like what they don't like - but being normal and nice doesn't get someone in the news.

I remember a few years back my ex-boyfriend's brother-in-law was extolling all the reasons Mormonism was a crazy cult. Said brother-in-law is a super-crazy every word in the bible is absolute word of god no need for interpretation fundamentalist Christian. He probably didn't realize how ridiculous he sounded from my perspective as a liberal reconstructionist Jew. To me he was just as guilty of all the things he was accusing the other religion as being. That and I generally found most Mormons I know to be much more pleasant to be around and less judgemental than he was.

Um, did I just ramble?
I've had perfect weather on all my hiking/camping this summer and I hereby pass my hiking/camping weather luck on to you, since I won't be needing it these next few weeks.

hurray for Friday!

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

I always try to open my mind and see things from all viewpoints because I'm always amazed by how easy it is to look at the world in absolutes. Belief is belief and just because you disagree doesn't make the other person inherently wrong.

And, yeah, being a nice, decent person never did get anyone into the news. It's like how the kids who are loud and obnoxious got help for their problems while the kids who are quiet and withdrawn end up involved in school shootings and other tragedies.

Rambling is good, rambling is our friend. And thanks for the good weather karma!

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

I definitely hear you on the open mind thing. My parents are both anthropoligists, so I got exposed to the "people not like us" concept pretty heavily pretty early on.
The problem though is that, hard as you try, you still look at others through your own personal filter of your own beliefs and experiences. It's impossible not to. I think the trick is to realize that you're doing it and that different isn't wrong or bad or scary, it's just different. They talked about that a lot in the intro to anthropology class I took - how does an anthropoligist observe a culture without affecting the culture and write about it without using their own values and judgements?
I guess it's all part of whatever makes us human.
It's also hard with the people I can't understand however hard I try.

Yep. s'why I hate tv news - they focus so much on the bad that you'd think people were constantly being raped/stabbed/murdered/shot everywhere all the time and that was the world. I bet there are hundreds of good things everyday for every bad, but its' not sensational and it's not news and it makes the world look so much worse for being ignored.

hope the good weather karma works!

[hiyacynth.livejournal.com]

Fire bad. Tree pretty.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

Hee. We're very talky meat.

[hiyacynth.livejournal.com]

My brain is too squishy today for high level talk. I'm like Cavegirl Me. Want go home. Want boy. Boy smell good. Want TV. TV good.

(frozen) have fun!!

[bookgrl.livejournal.com]

You're gonna have a blast :D the weather shall be perfect!

Saw the Wedding Crashers last night. loved it! it was flippin' hysterical :D

And the post isn't a downer. Just reminds me how careful we all must be about generalizing the actions of a few people to say they are the actions and the beliefs of the whole.

(frozen) Re: have fun!!

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

Wedding Crashers was a blast. Much more fun then I expected it to be.

It's just so much easier to deal in generalities rather then specifics, to see in black and white rather then grey. Constant Vigilance! ;-)

The weather shall be perfect. So you have decreed it and so it shall be.

(frozen)

[elendiari22.livejournal.com]

Have a great weekend! *sends you long-lasting good weather*

Isn't it awful how one small chapter of a group can give the rest of the company a bad name? I try to keep an open mind though, but I hate it that there are so many misconceptions out there. I feel really bad for all the Muslims out there who are being persecuted for the minority who are terrorists. It's a cruel world.

(frozen)

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

It is a cruel world and I'm constantly surprised by that. I still think that everything should be just and fair and we should all get the good things we deserve. It can be disappointing.

Thank goodness for good people and imaginary worlds and wonderful things like that. And good weather wishes from friends. You hear me, Michigan?! Ella sent good weather this way and good weather we shall have! =D

(frozen)

[lil-banik-slave.livejournal.com]

claim to follow the same religion that I do

Are you a latter day saint? Cool :-D

(frozen)

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

Why yes, yes I am. =D It's a good thing to be, in my humble opinion. *giggle* *wink*

(frozen)

[hlgraban.livejournal.com]

Have fun watching Wedding Crashers. I have a free ticket too, but I think I lost it, damn it! I wonder if Showcase will reimburse me for it or give me the credit, since I earned it through their StarPass program as a frequent movie-goer. Hmm... Oh well... such has been my luck lately.

Yeah, I think I have to agree with you a bit, if I'm interpreting what you say correctly. I think that the "right" way to live is up to our own interpretations and philosophies, within reason of course. But it does scare me, the things people will do in the name of their beliefs...

And yes, I also agree that brains are very annoying things, that like to stew on unhappy subjects and pick everyone and/or everything apart, analyze it, label it, and turn it into something completely unrecognizable or reversed from the subjects' original intention. Doesn't a lombodomy sound like fun right now?

(frozen)

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

Oooo, Showcase has a frequent movie-goer program? That is very cool. I'm sure they'd give you another pass, they keep track of stuff like that with computers anyway.

You've interpreted my rambling exactly as I meant it to be. Extremism scares the ever-lovin' crap out of me. Bad things happen when people believe that God sanctions every one of their actions.

I don't know about a lobotomy. Sometimes I think drugs might be kinda fun, though. Just to take the edge off the excessive thinkiness. =D

(frozen)

[baylorsr.livejournal.com]

I thought you were camping this weekend! I am having a lovely weekend playing Sims and reading and then we watched Pirates last night, which is just the definition of happiness. It was a welcome change from this week, when I nearly had a nervous breakdown. NOT GOOD.

I yousendit'ed you some things - did you get them?

I demand a postcard.

(frozen)

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

Dude. Lj hates me. Let me try to reconstruct my reply.

Music was so great, OMG!!! I meant to thank you but I didn't so please forgive me but thankyouthankyouTHANKYOU! for Animaniacs and Python and such outstanding happiness!!!!

Had to move camping to this weekend as dad had a previous commitment that he couldn't get out of.

So good to hear that your weekend was so restful. Nervous breakdowns are seriously of the bad and what would Zippo do if you ever had one?