I hear what you're saying Andy. Zealots are everywhere. The most current and in-the-public-eye being the followers of the presidential candidates. The Obama fans are just as scary as the Hilary fans. It's weird when presidentail candidates can be met with the Beatles phenomena (screaming masses, crying, zealotry. Ooo is that a word?) Strange that the republican candidates don't quite have those followings. Are the republican voters less caring of their candidate or just more level headed? We may never know.
While I don't have that much to say on the Obama-mania side of things, this did bring up an issue I have with zealots of the religious variety.
I know there are zealots of all creeds, but it's hard to deny that the vast majority of weirdos come from the Christian sector of religion. It used to just be evangelicals that turned heads and spouted strange jesu-mania words in awkward moments.
Grocery Clerk: Sir, I'm sorry, we're out of haddock today.
Guy out back: We just got a shipment in 10 minutes ago.
Evangelical: Praise Jesus and Lord Hallelujah!
More recently I've found, however, that a good lot of the christian religions are going the way of the evangelicals. Thanking Jesus for this and praising God for that in every day life. Spouting prophetic wisdom on non-believers to 'save' them from hell and whatnot. Boy are they gonna look like assholes if they're wrong.
I guess my point is, there's a time and a place for everything. While I'm sure you won't bother anyone saying grace in a McDonalds, and "God Bless"ing someone when they sneeze has become common place, it does become a nuisance when you insist on teaching creationism in science classes, or insist, even worse, that Intelligent Design be taught, but become offended by evolution or other religious earth-developing theories. It does become an issue when there is a law as SIMPLE as separation of church and state that even the potential presidential candidates can't seem to follow through with.
I should also make the point that, despite how hard you try and how convincing your arguments may seem, there is no way you will change their mind. Anyone. People don't change religions because of the words of another. It takes a lot more than that.
There are many religions. Many choices. Every person has just as much a right to choose and believe what they see fit as the next person does. Remember that, respect those around you, respect the freakin Constitution of the United States of America, and maybe even read it over one more time (or for the first time). It won't hurt one bit, and you might learn something.
March 30, 2008
March 12, 2008
When Good Cults Go Bad
Topic 6: Barackattacks, Obamamania, and plain old overzealous freaks
If you want to lose friends while simultaneously coming off like a world-class boob, the easiest way to do this, at least in these United States, is to walk into certain American households and say something even mildly disparaging about the Kennedy’s. Just make one comment about JFK being an overrated president, or claim he’s only as well remembered because he pulled a Jim Morrison and kicked the bucket before he had time to suck, and out the door you go. But there’s a loophole to making anti-Kennedy comments, although that loophole is quickly tightening up.
Barack Obama has on several occasions been compared to John F Kennedy, along with often being called “this generation’s JFK,” “JFK 2.0,” and “Black F Kennedy”. And the cult of personality around him is growing to that of JFK and Jim Morrison standards. Women faint and men well up at his rally’s, people flood the streets just to get the chance to see him, to prove to themselves that he is indeed flesh and blood, not some bronzed god from above to save us from the Republicans and Hillary. Even the animals get restless and break free from their pens when a Barackattack is looming on the horizon.
And with a candidate like Barack Obama who has created this cult of personality for himself, you get followers and zealots who will act like they’re…well…in a cult. Not just the crying and fainting and soiling themselves with delight you get with most Americans upon the arrival of Barack Obama in their time zone, but an instant and thoroughly disturbing desire to defend him like he was the second coming. In the few conversations I’ve attempted to have with Obama supporters (and believe you me, I’ve avoided them as much as humanly possible), I’ve been called a racist and a bigot, a supporter of blood for oil, and an ignorant boob (in so many words) who is afraid of change, all within the first 3 minutes of the conversation. The only candidate (if we can call him that) with more fanatical supporters might be Ron Paul, although I think most of them have returned to the cave dwellings to draw the Statue of Liberty and recite John Locke.
Before ending this, there’s one personal experience of mine I want to impart upon all the unwashed masses. I went to one of Barack Obama’s rallies in Hartford, CT, and left feeling quite impressed. Sure, I was impressed by Ted Kennedy’s ability to disgust and irritate me within seconds of his approaching the podium, but I was even more taken aback by Obama’s ability to speak at great lengths about change and reform without really giving any discernable ideas as to how any change or reform would come about.
“Yes, Mr. Obama, health care is in a situation where it could use a little change, and yes, war is bad, and of course, restoring America’s reputation in the international community is a worthwhile endeavor, but how, exactly, do you intend on accomplishing any of that? Please give your answer in as much detail as possible, show your work, and for god’s sake stop trying to inspire me.”
If you want to lose friends while simultaneously coming off like a world-class boob, the easiest way to do this, at least in these United States, is to walk into certain American households and say something even mildly disparaging about the Kennedy’s. Just make one comment about JFK being an overrated president, or claim he’s only as well remembered because he pulled a Jim Morrison and kicked the bucket before he had time to suck, and out the door you go. But there’s a loophole to making anti-Kennedy comments, although that loophole is quickly tightening up.
Barack Obama has on several occasions been compared to John F Kennedy, along with often being called “this generation’s JFK,” “JFK 2.0,” and “Black F Kennedy”. And the cult of personality around him is growing to that of JFK and Jim Morrison standards. Women faint and men well up at his rally’s, people flood the streets just to get the chance to see him, to prove to themselves that he is indeed flesh and blood, not some bronzed god from above to save us from the Republicans and Hillary. Even the animals get restless and break free from their pens when a Barackattack is looming on the horizon.
And with a candidate like Barack Obama who has created this cult of personality for himself, you get followers and zealots who will act like they’re…well…in a cult. Not just the crying and fainting and soiling themselves with delight you get with most Americans upon the arrival of Barack Obama in their time zone, but an instant and thoroughly disturbing desire to defend him like he was the second coming. In the few conversations I’ve attempted to have with Obama supporters (and believe you me, I’ve avoided them as much as humanly possible), I’ve been called a racist and a bigot, a supporter of blood for oil, and an ignorant boob (in so many words) who is afraid of change, all within the first 3 minutes of the conversation. The only candidate (if we can call him that) with more fanatical supporters might be Ron Paul, although I think most of them have returned to the cave dwellings to draw the Statue of Liberty and recite John Locke.
Before ending this, there’s one personal experience of mine I want to impart upon all the unwashed masses. I went to one of Barack Obama’s rallies in Hartford, CT, and left feeling quite impressed. Sure, I was impressed by Ted Kennedy’s ability to disgust and irritate me within seconds of his approaching the podium, but I was even more taken aback by Obama’s ability to speak at great lengths about change and reform without really giving any discernable ideas as to how any change or reform would come about.
“Yes, Mr. Obama, health care is in a situation where it could use a little change, and yes, war is bad, and of course, restoring America’s reputation in the international community is a worthwhile endeavor, but how, exactly, do you intend on accomplishing any of that? Please give your answer in as much detail as possible, show your work, and for god’s sake stop trying to inspire me.”
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