9/17/09

Endorsing Love

I am a big believer in seeking the truth. I am also by nature a justice-seeker especially when it comes to defense of a third party. I like a good debate as much as the next guy. It can feel invigorating to get the old brain cells knocked around the head once in a while...

I don't know if it's enlightenment, maturity, IMmaturity ...lol or an increasing intolerance to crap, but I have been simplifying a lot of things. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I've been throwing out a lot of things and enjoying the simple approach.
This also goes for my general views and belief system.

Never in my entire life have I (between emails, Facebook, Myspace and even on my phone) been quite as inundated with invitations to be part of a cause. Most ring like this;
(insert racial group, political group, religious group, men/women) AGAINST (insert something they really hate)

If you were ever wondering what is drawing lines in our society it's the word AGAINST.
Now, don't mistake this for being a bad word. Like for instance when I see "Women AGAINST the inhumane treatment of animals" It's obviously not a bad concept. But I will say, it's a word that can turn people off. It turns me off. Let me explain why.

Most people who have groups with the word AGAINST in it will usually tell you that it's not the person they hate but the thing that person is doing. That is "fundamentally" correct. The action is what is to be hated, not the person. In the case where I agree with the cause like ones that are against animal cruelty, I say YA GO FOR IT...but can you change the name of the group? "FOR the humane treatment..." may be better...I dunno...don't have it completely figured out. FOR can be taken as a negative too though, depending what someone is for.

So let me move away from that as an example because I really am against animal cruelty.
I think the word AGAINST alienates the people you really want to reach. There is nothing positive about it. Yes some things are worth fighting for and if these groups are making a BIG difference, I am all for it. There is a difference between just growing your group's numbers and being a positive vibe in the world. You could have a group of millions and that doesn't equate to being a success.

I simply believe some self examination needs to happen to see how things can be improved. Picture a huge group of people saying, SUCH-AND SUCH IS WRONG!!!!! Ok, so you've determined it's wrong, so shall we fly all the people who don't believe it or are afflicted with your so-called disease to the desert or an island and just dump them off there? Are we not supposed to live as a society? Who exactly decides what the law is supposed to be? One guy with a brain full of ideas?

Where I have the issue is when someone creates a group based on their belief system that targets individuals who simply believe something different. You are probably witnessing it a lot in politics right now, but it's all over religion too.

If your current GROUP says something like,

"Christians/Muslims/Jews/Satanists/Atheists/Women/Men etc AGAINST (insert a large pile of people who don't share those beliefs)

Then, I have a problem with it. This isn't because I don't have my own beliefs, but because of the word AGAINST. It's not only negative in some instances, but I don't think it helps a cause.
I am bringing this up because I believe some people get offended if I don't join their group. I used to join groups on myspace unknowingly because, well, it was the myspace thing to do!

I am reaching the point now where I don't want to be part of a fundamentalist group. I love "friend groups" That is what we have going on here...and the positive ones are great! But I mean the ones that say AGAINST, spawn hate or are simply redundant and not assisting the growth of people. It feels cultish to me. I also mean the ones who have decided to argue doctrine and morals over using that time to assist others. If you have the power to start a group, I would hope you would be questioning your motivation in it. If your group has begun for the purpose of alienating more people who need our love, I am not interested in it.

You see, I am all done with being a fundamentalist. I am all done with "peeling back the layers to seek the REAL truth" I am done with "conspiracy theories" I am all done being saturated by "doctrine". I don't want to come off as "endorsing". I could tell you individuals that impress me and even groups that impress me. If you were to ask me outright my stance on something, I do have an opinion. I believe in joining forces with like-minded spirits for the betterment of humans in general. But I take great issue with the groups that divide us and do not pull us closer together. This world is in great need of healing and love. If your group is not building love and healing as its first priority, I am not interested in joining it. This doesn't mean you can't hold your opinions, but I am just not going to join it.

In Politics, Religion, Family, Business, Relationships there are a multitude of opinions among a wide range of people. All I am suggesting is that we each have a certain amount of time on this earth and we get to choose how we spend each and every moment of it. I urge people to defend what they believe in, sure! But is it humanly possible to do it in a way that doesn't alienate others? Have you examined your group of friends to see if it's positively influencing people or are you simply TALKING AMONGST YOURSELVES? Exclaiming you are against something may not be the best approach. In my very humble and sometimes not-so-humble opinion, it's usually useless and angry and causes more division!

On top of all that, is being part of these groups the best way to spend your life here? I'm not suggesting I have it all figured out, on the contrary I am growing some days and shrinking on others...but I am very exhausted about hearing people complain or defending principal but the world is getting lonelier and lonelier by the day. Principals and integrity are amazing characteristics. I guess we just have to ask ourselves if our talents and gifts are better served out in the field rather than sitting alone on the floor of our closet or with a group who already thinks like we do and we are simply talking amongst ourselves. Being right or in many cases 'righteous' has it's flaws.

I for one am interested in spreading more love around and seeing more people smile. I'm not great at it, but I am working hard on it. I refuse to believe my purpose here on earth is to draw more lines of division. I unfortunately blindly joined a lot of groups on here by simply clicking 'add' at one time or another. I regret most of those and am not sure when I am going to find the time to delete myself from them all.

All that being said, I am sorry I am not joining your group. But it isn't always based on agreeing or disagreeing with the group concept, so much as it's very difficult for me to be part of something that divides. I am sick of intolerance and I'm all done with hate. It is more important in my world to make love the priority and to stop squabbling over who is right and who is wrong.

Compassion; one of the most underused emotions of our time.

Perhaps a group that starts to spread compassion would be a good one. :)

Love, Karen

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

1 comment:

  1. I'm all for what you're saying. But on a philosophical level, the question is, why not join all of those groups instead of creating more divide by not joining them? If it isnt about agreeing or disagreeing with them, and you hate intolerance - then what is it that stops you from tolerating "them"?

    Answer, making love the priority stops you, which creates the divide from those dividing. And the beat goes on...

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