Welcome To The Inferno...

Everybody Up!

Once again, this rant has to do with Culture and Religion. Please bear in mind that I do not mean to insult any culture or religion and if what I say goes against your personal opinion please take it on the chin...not personally. I do not represent any faction or religion (Aside from Anti-Verticalism...which is a long story), and therefore cannot choose one over another. This is simply meant as a critical look at some major parties.

Now, with that disclaimer posted...let's move on, shall we?

With the festering wound between Israel and the rest of the Middle-East having been reopened as it has...I've put a bit of thought into how things appear to be for many of us here in my hometown. For as long as I can remember, it has always been little Israel being picked on by the other Middle-Easter countries...And now suddenly, Israel goes to war over one man being kidnapped. Losing one man is losing two men too many...However, is all this war and destruction honestly worth it? In the Coalition operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, some Allied acquaintances (mostly reporters) have been kidnapped...did we go and begin bombing spots over it? No. We attempted to negotiate first, and foremost. It appears that the mentality in the Middle-East is one of "We would rather have nothing than have compromise...Our way...No highway option." It simply causes needless destruction and loss of life. It also appeared that the Israeli militia has been champing at the bit to show off it's might and strength. Hezbollah comes along and kidnaps a single man doing a sentry-route...and they set off another bloody war that won't end anytime soon, I can almost assure you of that. I'm not attempting to say that my society is better, or that I have all the answers. If I did, I'd be lying through my ass. I just don't understand. Here in North-America...Our way of life was brought about through compromise. When the settlers first arrived, people worked together to get through things. If they didn't, they starved, they froze through the winter, or they were wiped out by the aboriginals. It's still apparent in our way of dealing with things today...not as much, but it's there. I'm not sure where I planned to go with this rant (Seems to happen a lot these days, no?), but I wanted to voice my thoughts.

Another, fairly unrelated notion was brought to my attention today...About the Christian religion. The conversation was about Christ. The person was saying that Jesus Of Nazareth gave his life to atone for the sins of others, which he shouldered all on his own and how it was amazing that people still regret it...even though over 2000 years have passed since then. It made me think...I could never let someone carry the burden of my sins. If I made them, I'm carrying them. You reap what you sow, do you not? If that's so, then why is it that Christ decided to atone for the sins of everyone else? What good did it do? None. Had people been forced to bear their own sins, then perhaps we would have learned the hard way. Instead, people have been coerced into thinking that their sins will just be forgotten because Christ and the Holy Spirit are there to forgive them if they believe in these ideas that have no proof behind them. My sins are mine, and mine alone. I think people learn more from pain and suffering...because humans learn the hard way. Always have, always will. Even the deepest of despair will always offer one thing...the knowledge and experience to get out of it. Keep that in mind.

(C) 2006 Sean Slater. (Arigatou Gosaimasu, Reiji!) All Rights Reserved, All Wrongs Justified. SEASE Productions.