Sunshine Coast pictures

 

The world of religion

Interesting that people are so passionate about religion. It means so many different things to so many different people. I was just talking to my land lord who stated that it was stupid to be religious. In some ways it is. But, as nobody is perfectly intelligent, we are all a bit stupid. Is religion such a bad way to be stupid?
The impetus for war and the forcing of an ideology onto a people are certainly two of the more negative aspects of religion, but perhaps the most harmful aspect of religion is that it is used for an excuse not to think. There are many excuses out there for not thinking, and many perfectly valid reasons not to, and it is extremely logical to use faith as an excuse. The difference between right and wrong, black and white, true and false, suddenly becomes attainable.
These are the aspects that are commonly demonized in religion, but what about all the good parts? You suddenly have something to share with others, something to form a community around. When in the depths of personal depressions, lonlienesses etc. there is always that source of comfort and wisdom to lean on. The leap of faith required to act has been done, it is no longer necessary to question to death each and every action, it is suddenly possible to accomplish many things.
The picture I've posted is an interesting one, the figure in the image is obviously trying to escape the bonds of those around him. This is one of the biggest contradictions in today's world. We don't want to be judged, or influenced by those around us, we just want to be loved. Like everything this is impossible. We cannot only take the good from anything, balance has a way of re-asserting itself in everything.
Isn't that what religion is like? The assertion of the influence of others on us? Ultimately that is demonized in today's culture, where you must be individually strong and powerful, and it is shameful to rely on others. You must become "self-realized", strong and free. Shrug off the influence of the herd, and be not a sheep. And here's some advertisements to show you how to do it. You should work like a dog to be able to buy everything so that everybody around you will not question your independence, and will only love you.
This is ultimately ridiculous, as we all need people, and want to be able to help people. So why can't we admit to needing help?
Hmmm... the juxtapositions of modern society. I realize that I am far from the first person to point these out, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about it. How else can I help to shape the world that I'm in?

Anyway, Ciao for now.

First real blog here...

I watched V is for Vendetta last night, and was quite impressed. It was a visually stunning thinly veiled political statement with all the elements of a well told story. The characters were appealing and the acting was excellent. I hope to see more like this out of the Wachowski brothers (in this movie they were the screenplay writers and producers).
The look at the use of fear by governments to control the masses was certainly an applicable one in today's world, especially in the US. I think it is movies like this, and other forms of free expression that keep these types of governments in check. This is one of the most interesting and scariest/greatest features of today's westernized governments, the ability to adapt and react. With the control of the media, control of the policing system, and control of more and more aspects of everyday life, we tend to look to the government to control the things that scare us. This is a scary prospect in itself, something which V points out in a appealing story. We'd all like to live in a fuzzy world with no worries and notthing to be afraid of, but the only way we can do that is by taking control of our internal fear, rather than trying to control the external sources of that fear. Sounds like a bit of a preachy senetence, but this is the message that I got from the movie, and something that has infected my personal philosophy in various aspects for awhile now.

Anyway, enough on this topic.

Another day another dollar....

It's amazing how much work plays into our lives these days. I know I'm revisiting this issue from my Bebo blog... but I still find it a thought provoking issue. The workless party (a local political movement) definitely has some good points, and yet, if work was all that bad why do we really do it? There are many parts of society that don't work, and, while they may only be fully accepted by there sub-sectors of society, it is certainly a valid option. As technology increases in effectiveness and complexity the not working option may become even more real and appealing. Something like 5% or less of the population in the first world western countries is actually involved in growing and harvesting food, the rest of us are mostly doing busy work. That is work that is not really necessary to our survival, but does keep us busy and thinking that we are doing something. Hmmm... seems like we do a lot of running in circles.

Cameron