Friday, May 21, 2004

Well, I'm going to rant
I don't rant very often, but when something ticks me off this much...

I was watching The Daily Show with John Stewart (The only news show I watch; long live news papers!), and his guest was...uh, I ca'nt spell her name, so I'll go pheonetically: Ja-neen Ger-ah-fah-low. You might have heard of her; works on Air America.

Anyway, she was bashing President Bush, which doesn't bother me in the least; you can say whatever you want about anyone if you have facts to back it up, in my opinion.

But it's what she said that torqued me off. She said that it was ridiculous for America "in this day and age to have a fundamentalist Christian President", and went on to say "he believes in Creationism; how can he run the country?"

Now, call me old-fashioned, but where I come from, saying that someone is unsuitable for a job based on their religious beliefs is bigotry. Of all the platforms she could have used to attack Bush, she used religion. That's just great.

No one called her on it, either, although John Stewart made the correction that Hush is a born-again Christian, and not a fundamentalist, (you can be both, I imagine, but Bush is definatly born-again). Stewart looked a tad bit uncomfortable after she said that, and quickly changed the subject.

This reminds me of an interview Bush did over a year ago; when asked which philosopher he admired the most, Bush answered "Jesus Christ". And this was a minor controversy, brought up by his opponents.

Why does any of this matter? Again, call me crazy, but I don't care if your a Christian, Buhdist, Hindu, Muslim, Jew, Wiccan, athiest, Catholic, Daoist, Satanist, Scientologist, Martha Stewartist, whatever. I only care if you can do the job well. If Bush isn't doing the job well, let's talk about that; his religion shouldn't be a part of the discussion.

Why does this bother me? Because it's not bothering anyone else. In an age where every political statement is analyzed until it looses all meaning, viciously bigotted statements against Christians are ignored.

So, sure, for those who don't know, I am Christian. Although I was baptized Lutharin, and currently attend services at a Methodist curch. However, I hate getting bogged down into denominations; why focus on divisions?

I accept Jesus as The Savior, but I'm a little less opt to believe the Bible word-for-word. There are many things within it that I simply don't feel reflect the religion, or its teachings. I tend to believe that the text has been altered many times over the centuries, and many of the alterations serve the interests of those in the church at the time.

All that aside, I don't speek about my religion much, nor seek to convert others. Why not? Because religion is a deeply personal experience, and it's not right for others to unduely influence someone while they seek a religion.

If anyone ever wants to discuss religious philosophy, PM me. I'd love to. But I'm not going to force my personal ideas onto you.

Maybe if certain other Christians had the same attitude, we wouldn't have a bad reputation. (You know who you are.)

Anyway, onto more important matters.

Today was the rehersal for graduation. Yulia needed a ride, so I gave it to her. the event itself was rather mind-numbing, but I suppose it was neccessary.

What constantly boggles my mind is Yulia. I had thought she knew I liked her, and just didn't say anything so it wouldn't get all awkward. Now, I'm not so sure. Thing is, I do like her; she's smart, and fun to talk to, and cute...and probably totally out of my league.

We'll most likely be attending the same college, and possibly be working in the same building this summer. So, the grand question is, should I continue as an ambiguous male friend and hope for the best, or should I force events to a head and tell her I like her?

The greatest irony in this situation is that if I weren't me, but I was asking myself for my own advice, I know what I would tell myself: Tell her how you feel. Enter the situation on your own terms. Don't sit back and hope for change: initiate it.

Easier said than done, right? ^_^;

Thought of the moment: The Yu-Gi-Oh video game tourney is tomorrow. Should be...fun.

Quote of the moment: "Duffman is a cautious cat!" -Duffman
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