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Mock Freely
Occasionally I run across religious discussions where the subject turns to "mocking God." In these discussions those "defending" God invariably pretend they have specific or special knowledge of God's mind, plan, instructions, whatever. They may randomly quote a book they insist supports their point, they may randomly link one event as caused by God, they may even state as a fact what must be true simply because they wish it were true.
But the fact of the matter is these people have no special knowledge, they do not have a direct line to God's plan or intent, and their pretended outrage at folks mocking God is really just the insecurity of their own faith.
We are all insecure about things to a varying degree and that insecurity can motivate us, paralyze us, or turn us abusive. I try to turn my insecurities into motivations to get better. When I was younger I was insecure about my intelligence. I was an OK athlete but all of my brothers were better, but I was smart so my insecurity had me claiming to be smarter, as if it were a competition. In my high school years I began to realise I did not need to be smarter, or better, or anything else and, as has been the case in my life often, I learned this through the actions of others.
I was 18 years old and although I had begun to realise I did not need to be the smartest, I could just be smart, I did not need to be the fastest, I could just be fast, and I did not need to be the best, I could just be good, it all came into focus one afternoon as friends and I were talking to a gentleman in his mid 20's.
We were at a rehearsal for a school play and I had, a couple of years previously, started training with a quarterstaff. I had read something in a book that inspired me and begun trying to duplicate what I had read, had gotten some advice from folks, had basically taken any idea I saw and incorporated it into what I was doing.
Friends of mine mentioned to this mid 20's "expert" and he agreed to take a look at what I was doing. He watched and immediately condemned everything I done as useless in the most insulting and denigrating terms.
And I knew he was full of shit. He was responding from insecurity. He was supposed to be an expert and since we had taken different routes in stickwork, I must be wrong and he must be right. As he left my friends turned to me and said, basically, "Wow, what an idiot."
That was the moment for me that brought it into focus. Oh, to be certain, through the years my insecurities have gotten the better of me at times but by being willing to admit I do not know everything, that I can learn something from just about anything I have become more comfortable with using my insecurities as motivation rather than inspiration for the abuse of others.
So when I see people screaming about God, all I hear is the translation:
"I am insecure in my faith and thus must abuse and cow you to assuage my fears and insecurities."
And I either ignore or mock their position as strikes my fancy.
This is something I have done actively for over 30 years now, starting with being called into the Principle's office to discuss a reprinting of the High School newspaper due to a fictional religion a friend and I had made up and wrote about. It was Stilmoreism, named because no matter how much you knew, there was still more to learn. It was not named after Stillwell and Moore, the two students who collaborated on this joke and were the target of threats and retribution.
So if you believe you are the focus of this blog entry, you are an idiot. As I have stated many times, events may inspire me or motivate me but when I attack a single person, I use their name so there is no misunderstanding.
People are welcome to respond to me in any way they desire. I will remind everyone who responds of my personal policy when it comes to attacks.
I answer a slap with 30.
And you need to remember three other things
But the fact of the matter is these people have no special knowledge, they do not have a direct line to God's plan or intent, and their pretended outrage at folks mocking God is really just the insecurity of their own faith.
We are all insecure about things to a varying degree and that insecurity can motivate us, paralyze us, or turn us abusive. I try to turn my insecurities into motivations to get better. When I was younger I was insecure about my intelligence. I was an OK athlete but all of my brothers were better, but I was smart so my insecurity had me claiming to be smarter, as if it were a competition. In my high school years I began to realise I did not need to be smarter, or better, or anything else and, as has been the case in my life often, I learned this through the actions of others.
I was 18 years old and although I had begun to realise I did not need to be the smartest, I could just be smart, I did not need to be the fastest, I could just be fast, and I did not need to be the best, I could just be good, it all came into focus one afternoon as friends and I were talking to a gentleman in his mid 20's.
We were at a rehearsal for a school play and I had, a couple of years previously, started training with a quarterstaff. I had read something in a book that inspired me and begun trying to duplicate what I had read, had gotten some advice from folks, had basically taken any idea I saw and incorporated it into what I was doing.
Friends of mine mentioned to this mid 20's "expert" and he agreed to take a look at what I was doing. He watched and immediately condemned everything I done as useless in the most insulting and denigrating terms.
And I knew he was full of shit. He was responding from insecurity. He was supposed to be an expert and since we had taken different routes in stickwork, I must be wrong and he must be right. As he left my friends turned to me and said, basically, "Wow, what an idiot."
That was the moment for me that brought it into focus. Oh, to be certain, through the years my insecurities have gotten the better of me at times but by being willing to admit I do not know everything, that I can learn something from just about anything I have become more comfortable with using my insecurities as motivation rather than inspiration for the abuse of others.
So when I see people screaming about God, all I hear is the translation:
"I am insecure in my faith and thus must abuse and cow you to assuage my fears and insecurities."
And I either ignore or mock their position as strikes my fancy.
This is something I have done actively for over 30 years now, starting with being called into the Principle's office to discuss a reprinting of the High School newspaper due to a fictional religion a friend and I had made up and wrote about. It was Stilmoreism, named because no matter how much you knew, there was still more to learn. It was not named after Stillwell and Moore, the two students who collaborated on this joke and were the target of threats and retribution.
So if you believe you are the focus of this blog entry, you are an idiot. As I have stated many times, events may inspire me or motivate me but when I attack a single person, I use their name so there is no misunderstanding.
People are welcome to respond to me in any way they desire. I will remind everyone who responds of my personal policy when it comes to attacks.
I answer a slap with 30.
And you need to remember three other things
- God loves me best
- God tells me I am right
- If you disagree with me it means you hate God