Racism

“This is not New Zealand” is the sentiment expressed everywhere on the internet after the horrific shooting of muslims in Christchurch. What do they mean exactly? True, such an abhorrent act has never been seen in New Zealand before, but the motivation should not come as a surprise considering the anti-muslim rhetoric spewing forth from america since 9/11.  Every muslim is regarded as a terrorist. I’ve heard anti-muslim remarks from New Zealanders. New Zealanders are not immune to racism. Even though the perpetrator was Australian (and I’m sure there have been many anti-Australian comments made as a result, or should I say even more), the views the man expressed are shared with many within New Zealand. Racists are everywhere, including among Maori.

My daughter has olive skin. She was working in a shoe shop in Palmerston North when a man verbally attacked her, saying she should go back to where she came from. Because she was not “white” he assumed, wrongly, that she was an immigrant. My daughter was so upset, she had to go home. She was born in New Zealand. Her mother is a New Zealand citizen. Such racist attitudes are not unheard of at all. Just because many educated New Zealanders do not have racist attitudes, they seem to think that all New Zealanders share that view. They do not.

On a nearly daily basis in New Zealand, I heard anti-Australian remarks at work. It was racism, pure and simple. I was sick to the back teeth of the negativity – any excuse to put down Australia. This article, appearing in Stuff in 2017, puts it so well:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/92030101/dear-new-zealand-what-did-australia-ever-do-to-you

“Any chance to knock down Australia is seized upon, even the most tenuous of chances to criticise us is grasped eagerly. When someone has the audacity to stand up for Australia they get told Australians are much more vitriolic, so it’s okay.

I have lived in Australia for 33 years, I have worked with Kiwis, and at no point have I heard an Australian turn as venomous towards a Kiwi as I have heard Kiwis turn towards us.

We do enjoy banter and maybe we take it too far sometimes, but I’ve never heard an Australian say they hate New Zealanders – there are so many of you over here you’re part of our country.”

I have now lived in Australia for three years. Not once, ever, have I heard an anti-New Zealand sentiment. To be perfectly honest, Australians don’t even think about New Zealand except as a travel destination, but praise our scenery and lifestyle and even the current prime minister. What did Australia ever do to earn New Zealanders’ animosity?

I was pleasantly surprised that many commenters agreed with the article, while others, of course, disagreed, uttering remarks based on ignorance. Usually, you read any comments section of a stuff article (or any social media forum) and you will read small-minded bigotry and real hatred. Note the name of the author was withheld – for good reason. The person was probably in fear of receiving death threats and I kid you not. Why such surprise that one such wanker acted on his ignorance and moral ineptitude, fed by american media?

Before 9/11 no-one really thought about muslims. Blame the yanks. The official story surrounding 9/11 is all false and since then any terrorist act has been blamed on Al Qaeda, Isis, or some other named group we’d never heard of before 2001. Any muslim, mentally unstable or otherwise, acting alone or otherwise, is labelled a terrorist for any act whatsoever (such as stabbing one person). Any non-muslim is not. At least the Christchurch act is being labelled as terrorism. Frankly, I’m surprised there have not been more anti-muslim terrorist acts before now. Sadly, I think there will be more.

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This 2012 thing

It’s all a load of shite isn’t it – just like the rapture last year.  People with small brains believe that stuff.

I read an interesting post at Ricky Gervais’ blog.  He mentioned 2012 then went on to say:

“On a serious note, why do these fanatics keep making predictions with provable results? They are always going to come unstuck. Just keep to “God does everything and when we die we go to heaven”. They can’t be “proved” wrong then. It’s a meaningless statement of course, because it’s equally unprovable that when we die we come back as Gremlins, but still.

There seems to be this weird misconception that it is wrong to disrespect anyone’s religious and spiritual beliefs. Some take this so far that they suddenly start seeing it as an infringement of their rights. This is ludicrous.

It is anyone’s right to believe in anything, however ridiculous, and anyone else’s right to believe they are deluded and laughable. I don’t see the problem here.

My belief that you are mental for believing in Thor doesn’t affect the truth of Thor’s existence. Thor either exists or he doesn’t. My belief that he is a concept made up by ancient civilizations to explain things that science hadn’t explained yet, doesn’t effect that.

Just like telling a child for the first time that the earth goes round the sun doesn’t actually affect the earth’s orbit. Everyone has the right to believe that the earth doesn’t move at all. I think they would be wrong; ridiculous in fact. If this made them cry I would feel bad. If they said that now they had no purpose to live I would want them to feel better.

I could tell them that they were right all along and that the earth is indeed just hovering in space. I would be lying but it wouldn’t affect me. I could tell them to seek medical help. Or I could tell them that it doesn’t matter what is happening with the earth’s orbit because even though we have opposing beliefs we are experiencing exactly the same effects.

Here’s the thing though. Even though I can respect someone’s right to believe in something I believe is wrong, I cannot respect that belief. It doesn’t make sense. I can’t respect the belief that 2+2=5. But I can and do respect someone’s right to believe that 2+2=5. They can be as bad as they like at maths as far as I’m concerned. As long as their bad maths doesn’t affect me obviously.

And so with God. I cannot respect the belief in God. It opposes everything I believe to be true. However, I respect anyone’s right to believe in God. And if a regime I was living under outlawed the right to believe in the impossible, the improvable, the illogical or the unprovable, I would speak out and fight for anyone’s right to believe in such things, without ever believing in those things myself. Freedom of speech trumps all. As long as those beliefs didn’t affect my or anyone else’s rights.

Basically it’s everyone’s right to be wrong. ”

Hear, hear.  I particularly like the sentence “There seems to be this weird misconception that it is wrong to disrespect anyone’s religious and spiritual beliefs.”  This particularly true of Christians (ie they don’t like it).  They get deeply offended if you don’t believe or respect their religion and some suddenly “dislike” you because you don’t believe in some mythical man in the sky.   And yet they, funnily enough, disrespect all other religions.  Only theirs is the ‘right’ one.  Dream on.  Bigoted hypocrites will not earn any respect from me, regardless of their beliefs.

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Little rant

‘Happy Feet’ the emperor penguin found on a beach north of Wellington full of sand, is being taken south to colder waters to be set free today. One of the colleagues at work mentioned that today, and the woman next to her said snidely “Yeah, how much did that care cost?”. Colleague said he was cute. Another piped up “So what?”. Yet another said “There’s a lot to be said for letting nature take its course”. What let the penguin die a slow death just because it costs money to help it? What sort of attitude is that? Why are humans more important than animals? (We ARE animals.) Where is the compassion for another living being? Their attitude seems to be – let the bastards die. If you can’t eat them, what’s the use of them? Callous!

To the person who said “let nature take its course”, how about sticking to that viewpoint when it comes to humans? Why waste money on taking care of anyone, especially if they’re past their use-by date or are criminals. Let them all rot and perish because it costs too much. “I’m alright, Jack, nothing to do with me” is their selfish attitude. Need I say that one of the above was a devout Christian? It’s a Christian doctrine that believes that animals (and nature) only exist to be of use to humans and it’s the cause of today’s devastation of the natural world. There’s no compassion. Give me Buddhists any day that hold all life sacred. Why shouldn’t an animal of any kind have the same right to life that humans do?

The above Christian went on to say that trying to save beached whales was a waste of time and asked colleague if she’d spend hours in freezing water trying to save one. “Yes” she said. Up to now, I’d been quietly fuming, but I piped up and said I would too. Then they equated it with a cow floating down the river in a flood and would we swim out to save it. These people have no ****ing idea.

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My attempts at decluttering

I’m glad I called it a project.  It’s going to be a long hard slog.  It’s so difficult to know where to start.  I have started though, so that’s something.

Books and clothing are easy so I’ve recycled some clothes and books and have another 3 bags of books, clothes and shoes.  But as I was looking for books to get rid of I found some children’s books which seemed good enough to sell.  Taking photos and putting them online takes time and is it really worth the effort?  I’ve done a few to see how it goes.

While sorting through stuff I found some old books that I was looking after for my bro when he was overseas.  Most of them are 19th century copies of Charles Dickens stories.  Among the books though, were some Christian books.  One of them was inscribed to my father “To Don, for homework”.  I feel sorry for him.  He was about 13 or 14 at the time.  I’ve left them with the books I’ll return to my brother.  The ones that aren’t inscribed, I’ll just give away.  They’re not of any particular value.  I did feel grateful that my father didn’t insist on doing the same thing to his kids.  I remember him writing “agnostic” on census surveys, so although he had a bible, he looked on it more as a work of literature and didn’t really believe.

I’ve cleaned up the three bikes we own and I’ll give the two worst ones away and will probably give the other away when I’ve figured out how to get the combination lock off it.  Then there’s the junk I was given last year which doesn’t work…

My room is still the worst.  It’ll take time.

A while ago I lamented to someone that I couldn’t find 3 things in my bedroom that meant something to me.  She, believing in faery folk, said to ask them nicely to give them back.  I thought this was a little insane but as I’d met a person before who believed the same thing, I thought I’d give it a go.  Not long after, I found one of them, in a place I never thought I’d put it.

Just recently as I was looking through books to give away, I found the other two items – one was a book, so that made sense, but the other was a DVD  tucked in under a book.  I don’t recall putting either of those items where I found them.  It was quite bizarre.

So, onward, time-consuming as it is.  I’ll let you know when I feel like I’ve actually achieved something.

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The grumps (thinking aloud)

I’m feeling extraordinarily grumpy today.  I haven’t felt like this since having my periods.  I can only put it down to the weather.  Damp greyness always depresses me.  It shouldn’t surprise me as December is usually the worst of the “summer” months.  It’s also humid and I had a rather damp, sleepless night last night, waking up at about 5.30 and not being able to go back to sleep, so I’ve been up a while.

The Xmas season is meaningless to me.  I put up a tree and a couple of decorations but it was a half-hearted effort and daughter didn’t seem bothered at all.  She pretty much ignored my efforts and didn’t comment.  Perhaps she’s feeling grumpy as well.  She’s currently out collecting money for SAFE. She even persuaded her ex-boyfriend to do the same in his town.

Work has been extremely tedious lately.  I’d caught up on 3/4 of my work and only had one task left to do for the whole day.  It’s a never-ending task but the lack of variety is boring.  So much so, that I couldn’t face it on Thursday and took a day off.  Only two more days of work to do and then I can “relax” or whatever.  Fact is, I’ve done very little today in my grumpiness.  A bit of washing, a bit of web-browsing, a bit of game-playing all of it in a bored, irritable mood.  If only I could get out and spray the convolvulus and mow the lawn.  All my hard work in the garden has gone to waste – it’s back to what it was – weedy and overgrown, particularly with the rain and humidity.

This afternoon I’m supposed to be going to a Druid midsummer ritual.   Long story but after a couple of attendances they expect you to go to everything (I see one of them every day at work).  I’m not a druid but I expressed an interest in what they do a few years ago while I was busy studying.  I thought I might look into it more once I’d stopped, but I’ve lost interest.  I’m just not into ritual of any kind.  I’m not sure how or if I can tell them that after all this time.  I haven’t gone to many and have made numerous excuses but it’s just down the road…

A few years ago I went to pagan gatherings at the solstices, etc, (different group) and they were more fun – less structured, more impulsive.  I’d actually rather celebrate by dancing in the backyard.  Fact is, I don’t follow the pagan calendar.  I have pagan beliefs but don’t like any structure.  The whole ritualised thing feels too fake and made up (and too much like a religion).  I get more out of sitting under an oak tree than standing in a circle reciting some lines made up by someone (“hail, salmon of the west” etc).  It’s about as meaningless to me as a hymn.

I think I might go and visit a friend instead.  No, wait.  There’s a vineyard down the valley and my friend lives on the way.  I could visit her tomorrow on the way as the vineyard is only open on Sundays at this time of year.  I only discovered yesterday in the supermarket that the vineyard existed.  Perhaps I should visit her on the way back and give her some wine purchased at the vineyard…  we always exchange bottles of wine each Christmas.

That still leaves this afternoon.  What, after all, am I going to do anyway?  I might as well go – it might get me out of this bored grumpiness.  I have no food to take though so I will say I can’t stay…

Sigh.

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Brief update

Nothing much to report. In better mood, thankfully.

I received yet another Christian email from my religious friend this morning. The subject line was “Please read if you love God”. I was about to delete it as I do all the others when I thought – here’s an opportunity to respond to the “if”. I was going to say “I don’t love God” but I simply said that “Sorry, I am not a Christian” and hit “Send” (resenting at the same time that I felt the need to apologise). I wonder what sort of response I’ll get, if any. He may have been under the mistaken assumption that I’m Christian all these years and it may come as a shock or perhaps he just sends these things to his “nice” friends. Who knows. He obviously doesn’t know me well.

Friday today. I’m glad. Older daughter coming up this evening and younger daughter bringing boyfriend round for dinner so it will be a full house.

Back to work….

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Godless

There was a poll on http://www.stuff.co.nz asking about knowing the Maori words for New Zealand’s national anthem.  Apparently someone reckons we should be ashamed if we don’t know the Maori words.  I don’t know the Maori words and don’t give a shit.  We were never taught the Maori version in school.  Why should I learn them?  What pisses me off more though is that the national anthem, as do so many, go on about a (christian) god defending them (or saving the queen, etc).  Gimme the Marseillaise any day.  God’s pretty busy defending all these countries, just as god is supposed to hear the prayers of this nation’s football fans over the other nation’s football fans.  It’s all terribly 19th century (when the stupid anthem was written) and passé.

I wish people would get over the belief that their nations are predominantly christian – not any more, mate.  And even if some call themselves christian they’re not ‘active’.  It’s just the way they were brought up  (it was accepted and assumed that every one was christian so you called yourself christian).  When asked at primary school by a teacher what church we all  belonged to I said “C of E” because I was born in England.   I also remember in primary school the class was asked if they envisaged themselves getting married in church.  I said no and the assumption was that I did not want to get married because marriage outside of a church was not considered an option (at least by this teacher).  My parents had got married in a registry office and if I ever did get married that was good enough for me, but I didn’t say any of this (being only 9 at the time).  The possibility that you were NOT christian didn’t enter people’s heads (fools).  I also hated singing anthems and school songs about god and having to recite the lord’s prayer (which I still know off by heart – at least before they changed the wording to be more “modern”).  I hated having to go to church or Sunday school with friends simply because I stayed over on Saturday night.  I hated “religious instruction” or what we called (not just me but the whole class) “ridiculous interruption” in my first primary school when I was about 7 or 8.

I’m just illustrating that I have never been christian, have never believed in the christian god and am sick to death of having this god thrown at me throughout my life.  Thankfully it’s not as overt as it used to be but I still have to see the horrendous, grotesque christian symbol of the cross on top of the clock tower every time I go into town.  It looks particularly ghastly when they light it up in red – it looks like a cheap, nasty plastic halloween decoration.

I’m not sure what got me started on this rant – perhaps the poll.  I’m guessing the anger I’ve felt throughout has simmered within and is still there.  I also recently found a positive article about atheists written by a christian and dared post it on my Facebook page – I say “dared” because some of my Australian cousins on Facebook are extremely religious – my male cousin is married to a woman who teaches the bible to children.  No doubt they’ll think I’m damned.  So I felt, by posting this article I was “coming out” as an atheist.  The writer of the article was probably quite brave, considering he was american. (I am extremely glad that I’m not an atheist living in the bigoted christian country of the USA.)  However, I took the article off my Facebook page the next day thinking “who cares?”  Apathy rules, not god.

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Errk!

I feel like vomiting after seeing the following title from a book published in 2008:

“Becoming the woman God wants me to be : a 90-day guide to living the Proverbs 31 life” by Donna Partow.

Aaarrgghh! Words fail me…

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Grr

I was happily walking along in the sun to my car after work and I got accosted by a bible basher giving out bits of paper with a bible verse on it.  This pisses me off in so many ways.  If I wanted to read a bible verse I’d look in a bible.  Don’t ruin my day by shoving your beliefs in my face!  How many frickin’ trees do Christians destroy giving out their bloody propaganda (I’m particularly thinking of the door-knocking “Watchtower” dispensers).  Just piss off and do something useful!  Help save the bloody planet or an endangered species or something instead of preaching your bloody viewpoints which are totally nonsensical to me.

I will now have a G&T and put on some soothing music to ease my irritation.

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Religious differences

I wonder how christian friends would react if I started sending them emails about my spiritual beliefs? It never ceases to amaze me that one friend in particular seems to assume that either 1) I’m christian or 2) I don’t mind receiving religious emails. Up to now I haven’t responded but I’m wondering whether I dare do so to express my “reluctance” in receiving them. Would they be hurt? Shocked? Offended? Apparently it’s ok to offend non-christians but not ok to offend christians (hence the cross atop the city clocktower). I’m happy for anyone to worship/believe in any deity/religion/spirituality they want but I do not want it shoved down my throat at every opportunity.

Just my thought for the day after having received yet another god-related email.

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