studentdriver

This is the longest I've gone without updating my journal. I guess I hadn't much of consequence to say, despite big events like the election. I got out much of what I had to say in boards or in commenting on other SG users' journals, so it doesn't bear repeating here. But. I will ramble a bit about one topic; if you're looking for the usual personal stuff, look for a row of s, and that'll mark the beginning of my journal entry proper.
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Here's how I voted: Kerry/Edwards for President, Kernan for governor. Voted Democrat for Senate/House of Representatives; 3rd party where on the ballot for local positions, Democrat otherwise. Withheld votes for unopposed Republicans. Did not vote for school boards- I figure I should leave those choices up to parents. Voted "yes" to all 3 constitutional amendments (Not from Indiana? Don't worry- all three amendments were procedural, like setting the start date for the terms of certain elected officials. Nothing major like civil rights issues...), and voted to retain the judge.

The best that can be said about the presidency right now is that George W. can't serve a third term. Unless the Republicans push through a constitutional amendment. I think if that happens, the moving-out-of-the-US thing will become less of a punchline and more of an option.

With the backlash against his reelection has come quite a bit of backlash against Christians, as if Christians en masse voted for Bush. A lot of people seem to forget that the "good guy" in the Presidential election was also a self-proclaimed Christian. The United States of Canada/Jesusland map was kind of funny, but the vitriol has gotten somewhat bitter and has been coming out of some surprising mouths.

Cairo wrote a strong, intelligent post in the boards calling attention to it; there has been a lot of reaction, with some less than thoughtful reactions coming from SG users from whom I expected a little more reason... defending their right to hold all Christians liable for what a vocal/stupid minority do, while admitting that doing the same thing to Muslims or any other group would be reprehensible and discriminatory. Much has been made of the fact that "we" (Christians who are tired of being lumped into one black-listed group with the idiots and racists that happen to call themselves Christian) haven't muzzled the loudmouths like Pat Robertson or the guys who stand on street corners, calling passers-by sinners.

I think a lot of it is due to ignorance about the nature of Christian churches; expecting me or Cairo or someone to stop Pat Robertson, is like asking someone who lives in Virginia to not reelect Arnold as governor of California. Do they yell at Amish (an offshoot sect of the Mennonites, a Protestant Christian denomination) for the anti-gay rhetoric of the Southern Baptist Convention? (Do they even realize that the fact that the SBC had to vote on gay rights indicates that a large percentage of their own members have been agitating for change from within?)

I also think a lot of it is ignorance of what the term Christian means. Frankly, a lot of Christians don't really know what it means. Christian does not mean anti-gay. Christian does not mean anti-abortion. Christian does not mean racist. Christian does not mean anti-Muslim. A Christian does not need to believe the Bible is infallible. A Christian does not need to live by any rules in the Bible much more than the basic "be nice to people" thing that Jesus preached. We don't have to follow the suggestions laid down by Moses, Paul, or anyone else. A Christian does not have to beat others over the head with "right vs. wrong" rhetoric. All a Christian is supposed to do is: believe in Jesus, treat people kindly, and live humbly. That's it. Everything else that churches have piled on over the centuries is icing/shit smeared on that simple little cake.

So, to summarize: yes, many Christians in America are intolerant bastards. But... it's their warped take on Christianity that makes a mockery of things, not Christianity itself.



Safe reading from here-on-out, kids.

Dancing tonight with QaliDoom if things go right. Looks like her place should be relatively easy to find, but there's a possibility that I could be ambushed by her relatives and sprayed in the face with bleach. FUN!

We'll be toddling off to Talbott Street; a dance club that a few DJs I like spin at, and a dance club that Tony would never be seen in. Apparently they have drag shows a few times a night. Should be entertaining... I'm hoping the atmosphere is as friendly as Eden; I'd like to find a house-friendly place that has actual dancing going on, rather than the guys-in-Xbox-t-shirts-standing-to-the-side-while-the-DJ-spins thing that goes on at events in Fusion and everywhere else in Indy. I'd have to go by myself, or with female friends, though.

Much thinking about relationship stuff over the last few days. Frustrating thinking. I feel myself growing a little less introverted lately (brain chemical thing, possibly, so this might only be temporary), and feel a little more comfortable week by week with, say, talking to new people, or getting to know new folks. I wanna try dating again. I'm just not sure how. A good portion of humanity seems to have been born with the ability to just do this stuff; people like me have to crawl along and slowly pick up crumbs of knowledge about how society works. Whee. Life'd be easier if the right girl would just come up to me, take my hand, and say "we're a couple now."