We are all taught that one should not bring up religion or politics in polite company. It is simply not done. After all, you do not want to offend the other person. I get it, but find it amusing none the less. There are a few reasons for my amusement.
First, why does the other person get offended? Has the individual not thought about their beliefs and values and is therefore shocked when someone suggests disagreement with them? Second, when religion and political views are used so often to defend actions, policies, or decisions which impact everyone, why should these topics be outside the purview of any group discussion. If everyone practiced their religion and politics inside their homes privately, then I would not have an issue if it was improper to discuss. But it is not, and so I am challenging the very notion. These things matter, and we do not help by making them taboo.
In the posts to come, I hope to put forth some of my thoughts and views on what I consider to be important topics. As you can guess, religion and politics are two of the main ones. Others are hinted at in the header image at the top: Energy (and Energy Policy), Science and Technology, Vegetarianism, and National Security.
I started writing this blog some time back, but I am going to attempt writing more frequently this year, so this is a start of sorts. To help with that of course, I am fortunate to have a very talented graphic designer by way of my wife help. She has designed the header and I think you will agree that it is quite spectacular. Hopefully the quality of this blog will be on par with the quality of her work.
I sometimes feel a blog is a narcissistic pursuit. Why should anyone care what you have to say through a medium that does not allow for a discussion? I am hoping that is where your comments come in. For me they are going to be one of the primary enjoyments of this blog. I look forward to reading and responding to your comments and have that be the channel for a healthy discussion. I also invite any of you to post on this blog if you wish. Together, we can explore the most advance and perhaps odd species to walk this Earth - The Inscrutable Humans.
First, why does the other person get offended? Has the individual not thought about their beliefs and values and is therefore shocked when someone suggests disagreement with them? Second, when religion and political views are used so often to defend actions, policies, or decisions which impact everyone, why should these topics be outside the purview of any group discussion. If everyone practiced their religion and politics inside their homes privately, then I would not have an issue if it was improper to discuss. But it is not, and so I am challenging the very notion. These things matter, and we do not help by making them taboo.
In the posts to come, I hope to put forth some of my thoughts and views on what I consider to be important topics. As you can guess, religion and politics are two of the main ones. Others are hinted at in the header image at the top: Energy (and Energy Policy), Science and Technology, Vegetarianism, and National Security.
I started writing this blog some time back, but I am going to attempt writing more frequently this year, so this is a start of sorts. To help with that of course, I am fortunate to have a very talented graphic designer by way of my wife help. She has designed the header and I think you will agree that it is quite spectacular. Hopefully the quality of this blog will be on par with the quality of her work.
I sometimes feel a blog is a narcissistic pursuit. Why should anyone care what you have to say through a medium that does not allow for a discussion? I am hoping that is where your comments come in. For me they are going to be one of the primary enjoyments of this blog. I look forward to reading and responding to your comments and have that be the channel for a healthy discussion. I also invite any of you to post on this blog if you wish. Together, we can explore the most advance and perhaps odd species to walk this Earth - The Inscrutable Humans.
4 comments:
a few weeks ago you likened gun ownership to abortion. how can an amoral object be compared to the action of a moral being? this seems logically inconsistent.
No, I likened the personal liberty of gun ownership to the personal liberty of a woman to have an abortion or the personal liberties of two individuals to live together. My argument was that if gun ownership is defended as a personal liberty, then the people making that argument should be on board with others making the same argument for something else.
I am not making this argument, just pointing out the irony of it. All three, gun control, abortion, and gay rights ar easily the topic of other posts.
Hey! good to see you here ;-)
Enjoyed reading this! Didn't realize you had started the blog back in 2009. On a separate note, like you, I too often struggle with what I find to be a narcissistic pursuit with my blog. But what I hope a blog, including my blog, can provide are ideas, inspiration, perspectives, and fodder for discussion of all sorts of topics. Looking forward to your future posts and contributing to the discussion :)
Richa
www.urbanmantra.blogspot.com
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