Read this in the morning news...
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/sect-holes-up-in-cave-to-await-doomsday/20071115174909990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
MOSCOW (Nov. 15) - At least 30 members of a Russian doomsday cult have barricaded themselves in a remote cave to await the end of the world and are threatening to commit suicide if police intervene, officials and media said Thursday.
So here we have a group of people who have decided that the world is coming to an end (next May - just in case you want to make any plans, lol), and plan to wait it out in a cave. The article doesn't specify why they chose to do this, so I can only assume they are either hoping to be spared, or ghoulishly planning to watch it all unfold before their own turn comes (maybe they think it will take a while for "God" to find them in that cave?). What makes this really sick is that they have at least 4 children with them.
Even more disturbing is that the article goes on to claim that the leader of this little troupe is a known schizophrenic who had taken to sleeping in a coffin for months before the authorities could get hold of him and get him treatment. The police have since brought the man back to his group to try and persuade them to leave the cave, but they refused.
I don't understand this kind of behavior at all. For one thing, even if I knew for sure that the world was coming to an end, the last thing I would want to do is spend the end of my life holed up in a dark, dank, smelly cave with a bunch of lunatics. I'd be out doing all the things I wanted to but thought I had more time for, just like people do when they find out they've got late-stage cancer or other terminal diseases. I'd go on a cross-country trek just to see it all before it's gone. I'd visit every one of my relatives (even those I haven't seen in 30 years or more) just to tell them I love them. I'd advise others to live every day like it was their last - just in case.
That is the way that reasonable people behave when faced with the prospect that their own lives are coming to an end. But once you put religion into the mix, reason seems to disappear like mist on a sunny morning.
That may sound strange coming from someone who is an ordained minister, but my "religion" is Humanism, which is a system of beliefs based on reason, logic, scientific knowledge, and the strong conviction that humanity can solve it's own problems. We do not attempt to answer the question of whether or not a "god" exists, first because there is not enough evidence to support or deny such a being's existence, and second because it's not relevant to our daily lives. What IS relevant is how we choose to live, how we treat our fellow humans, and what we can do to make our world a better place.
And as a Humanist, I can assure you that the world will not be coming to an end next spring, nor any time in our lifetimes. At some point, millions or even billions of years from now, our sun will die, and it will take life on Earth with it. But that's so far in the future that we cannot even predict if humanity will still exist at that time (extinction can happen to ANY species, including homo-sapiens). In fact, it is far more likely that humanity will die off by our own hands - through nuclear or biological attacks, destruction of the ozone layer, global climate change, or the continued wasting of our natural resources - than through any natural or supernatural event.
I hope the Russian police find a way to get those folks out of that cave safely, especially the children. It's even remotely possible that the children will leave on their own (as kids sometimes have more common sense than the adults they are entrusted to). But if that doesn't happen, then one has to wonder what they will do when June comes around and the world is still here. Will they realize they were wrong and come out of that cave? Will they accept that they were misled by a man who was mentally ill and stop treating his delusions as "revelations" from their higher power?
Or will they do as so many similar cults have done before and claim there was a miscalculation - or worse, take their own lives to avoid facing reality?
For the children's sake, I hope someone in that group will come to their senses.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Religious faith or delusion?
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Banners
Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm gradually adding a few ad banners at the bottom of this blog. There are a few things I want to tell you about how I choose these banners, and why:
1. All banners that you will see are for products, services, or companies I have personally used or use repeatedly, and which I feel offer quality, fair pricing, and good value.
2. I will not promote any site, service, product or company that I cannot (in good conscience)personally vouch for.
3. There will be one banner that rotates ads based on the advertisers I selected at Commission Junction. Those selections were subjected to the same criteria I listed in #1 above.
4. In addition to the one rotating (active) banner, there will be a few static banners. These are featured advertisements from a select list of products, services, or businesses that I am personally involved with on a recurring basis (ex: our car loan came from RoadLoans.com, and I am a game moderator at DukesandDragons.com).
5. Once I begin writing product reviews, I may feature banners for that particular product or service during the month the review appears on the main page of the blog, or longer if I feel the subject of the advertisement deserves additional exposure. As stated previously, any product reviews I do for compensation will be clearly marked as such within the post.
I tell you this because I want you to know that, although I do hope to generate income from this blog (and others), I also realize that any endorsements I allow here, whether through banner ads or reviews, put my integrity on the line. Because of this, I will not promote ANY product, website, service, or business unless I feel confident that any reader who patronizes that product or business will be as satisfied with the results as I was.
Politics
I used to hate politics. In my younger days, the minute any politician started talking, my eyes glazed over and I found something more interesting to do.
But as you grow older, become a parent, have a career, and deal with issues like a sick family member with no health insurance, or a paycheck that doesn't cover your basic needs, etc. - you begin to realize just how important it is to know what your representatives are all about, what agenda's they are pushing, and how it will affect your ability to survive in an unpredictable world.
I always identified with the Democrats because I grew up poor and had been led to believe that the Dem's were advocates for the issues that had the greatest impact on those living in poverty, such as affordable healthcare and housing, improved education, and a living wage. But while that may have been true at one time, I'm not so sure it is any more.
These days, politics are all about "spin". There are very few people currently in the running for President (or any other office) whom I feel can be trusted or who I expect to live up to their promises. In fact, despite the fact that the 2008 elections could put the first woman or black man into the White House, I am sorry to say I don't think it will make much difference. Both Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama have been so carefully groomed to appeal to the widest possible voter base that I am no longer sure either of them is capable of having an original thought. And if there is anything America does NOT need, it's another President who can't speak without a script.
I would like to see an end to politicial parties. I would like to see a day when ANYONE can run for public office, without having to kiss the posteriors of campaign donors, even if they aren't independently wealthy. I would like to see the day when we choose who to vote for based on their personal level of honesty, integrity, intelligence, skill, and ability to do the job we're hiring them for.
Most of all, I'd like to see the day when Americans can actually TRUST their government again.
I don't know who I'll be voting for next year. The only candidate that I found to be truly unique and willing to listen to the American people is Mike Gravel. But he is practically ignored in the media, and without the financial resources of a Clinton or almost any Republican candidate, it's doubtful he'll be able to stay in the race.
When that happens, America loses.
OJ goes on trial... AGAIN!
I'm not a sports fan. I never watch it on television, and I've only attended a few sporting events in my life (most of which have been my son's wrestling matches). So I was never a fan of OJ Simpson when he was playing football, and his brief stint in movies and television didn't impress me much either.
In fact, the only time he really caught my attention was when he was on trial for killing his ex-wife and her friend, Ron Goldman. I thought he was guilty all along. There simply was no other logical explanation for the forensic evidence (not the infamous glove, but the blood of BOTH victims inside his car, in his private shower at his home, and on his socks). I was appalled when the jury did not convict him.
I applauded the jury in the civil trial for doing what the criminal jury did not have the guts for. We all know that there isn't any amount of money that can make up for the brutal murder of a loved one, but at least the Goldman family has made sure that OJ did not benefit from his crime (for the most part).
And perhaps now, with OJ facing a new trial on robbery and other charges (possibly including kidnapping), it will be time for OJ to really pay the piper. I mean, let's face it - jail is jail. Whether he's incarcerated for this crime, or for the previous murders, he will still be losing his freedom, possibly for the rest of his life.
Maybe this time justice really will prevail.
Of course, OJ had his own spin on things:
"This is what we expected," Simpson told The Associated Press before he left the courtroom. "If I have any disappointment it's that I wish a jury was here. As always, I rely on the jury system."
Yeah, I'll just bet he does. But he should also remember that another jury found him culpable for the previous murders, which ironically helped lead him to his current legal troubles.
Life lesson here: What goes around really DOES come back around again. ;-)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Life gets hectic sometimes...
Well, I'm back.
It's been a while since I've posted here, and I do apologize for my absence. Unfortunately, life does sometimes get in the way of the things we'd rather be doing. The past few months have been quite busy for me and my family. We're still adjusting to our new home in Pennsylvania, our older car was giving up the ghost so we had to devote a lot of time to purchasing a replacement, and there have been some other family issues as well. Nothing serious - just time consuming and requiring a lot of attention. In addition, my husband had to get set up with several new doctors, as he has some health issues that need monitoring on a regular basis. That alone has taken up a large amount of time in getting his new insurance coverage started, choosing doctors, filling out reams of paperwork, and getting many diagnostic tests re-done because the new doctors don't want to rely on reports from the old doctors.
However, things are settling down, and with the holiday season upon us, I thought it was time I returned to my first love... writing, and sharing my thoughts with all of you.
I also wanted you to know that I will be looking into some ways of turning this blog into an income-producer, and one of these may be to write sponsored reviews through PayPerPost.com. I chose this particular group because I like their ethics disclosure, and the fact that they have no problem with bloggers revealing that some posts are "paid" reviews or commentaries. I would have done that anyway, but it's nice to know they actually want to be honest with the readers who patronize their writer's blogs.
Most of my posts will continue to be about life and/or things in the news that give me pause. But now and then there will be one that is a sponsored review, and it will be clearly stated as such within the post itself.
I hope this will not be objectionable to anyone, but please feel free to leave your comments below (for or against the idea). I want to know what you think.
