Gentleman, please...
Submitted by Nathan on January 13 2001 03:01:18
In reply to huh? submitted by Splash! on January 13 2001 00:38:32
|
Jim, I understand your feelings exactly. I spent my life resenting born again Christians for their smug arrogance and closed minds-- until I became one. As C.S. Lewis put it, "I was dragged kicking and screaming into the Kingdom." Let me try to explain it a little more gently. When you're in a situation where things aren't going your way, a person's first response is one of control: you either run away, or try to possess something, or want to smash it. Like someone you love. When I see a beautiful boy in tight little speedos my first instinct is aggression. This thought comes into my head "Oh, do I ever want to f**k that!" I don't even think of him as a person. But the point is that I don't actually do it. If I was just an animal I might. But I'm a human being. I realize that I don't really just want physical pleasure-- I want love. I want him to know me and want to be with me. I want him to BE a person. So the next moment I think, "What am I doing? I don't want that!" But if that's what I really want then why that first thought? Think about it. Every time you've seen someone you wanted to touch and couldn't, every time you wanted to do something and were prevented from it, every time you've had a disagreement with someone and just wanted to be understood--- you never wanted to hurt anybody. You just want love. But there's this flash of aggression that cuts in, even if only for a moment. And sometimes that flash is strong enough to make you do something that the sane part of you doesn't want, and afterward you and the other person are both hurt. Why? Where does it come from? Nobody knows, although Christians have a few theories. The point is that humans are affected with a sort of disorder-- like schizophrenia, except everybody has it. Our minds don't always work properly. So the point of religion is to learn to work with that disorder, learn from it, see how it operates, and then try to treat it. That's all. Don't be put off by arrogant Christians (I don't mean you, Splash). We don't like them either. But if you don't take the time to understand just because the first 10000 people who told you were assholes, then you'll miss the one person who isn't. Love, Nathan. |
Follow ups: