Grand sweeping theories are fatally flawed. The world isn't that black and white and just "one thing" or "one way" doesn't seem to work. Totally laissez-faire economics is flawed as is complete government control. Strict, Puritanical morality is unhealthy as is a wild, "anything goes" attitude. The Buddha had it right: Choose the Middle Way. (and think of the title of a book by Zen master Suzuki: "Not Always So" --true, true!)
I read this somewhere about a person who was obsessed with "immortality" and the God question (sorry, I forget who it was): "I thought I was learning how to live, but I was really learning how to die."
Jesus wept. Socrates laughed.
I've never celebrated Christmas and I'm looking forward to it. Nonetheless, hearing "Jingle Bells" and "Little Drummer Boy" in every effing store since November 1st is absolutely ridiculous. Damn commercialism.
I seem to get along with women better than men. Is that weird? No, seriously. I don't know if it is because of deep evolutionary drives or simply how I was raised. Women rawk!
Another great quote: "Religion is nothing but ignorance of natural causes reduced to a system."
I've vascillated on the question of cults and mind control for a while now. I've come to this conclusion: they exist! I don't care what a group of sociologists or psychologists say, mind-control (indoctrination, brainwashing, manipulation) and cults are an everyday occurance. You don't need to control the neuronal firings in the brain to have control over someone's thoughts. All you need is people and a message. Yes, the JWs are a cult. Yes, they practice mind-control. We can go round and round how cults don't "exactly" control one's thoughts, but I think that is simply missing the forest for the trees.
But....some cults are neccessary! Take the military, for instance. In such an institution you need conformity, unquestioning loyalty and "mind control." Scary, but true. To a certain extent the same is true in some families and businesses. (that's where that "Middle Way" comes into play again!)
Sex is both overrated and underrated; overblown and mistunderstood. It can be nothing at all or the most powerful thing in the universe.
The coolest man in the history of humanity has got to be Samuel L. Jackson. That guy is one bad mo-fo!
The US constitution is flawed, there's no doubt about that. You can't tell me that a group of 18th century highbrows were perfect and totally selfless. (A short perusal of the life of Alexander Hamilton will bear this out quite nicely!) All the same, what are we going to do now? Make a new constitution? Do that and we will have more chaos and terror than the less-than-perfect government we have now. It's a damned situation we're in.
Did you know I have pizza, either as a meal or a snack, nearly five days a week? And I'm not fat! (But, I am 27)
A proffessor of mine said it best once, "Television is the mind cancer." Don't believe me? "Joe Millionaire." Nuff said.
For me life is all about two things: truth and happiness. Discover the truth as best I can, be happy and make others happy. That's my religion.
Bradley