Unitarian Universalism

I was once again searching the wonder of wikipedia - this time it began with Joe Hill (not the Swedish activist and songwriter) but the writer. Who if you did not already know has written his first novel "Heart-Shaped Box" - which I have but have not read as yet. I plan to have a day (by day for those that don't know me I mean maybe an hour - if I can fit it in) of reading on the morrow I have a Tad Williams to finish and a John Scalzi to start then Joe Hill's after that.

As usual I loose track...

Joe is really Joseph Hillstrom King - son of (drum roll) Stephen King. It was kept a secret for a long time - at least until he got his first Novel out but once a picture of him was release it was obvious who his father is... poor guy - good thing he can write.

So after checking out Joe's stuff I went to check up on Stephen. I have a few (insert heaps) of his books and know a little about him and his life so it was more a bored, time wasting thing to do and low and behold I found Unitarian Universalism.

It seems that Stephen Kings Daughter is a Reverend in this Church. I had never heard of this particular religion before and so I had to go and check it out.

I was not disappointed.

"Our faith, Unitarian Universalism, is a spiritually alive and justice-centered religion." I found this on the UU site. Could I have uncovered the perfect religion - something that is really truly able to be say it is there for everyone and everything. Or is this religion just trying to be too much for everyone and not settling down on a belief.

They seem to stand for everything, free speech, gay/lesbian/transgender rights, environment you name it - if it is an under dog they are for it. Is this really a religion? Is it really Christian based? WTF?

I am somewhat shocked and disturbed by all this talk of religion actually taking up issues I believe in. I think I might need to lie down for a while bury my head until it all goes away. This just goes against all I believe about religion!!!

A quote to which I stand shocked and full of dismay;

"Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion that encompasses many faith traditions. Unitarian Universalists include people who identify as Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and others. As there is no official Unitarian Universalist creed, Unitarian Universalists are free to search for truth on many paths.
To quote the Rev. Marta Flanagan, "We uphold the free search for truth. We will not be bound by a statement of belief. We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. We say ours is a non-creedal religion. Ours is a free faith."
Although we uphold shared principles, individual Unitarian Universalists have varied beliefs about everything from scripture to rituals to God."

As I mentioned in the previous post I believe that Beliefs and I suppose Faith are a personal thing. you cannot have someone or indeed something tell you what you believe. Plenty try but I think that true free thinkers can wade through the mess and come to their own choice.

I have often thought about a belief, if I have to have one and if I have to turn it into words to describe it to others I would say a lot of what UU seems to say. I believe that IF there is a God out there, it would be made up of all the different Gods that we currently and have believed in throughout our human history. The pagan gods and goddess of the stream and tree and sky, the Hindu Gods, Christian, Jewish and Islamic and even the many parts of Buddha and others. Something about UU has me worried though. This is in America and it all seems a little too good to be true.

So I dug some more.

It seems that the Orange County Churches Review and Guide do not like them - they marked the church as one to avoid and that it was a Cult! (and not in the good way!) Of course I do not know what criteria this review blog works under and to be honest I was afraid to look too closely into the site itself - a little to Right Wing Christian for me. Surprise the RWC do not like UU - A vote for them from my books.

I told you it was all to good to be ture... I found this page. Here is the heart of the matter;
"Contrary to popular belief, when you join a Unitarian Universalist congregation, you cannot “believe anything you want.” You must believe, with all your heart and soul and mind, that love can transform the world."

What if MY belief has nothing to do with changing or transforming the world. After all I can only change myself, that is all that I have control over. Unless I am allowed to lock up people at my will I can do nothing about them or their beliefs. If by changing the world they mean change my out look on the world then yes I can do that - through love? Maybe, but love of what? Self love is important, universal love is something totally different. I can respect other people and other views but can I truly say I Love them if I do not know them?

I am not sure that UU is a religion for me but if one day I was forced to take a religion and follow it, UU would be on the short list. I would just need to know more.

In the mean time I will trust in the time honoured belief that has held me good for the past 30 something years. Or at least keep thinking what I want and believe in that instead.

What do you think? Is it really your own thoughts...

Religion.
Ask anyone about it and you get a different answer. Sure some may be based on the same general idea, or have the same name, but the real answer wil be something different. That is beacuse religion is something personal and it means different things to different people.
Our beliefs are defined by family, friends, experience and interests. These differ from person to person and across nationalities and socio-economic barriers. Yet our religion and our beliefs always get put in hole or pocketed away to become this all encompassing tag we carry around forever. Whether we are Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist or other, we are defined by what other people think about that tag. These thought feeling and indeed beliefs about other religions come from experiences (good and bad) and though interactions and the real evil in this world The Media.
Look at any news show, paper, magazine or website and you will see someone or something telling what to believe - and yes even this is doing that. We as free thinking human beings have to take, what they tell us and really examine it, think about it and decide to take on that idea, dismiss it or otherwise. I want to know can we truly dismiss it completely? Or does that idea, good, bad or indifferent really leave us.
For example, the Cronulla riots in 2005, had ideas about white supremacy and the hatred of Musliums. The amjor theme was that Middle Eastern or Southern European youths had conducted assults or intimidated people in the Cronulla area. A force of white supremacist then went and attacked people of Middle Eastern appearance, which then resulted in pay back assults.
Do those ideas and the fever from thoes days stay with people? Even thoes that dismissed them as racist? Or have thoes ideas taken a hold in the minds of people to fester and grow so that one day when say something else happens these previously dismissed beliefs come back to haunt them.
Say for example Sam, a person of mainly pale skin background, who would be thought of as coming from a mainly Christian heritage was walking home one night from work. He takes a train from the City to an outter suburb and walks the 4 blocks home to his flat he shares with other people of a similar background. He saw the riots on television in 2005 and was shocked at the blatant racisim toward Middle Eastern people. He dismissed the idea that Middle Eastern people are evil or bad and went on with his life. On this night is attacked and mugged for his wallet ($40, Credit Card and incovience), the attckers (there where two) where of Middle Eastern appearance. Now since the riots there has been many images in the media about attackes and violence all with hints (some more obvious) that Middle Eastern people where bad and always at fault.
So does the previously dismissed ideas come back to haunt Sam, maybe even turn his opinion and make him believe that what was said is the truth now he has experienced this attack. Or can his reason, in a clear and thought through way make him see this attack as a separate incident to the issue?
What I am trying to say here is - even though we dismiss ideas that are evil because of what they make us feel and how we know we should be as free thinkers. Do these same ideas infect us with fear and anger even as we reject them?
I suppose this all comes from watching to much crap "current affairs" shows on TV. Shows like Today Tonight and A Current Affair which seems to promote nothing but fear and anger at people, races, business, governement and individuals. I wonder if maybe even though I can look at the "stories" with an objective view am I really safe from being lured under there spell. Am I safe from being able to hold true to my beliefs and not be turned to think like they seem to want me?
Religion.
It used to be the answer to your belief. I am a Christian, I am a Jew... Now you have to ask whether or not you believe what the TV tells you, or the internet or the guy at the water fountain. It used to be that you could avoid being brain washed by avoiding the Church or public speakers. This open and continued bombardment from the Media means that you are constantly attacked, your person beliefs questioned and opposing views thrust at you. How can one stay true to oneself when everything you believe is constantly attacked?
What do you believe?
Who do you believe?

Trust no one.

New Music - Old Tastes

I went on a Wikipedia search the other day... as you do. I ended up at Roger Taylor page. The drummer of Queen, you know that great rock band of yesteryear, A fantastic musician and I suppose one of the reasons that I took up drums with such a fever in my youth. Him and others that I will get around to talking about at some stage I am sure...
Anyway i digress, I always knew that Roger had formed a side band "The Cross" at some stage during the Queen era - something I think they all did at some stage, Freddy and Brian with there solo stuff, not so sure about John Deacon - I think he is a very close family type of person and maybe he was happy with the fame from Queen and just to live with that... Anyway I have no idea so we'll leave it at that.
What I found out on Wikipedia was that Roger had a few solo albums starting with his first solo album "Fun In Space" in 1981 - he had a single at some stage before that. So intrigued as I am about Roger I went to iTunes and downloaded the album.
It is a little slower then I expected ( The Cross - from what I have heard - where a lot more rocker then this) Roger plays all the instruments on the album and sings through-out. His producer helped a bit with some synth or keys but this was mostly just Roger - unlike later Cross stuff where other where given co writing credits. I suppose I have to also remember this was early 80's and a different sound was around then.
The album has some really experimental tracks on it and a few really cool drum work - as you would expect. I also liked Rogers vocal capabilities (probably because it isn't always perfect but it has a growl to it) My favourite tracks after the two listens this morning...
Magic is Loose - Very early feelings of the "It's a Kind of Magic" album Queen will write later in the 80's. something about the way it builds up and is pop but still verging on something else. Roger's voice is brilliant in this funny little song.
Interlude in Constantinople - Synth and effected vox. makes me think of a soundtrack for a space opera movie. Something like Dr Who... then it just ends... funny
Airheads - Ah here is the rock number, thundering drums makes you want to turn it up to 11. Cool guitar riff, "people round here.. call me an airhead.." typical Roger lyrics straight to the point and direct. Love it - reminds me of the "I'm in Love with my Car" Queen song - penned by Roger
Fun in Space - If Interlude was Space opera THIS is the blockbuster and cult classic like 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
Such discoveries are still out there, finds of music and talent that I sometimes think are all gone. Nothing else can make me smile as much as music drifting me off to some special and secret place. I really want to grab some of The Cross as well, iTunes does not have it - next time I go to the big City I will search for something to make me dream again.
Good bye for now I drift off to my world in space and mind...

Something Evil This Way Comes

I had a post that I was going to put up. Something fun and silly and about my writing. Instead I read John Scalzi's latest Blog - and an in a state of shock and pain at the way people are. The way the Governement is. The way that we as people in this oh so great First world nations, have lost the one thing that we where all fighting for and earning for - to provide for the people. I have never worked the fourty Hour week my parents genration fought (and won) I work more then that always have. Why are we making those same mistakes again? What is the point of all this suffering pain horror.
Read Johns article and his earlier post, read the comments from 2005 and see what it means to be poor in the most powerful nation in the world. How can they live like that?

Something new

I like to wear nice underwear. I also tend to wear the old crappy blue jocks when I get down that low in my draw - but still there are days when i just like to slip into something nice. Whether they are of a particular colour or style that feels good on, or maybe they enhance or position my bits in such a way that makes me look good, feel good. I am not sure what it is but ai really do like it.

I like to feel sexy and bold, to walk out of the house stand tall and just know that under these clothes I am wearing something a that maybe is a little naughty, brash, or that feels really nice.

With all these thoughts in mind I bought something new and it arrive today, nothing wild nothing crazy just some new underwear, but they feel so good and I felt so sexy trying them on for my partner. I got rather excited!

The pic is the style and colour - Aussie Bum are just so great to wear. I find it hard not to be hard with them on.

Beginings

Below is the first edit of the start of the story about the last the posts picture - I wish to explore the world of the nudie run and the streaker - take a different veiw and explore the feelings behind what it means to expose yourself to others. Be the only naked person in a room, or even to be singled out in a crowd of nudes. What do you feel, how do you react and why it feels like that.



Michael called us all together; he was always the leader always the one we followed. I do not mean that in the puppy dog kind of way, he just had that glint in his eye, that smile that you knew no matter what – what ever he said next would end up being fun for us. I suppose he had that leader quality that makes men run over trenches towards the enemy machine gun – just because he asked them to, because he believes in them.

This was one of those times.

‘Well boys’ Michael began ‘it’s time we lost these and went out to face our fate’. With that he slipped a thumb into the front of his speedo’s waist band and pulled them down. I remember thinking if he is doing this then so can I. I think most of the others in the team had the same thoughts, because soon enough there was a squad of boys all naked with big grins on their faces.

I suppose we ended up in this situation because we trusted Michael, we believed that we would win the bet. Alas in all contests it was the best side on the day, and the girls won the most medals at the regional swim meet. You see Michael and Terri are going out and I suppose it might have been Michael’s big mouth or Terri’s teasing but either way we ended up in a competition with the girls’ squad to see who would get the most medals at the meet. The loser, being us in this case, would do one whole training session nude while the other team wore their suits as usual.

I could have been angry because of the bet, I could have been scared ( and I probably was – I think most of us where, even the girls) but is was also an adventure and I suppose it sparked in me something that I latter got the realise about myself and my feelings. I took pride that we all walked out of the change rooms together, a united front. Michael the gallant leader took point and grin in place stepped out into the gawking girls.

Story - Some kind of Fantasy

I have been thinking about a post from another blog, Jared's Completely Naked,hte post is called CFNM (Clothed Female Naked Male. These pictures have inspired a story in my head - somekind of fantasy of a teenage life I never had.

Once I finish the story I'll post it here - have a look at the pics and see what is does for you.

Dalim