ideologue identity and I

I just thought this too funny to not put on here.

I'm not particularly sure what has inspired this thought process as of late, be it the current debt ceiling fracas or something streaming from my prior post...  I suppose it would be the former at first, and then my ruminating on it that drew connections to the latter.  Of course, none of that matters, really.

I'm like most Americans, I think.  This whole political brinkmanship, infighting and partisanship has bugged me since I actually started paying attention in undergrad.  I suppose its no surprise that its come to this, I have a few friends who are hard-line and unforgiving in their ideology (or should I say dogma) on both ends of the spectrum.  I hate talking politics with them, you can guess why... there is no room for them being wrong, not even in the slightest. They are ideologues.

I'm no foreigner to the mindset of an ideologue.  I think I expressed the fact, even though never clearly stated, that I myself was an ideologue in several areas at one time.  I have since grown out of that; at least I don't think I'm still an unforgiving, dogmatic to a fault ideologue.  I am an idealist, yes, but I have been tempered by reality.  (What does that make me an idealist realist, or a realist idealist?).  Which means I know that I very well could be wrong in many things; I need only experience or reasoning far more sound (not louder) than mine to prove it, as has been proved in the past.  OK, I guess I still can be an unforgiving jerk, but that's only because some people's reasoning is faulty... but does that make a a jerk or an ideologue?  ...it's a rhetorical question, don't answer it.

Even still its difficult not to be an ideologue.  We are all informed by ideals and, thus, an ideology.  Even the apathetic are set on the ideal of apathy.  And I find that my main qualm is with ideologues in the arena of theology/philosophy and politics...

i'm a cynic and a skeptic

It's true.  I have increasingly become more and more cynical and I hate it.
It's because I am, at the same time, an idealist; this is an odd balance, I know.

To be honest I find it extremely frustrating, and I know I'm not the only one, thankfully.  Recently, at my wedding, I was having a conversation with one of my groomsmen who had just graduated from grad school, essentially a seminary, with a degree in counseling.  He said that he has increasingly become, like myself, a cynic, and also like me, hates it.  It's a very frustrating view to have on life, the world and everyone you know.  And yet, neither he or I can seem to fight it.
It seems like a loss of innocence or naivete, but I wouldn't call it that; I think it is more so the loss of ignorance and the frustrations that come when finite hopes become infinitely impossible to realize.  I do still have hope, but I know that, in all likelihood, they will remain only hope and never become a reality.

organic and cruelty free: God help me.

I wrote a blog post sometime ago on a book I had to read for my Old Testament class, and I'm not going to lie it changed my life... Well let me rephrase that, it continued the process of change that the love of my life started.  This way my wife gets all of the credit and I score points with her!

You can view that blog post here: christians should be organic and further thoughts on it here: further thoughts on agrarian

The process has been quite a challenging one.  It's just a preference for me that I want simply because it sounds nice... its far more theological for me, I guess you could say its more of a conviction that I think I, as Christian, should eat organic.  It's more than just nicer and cleaner, it's also more "right."  That is, I think Scripture points towards a more ethical, not economic, treatment of the earth and Creation.  (notice the globe... it means my view is holistic and cares for the earth... you know, typical)

pandora... its not a box

Unless it's a jukebox.

I love Pandora.
Like love love Pandora.
If I was in high school it'd be that girl that I didn't just like, but like really liked (that whole you like her like her); though, I would never have the guts to ask out, because she is just waayyy too hot for me.  Incidentally, that's pretty much how high school was come to think of it...

Anyways, I have a station that is custom tailored to me, which of course is the beauty of Pandora.  It was inspired by Paul Simon, The Weepies and Vampire Weekend. 

Yeah I know... it's the most odd conglomeration of musical interests, but that's why its great!  It's not just one type of music, it moves from old folksy and rock stuff, to acoustic stuff , to whatever Vampire Weekend is, to euro electronic rock?, to new folk stuff and acoustic blues stuff.  Oh its great... you have no idea!  I also have seeds (meaning something that it pulls from to come up with a song to play) for African music too.... so its pretty amazing.

Some of the artists that come up who I super enjoy are
Phoenix, specifically stuff from their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Temper Trap
Regina Spektor
MGMT
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
Derby
Gene Dante and the Future Scarlet
Oh and of course Mumford and Sons, I'm not gonna disguise it at all, they are absolutely my favorite artists right now.  Their album Sigh No More is, in my opinion, the most amazing album in the last 20 years...
Ok I am caught up in the moment...  It is right now, however, the album that I keep on repeat.  Their songs, aside from being awesome, good ole, foot-stompin' acoustic stuff have a transcendental quality to it.  The lyrics just capture something higher above me and deeper within me; lets just say I identify with them...

There are also numerous others musicians that I enjoy... like a lot so I won't go into listing all of them.


No huge thought for today... "Thank God," I'm sure many people are thinking.  Just thought I'd fill in on my musical interests of the moment!

God is like fireworks and vice versa

My mother says I think too much and too indepth about things.
Perhaps.

But it's hard not to. 
I can't help but see beyond, be they outcomes or allegories, the thing which is presently at hand... whatever that may be.  I am simply under the impression that there is always something more to everything; what I have right now points to something else and, as such, is somehow revelatory of something more.
For instance, a snide comment to my wife is not merely an isolated, rude remark.  Its much bigger than that and, by knowing that, I am actually able to peer inside myself, able to know from what corner of my heart such a remark originates; perhaps then I can better know the motives of my heart that would form such a remark.  Like wise, I see also in the possible future if such basal actions and instincts are not dealt with and to me it doesn't look pretty.

So having such an internal process... God and fireworks.

New York and The Church of England

What do those two things have in common?
Honestly, the only thing I know of right now is they have both been in the news lately on issues relating to gays.
You can read about it here:
Rowan Williams Backs Gay Bishops
and here:
New law clears way for gay marriage in New York
of the two I'm sure the one most widely known is the latter.
Gay marriage is one of those issues that I think have been wrestling with since college.  Mainly because in the 2000 and 2004 elections the Republicans (or at least this is how I feel) made it in issue in order to mobilize the Religious Right to vote and keep Bush in office.  I've gone through two phases I would say... one is the theological aspect, the other is the political aspect.  I would say that now after, at least, 7 years of wrestling with the issue, I have come to some conclusions.