This blog post comes after about three years after the previous one and I've been reading through and deleting (!) old posts but I've left the few that don't make me cringe too much!
The random thought for today is about the ever popular TV programme about 6 people in their 20s living in New York. I enjoy the show and will watch it over and over but I started to think about the extent to which it and programmes like it have affected society's young people. You watch the show like any like it and start to think that it is representative of real life and in some shape or form could be the existence one might lead if they were to leave 'college' or the equivalent of and move to the city to get on with life in the big bad world. It's the phrases used, the attitudes to life and love, the places they hang out that one ends up saying or having or going to. For example the hanging out in the coffee shop is something regardless of the show really is something people of all ages do, I think it could actually be the kind of thing that distinguishes the classes! Even in the current or should I say recent recession the occasional latte is one of the things I imagine many people wouldn't want to give up even in hard times as I would suggest it reinforces and reassures a sense of being 'ok'.
Like most soaps or sitcoms people watch them and could easily think, this kind of thing happens in my life or the things the characters are worried about are the things they worry about so maybe it's ok etc forgetting that maybe this might have been the inspiration but is not actual reality. I think sometimes what we imagine can be as real to us as anything that actually happens. I'm reminded of a fascinating article I read in the Live magazine from the mail on Sunday which could be the subject for a whole other blog but in the context of religious belief suggested that human beings accept to be true what they know not be true and are sometimes affected more profoundly by something that is not true. He points to the example of a man weeping when King Lear dies but do not shed a tear when their own father dies (granted I think this is more complex than he makes out). It has to be said though that many television programmes that are fiction, drama, speak to us profoundly an can command great emotional responses more so than actual real events in our own lives. I don't now if you've ever found yourself getting irate at the actions of a fictional character, empathising with them or liking them or disliking them, trying to predict their next move etc I think we all do it but a line obviously needs to be drawn when you start thinking this is he kind of thing that will happen tomorrow!
I think I read a comedian commenting of 'friends' saying things like it convinces people that 'it's a good idea to flat share well into your thirties' like it's a bad thing, but the point they were making is that people watch the show and start copying the things on it! I'm reminded of Bridget Jones as well, a piece of fiction and yet it's become the representative of young women everywhere and I for one do not wish to be a Bridget Jones! That could also be a blog of it's own! I think this is where I finish this blog!
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Jelly Babies, Allsorts, Chocolate covered Raisins AND fizzy cola bottles
It is my day off from work so I am using this opportunity to update my blog! However, I thought I'd bring up a previous topic that really gets my goat ometimes! I read an article this morning in a woman's magazine that really got me thinking. It relates to a previous post as I harped on about pick and mix spirituality and this article basically is justifying it saying it is in fact a basic need of humanity, and contributes to the whole 'survival of the fittest' thing etc all because research has shown there is a 'God gene'.
The point of the article is really to say you don't need to belong to a specific religion, all you need to do is meditate first thing in the morning and it has the same effect as '4 or 5 cups of coffee' and actually makes you healthier, less likely to get high blood pressure, relieves stress etc. Is it me or does it just feel like there's something inherently wrong with promoting spirituality solely on the basis of it will make you live longer? Also, the article claims that the sense that a holy being is present is something that only happens because the right temporal lobe of the brain is being stimulated. There apparently is a study that shows that when electrical impulses are given to the right temporal lobe 80% of the individuals in the experiment had the sense of the presence of a holy being just behind their left shoulder (the whole right half of the brain effecting the left side of your body etc).The article then goes on to say that Moses therefore is just having some sort of seizure that affected his right temporal lobe making him hallucinate and think the bush was burning and that God was speaking to him.
The article also talks about prayer and how strangers praying for someone doesn't actually improve their health, well, one response to this is to say that prayer doesn't work like that! Just because you pray and ask for something doesn't mean God is going to grant it! God is still answering those prayers that result in the patient not getting better but the answer is NO, that person is obviously ill for some reason that is wholly wrapped up in God's divine and perfect plan. You can't do an experiment on prayer because when people do they assume one thing, that if prayer works, God will grant whatever you ask for which isn't true. It makes it sound like God is really mean and says no to things which anyone would think there is no problem in granting but they aren't God, they don't know if what they're asking is what's best.
The writer of this article claims that her browsing the 'religion aisle at Barnes & Noble' attitude towards spirituality is just a product of the fact that she has this God gene and because she wasn't brought up in any particular religion she has no immediate outlet in which to express this gene. Religion, spirituality, the personal relationship people believe they have with their God cannot I would argue, be explained away by this existence of the so called 'God gene', to use the statistics she quotes, 84% of the world's population are religious, 9 out of 10 Americans say they pray daily, 43% of American attend religious services weekly and 2 billion people are Christians! These huge numbers of people who believe in the existence of something higher and greater than themselves, this world is so much more complicated than just it's in their genes, as this scientist who discovered the God gene says that only 50% of the population have it!
There are so many people who resist religion, spirituality in all forms, but some do become religious, they feel they have no choice in the matter in the sense that they can't carry on ignoring what is so obviously real and wants to be a part of your life. The writer of this article is saying that her pick and mix spirituality is fine because it satisfies her 'spiritual cravings' and will actually improve her physical and mental health, it's not like there's one religion in particular that improves your health more so than any other. I really don't think you can simplify religion to this extent. I just think this kind of article will remove the personal element of religion, people will be religious because they want to make themselves healthier, but I think religion will only make you healthier, if indeed does, if you throw yourself into it, let it change the way you live your life and that involves really believing it, not simply practicing it hoping it will have an affect, but making it affect every area of your life, daily, like the Christian prays and talks to God very often, goes to church to worship God, involves God in their relationships, work, decisions, everything! Rant over! Thanks for reading if you got to the end!
The point of the article is really to say you don't need to belong to a specific religion, all you need to do is meditate first thing in the morning and it has the same effect as '4 or 5 cups of coffee' and actually makes you healthier, less likely to get high blood pressure, relieves stress etc. Is it me or does it just feel like there's something inherently wrong with promoting spirituality solely on the basis of it will make you live longer? Also, the article claims that the sense that a holy being is present is something that only happens because the right temporal lobe of the brain is being stimulated. There apparently is a study that shows that when electrical impulses are given to the right temporal lobe 80% of the individuals in the experiment had the sense of the presence of a holy being just behind their left shoulder (the whole right half of the brain effecting the left side of your body etc).The article then goes on to say that Moses therefore is just having some sort of seizure that affected his right temporal lobe making him hallucinate and think the bush was burning and that God was speaking to him.
The article also talks about prayer and how strangers praying for someone doesn't actually improve their health, well, one response to this is to say that prayer doesn't work like that! Just because you pray and ask for something doesn't mean God is going to grant it! God is still answering those prayers that result in the patient not getting better but the answer is NO, that person is obviously ill for some reason that is wholly wrapped up in God's divine and perfect plan. You can't do an experiment on prayer because when people do they assume one thing, that if prayer works, God will grant whatever you ask for which isn't true. It makes it sound like God is really mean and says no to things which anyone would think there is no problem in granting but they aren't God, they don't know if what they're asking is what's best.
The writer of this article claims that her browsing the 'religion aisle at Barnes & Noble' attitude towards spirituality is just a product of the fact that she has this God gene and because she wasn't brought up in any particular religion she has no immediate outlet in which to express this gene. Religion, spirituality, the personal relationship people believe they have with their God cannot I would argue, be explained away by this existence of the so called 'God gene', to use the statistics she quotes, 84% of the world's population are religious, 9 out of 10 Americans say they pray daily, 43% of American attend religious services weekly and 2 billion people are Christians! These huge numbers of people who believe in the existence of something higher and greater than themselves, this world is so much more complicated than just it's in their genes, as this scientist who discovered the God gene says that only 50% of the population have it!
There are so many people who resist religion, spirituality in all forms, but some do become religious, they feel they have no choice in the matter in the sense that they can't carry on ignoring what is so obviously real and wants to be a part of your life. The writer of this article is saying that her pick and mix spirituality is fine because it satisfies her 'spiritual cravings' and will actually improve her physical and mental health, it's not like there's one religion in particular that improves your health more so than any other. I really don't think you can simplify religion to this extent. I just think this kind of article will remove the personal element of religion, people will be religious because they want to make themselves healthier, but I think religion will only make you healthier, if indeed does, if you throw yourself into it, let it change the way you live your life and that involves really believing it, not simply practicing it hoping it will have an affect, but making it affect every area of your life, daily, like the Christian prays and talks to God very often, goes to church to worship God, involves God in their relationships, work, decisions, everything! Rant over! Thanks for reading if you got to the end!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Jelly Babies, Allsorts and Chocolate covered Raisins
As the title may suggest my post today has something to do with pick and mix! The topic of choice today is spirtual pick and mix! I was having a discussion about it with a friend the other day and I realised I knew someone who is a perfect example of pick and mix spirituality.
Spiritual pick and mix is very privatised, it's all about what makes sense to you, what you like and has nothing to do with what anyone else says, you get to choose how much of one particular discipline you want to believe in, which makes you feel good about yourself.
I think one of the main problems people have with the fact that Christianity is an organised religion is that you can't choose what you do and do not believe within it, you take it all or you leave it. It also involves, as my friend put it, taking yourself off the throne and placing God on it. As a Christian, you live your life trying to do what God wants you to do which may not always be what you want to do, a thing called temptation will tell you that! Most people would probably see becoming a Christian as making a sacrifice, giving up the things that are most pleasurable in life in order to do what someone else is telling you to do.
I would have thought that spirituality is about something above and beyond the physical but it seems to be wholly involved in pick and mix sprituality, I'll believe in it only if I like it, only if it makes myself feel better but surely someone would be willing to sacrifice a few things in order to grasp something that is purer, higher, more powerful, bigger than themselves. Jelly babies, allsorts, chocolate covered raisins, bit of buddhism, bit of wicca, bit of new age how can it work?
Spiritual pick and mix is very privatised, it's all about what makes sense to you, what you like and has nothing to do with what anyone else says, you get to choose how much of one particular discipline you want to believe in, which makes you feel good about yourself.
I think one of the main problems people have with the fact that Christianity is an organised religion is that you can't choose what you do and do not believe within it, you take it all or you leave it. It also involves, as my friend put it, taking yourself off the throne and placing God on it. As a Christian, you live your life trying to do what God wants you to do which may not always be what you want to do, a thing called temptation will tell you that! Most people would probably see becoming a Christian as making a sacrifice, giving up the things that are most pleasurable in life in order to do what someone else is telling you to do.
I would have thought that spirituality is about something above and beyond the physical but it seems to be wholly involved in pick and mix sprituality, I'll believe in it only if I like it, only if it makes myself feel better but surely someone would be willing to sacrifice a few things in order to grasp something that is purer, higher, more powerful, bigger than themselves. Jelly babies, allsorts, chocolate covered raisins, bit of buddhism, bit of wicca, bit of new age how can it work?
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