I began to think about the role of the individual in society. Of the singular individual and his place in religion. Of whether or not it is acceptable (to me, at least... screw anyone else) to be blindly led about your existence and not have a firm sense of self-identity. That's some deep shit for a Monday morning!
But this is an issue that all people will have to deal with in their lives. It is a cental pillar of creating one's sense of self identity... of which I have found there to be several. The first (in no particular order) is a person's self-definition and conceptualization of God. Mine can be found here. The second is one's identity as a sexual being... excellent points-of-view may be found on the Psycho Bitch's blog yesterday. The third is how one relates themself to the world around them (society, family, religion, etc.)
Please note that I have drawn a distinction above between how one views God and how one fits into a member of a religious entity. They are not one and the same. If you believe that they are, I have some real estate on Neptune that has a wonderful southern exposure you may want to buy.
This is Neptune:
Anywho, what I want to talk about in more detail today (and it's my fucking blog, so we will do what I want) is that last pillar of self identity.
We are all born into society, signatories to what Locke and Rousseau have so aptly dubbed "the Social Contract." What does this mean? This means, as Hobbes so poignantly described in Leviathan, life is ugly, mean, nasty, brutish, and short. So, in order to mitigate some of this unpleasantness, we must sacrifice certain things in order to ensure predictability, structure, and above all, order. Being a part of civil society means that you give up your absolute claim to libertarianism, give up the premise of "might makes right," and agree to live by the Golden Rule so that we can all be shiny happy people.
We agree to cede some of these "natural rights" and allow government to step in and issue some kind of oversight. Government by the consent of the governed, and all that. And that is where we invariably fuck up.
I am a firm believer in the "informed consent" approach to being a member of society. This means that I am a signatory to the social contract, but i like to be aware of what I'm signing. I consider myself a fairly enlightened person. I have a sharp intellect and a fairly well-honed ability to communicate it through the written and spoken word (if I didn't, there's no goddam way you would have made it this far into the blog). As such, I implore people to think about their role in society. Not like a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker... not that kind of role. I encourage people to think before they act. To have enough sense of self to, if they follow certain trends and tendencies, to at least know why and to acknowledge that recognition.
I refuse to accept anything on face, which has been both a powerful strength and debilitating weakness in my life. I love to look beneath the surface (especially if it's the surface of some sheer negligee), and am generally more interested in the why than the how. The how is the easy part... anyone can dissect and digest how something works. What's interesting is why. We know what the bible says, and how it was handed down... but why? Was it the will and word of God that it simply be done? Methinks not. *dodges lightning bolt or three*
I think that religion was a basic instrument of shoe-horning people into society, to absolve them of personal responsibility in their own development. But also, religious tenets served to reinforce the basic building blocks of social order. We all know about the Ten Commandments and what they say... but why do they say what they say? Eh?
Thou shalt not steal, kill, covet thy neighbor's wife, bear false prophet, etc... all pretty clear guideline on how to avoid chaos and disharmony... to avoid social regression into the "savage garden." Pretty exclusionary rules, though aren't they? Ever noticed that they pretty much are all "Thou shalt not...?" But I digress... That's one of the big reasons I take issue with organized religion, because it encourages acceptance of things without question. Faith is a wonderful thing, but it cannot be the only thing. "Faith without works is dead." Follow the word unquestioningly because it is the word. Fuck that. Why am I being told this? Is there logic behind it Who made this dude God? It's when we look at the inherent value of the messages themselves that we can truly appreciate what is being said in religion. In society. In school. In our professions. Don't be a follower... not without knowing why you're following. Are you a sheep or a border collie?
Very few of us will get to become shepherds, the ones that so powerfully change the course of social evolution that they get to decide what path we will follow. But you can be a border collie if you know what the fuck is going on. You can run out and see if the direction you're headed is a good one. You can help to influence those around you, and bring in the stragglers.
Sorry, my imagery is running weak here.
I hope you all get my point. Think for yourselves. Don't buy into the herd mentality... of religion, pop culture, politics, etc. without informed consent.
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