Degringolade

Surrealism / Paul Nash/ Eclipse of the Sunflower

The one thing that was brought almost forcefully to my attention during the past couple of weeks is the hidden culture of American Christian Fundamentalism(ACF).  

I suppose that the word hidden is not quite correct for this group.  I think that the mass media, when it deigns to discuss them at all,  goes far out of its way to present these folks in the most unflattering ways possible. There are channels and publications that cater to these folks, but they are considered anathema to “right thinking” folks on the left.  From what I see, the left considers any notice, awareness, or familiarity to what is prejudicially seen as akin to fascism and naziism as proof of sin.

Look folks, I ain’t christian.  But I most certainly ain’t a liberal.  But what I have seen in the past couple of weeks is that the liberal end of the spectrum will desert you like a hot rock at the first sign of trouble and the folks of the christian right step up and help without even thinking about it.

I think that the issue is that folks seem to want to think that people aren’t a sum of parts.  I cringe when I consider the idea of participating in a christian service, but I recognize that a group of christians is much more likely to walk the walk than other groups.  

Hell, I even like some of them.  Doesn’t mean I want to hang out with them every day.  I don’t even mind when they try to proselyze, because I try to remember that they are actually sharing something that they consider precious.   

Romanticism / J.M.W. Turner/ Rain Steam and Speed, The Great Western Railway

Taking a week off to burn up some time and to help out as I can.  Problem is that “as I can” becomes somewhat limited due to age and infirmity.  Sigh.  But today is planned as a straight rest day.  I genuinely hope that it pans out that way.  I am doing a distilling run today to get 500ml of “high test” (>85% EtOH).  I now know the truth of why moonshining remains so popular among the non-striving.  You can say that you are doing something when you really aren’t.

Today's subject and thought exercise is an extension of yesterday’s post.  Ugo did a post over at his place concerning the nature of the nagging revulsion that seems to be the burden of those of us at this end of the blogosphere.

I think that with the increasing nastiness of the vaccine “debate” folks are beginning to sort themselves out into subtribes.  I really have no problem with this phenomenon.  The actual human reaction engendered by the inability to accept others is usually coercion and violence and that has to be taken into consideration.  I think that this kind of thing will probably take a nasty turn in the none-too-distant future.