Khalil Gibran

nonplussedbyreligion:

Do you ever feel as if you’re in the middle of a social experiment?  Like lab rats being tested to see how, or if you’ll react to certain triggers.  The rewards for you reactions are likes and reblogs, while the punishments are reblogs with scathing comments and what I like to call tumblr wars.

This week, or last week has been one of those weeks were every single day produced something that was anger inducing.  I’m one of the least combative people on here, and I believe that people mistakenly interpret that as a sign of weakness.  I received messages this week, from women, in defense of TAA that chilled me.  I’ve worked with vets suffering from PTSD, other psychosis, and dealing with addictions.  The things they have said to me, and I mean utterly despicable things, were nothing in comparison to what these women said to me.  When I posted that I needed a break from my inbox, I wasn’t kidding.  I felt as if they had soiled me with their words in defense of a victim shaming rape apologists.  I only answered one in a post, but she was not the worst of the group.  And there were a few men in the mix as well.

It’s no secret that I’m a feminist, but I’m also a humanist.  I will not stand quietly by in the face of anyone being mistreated.  I won’t even stand for the mistreatment of the religious.  I’ve not called myself a Christian since last April, yet I still donate monthly to Voices of the Martyrs, because they help Christians who are being raped, abused, mutilated, imprisoned, and killed by members of other religions.  I don’t care who saves them, I just want someone to do it.  I’m far from being a saint.  I’m actually one of the least likely candidates for role model, because I have many, many flaws.  I’ve never professed otherwise, and you have all seen me apologize here on this blog when called on something.

All I want to know is when exactly did we stop being human beings?  I just saw another blogger ask, “…has the world gone mad?”  And it’s something that I find myself wondering more and more each day.

I know that tumblr represents a small concentration of humanity.  But I have friends that share some of these opinions.  I recently shared the messages I got from a friend who told me that all life is a gift from God, and rape victims should view it as such.  I stood up to her and maintained my integrity, but I lost a friend.  

So this is something that I’m experiencing on a personal level.  I also work with people who are dealing with life altering trauma such as amputations, paralysis, and other permanent physical changes as a result of trauma or illness.  50% of my job is taking care of their psychological needs; the rest is about their medical needs.  These people are real to me.  They represent real pain and suffering.  They are the reason I could not give a flying fuck if the feelings of blogger, tumblr editor, or celebrity is hurt by my words.  I care even less about the people who place them on pedestals and adore them.  

Stop attacking those of us that actually care enough to display human decency.  Pause for a second before you send me another nasty message and think about how you would feel if the words or actions you are defending were directed at you or someone you loved and cared about.  Just stop idolizing the wrong things and the wrong people long enough to realize that they did something wrong.  We all fuck up.  That is a basic truth of life.  We all must apologize, and we are often forgiven.  But no one has the right to tell anyone when they should forget.  History does not repeat itself for it is only time.  However, people repeat history, and those who repeat it are those who are too quick to forget.  My grieving period, or the time it takes me to put aside the abuse in my life may be a few years, others may suffer for a lifetime.  You have no right to try to dictate that.  Telling people to, “Get over it” is invalidating their right to grieve and work through their anger and pain.  It is something that you are not entitled to encroach upon with your self-righteous behavior.  Newsflash: The world is not about you.

~ Kim

Applauds and hugs Kim…Kim is my Tumblr other half.   If you are not following her, you are wrong.  And if you want to give her shit for something, you might as well try to give me shit for the same thing.  We think very much alike.

Do you think she’s weak?  She isn’t.  Do you think I’m weak?  Try me.

~ Steve

abaldwin360:

nonplussedbyreligion:

teachthemhowtothink:

Absolutely, everyone is entitled to believe whatever they want to believe. It is perfectly acceptable for a Christian to give credit to God for something. For a Muslim to credit Allah. For a Hindu to credit one of their deities. For a Pastafarian to credit the FSM. The problem, however, is when people try to force others to believe what they believe.

You can’t ask someone to be tolerant of intolerance.

For example, you can believe there is an Invisible Purple Monkey that lives in your closet that will occasionally grant you peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Fine. None of my business. But when you want have “in the Invisible Purple Monkey we trust” printed on my money, when you want businesses dedicated to praying to the Invisible Purple Monkey to operate tax-free, when you want my children to be taught in science class that instead of relying on scientific theory and evidence, you can also believe that the Invisible Purple Monkey designed all of us, when you change the pledge to include a reference to your Invisible Purple Monkey and when you want to pull random statements out of a book you think the Invisible Purple Monkey had a hand in writing to restrict rights and dehumanize people…   

Well, yes.  We have a huge problem with that.  And you should, too.

THIS is why you see so much frustration among atheists.  And sometimes, the only thing that can make someone feel better is a good laugh.  ~JJ

I have nothing to add. This puts it perfectly.