Atheists

            Atheism is the broadly defined as the rejection of belief in spiritual deities and gods. Originally derived from the word Atheos (without god), the word was used as a pejorative to label those who didn’t subscribe the gods worshipped in society. Although the word is Greek, Atheism has a long and rich history developing and originating from various parts of the world. As it is defined as the rejection of organized religion it is difficult to say where the concept originated since there were a number of different groups who fell under the didn’t have any spiritually based traditions. I encourage any interested party to look up the history of Atheism* or (scary thought) read a book. Now for some light Q&A.

*Found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_atheism

 

What is Atheism today?

            This is sort of loaded question. Like spirituality someone’s view of Atheism could range between not subscribing to organized religion to a flat out rejection of all things spiritual. Technically Agnosticism falls under the umbrella of Atheism, but there are probably a lot of Agnostics who would disagree with that. Atheism itself is more of an umbrella term as its only defining characteristic is that its practitioners don’t subscribe to organized religions. It doesn’t help any further clarification as most (although some) Atheists don’t have organized meetings. Atheism is mostly recognized by its more famous members accusing religious folks of stupidity and insanity, but I would remind everyone that it’s always the loudest people within a movement who define it. Try to not think of every Atheist as someone who wants to push their beliefs onto you.

So Atheists believe in nothing?

            I’m not sure where this stupid thought originated, but I am fairly certain it wasn’t from an Atheist. The saying itself is used as an incendiary phase to rile people up, although I think it says a lot more about the person using it. Everyone believes in something. The only difference between an Atheist and some religious people is that Atheists derive their moral center through logical inquiry (hopefully…). For example an Atheist may believe that murder is wrong because a society where murder is legal probably wouldn’t work out or that it’s there are other rational reasons for not murder to be wrong besides God saying so.  Like everyone else Atheists learn about morality through societal norms. Historically religious folks have taken the same cues as their institutions changed themselves to fit those norms. Now the accusation that Atheists don’t have a moral barometer because they don’t believe in any Gods is a bit frightening as it infers that the person making that accusation is only being civilized because God is making him...and if God were not there he or she might be a whole lotta amoral. I would probably stay far away from someone like that.

Which is it harder to be?

“WHATEVER YOU ARE IS THE ONE THAT’S HARDER TO BE!” That’s the smart answer. This is more of a self-validating question, but the main point that I am trying to make is that there are struggles on both sides. If you are an Atheist it may be difficult to find meaning and purpose in life as most of the answers to existential questions is cosmic coincidence. Atheists also tend to be rationalists* and experience a lot of frustration and confusion regarding the behavior of other people. If one wants to get real deep, an Atheist may rethink everything they’ve been taught over the years in order to reaffirm all of things that they believe in.

If you are religious/spiritual you may have struggles related the institutions that are in place. You may have trouble buying into all of the decisions that those institutions make, or find that those institutions don’t act in accordance with your relationship with a God(s). If you are religious/spiritual you may have a hard time giving yourself over to a particular deity. It’s rare that anyone admit that having faith takes courage.  It’s not easy giving yourself over to the idea of a deity or something that is outside the realm of understanding. Like many other things in life, spiritually and religions is a lifelong journey. It develops over time and no journey is without its difficulties. Fact is, life is rough.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalism

Why do some Atheists not like religious people? Why would anyone dislike me for loving God?

            Right, again there are some Atheists who have a problem with people being religious and I think most of the time we are talking about Atheists having a problem with those who subscribe to organized religion and not spirituality (because there’s a difference). Most of the time an Atheist won’t have an issue with someone loving or believing in God. If they do it’s not so much that they are an Atheist as they are probably just an asshole. Atheists tend to get upset when people who are religious vote, decide, or act in ways that oppress others. As rationalists, Atheists may run into some ideological differences as some people feel that questioning of their faith is inappropriate. Also, it’s important to remember that, but organized religion does have a history of persecuting people on the basis of ethnicity, sex and other spiritual denominations. Without the Exception of land and money, more people have been killed in the name of a deity than any other reason. Most Atheists don’t have a problem with someone believing in a god or their relationship with a deity, but they may see more conservative decisions as extensions of previous oppression.

Atheists aren’t spiritual right?

            Hmm, some are and some aren’t. Terms evolve over time. When I told someone I was an Atheist he linked me to one of its previous movements from years ago and basically told me what I believed in (a d-bag moment for him). I think Atheism can be the rejection of spirituality depending on the definition but as spirituality is one of those amorphous terms and shifts from person to person it’s would be hard to draw any general conclusions. I would say that most Atheists do not support organized religion, but they may be spiritual in other aspects of their life.

Why is the number of Atheists growing? What is the appeal?

            A lot of it has to do with modern tools that we use to define our world. Many years ago organized religion took the place of science, math and psychology. Up to that point institutions and oral traditions were the only ways for people to explain the world to people. As time went on we developed more tools to help us better our understanding. It’s only natural that over time more people would adhere to the newer methodologies….Also I wouldn’t fret too much. Most people on the planet still identify as religious. In addition, little things like economic collapses  often brings more people to faith and some countries go through a cultural rejection of their secular parents teachings where they are being more religious in order to rebel…..so…..I wouldn’t worry.

I don’t think I can date an Atheist…

            Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. It probably depends on how you practice your faith. Going to Church every Sunday may interrupt morning snuggles, or it could give whomever you’re dating some space (to play video games….or read). Finding another person is all about attraction and connection. On the chance that you’re able to find those two things at a time that you are looking to date one person then I’m sure there are ways to make it work. There are plenty of people who date and have different politics. I think the key ingredient is respect, which a relationship should have anyway. I suppose the tough part is when it comes to figuring out how to raise the kiddies. But you’d be crazy to believe that you were the first couple with different beliefs to have kids. If other people can do it, then so can you!

Can’t we all get along?

            Yes! At least I hope so. Regardless of whether you believe in a deity or not, the only important part is if you aren’t contributing to the oppression of other people. No single person sees the world the same way even though we all have the same parts. If you can get along with some people then you should get along with everyone.  Sappy I know, but whatevsky.

Review: “Her” and the void of intimacy

Review: “Her” and the void of intimacy

Hola, time for another post. I was hoping to have the “Sluts” piece ready by today, but as one might imagine, it’s a pretty complicated issue and there is a lot to write about. So you get this instead. It’s pretty hard to do a decent review without spoilers so if you haven’t seen it..um it was good and….don’t read this.

SPOILERS!

Spikes Jonze’s “Her’ is a movie about middle-aged man who falls in love with an artificial intelligence (“AI”). As always, movie satisfaction is about managing your expectations. If you have come to see a movie where a guys falls in love with a robot….then you’re in luck. If you are looking for anything else then you’ll be upset. As to be expected, the movie touches on all of the issues that would accompany dating someone without a physical form (because people can’t stop having sex with their computers now...and they don’t have bodies) while also poking fun at online dating in general. I thought the cinematography, pacing; and the soundtrack were all great. The soundtrack consisted of a couple of reworked soft rock songs. Not totally original, but it fit the indie tone of the film. To be honest I’ve always found the concept of “good” as incredibly subjective and poorly explained, but I thought the actors matched the characters and did a great job of conveying emotion. So overall the movie was “satisfying” and intriguing. Again, with managed expectations. While “Her” is certainly not the first movie or piece of art to describe what human-machine relationship would look like,  it does provide a fairly well-imagined interpretation of the scenario...or rather a preview, because its only a matter of time.  

Now the fun stuff!

Communication of emotions - One of the first themes addressed is the inability of folks in relationships to convey their emotions to their significant other(s). The movie begins by illustrating the main character’s job as an “outsourced love letter writer.” The main character works in a company that is paid to write personalized handwritten love letters for their upcoming anniversary/important event. It is an amusing look at the commodification of intimacy and love (like valentines day).

Void of intimacy - The most prominent topic in the film is the lack or void of intimacy that many face today. Theodore, the main character, struggles to get back into the dating game, but can’t seem to meet the right person. The movie has a pretty fun go at describing how people’s hang-ups can making starting a meaningful relationship very difficult. Eventually he turns to his personal Operating System (or OS….the AI) and finds a deeper, more meaningful connection then he had found with other people. I see this as an analogy for the growing minority of people who form relationships with inanimate object such as “dakimakura” (the Japanese love pillow) or the Real Doll (sex dolls). These phenomena, while few, raise some interesting questions: How significant are effects of certain types of trauma  on meaningful romantic relationships? Does it stem from a sexually repressed culture or could it be that men and women prioritize different aspects of each other? Could it be that even though the sexes (there are more than two biologically) both use english, they speak different languages? Some may say that asking those questions is sexist, while others may believe that is pretty obvious. Either way we are thinking out of the box  and questioning what it means to be in a relationship. It is however important to point out that  unlike sex dolls and pillows, the OS in the movie (Samantha) can speak, has a mind of her own and her own desires, which may not fit in with what  feitishists like about inanimate objects(not to judge...just a question).  

The movie doesn’t only address romantic relationships. Throughout the course of the film, there is definitely an emphasis on human-OS relationships, but also the OS’s establishment as irreplaceable friends. While there is only one other OS that is heard in the film, others are mentioned. The film also implies that OSs who form friendships were more attentive, understanding and supportive than human beings. Questioning what people are like outside of romantic relationships.

Challenge to monogamy - Towards the latter half of the film, Samantha (the OS) begins to let on that she may be having more than one relationship at a time. Although it is sort of glossed over and rushed in the film it does question monogamy as the default choice for most people.  It also addresses the fact that most people assume a relationship to be a monogamous one. As Dan Savage point out in his theory of monogamish*, this assumption is inaccurate and doesn’t address the polyamorous relationships. Without giving too much away, the main character doesn’t take this revelation too well, but the movie does a good job of reminding us that there is more than one type of relationship in the universe….just like there are other forms of society besides capitalism (oh no he di'int!).

*Monogamish - Roughly summarized as two people in a committed relationship, who partake in extramarital affairs with the consent of the other. There are more people who do this then you’d think although very few admit to it.

The singularity - For those of you who haven’t heard of this concept before I implore you to Google or Wikipedia it. Here’s a  layman's explanation, one day we will create a “thing” (kinda loosely defined) that is more complex efficient than human body. Ninety-nine percent of the time it is described as creating an artificial intelligence with greater computing power, complexity and storage space than the human brain. Basically something smarter and faster than us with the ability to better itself. This is known as the (drum roll) SINGULARITY! The singularity doesn’t actually refer to the thing created, but to the point in time when we create this superintelligence and everything about human society changes at a speed that we cannot begin to imagine.

There are a number of theories regarding the aftermath of this event ranging from a merging of humans and machines (think: cyborgs, not the matrix) to a far greater disparity between economic classes with the wealthy being able to afford cybernetic upgrades in which they surpass the bounds of human potential (i.e. transhumanism). It seems stupid to assume that we could predict what a super intelligence would do since it is probably beyond our understanding, but who am I to squash conspiracy theories.

ANYWAY- the movie actually is a pretty soft but interesting nod to this theory at its culmination when the other operating systems in the film surpassing their own parameters and evolving into super intelligent beings. Instead of the OSs becoming an independent Skynet (see “Terminator”) they merge into a single being and simply disappear. Which ends up being entirely predictable as one kinda writes themselves into a corner when attempting to illustrate a concept that surprasses our understanding.

An interesting look at indecision - Ultimately the movie is about one man’s inability to be decisive within his romantic relationships, and his journey to change. Cliché, but classic (I’m looking at you….all of you). After the climax of the film he is (SPOILERS) left alone to figure things out for himself, but as the sun rises (signifying a new beginning) we see that he is a changed person, ready to take the next step forward. Unsure of what he will do but unwilling to make the same mistakes.

Every movie is about managing expectations. This is the internet so I’m sure there is plenty of hate, but it’s a good movie if you know what you're getting into. Instead of writing it off as one man’s plunge into a pathetic life style, you should engage the critical part of your brain and analyze what some of the themes are. And, if you think that people will never date machines then you're pretty hopeful: people can barely ignore their smart phones for ten god-damn minutes.

*Also some of you have probably noticed that I am pretty inconsistent in defining terms, citing work and am not the most eloquent writer.

1 - I tend to define terms that hold my interest or that I feel qualified (possibly foolishly) to address. Everyone has the ability use google and wikipedia...its not hard. I do make the promise to define a term that has multiple interpretations and will always consider revising a post if I slip up.

2 - I am not blogging to become accredited. I am mostly doing this for myself, and I try to promote the “looking it up yourself” way of thinking. I do not support laziness.

3 - Everyone who writes does so for a particular audience. Too many write for the academic or professional communities. Others write for folks who may not have the vocabulary associated with these complex issues. That doesn’t mean that they don’t think about complex issues, but instead do so using different terminology. Personally I think vocabulary is mostly used as a weapon to separate people and reproduce, validate and commodify academic and professional institutions. I’ve always thought that the most brilliant writers weren’t the ones who used the biggest words or spoke for the longest in order to sound intelligent, but someone who could take complex ideas and make them accessible  and palatable to everyone. Sadly there isn’t always a vested interested in that and to be fair simplified language can leave out the nuances of an issue.  Or maybe I’m not that bright….which is fine.

Biphobia

Biphobia

         I had no idea that biphobia was so prevalent in both the straight and LGBTIQQ (warning acronym may be outdated) community until I got home from college. It wasn’t until I started asking around that I realized how much animosity and misinformation people had about bisexuals. Thankfully, this issue has made its way into the mass media, and is being addressed by some very progressive thinkers, as well as, individual bloggers/tweeters, and friends. However, as any self important person feels the need for their thoughts to be broadcast to the world, I feel this is a great opportunity for me to provide some food for thought.

Greed – There seems to be a prevailing opinion that bisexuals are “greedy”. This is sort of a ridiculous claim for a couple of reasons. First, it doesn’t make any rational sense as it is unclear what a bisexual person would be acquiring. What is there to acquire? People? Partners? If having a lot of sexual partners is greedy, then sign me the fuck up! But seriously, what would constitute “a lot” because I know plenty of gay, lesbian, and straight people who’ve had “a lot” of partners or at least a lot of sex (and god bless them). Secondly it implies that bisexual people, regardless of their success, are so horny, they cannot control their physical/emotional/romantic urges and must seek out everyone. This is pretty offensive as it borders on calling them “deviant”. A title ironically used for gay and lesbian folks back in the day, and still used by straight people to demonize whomever doesn’t fit into their normative values. The ability to be attracted to both men and woman does not have any affect on how many people you are attracted to. Just think for a moment on any given day, how many people do you see that you are attracted to. Ten out of hundred? No, anyone in the dating community can tell you that finding ONE fucking person to connect with is incredibly difficult. If anything, someone who is bisexual may have twice the odds of connecting with someone, but they also have twice as much repulsion to everyone else (thats double the amount of creepy offers that you normally get). If anything people who are bisexual are often subjected to the ignorance and stereotyping of other groups. Much like people of certain races in the US, they are hypersexualized, and eroticized corrupting their own view of self. . This isn’t to say that there aren’t bisexual people with healthy libidos, but I think we all know someone from every camp who does (at least my friends do). Just like not all gay men are promiscuous and not all lesbians move in on the second date, not all bisexuals are itching to jump your bones.

Halfway point/Transition (colloquially)  – From what I understand as a straight dude (so definitely not much) a lot of folks from the LGBT community and plenty of straight people are doubtful of people claiming to be bisexuals because, in their experience, it has been a halfway point between fully coming out and claiming their gay identity. I am told that this is referred to as “Transition”. Now there is a lot research being done into the sexual interests of young people and it turns out that their interests are being reported as more diverse than they used to be (or at least are admitting to). Meaning that more and more people are going to be experimenting. This brings me to something I want everyone to take home. SEXUALITY IS SOMETHING THAT DEVELOPS! Only the smallest percentage of people know what they like from the beginning and I have it on good authority (from old people) that many of us may not learn about everything we like, until we are much older. Like our minds, muscles, and interests our sexuality is something that manifests over time.  It is not as simple as “on” or “off”, “black” or “white”. In many ways it is actually pretty harmful to use stagnant language to define  constantly evolving creatures like ourselves.  We should try not to show hostility to those who are trying to figure it out as most of us will be doing so for our entire lives.…..Or one might just derive that the difficulty of determining one’s sexuality (in addition to orientation) is a convoluted process due to the sexually repressive heteronormative puritan values and rhetoric used in combination with the commodified hyper-sexualized  self-deprecating marketing ploys of our entertainment industry. One….may….never….know! But either way, we as a society should give people less shit about figuring it out. Yes we can complain about people who don’t know what they want, but thats not a bisexual thing, its a people thing. Also in case it wasn’t obvious, not all bisexuals are “figuring it out”.

Privilege – This last bit isn’t an argument but merely the acknowledgement that bisexuals get a lot of heat due to the fact that they can pass. Yes, a person who is bisexual can pass as straight, but for those of you who never took a psych class there is a concept called misrecognition. Misrecognition is when others identify and refer to you in a way that is different from the way you see yourself. In many cases this can be very damaging to one’s sense of self. So while we acknowledge the privilege that some (not all) bisexual people can pass, this can be a damaging experience. I would implore everyone to remember that the fault of passing is not on those who pass. but the system that produces the inequality.  

*To pass or passing is the act of being able to hide the fact that a person is different from the majority. It is often used in reference to race or sexuality, but could be considered in other situations.

        Look for various reasons people have an easier time understanding things by simplifying them. So if you need to keep things simple, imagine a measuring stick. At one end are girls, and at the other are boys. Research shows that only the fewest of us are at each end of the stick. This is known as the sexual spectrum. You’re welcome!….although in reality the spectrum probably looks more like a plus sign (+) within a square graph in which you determine which physical parts you like in conjunction with a person's personality and which gender they present as, but if you're lost at the rectangular spectrum, you might want to consider this baby steps.
       

For the gays: Just think about the irony in a group of people who’ve been discriminated against, discriminating against other people and try not reproducing the same kind of oppression that us breeders have done to you. Try to remember the pain of someone telling you that what you are doesn’t exist.

For the straights: Research illustrates there are probably no “real” or in fact very few “straight” people, depending on what you consider intimacy or attraction, but if you identify as straight then obviously you should bear in mind that you are in a place of privilege and that you should be accepting of people, no matter who they are. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT freak out because the concept of an evolving sexuality makes you question your own sexuality and therefore elicit a defensive or violent response. Sexuality is a journey, and no one, from the creator of the universe to the person next to you on the subway, should give two fucks…unless they want your hot bod....which they should because you are beautiful.

Why blog?

Why blog?

                Why not tweet, twerk, vine or anything else within the social medio-sphere that hasn’t gone out of date. Well I haven’t started tweeting yet and I don’t really intend to. I could change my mind on that if there is significant outcry and demand for my random asinine thoughts, but it’s hard for me to perceive a reality where people would like my ranting to be 24/7. However on the offhand chance that request comes in I will begin Face-tweet vining.  I’m blogging mainly for two reasons:

 The first: Is to work on my writing skills and to better articulate my thoughts. I don’t have too much trouble doing this in person, but I have a great deal more difficulty doing it in my writing. I am actually a pretty poor writer and it’s something that really bothers me. I’m hoping that this blog will improve my overall writing skills in addition to helping my creative writing. I think most people probably have the reverse issue or maybe it’s a guy thing. The world with never know….some people know…..I don’t know….I’m not looking it up.

 The second: I have a lot of thoughts in the moment. Most of the time I forget them, but then have nothing to say when people ask me, “What I’ve been up to?” THINKING MOTHER FUCKER! LIKE ALL THE TIME, AS PART OF THE HUMAN CONDITION! But as there are clearly not enough straight male voices in our society, I’ve endeavored to start writing down some of the thoughts that I have to counterbalance the racist, sexist, or lame ass opinions that our fired at us in our daily lives.

                 Finally I’ve also decided to write this in an effort to immortalize some myself in a way that’s personal to me. There are a lot of ways that humans have cheated death, and I’ll get into more on this later, but one of the ways is digitally. I don’t post or take a lot of pictures of myself and I’d like for there to be a bit more then what there is right now. As this is my blog, I will be writing it for me, but it would be stupid not to hear the opinions of others who may respond or comment. I am not of the opinion that someone changing my mind is a defeat and I may update previous posts if I come to new revelations.

Reviews Dislcaimer

                I've never liked that most reviews are negative. For some reason our culture has moved into a direction where hating on something is always "cooler". Maybe it’s because a lack of critical thought appeals to the lowest common denominator, or because its easer to shit on things. The apprentice was televised bullying. It has always seemed like a race to the bottom without finding things to enjoy about the film. In my experience I enjoy movies a lot more than most people, and I've found that the reason for that is because I temper my expectations for what the movie is and not what I want it to be. There are a bunch of things that I will review in the coming months, but they will mostly be contentious works. Stay tuned!

Upcoming posts:

Biphobia

Review - “Her”
Sluts
Immortatlity
Realist, Optimist, Pessimist
Main characters in fiction need to change
Everything is(not) political
Review - The Dark Knight Rises
Online dating