Music vs religion
I'm about to lose my pants again. (if you don't understand, see here http://ironforfun.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html... post about pants).
It's been 8 days since I got to Brazil... and 10 days since I played an instrument. My mind and fingers are slowly turning to mush. I know some people don't understand this, but I have a dependency on making music. I'm not anything amazing, on any instrument... but it is necessary for me to make music as a creative outlet. Apayo lived with me for 5 or 6 weeks and observed the trammel/treasure that is me unwinding at the end of nearly every night. If I'm sober I generally play the piano or guitar before bed. It's my way of reseting. I put what's on the inside out... and then I sleep peacefully. The first thing I'm going to do when the grant (money I've graciously been provided by Dr. Bowders and his program) hits my bank account is hop on the bus and buy a cheap guitar.
People say music and mathematics are international languages. I'd expand on that by saying that math is the language of what's around us, music is the language of what's inside us. Some people don't get into music as much as I do... and I feel sorry for them. Others... that are even worse think they love music, but have troubles naming a band that hasn't been in the top 40, or a band that sings in another language, or a few bands outside a specific genre that they cling to. It's cool when your 14 and developing this sense of who "you" are if you only like one type of music... it's important to establish your independence. If you are 20 or 30 or older and can't name a band from outside the US, or a band that you really liked that you wished had made it big but didn't... you're missing out on a free upgrade to you standard of living.
Hipsters, punk rockers, armies of Imo, rappers, hip-hop-apotomuses... are all cool. It's funny how much it's like religion. When you're a kid it's ok to say I only like one of these and all others suck... but come one... grow the fuck up. Any mature and intelligent individual whether religious or just a music fan, has to eventually recognize the postive place that other religion or genre fills for somebody else. Why is it so hard for metal heads to recognize that rap is ok in it's own way...
More importantly, why do so many members of popular religion have an inability to admit the good intentions of other religions. Sure, only one idea can be totally correct... but that doens't change the fact that NO ONE really knows the answer and just because somebody is worshipping the wrong god doesn't change the fact that their religion supports morals that the world needs.
Addendum: Yes, I include the nation of Islam in this bubble. If you think the Islamic religion is by nature violent, you need to check yourself. A good starting point is right here (http://youtube.com/watch?v=IcAmmD_SpmM), the documentarian Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) sends a devout Christian into a very Muslim community in the US for 30 days. Morgan Spurlock = genius, objective documentarian... Michael Moore = deceptive, shit starting, fool that uses confirmation bias and ingnorance to solidfy his viewpoint.
Having faith in your religion is great... it's paramount, and I repect you for it, but it is a not an excuse for forming uneducated opinons of others. When it comes to religion, I'm even ok with a little ingnorance. I'll admit I don't know much about the world's religions, but won't condemn them just because I heard of a couple of incidences perpetrated by individuals claiming that religion as thier justification.
Other countries are proud that their government is secular (not that the individual in power are athiest, but that religion has no overlap with government). The US needs to get Washington DC out of Texas (read "it's head out of it's ass") and get Christianity out of politics... Christian values are great... but making them law is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and against the will of the founding fathers. No Christians, the Constitution wasn't based on the bible, sorry... that's a lie your Sunday school teacher taught you because they thought they were right.
I think this should have been three posts... but I took some time off so I'm behind. Gots to go cathc a bus to forro party (type of regional music). Hopefully all this typing has hindered my Portuguese.
Thanks for reading.
It's been 8 days since I got to Brazil... and 10 days since I played an instrument. My mind and fingers are slowly turning to mush. I know some people don't understand this, but I have a dependency on making music. I'm not anything amazing, on any instrument... but it is necessary for me to make music as a creative outlet. Apayo lived with me for 5 or 6 weeks and observed the trammel/treasure that is me unwinding at the end of nearly every night. If I'm sober I generally play the piano or guitar before bed. It's my way of reseting. I put what's on the inside out... and then I sleep peacefully. The first thing I'm going to do when the grant (money I've graciously been provided by Dr. Bowders and his program) hits my bank account is hop on the bus and buy a cheap guitar.
People say music and mathematics are international languages. I'd expand on that by saying that math is the language of what's around us, music is the language of what's inside us. Some people don't get into music as much as I do... and I feel sorry for them. Others... that are even worse think they love music, but have troubles naming a band that hasn't been in the top 40, or a band that sings in another language, or a few bands outside a specific genre that they cling to. It's cool when your 14 and developing this sense of who "you" are if you only like one type of music... it's important to establish your independence. If you are 20 or 30 or older and can't name a band from outside the US, or a band that you really liked that you wished had made it big but didn't... you're missing out on a free upgrade to you standard of living.
Hipsters, punk rockers, armies of Imo, rappers, hip-hop-apotomuses... are all cool. It's funny how much it's like religion. When you're a kid it's ok to say I only like one of these and all others suck... but come one... grow the fuck up. Any mature and intelligent individual whether religious or just a music fan, has to eventually recognize the postive place that other religion or genre fills for somebody else. Why is it so hard for metal heads to recognize that rap is ok in it's own way...
More importantly, why do so many members of popular religion have an inability to admit the good intentions of other religions. Sure, only one idea can be totally correct... but that doens't change the fact that NO ONE really knows the answer and just because somebody is worshipping the wrong god doesn't change the fact that their religion supports morals that the world needs.
Addendum: Yes, I include the nation of Islam in this bubble. If you think the Islamic religion is by nature violent, you need to check yourself. A good starting point is right here (http://youtube.com/watch?v=IcAmmD_SpmM), the documentarian Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) sends a devout Christian into a very Muslim community in the US for 30 days. Morgan Spurlock = genius, objective documentarian... Michael Moore = deceptive, shit starting, fool that uses confirmation bias and ingnorance to solidfy his viewpoint.
Having faith in your religion is great... it's paramount, and I repect you for it, but it is a not an excuse for forming uneducated opinons of others. When it comes to religion, I'm even ok with a little ingnorance. I'll admit I don't know much about the world's religions, but won't condemn them just because I heard of a couple of incidences perpetrated by individuals claiming that religion as thier justification.
Other countries are proud that their government is secular (not that the individual in power are athiest, but that religion has no overlap with government). The US needs to get Washington DC out of Texas (read "it's head out of it's ass") and get Christianity out of politics... Christian values are great... but making them law is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and against the will of the founding fathers. No Christians, the Constitution wasn't based on the bible, sorry... that's a lie your Sunday school teacher taught you because they thought they were right.
I think this should have been three posts... but I took some time off so I'm behind. Gots to go cathc a bus to forro party (type of regional music). Hopefully all this typing has hindered my Portuguese.
Thanks for reading.
posted by Brady Beckham at 1:15 PM
2 Comments:
Such a treasure it was! I was looking on my cell phone and came across a picture of you... you fell asleep while strummin' a tune on the guitar... you look so sweet, but I know better;)
glad to know at least two intelligent people read my rantings, Brazil is boring for me compared to this stuff though... is that wrong?
Brazil is a new set of people and activities, but we're all still people, so it's just the same old shitake mushroom
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