What exalted concepts do you secretly not honor?

[get the red out]

I had this thought on the exercise machine just now (when my blood sugar got kind of low and I was testy), what concepts that are placed on a pedestal, commonly unquestionable, in our society do you feel come from a place of dysfunction and/or cause dysfunction to human beings or our society as a whole? I hope no one will flame anyone else's answers, most of what I really think deep down would get me flamed by anyone. But without criticizing one another I am curious about what concepts that you would just love to disrespect verbally that would get you a look of total shock and horror from most people?

I will throw out two:

My first won't upset anyone here, it is "Capitalism", I am just sick of paying homage to the myth that capitalism benefits everyone, especially as we see it practiced in the US. But if I told people I know that, the great glaze of dismay would appear.

My second will raise eyebrows even here, "Freedom of Religion". No, I don't mean we should outlaw religion or have only one religion, but I really think religious practices should be regulated to keep people from being harmed. Religion is so free right now that I feel that terrible harm is being done to people and there is not one thing that can be done to stop it. People are absolutely stripped of their rights from birth in many cases, and never know they are guaranteed rights as citizens of this country, and because of the messed up version of religious freedom we have, no body gives a damn, nor feels they should. I know, I am absolutely an unacceptable member of society for saying that, LOL, I have heard that before, it's ok.

I am not wishing to start a debate, but I was curious to see if anyone here had some commonly worshipped concepts that they are secretly just not that into.

[I Have A Dream]

1. Great question, ktro! Thanks for starting this topic.

I'm just going to post one now, and if I think of more, I'll post them in another post.

- Jesus died for our sins. I actually think that Jesus was to be an example of what humanity is able to do -- each of us can do -- if we only believed that it were possible. I think that he is an Ascended Master who has mastered the Earth plane himself and is working with humanity to help it to realize what it's able to do on its own.

(On edit: I wouldn't hesitate to tell someone that I don't believe that Jesus died for our sins. However, I would hesitate to get into a discussion with most people about the Ascended Master thing since it would probably blow a few minds.)

[japple]

3. Ditto, IHAD. I wonder who made up that bit?

Here's mine:

"The Bible is the word of God." All of the bible was written by humans who channeled information they received, or either reported on what they witnessed or remembered (esp. the new testament). The people who are convinced that it is the word of God would not believe anything written today by someone who said they were inspired by God to write it. And many "don't believe in channeling." All of the the books were compiled by a comittee into one book called: "THE BIBLE."

[Fire Walk With Me]

24. Regarding Jesus dying for our sins...

Remember that "sin" is energy. The Buddhists call them "knots", the Christians "strongholds", and all are energy/actions compounded upon each other. Any energetic system is set into resonance through external impulse. If you have developed a strong sense of irritation at insect noise, the next time an insect comes along you are thus more likely to react, or even over-react to its sound.

This of course works for positive characteristics...compassion being triggered through witnessing suffering...

(When negatives become extreme, they also reduce awareness, intuition, etc. I've heard horror stories of 12-Steppers who've relapsed, acutely aware of losing their connection to the light as they again picked up and used. Most of us have heard about Meth smokers seeing bats and spiders everywhere. It could be an opening of the Dreamtime into the lower realms.)

The book I've been recommending, "When Things Fall Apart", speaks of Tibetan wisdom in facing our knots, and unraveling them. The 12 Steps of recovery address them through surrender and Divine Grace, for when the knots become overwhelming, and the impulses cannot be ignored/resisted.

The nature of the grid is that all action creates energy, inside and outside of the actor. Acts of ultimate compassion create permanent complexes of energy, which can be used to, say, cleanse our energetic knots...ask your local magician, it's true. And it IS an act of Mastery, as the flesh is nearly impossible to transcend. Witness what Karen Bishop says about the disappointing numbers of transcendent individuals from the Shift, and work on sending out as much "wake-up" energy as you possibly can.

[BlueIris]

2. Honor thy mother and father.

Not every parent deserves respect, or even deserves to be around his or her children, simply by virtue of the fact he/she is a parent.

[catzies]

I can absolutely relate to that. And I have another one: parents and their children

Speaking as a mother who survived a bitter custody fight only to have my only child successfully turned against me and the scars remain.

Yet I never expressed to anyone that I have many times felt ambivalent towanrd my child and about being a mother. You're supposed to always be happy and filled with joy etc

[Celebration]

4. Secretly?

None! I guess I am a bit outspoken.

:silly:

[get the red out]

5. Not necessarily secret

I probably used a questionable word choice, but if you are like me, ones you've been called to task for by the tradition-minded.


:evilgrin:

[Celebration]

11. Well

I disbelieve the official story on 9/11. When I express that, I am called to task.

I disbelieve the idea that evil does not exist, and if we essentially ignore it, that it won't affect our lives. Some people are very uncomfortable with this.

I disbelieve in original sin, or that the natural higher self of humans has anything evil attached or influencing, but do believe in negative external forces that are ready to pounce.

I disbelieve in that materialist dualism is the total reality, which is the essential part of secular humanism.

I disbelieve in the Virgin birth of Jesus.

I have to admit, though, that I am "agnostic" about a whole lot of things. There is a lot more that I come down in the "not sure" category.

[Fire Walk With Me]

16. Regarding the belief that evil does not exist.

People know that it does, if solely in themselves and other people, at minimum through their actions. They are terrified of negative action (being done =to= them, not when =they= do it. When =they= do something, it's "good". When something bad is done =to= them, it's "bad".).

America has fallen into cowardice and hypocrisy, and stuck its head in the sand while Bush did whatever he wanted for eight years (unelected). If it weren't for the Shift, I shudder to think where it would have taken us.

[NJCher]

6. more, more

Love this kind of thread. I am sure I will have some contributions soon; in the meantime, I am enjoying the thoughts of others.


Cher

[NJCher]

7. hard work

Work smart, not hard, that's what I say.

Whenever someone says, "good, hard-working American," I think "sucker!"

I think all my work out. If I can possibly find a way to cut it down, I will. Some things that other people consider essentials, I don't even do. I reinvent a lot of stuff to suit new purposes.

Now if I like the work, I'll spend all the time in the world doing it. Like writing up my syllabi, for example. I just love doing it and planning out all the different projects we will do as a class.

I also like interacting with my students and often stay behind after class to talk with them. But I hate the paperwork part, as in grading. So I've found ways to evaluate them where I don't have to read every single piece of paper.

Whatever it is that I don't like, I try to plan a way around it. I like to eliminate as much distasteful stuff from my life as possible.


Cher

[GliderGuider]

8. I have a couple

Organized religion, for starters. I have no problem with the mystic core of most religions, but the outer carapace dedicated to social control gives me a major twinge in the tuchis.

With that out of the way, here's my biggie:

The "Manifest Destiny" attitude that is at the center of modern globalized industrial civilization. The attitude that takes for granted that we are at the pinnacle of human development and that the way things are now was inevitable from the beginning. The attitude that this is the only possible way human society could have developed, and is intrinsically Good because of that. Every other dysfunctional concept I see around me seems to flow naturally from that polluted well: the idea that hierarchies are good; that consumption is the road to happiness; that "greed, for lack of a better word, is good"; that the poor are morally defective; that peoples' natural instincts to joy must be contained and channeled; that the world consists of only two classes of things: human beings and resources; that The Other is a threat; that we will be able to fix everything we break in the natural world; that technology is a universal boon; that no matter what happens, we musk keep growing both in numbers and material comforts; that respecting limits is for suckers.

Fortunately, I also think that the converging global ecological, social and economic crisis created by that core attitude is triggering a world-wide transformation in consciousness. This is analogous to how a deep personal crisis can precipitate a spiritual transformation in an individual, but is happening to a our species as a whole. One of the things that will happen as a result is that central cultural myth I described above will ultimately be discarded and replaced by a new, more sustainable narrative. The new "story of ourselves" that is now emerging is one that values cooperation over competition, nurturing over exploitation and consensus over hierarchy. It recognizes the interdependence of all life, and respects the intrinsic value of non-human life. It accepts, even celebrates, the idea of limits and universal justice. It hasn't taken over quite yet because the old story is still much to deeply embedded, but it is being prepared around the world by millions of people in small, independent, local environmental, social justice and ecospiritual groups. People like you and me.

In a sense it is the completion of the Copernican Revolution, in which the Earth was dethroned from its place at the center of the universe. Humanity will be gently removed from its arrogant centrality to assume its rightful and deeply fulfilling place as a member of the co-creative web of life.

Blessed be.

[MorningGlow]

9. Being a Christian automatically makes you a good person

When there are so many examples to the contrary. Besides, that also implies that anyone who is NOT a Christian is bad or at least a lesser person.

I'm a little communist at heart, actually (Marxist, not any of that later crap)--I truly believe everyone should be treated equally in all respects (materially, spiritually, politically)--unless they are proven to be truly despicable. That's gotten me into plenty of trouble in my life, and when I was younger I didn't understand why.
:rofl:

[I Have A Dream]

12. I've realized that I'm VERY socialist at heart and can't, for the life of me...

understand why so many people in the US view socialism as such an evil thing.

[MorningGlow]

13. Yeah! What's up with that?

"Socialism" is a dirty word? When it means helping one another out? I don't get it either.

[get the red out]

17. Me too!

People call someone a "socialist" and expect them to take it as an insult. :7 I have been coming to terms over the past 5 years or so with just how "socialist" my thinking really is, and I don't consider it bad. I consider it personal growth.

[rosesaylavee]

10. My current pet peeve is

that White people have it going on despite the mess that's been made of the economy, society in general, treatment of women, our current police state, and the dwindling Rule of Law that was our Constitution. Being white, I think I can say this. It's always annoyed me but I think since President Obama was elected, I see more defensive whites ... they seem to be crawling out of the woodwork.

This was brought to the surface more yesterday. Saw a great exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute in their new Modern Wing. It was a large gallery room and the four walls had a wall paper that alternated an illustration of a black man hanging from a tree and an illustration of a white man sleeping comfortably on a pillow. Along the walls on all four sides were unopened bags of kitty litter and in the center was a white wedding dress set up as if on a manakin - open and flowing/not on a hanger in other words.

I stood and took a moment to take it in and was just blown away by the imagery. It was a huge room and a lot of images of the lynching/sleeping. Lots of white people moving thru the room and not seeming to stop, look as much as the other spaces. Not that I am holier than most but the sadness in that - just added to the piece in my mind. That coupled with the fact that almost to a person, every one of the security/gallery workers were black... thought how hard it had to be to work this exhibit and watch people's apparent disregard for this. Man, it was powerful.

[bigmonkey]

19. I saw that too, about three weeks ago.

The sadness was deep, and, as you indicate, included the presence of the guards, I wonder if the artist intended that deepening factor.

[rosesaylavee]

25. Or it is just reflected in the reality that is our current society.

It really got me.

[crikkett]

14. Retirement savings accounts, mortgages.

I know that I may be playing Crikkett in "The grasshopper and the ant".

But 15 years on I'm on par with just about everyone in what used to be my peer group, who has been playing by the rules to feed an IRA or a mortgage all this time.

So I think I don't honor those kinds of exalted concepts. Not at this time anyway.

[get the red out]

15. The responses to this thread are wonderful!

Everybody either nailed the rest of my "secret" list or added more entries, LOL! I have absolutely loved reading what everyone has written, and contemplating on it. I wanted to comment on that since I was the one who started the thread.

Fraking awesome! It is so good to know I am not alone in looking around me so often, even among liberals, and thinking "no way that's good for people, why can't we question it without being shut down"?

I have hope that humanity will mature and learn to question everything. Being followers is a hard habit to break for people, but maybe there are glimmers of hope. There is absolutely no concept too sacred to question in my opinion.

[bigmonkey]

20. That you need to lead a productive life.

Isn't overproduction one of the big problems? What ever happened to leading a good life? I swear, whenever I hear "productive life" I think about slavery. Not that I'm against people producing things, but what they produce is just as important, maybe more important, than the fact of production.

Sorry, meant to reply to the OP!

[I Have A Dream]

22. I really like this. I've never really thought about it before.

:thumbsup:

[SheilaT]

18. That we must support out soldiers.

In an era of a totally volunteer army(and navy, air force, etc) every single soldier is a volunteer, and therefore is colluding with our evil government in evil wars.

That Affirmative Action is shutting white men out of all the good jobs. Last time I looked almost everything, including our government and over 90 percent of businesses in this country are run by middle-aged white men.

[MrMickeysMom]

21. I think this came to me in a rare moment of watching cable television 'reality'...

It was "Whale Wars". The Good Shepard, a singular ship with a mission to stop whale hunting in the arctic circle was watching Japanese Whaler ships bring in the whales, one after the other...

I admit, I had about 2 beers, and the futility of these people, who were not able to stop the whalers threw me into a rage where I found myself seriously wanting to wipe out the whalers and cursing the workers on the Good Shepard for being too weak.

My husband, watching me noted calmly, "they're doing everything they can", and it was true - the episode, which is the only reality show my husbands watches, made that much larger point.

I guess what I had forgotten was that emotions (and alcohol) revealed too easily my own inhumanity to other human beings in response to my not being able to deal with the unfair moment in time.

What a moment of reflection for just about everything that seemed wrong with our world.

I'm human, and therefore, I'm a violent creature, and I've not evolved. I must see the connection.

Something like this just makes me :cry:

[get the red out]

23. self delete

[Callie McAllie]

26. This is a great thread

I agree with so much of what has been said already. Trying to think of something new to add, but I can only come up with things like "Children should be seen and not heard," or "Don't wear white shoes after Labor Day."

Seriously, not sure if people consider it an exalted concept any more, but I feel a bit let down by Feminism. "Equal pay for equal work," "A woman's place is in House...and in the Senate," etc., etc.

I grew up in Seneca Falls, NY, went to Elizabeth Cady Stanton grammar school, then a womens' college, third generation of women on my father's side to graduate from college, and had an Irish mother. This strong woman thing has been fed me from the time I was born.

So I put off having children too long in search of a career. As a result was only able to have one child--one beautiful, wonderful child--for whom I am ever grateful. I really regret not being able to have more.

I feel like feminism kept me from doing some things that might have been much more fulfilling than my career. Like having more children and being able to spend time with them.

[Sanity Claws]

27. Amen, sister.

I don't have time to respond completely but feminism is not to blame. Underlying the problem was corporate greed.
By the 1980s families could no longer survive on a single paycheck. Women entered the work force and delayed child rearing or returned to work after childbirth in order to make up for the lack of buying power. Society blamed "working women" for almost all ills when the real problem was that the standard of living for ordinary people was falling. By the late 1980s or 1990s, families could not own a home unless both spouses were working.

[japple]

28. Another concept I hate is that hard work = success (read: material wealth)

Most of the people on this planet work very hard for their daily existence, and most are very poor. Many believe that those who live in poverty are there because they don't work hard enough.

[I Have A Dream]

29. Yes!!!

This is such a Republican way of thinking. Are there people who are lazy who are poor? Of course. However, there are many, many, many more people who work extremely hard just to make enough money to put food on the table. (...and often not enough for even that.)

The game is rigged. x( (Every once in a while, someone gets lucky and breaks the cycle, but it's a rare thing. I was one of the lucky ones; I thank the Universe every day, and I don't take it for granted.)

[Sanity Claws]

30. Japple, you're right

Then there are people who have never known a day's work and they are wealthy, like George W Bush and Paris Hilton.

[get the red out]

31. THOSE people don't deserve to be GIVEN health care

Health care isn't a right, those people (with two jobs working hard labor in both) don't deserve health care coverage because they are just LAZY. That's the Republican theme that makes me ill and people parrot it all them time. Like having health insurance is like a BMW, and you shouldn't just give them away to just anyone. We are just about the only industrialized country that hasn't slain that sacred cow, and that baby is mooing strong.

It occurred to me that the right has always opposed health care. During the European Witch Hunt mass slayings of the Catholic Church, women village herbal healers and mid-wives were among those that were targeted in a major way for torture and execution. People providing health care for the working poor. Some themes just go on and on.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[I Have A Dream]

33. The whole concept of God as most people envision God.

I actually think that this Universe has two "Gods/Goddesses". The first is the "God/Goddess" of all that is: Source. The second is the "God/Goddess" of this universe. I believe that each Universe has its own God/Goddess. This being is upper-management in the structure of All That Is -- probably akin to Senior Vice President of this universe.

I don't understand either of them, although it's easier for me to think of Source than to think of the "God/Goddess" of this universe. I don't think that either of them is the God of the Old Testament.

I don't feel any connection to either of them.

Also, I feel that many (but not all) people who think that they're communicating with God are actually communicating with their own higher self or their guides.