Just recently Representative Pat Garofalo (R-Minn.) shared this tweet regarding NBA players and street crime:
"Let's be honest, 70% of teams in NBA could fold tomorrow + nobody would notice a difference w/ possible exception of increase in street crime."
Now there are a few ways one could look at this. The way I first saw it was that Garofalo was saying that street crime would go up if fans of the teams that folded no longer had games to go see. That was in the context of this particular tweet. But as more information became available, I understood how others saw it differently. In defense of his tweet, Garofalo went on to say this:
"I was talking about the NBA’s high arrest rate and that they are the only major pro league in which testing positive for marijuana is not a substance abuse violation. No intent beyond that. The culture among many pro athletes that they are above the law is the problem, not people pointing that problem out."
Facts later revealed, apparently not withstanding for Rep. Garofalo, made his tweet look highly misinformed and ignorant. He later apologized, saying:
"In the last 24 hours, I've had the opportunity to re-learn one of life's lessons: whenever any of us are offering opinions, it is best to refer to people as individuals as opposed to groups. Last night, I publicly commented on the NBA and I sincerely apologized to those who I unfairly categorized. The NBA has many examples of players and owners who are role models for our communities and for our country. Those individuals did not deserve that criticism and I apologize. In addition, it's been brought to my attention that I was mistaken and the NBA policy on drug enforcement is stronger than I previously believed. Again, I offer my sincerest apologies for my comments,"
No harm done, right? Ignorant white lawmaker inadvertently tweets out of his ass, gets fact checked and chin checked, apologizes for being an ignoramus and moves on to making tweets about Sbarro pizza not being qualified to be classified as pizza.
Not so fast.
Maybe 20 years ago this is something that gets brushed under the rug or not even said or mentioned at all. But in today's world of Twitter, facebook, blogging and numerous other ways to let opinions fly through social media, things like this get massive amounts of attention. Famous white celebrity drops the N-bomb? The whole world hears about it seconds after it happens. Someone uses a gay or racial slur? The news networks' bottom screen ticker blasts it out while you watch a report on 'Being Black in America'. Anything anyone says or does becomes instant news if it is sexy enough and we all hear about it, discuss it at work or at the bar or at home. The word 'racist' gets thrown out there and it becomes a hot topic. The question is, are we too sensitive these days or too honest?
The question could be asked, were the comments Pat Garofalo made actually racist? It's hard to argue that they weren't when over 70% of the NBA consists of Black men. When his comments were put into context with actual statistics, his argument was quickly shot down and he acknowledged that he was wrong to state his opinion without knowing the facts. So, his motive behind tweeting what he did had to be racist, right? He obviously hates Black people, right? Pat Garofalo might just be an ignorant idiot who just speaks or tweets whatever he wants without putting much thought to it. And though his comments do have a ring of racism in them, I wouldn't go as far as to label him a racist. I would, however label him stupid, misinformed, ignorant, etc. There is a difference between this situation and, say, the Paula Dean situation. Paula Dean could easily, and correctly, be seen as a racist based upon her language and response to the the question of whether she ever used the word 'nigger' in reference to Black people. So to answer the question of whether or not our society has become too sensitive or too honest I say you can never be too sensitive to even the slightest of hateful or racist remarks.
Why? Consider this.
During the last six years, history has been made with the election and re-election of this country's first Black President. In those six years, we've seen extremely racist views put on display like no other time in our history since the Civil Rights Movement era. Just yesterday I listened as one of my co-workers railed against Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, not commenting on political or policy issues, but on their looks (saying that the first lady reminded him of Chewbacca from 'Star Wars' and referring to the president as Curious George, a fictional monkey). Many pundits criticize Obama's intelligence, forgetting that this man attended two of the nations most respected institutions of education, Columbia University and Harvard Law. There have been insults hurled at the Obama's daughters and rumors of the Obama's excessive use White House resources. Never in history has a president been more scrutinized and maligned and disrespected. People seem to not have a problem holding their tongue when it comes to their feelings about President Obama when just a few years ago, talk against George W. Bush was viewed as 'unpatriotic'. A lot of the comments have been blatantly racist. Some people's true colors have come to light when it comes to how they feel about having a Black person in office, therefore revealing how they feel in general about Black people. And while certain situations can be clearly defined as racist, there are times when some claims of racism seem to be overreaching. The same thing can be said about the views of those who make comments regarding the LGBT community. There are those who hide behind 'religious views' so as to give them the right to say and/ or do whatever it is that they want regarding gays, lesbians, transgenders, etc. Again, there are times when blatant bigotry is on display but sometimes the uproar is generated by the media because it's such a hot topic.
It's very noticeable that since Obama has been in office, the amount of instances where racism comes into question by what someone in the public eye says has been on an extreme increase. The views that people have about those in the LGBT community and about immigrants (those critical of immigration reform hide behind American exceptionalism and the integrity of the American worker) have also been on the rise and the 24 hour news cycle that we live under has a lot to do with that. Technology plays a major role as well. Whereas 20 years ago you didn't see instances where a person says or does something and it's immediately on YouTube or facebook, these days everything seems to be available for instant critiquing. Political and social issues now play out in our living rooms through our TV's, computers and smartphones. We have kids who are being bullied over the Internet killing themselves and some adults playing a role in the bullying. Grown men like Jonathan Martin of the Miami Dolphins (recently traded to the San Francisco 49ers) are being victimized by others because of the perception that they are weak or not tough enough, or gay. We watch all of these scenarios play out every single day and we all develop our own opinions of them. You can twist any one of these scenarios to fit an agenda. If you are a proponent of free speech, you'll say certain issues are protected by free speech or the right to bear arms, etc. If you are a minority, an immigrant, if you're gay or feel attacked in any way, you might take the stance that if someone feels offended by something, then it warrants immediate action. The Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis cases drew national attention but were criticized, especially in the Martin case, because there were individuals who thought the topic of race was overplayed or just injected in there to generate a strong reaction. George Zimmerman himself said that President Obama made it part of his political agenda when he spoke publicly regarding the case. There were even some people who thought the Paula Deen incident was overblown, with some individuals who were Black coming to her defense. So the question of whether or not we have either become a too sensitive or too honest really comes down to a matter of perspective. Personally, I feel that you can never be too sensitive when it comes to matters of racism or bigotry of any kind. This gets overshadowed when public figures take sides to further their own political or personal agenda, either for or against. One could say that racism or issues regarding being gay or heterosexual gets inserted into certain discussions unfairly. One could also say the same thing when it comes to recent events regarding women's rights. Some could say that doing so promotes individuals being to sensitive to a cause. I say that if the world is going to be more honest about how they feel about things like race, sexual orientation or a woman's right to choose when it comes to abortion or contraception, then it's just fine for those who are affected by these things to be honest about what it really is and how they feel about it. That's not being too sensitive, that's refusing to accept ingnorant views as the new norm. Call me sensitive, but I'd rather make a big deal out of nothing than to suddenly be caught up in ignorance and didn't say or do anything to prevent it.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Spirituality Without Religious Commitment: Is it Possible?
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines spirituality as, in part, a sensitivity or attachment to religious values. It defines spiritual, in part, as being concerned with religious values. So, of course, it would make sense that many would feel that to have some sort of spirituality one would need to be associated with a particular religion or religious organization. And while my intent with this particular post isn't to discredit that notion, I personally feel that one can achieve some sort of spirituality without being directly involved with a religion, religious organization or church.
Let me begin by answering the question I get from most people when I talk about my feelings and experiences when it comes to religion. Yes, I do believe in God. I was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I attribute a lot of the values that I have to my upbringing in that particular organization. I've only attended one other church besides going to meetings at the Kingdom Hall and that was on just two occasions. I have no quarrels with the overall message within the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, I just came to the conclusion a few years ago that continuing to be a Jehovah's Witness wasn't for me. As time passed and I studied other religions on a small scale, the question I always asked myself was "Can I be a spiritual person and not be part of any particular religion?" I admit, my struggles with trying to stay within the guidelines of the organization I grew up in had a part to play in me deciding that I was better suited outside of it. But, as of late, I have come to realize that one needs some sort of spirituality, some type spiritual connection to live a prosperous life. By prosperous, I don't mean wealthy. As a person, I am always looking for ways to grow, to become a better person, to love others more, to not be overwhelmed by personal struggles. To be prosperous, or to continue to grow, a person would need some sort of guidelines to live by. Whether these be religious values or personal values, I feel that without some sort of path to follow, a person could never reach his or her full potential and would be limited at best in trying to achieve any personal goals. But how can one find some sort of spirituality without wanting to be affiliated with a religion?
Before I give my answer to this question, let me say that this is my own personal opinion. It works for me and my hope is that it will work for others who find themselves in a similar situation as I find myself. I have found that since I already had a religious structure in place, due to the way my parents raised me, I already had some decent groundwork laid out. Studying about other religions, some in depth and some just on the surface, have proven to be useful to me. One point that I gathered from studying some Five Percent teachings is that the main ingredient to attaining spirituality is to "do the Knowledge" or basically, study. Jehovah's Witnesses, along with pretty much every other religion teach this as well, with the Witnesses stressing that it is important to "read God's Word daily". Just like with anything that requires some sort of learning and understanding, you have to study and do research. Growing up, my mother stressed personal study. There were five different meetings, three days a week, that we attended and the publications that we used during those meetings were integral parts of those meetings. Just like in school, we studied the books so that the information we received at the meetings would sink in, become more understandable and be real to us. Even though I am no longer associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses, most of their teachings are still integral in my daily life, some a whole lot more than others.
In my studies, I've come to realize that spirituality starts within. People may disagree with the idea that you don't need to be a part of a church or a religion or religious organization to attain a level of spirituality but I believe that it starts with you first. My older sister has often urged that I try to find some sort of spirituality to stabilize my personal life. As I've grown older, there have been occasions where I despised listening to what someone else told me was right or wrong. I think that is part of the reason why I decided that I would not return to the Witness organization, along with some others reasons. That may also be the reason why I don't particularly do well with relationships. Some may view this as being haughty, and I can see why they would think that way. But after growing up in the religious household that I did and coming to the realization as an adult that I wasn't on board with the whole religion thing, I had dismissed religion altogether. It wasn't until I found myself trying to succeed in life by my own guidelines and rules that I realized I wasn't going to achieve any of the goals that I had set for myself on my own. I had to get in tune with who I was on the inside, who I was spiritually. Part of that was understanding that there are bigger things pushing those who have achieved any level of success. Some believe the god that they worship is directing their steps. In the movies, like 'Star Wars', the story speaks of 'the Force' guiding all those who were in tune with it. Modern religion characterizes that as the Holy Spirit, or God's active force, which guides those in tune with it. And while other religions may focus on this in other aspects, the one common thread is that there are forces bigger than us humans that can guide us down a good or destructive path. While conventional thinking simplifies this so that all men can understand the concept better, I personally think it goes a little deeper than that.
Some religious teachings speak of God as being the creator and being a spirit entity in the heavens, watching over us. Others teach that God is within each of us. Still others teach that each individual is God or a god or godlike. The Bible says that God created man "in his image". So in truth, all three of these viewpoints can be said to be correct, depending on one's perception or interpretation. And while movies like 'Star Wars' and 'The Matrix' tend to take the idea of God and his active force or Holy Spirit to extremes, I feel like the concept of all human beings being godlike is fairly accurate. If God created man in his image, that would definitely make man as a species godlike in that there could possibly be a way for humans to do extraordinary things if they could tap into the brains unlimited potential. The scriptures also state that "if you have faith the size of a mustard grain...nothing would be impossible for you." I think there is a literal meaning to that. A common saying is "if you put your mind to it, you can do anything". Basically I interpret that, along with the scriptures, as meaning if you are in tune with your spirit then the possibilities are endless. Success is predicated not only in the belief that something can be achieved but also in one's abilities to achieve. While many put their faith in the thought that God will provide, wouldn't it be just as important to have faith in one's own abilities along with the fact that we can do absolutely anything if we are in tune with ourselves, our spirit?
Recently, I've begun to read The Tao of Wu, a book written by Wu Tang producer the RZA. I've read his first book, The Wu Tang Manual and was really impressed with the way RZA uses his own personal spirituality to mold the way he does things. He combines Buddhist principles along with Islamic and Five Percent teachings and some things he's learned from Christianity to govern the path that he walks. He also acknowledges his training in kung fu as being a big part of his discipline. The Tao of Wu focuses a lot more on his spirituality than The Wu Tang Manual does, but one thing is clear: he attributes everything that he has been successful in to his spiritual connection. He mentions that knowledge was paramount to his development and that the teachings he learned as a child through the Five Percent Nation gave him a basis for the way he lived his life from the moment it was intrduced to him by his cousin, fellow Wu Tang Clansman the GZA. "Doing the Knowledge" meant studying and the initial studies are not based solely on religion. These basic teachings are the 120 Lessons and learning them gives you knowledge of things such as the distance the Earth is from the sun, the circumference of the Earth and it's diameter, the weight of the earth and the speed of light and sound along with countless other lessons that fill you with knowledge that may not be viewed by others as typical understanding . These were things that kids in the inner city public school system weren't necessarily being taught. So if you were a person who dropped out of school or ended up in jail, these teachings would give you the knowledge that you may not have received otherwise. These teachings, known as Mathematics, dispelled the notion that if you were Black and living in the projects then you were destined to be ignorant and uneducated. Without those principles to guide him on his path, he acknowledges that he'd probably still be in the projects of Staten Island, living only to die.
It has been through reading those books, along with the Bible and picking up bits and pieces of other religions, that I realized spirituality starts with an inner journey first. If that inner journey takes you to a religion or place, so be it. But religion and church isn't the end all be all that many of us were taught it is. If one believes in a god, whether it be Jehovah, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad or has the belief that God is just pure energy that exists within us all, it is the journey to find our own spirituality that is most important. A person may not believe in a god but still may have a strong sense of spirituality. There are many roads that can lead a person to finding out who God is to them, but they all do lead to one.It is my personal belief that when God judges all of his creation, it will not be based on what religion one may be or what organization one will be a part of. It will be based strictly on one's works and deeds, on one's heart condition. Of course, all of that can be shaped by religion. But in the end, it's about the knowledge one attains. Solomon knew that knowledge was more valuable than any material possessions and when God asked him what he wanted, he asked for wisdom and knowledge. Since God recognized that he asked for this and not riches and wealth or anything else of a selfish desire, he bestowed upon him the wisdom and knowledge he asked for and the wealth and riches and honor he didn't ask for. Whether or not you believe in the words in the Bible, this example shows how important knowledge is. Think about it; if you have all the money in the world, and you do not have knowledge, what is the money worth to you?
So, is attaining spirituality without a religious commitment possible? I do think so. Once spirituality has been attained, it may lead you to make a commitment to a religion or organization. At the very least, it may lead you to abide by some religious principles. Either way, spirituality in and of itself will allow you to lay down some guidelines that can and will benefit you in the long run.
Let me begin by answering the question I get from most people when I talk about my feelings and experiences when it comes to religion. Yes, I do believe in God. I was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I attribute a lot of the values that I have to my upbringing in that particular organization. I've only attended one other church besides going to meetings at the Kingdom Hall and that was on just two occasions. I have no quarrels with the overall message within the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, I just came to the conclusion a few years ago that continuing to be a Jehovah's Witness wasn't for me. As time passed and I studied other religions on a small scale, the question I always asked myself was "Can I be a spiritual person and not be part of any particular religion?" I admit, my struggles with trying to stay within the guidelines of the organization I grew up in had a part to play in me deciding that I was better suited outside of it. But, as of late, I have come to realize that one needs some sort of spirituality, some type spiritual connection to live a prosperous life. By prosperous, I don't mean wealthy. As a person, I am always looking for ways to grow, to become a better person, to love others more, to not be overwhelmed by personal struggles. To be prosperous, or to continue to grow, a person would need some sort of guidelines to live by. Whether these be religious values or personal values, I feel that without some sort of path to follow, a person could never reach his or her full potential and would be limited at best in trying to achieve any personal goals. But how can one find some sort of spirituality without wanting to be affiliated with a religion?
Before I give my answer to this question, let me say that this is my own personal opinion. It works for me and my hope is that it will work for others who find themselves in a similar situation as I find myself. I have found that since I already had a religious structure in place, due to the way my parents raised me, I already had some decent groundwork laid out. Studying about other religions, some in depth and some just on the surface, have proven to be useful to me. One point that I gathered from studying some Five Percent teachings is that the main ingredient to attaining spirituality is to "do the Knowledge" or basically, study. Jehovah's Witnesses, along with pretty much every other religion teach this as well, with the Witnesses stressing that it is important to "read God's Word daily". Just like with anything that requires some sort of learning and understanding, you have to study and do research. Growing up, my mother stressed personal study. There were five different meetings, three days a week, that we attended and the publications that we used during those meetings were integral parts of those meetings. Just like in school, we studied the books so that the information we received at the meetings would sink in, become more understandable and be real to us. Even though I am no longer associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses, most of their teachings are still integral in my daily life, some a whole lot more than others.
In my studies, I've come to realize that spirituality starts within. People may disagree with the idea that you don't need to be a part of a church or a religion or religious organization to attain a level of spirituality but I believe that it starts with you first. My older sister has often urged that I try to find some sort of spirituality to stabilize my personal life. As I've grown older, there have been occasions where I despised listening to what someone else told me was right or wrong. I think that is part of the reason why I decided that I would not return to the Witness organization, along with some others reasons. That may also be the reason why I don't particularly do well with relationships. Some may view this as being haughty, and I can see why they would think that way. But after growing up in the religious household that I did and coming to the realization as an adult that I wasn't on board with the whole religion thing, I had dismissed religion altogether. It wasn't until I found myself trying to succeed in life by my own guidelines and rules that I realized I wasn't going to achieve any of the goals that I had set for myself on my own. I had to get in tune with who I was on the inside, who I was spiritually. Part of that was understanding that there are bigger things pushing those who have achieved any level of success. Some believe the god that they worship is directing their steps. In the movies, like 'Star Wars', the story speaks of 'the Force' guiding all those who were in tune with it. Modern religion characterizes that as the Holy Spirit, or God's active force, which guides those in tune with it. And while other religions may focus on this in other aspects, the one common thread is that there are forces bigger than us humans that can guide us down a good or destructive path. While conventional thinking simplifies this so that all men can understand the concept better, I personally think it goes a little deeper than that.
Some religious teachings speak of God as being the creator and being a spirit entity in the heavens, watching over us. Others teach that God is within each of us. Still others teach that each individual is God or a god or godlike. The Bible says that God created man "in his image". So in truth, all three of these viewpoints can be said to be correct, depending on one's perception or interpretation. And while movies like 'Star Wars' and 'The Matrix' tend to take the idea of God and his active force or Holy Spirit to extremes, I feel like the concept of all human beings being godlike is fairly accurate. If God created man in his image, that would definitely make man as a species godlike in that there could possibly be a way for humans to do extraordinary things if they could tap into the brains unlimited potential. The scriptures also state that "if you have faith the size of a mustard grain...nothing would be impossible for you." I think there is a literal meaning to that. A common saying is "if you put your mind to it, you can do anything". Basically I interpret that, along with the scriptures, as meaning if you are in tune with your spirit then the possibilities are endless. Success is predicated not only in the belief that something can be achieved but also in one's abilities to achieve. While many put their faith in the thought that God will provide, wouldn't it be just as important to have faith in one's own abilities along with the fact that we can do absolutely anything if we are in tune with ourselves, our spirit?
Recently, I've begun to read The Tao of Wu, a book written by Wu Tang producer the RZA. I've read his first book, The Wu Tang Manual and was really impressed with the way RZA uses his own personal spirituality to mold the way he does things. He combines Buddhist principles along with Islamic and Five Percent teachings and some things he's learned from Christianity to govern the path that he walks. He also acknowledges his training in kung fu as being a big part of his discipline. The Tao of Wu focuses a lot more on his spirituality than The Wu Tang Manual does, but one thing is clear: he attributes everything that he has been successful in to his spiritual connection. He mentions that knowledge was paramount to his development and that the teachings he learned as a child through the Five Percent Nation gave him a basis for the way he lived his life from the moment it was intrduced to him by his cousin, fellow Wu Tang Clansman the GZA. "Doing the Knowledge" meant studying and the initial studies are not based solely on religion. These basic teachings are the 120 Lessons and learning them gives you knowledge of things such as the distance the Earth is from the sun, the circumference of the Earth and it's diameter, the weight of the earth and the speed of light and sound along with countless other lessons that fill you with knowledge that may not be viewed by others as typical understanding . These were things that kids in the inner city public school system weren't necessarily being taught. So if you were a person who dropped out of school or ended up in jail, these teachings would give you the knowledge that you may not have received otherwise. These teachings, known as Mathematics, dispelled the notion that if you were Black and living in the projects then you were destined to be ignorant and uneducated. Without those principles to guide him on his path, he acknowledges that he'd probably still be in the projects of Staten Island, living only to die.
It has been through reading those books, along with the Bible and picking up bits and pieces of other religions, that I realized spirituality starts with an inner journey first. If that inner journey takes you to a religion or place, so be it. But religion and church isn't the end all be all that many of us were taught it is. If one believes in a god, whether it be Jehovah, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad or has the belief that God is just pure energy that exists within us all, it is the journey to find our own spirituality that is most important. A person may not believe in a god but still may have a strong sense of spirituality. There are many roads that can lead a person to finding out who God is to them, but they all do lead to one.It is my personal belief that when God judges all of his creation, it will not be based on what religion one may be or what organization one will be a part of. It will be based strictly on one's works and deeds, on one's heart condition. Of course, all of that can be shaped by religion. But in the end, it's about the knowledge one attains. Solomon knew that knowledge was more valuable than any material possessions and when God asked him what he wanted, he asked for wisdom and knowledge. Since God recognized that he asked for this and not riches and wealth or anything else of a selfish desire, he bestowed upon him the wisdom and knowledge he asked for and the wealth and riches and honor he didn't ask for. Whether or not you believe in the words in the Bible, this example shows how important knowledge is. Think about it; if you have all the money in the world, and you do not have knowledge, what is the money worth to you?
So, is attaining spirituality without a religious commitment possible? I do think so. Once spirituality has been attained, it may lead you to make a commitment to a religion or organization. At the very least, it may lead you to abide by some religious principles. Either way, spirituality in and of itself will allow you to lay down some guidelines that can and will benefit you in the long run.
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