08-15-2017, 08:34 AM
I come from a long line of Rednecks who, while mostly attentive to ethical and moral standards, neglected formal education, exposure to other cultural practices, and generally believed what was good enough yesterday would be just fine for tomorrow.
And added to that my mother was a Holy Roller. Pentecostal folk. Fundamentalists who "took the word of God" literarily. Yes...we said, "maybe your people swung by thier tails from trees, but we were made in God's image and evolution is the Devil trying to lead us astray". One day when I was 16 years old I said I was no longer going to church...beat me, starve me, lock me in a box, I won't do it anymore. ( My father died in a logging accident when I was 13 so I had a longer leash than some) And some months later I walked to highway 99, thumbed a ride out of town and that was that. Well...almost. Another story follows that I won't bore your with. (I did return to that place 40 year later to visit)
But some things remain! You "get 'em while they are young" and the influences stick. And in my case at least, many of the memories are fond ones, forgetting the fear and terror inflicted at times. What sticks most was the music. I was reminded recently of a tune Elvis recorded (He too, came out of the Assembly of God church). The title is one you have not doubt heard. I heard it a lot as a kid. "Peace In The Valley".
One stanza:
Well the bear will be gentle
And the wolves will be tame
And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes
And the beasts from the wild
Shall be lit by a child
And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes
It made me wonder. Will there be a time when not the blessings of a an almighty god but the intellectual growth of advanced societies around the globe learn that the tribal differences that are tearing apart our world can be overcome with rational arguments about problems that do have reasonable solutions.
And, can that ever happen here at our forum? Are we capable of "salvation" and turning our attitudes and prejudices to more responsible and thoughtful responses?
Or, are we like the rednecks I sprung from, willing to continue to live with what we learned by age 15 and feeling no need to expand our horizons? Will we ignore history to support our long held views? Will be reject science because of a few who label it as "fake"? Will we "sort" ourselves to be with only people who share our world view?
I'm wearing my bullet proof vest, ready to accept the daggers of "hall monitor" and "nanny". Won't damage me a bit, and I wanted the chance to express these somewhat "out of the box" views. I'm thankful for the freedom to do it. It cost you nothing to read it (if you did). My hope is it will stir dialog about changes that might once again make this a place attracting more people who see this space as a place of value to engage in meaningful dialog.
And added to that my mother was a Holy Roller. Pentecostal folk. Fundamentalists who "took the word of God" literarily. Yes...we said, "maybe your people swung by thier tails from trees, but we were made in God's image and evolution is the Devil trying to lead us astray". One day when I was 16 years old I said I was no longer going to church...beat me, starve me, lock me in a box, I won't do it anymore. ( My father died in a logging accident when I was 13 so I had a longer leash than some) And some months later I walked to highway 99, thumbed a ride out of town and that was that. Well...almost. Another story follows that I won't bore your with. (I did return to that place 40 year later to visit)
But some things remain! You "get 'em while they are young" and the influences stick. And in my case at least, many of the memories are fond ones, forgetting the fear and terror inflicted at times. What sticks most was the music. I was reminded recently of a tune Elvis recorded (He too, came out of the Assembly of God church). The title is one you have not doubt heard. I heard it a lot as a kid. "Peace In The Valley".
One stanza:
Well the bear will be gentle
And the wolves will be tame
And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes
And the beasts from the wild
Shall be lit by a child
And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes
It made me wonder. Will there be a time when not the blessings of a an almighty god but the intellectual growth of advanced societies around the globe learn that the tribal differences that are tearing apart our world can be overcome with rational arguments about problems that do have reasonable solutions.
And, can that ever happen here at our forum? Are we capable of "salvation" and turning our attitudes and prejudices to more responsible and thoughtful responses?
Or, are we like the rednecks I sprung from, willing to continue to live with what we learned by age 15 and feeling no need to expand our horizons? Will we ignore history to support our long held views? Will be reject science because of a few who label it as "fake"? Will we "sort" ourselves to be with only people who share our world view?
I'm wearing my bullet proof vest, ready to accept the daggers of "hall monitor" and "nanny". Won't damage me a bit, and I wanted the chance to express these somewhat "out of the box" views. I'm thankful for the freedom to do it. It cost you nothing to read it (if you did). My hope is it will stir dialog about changes that might once again make this a place attracting more people who see this space as a place of value to engage in meaningful dialog.