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the-gray-witch-sigilist · 4 years

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Hi there, I am and Ex-atheist I'm struggling as a baby witch of two months. I'm struggling between really believing and feeling true in my spirituality but also having a hard time as a ex-atheist who use to think its was silly to believe in a deity.

The first thing I should tell you is being a witch does not mean you have to be religious. Witchcraft is a practice, and every witch decides for themselves if their path calls for them to incorporate a belief in deities into their craft. I myself am a pagan witch, but I also know Christian witches, Muslim witches, Satanist witches, atheist witches, and witches from many other walks of life and belief systems. So don't feel pressured to believe in a deity- it's not a requirement to practice magic in any way.

Another thing I want to tell you is that I was raised Roman Catholic. Heavily Roman Catholic. I'm talking baby picture-book bibles as soon as I could string the alphabet together, daily rosaries, Sunday school, aspirations to become a nun- the whole shebang. But it never felt right, deep inside. I was also a voracious reader in a multicultural environment, so I ended up learning a lot about religions outside of my own as well. Eventually I became something of an atheist- or agnostic, perhaps, I don't really know for sure. I never ridiculed anyone for their beliefs, but I did give up participation in organized religion for some years. In spite of that, I still felt like there was more to the world, forces beyond human perception or control. And so I eventually found my way to witchcraft and paganism.

I was a witch before I became a pagan. Joining this community may have led me to my gods, but it did not require me to have any of them, which I found wonderfully freeing. Unlike Catholicism, which was force-fed to me from a very early age and is still being forced upon me by certain family members who refuse to accept that I am and have been a pagan witch for several years now, witchcraft was an open space for me to discover myself and my beliefs, which ended up being paganism. But I acknowledge my experiences may not be universal, so I can only hope you haven't felt pressured to believe in anything you weren't personally drawn to.

If you are trying to connect with deities, but struggle with your former(?) atheistic beliefs, then my advice to you would be to relax and understand that the path you have chosen to walk is not a linear one, and as long as you do your best to shed those beliefs and find new ones, you will be fine. Progress is progress, in any shape, form, or amount it appears in. You are moving at your own pace, and don't need to rush to catch up with anyone else. Your beliefs and practices are yours entirely, and there is no right or wrong way to practice witchcraft or find a belief system. Another thing I would advise you to try is communing directly with whichever deities you may be attempting to worship or align yourself with. If you feel a bit silly, try to cut back on the pomp and ceremony and think of them less as distant guides and more like close companions. Address them respectfully, but also try to talk to them the way you would talk to a friend. That helped me a lot when I was still tripping over my own roots as an ex-Catholic, ex-agnostic(?) atheist, or whatever I used to be as I tried to find my path. It helped ground me and more easily allowed my mind to accept the presence of the deities I found myself drawn to. Something I really find warm and welcoming about being a pagan witch is how much less estrangement there is between my gods and myself. Unlike Catholicism, which made the concept of God something heavy, foreboding, and woefully out of reach, (in my experience! this is not universal, and many witches out there practice their craft hand-in-hand with their God,) paganism was much more relaxed and open about communing with the deities I chose to connect with on a personal level.

But this has all just been my two cents on the matter, and everything I've said comes from my own experiences, which may or may not be similar to yours, so don't feel as though you need to take it to heart if nothing here has helped clarify things for you in any way. Good luck with your practice and your beliefs! Feel free to message me if you have any more questions or concerns.

Love, Nadia 🥀

#ask #answered #witchcraft #witch #magic #pagancommunity

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strawberry-milktea · 6 years

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I'm a non-denominational Christian whose mother is extremely Catholic. sometimes my mom will tell me that she's praying for me through a saint, or will ask me to pray with her to a saint. earlier this week when I was job hunting, she wanted me to pray to a saint with her. I've asked before if we can pray in Jesus' name and I've told her that if we have Jesus we don't need saints. but she gets very offended. is it wrong for me to tell her I don't like praying to saints?

I had (and sort of still do have) a similar situation with my mother, too.

I was raised in Catholicism but when I was born again, I left Catholicism due to my disagreements with many of its doctrine/teachings and practices. One of those practices I am against is praying to saints, as I believe this is idolatry and it is not promoted anywhere in scripture. Rather, every time a person is documented as praying or falling to their knees to anyone other than God, that person is immediately corrected and told not to do that.

Like your mother, my mother also became extremely offended when I voiced my disagreements with Catholicism. More often than not, it would escalate into an argument and I would become very upset and angry in those moments, as did my mother. So I reached a point with my mom that I stopped trying to discuss it with her because she wasn’t understanding that I was saying what I did out of concern and I felt it was doing more harm than good to have these discussions. She knew where I stood with it since I voiced my disagreement many times already and I didn’t see a point in talking about it anymore if it was only going end up in an argument and misunderstandings. I made the decision to leave it in His hands and if He wanted me to talk, then I would.

Now, things have gotten a bit better with my mom regarding this topic. Since I stepped back and gave the situation to Him, my mom and I have respectfully discussed my disagreements with Catholicism. We’ve actually had what I felt were productive discussions since she expressed surprise over some practices and teachings endorsed by the Catholic Church that she wasn’t aware of and agreed that they aren’t Biblical. She still goes to the Catholic Church, but I feel it’s good that we’ve reached a point of talking about this respectfully and she comes to my church with me at times.

Getting back to your situation, it’s definitely not wrong that you tell your mother that you don’t support the practice of praying to saints. I’m assuming you have explained to your mother why you disagree with it and warned her about it, and it’s clear she’s aware that you don’t support it. If you’ve warned your mother to avoid this form of idolatry and she still makes the decision to engage in it, then that is your mother’s decision and you can’t force her not to. All you can do is warn her. But knowing that you don’t support it, she should respect your decision and not ask you to participate in praying to saints with her. If she does continue asking this of you, I would suggest to politely decline each time and tell her you would love to pray with her to the Father in Jesus’ name, but cannot pray with her to any saints because you do not believe in praying to anyone other than Him.

If you see it’s only leading to an argument to explain your point of view and your mother is making the decision in the moment to close her ears to your words, then I think it’s best to take a step back. Definitely decline praying with her to saints, but you may have to leave it at that for now if she’s getting very worked up. When someone is on the defense and is set on taking everything as a personal attack, it can be very difficult to have a productive discussion. I suggest giving this over to Him and trusting Him to guide you in this. Wait for His timing and if He wants you to speak to your mother more about this, then do so. He will give you the right words and guidance. If you wait for Him to set up the right opportunities to talk, she will be perceptive and willing to talk without offense being taken. You may not see her instantly understand things from your point of view, but being able to have a respectful and calm discussion is a big step forward.

I hope you found this helpful, let me know if you still have any questions!

#God #asks #anon #Catholicism #idolatry

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alanafsmith · 5 years

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Oxford University students launch petition calling for top law professor’s removal over alleged homophobia

Legal Twitterati condemns ‘snowflake students’

John Finnis

Over 400 students have petitioned to remove a well-known legal philosopher, John Finnis, emeritus professor of law and legal philosophy at Oxford University, from his post on the grounds of his alleged anti-gay and discriminatory writings.

The petition on the Change.org website states that Professor Finnis has “a long record of extremely discriminatory views against many groups of disadvantaged people.” It continues:

“He is known for being particularly homophobic and transphobic. He has even advised the US state government not to provide legal protection for LGBTQ+ people who suffer discrimination.”

The petition gives examples such as Finnis’ Collected Essays published in 2011 that include extracts from his writings from 1994 where he wrote about homosexuality.

In his defence, Professor Finnis, who converted to Catholicism in the 1960s, told The Oxford Student:

“The petition travesties my position, and my testimony in American constitutional litigation. Anyone who consults the Law Faculty website and follows the links in the petition can see the petition’s many errors. I stand by all these writings. There is not a ‘phobic’ sentence in them. The 1994 essay promotes a classical and strictly philosophical moral critique of all non-marital sex acts and has been republished many times, most recently by Oxford University Press in the third volume of my Collected Essays.”

A number of law academics and law writers have spoken out against the petition on social media. David Allen Green, solicitor and legal commentator, took to Twitter as the story broke in the national press.

John Finnis is about as wrong as it is possible for a law professor to be, on the issues in this piece https://t.co/S8xFPi4nnu as well as so many other legal issues.

But I am flatly against any move to sack him from tenure.

Rebut, even refute, his manifold errors instead.

— David Allen Green (@davidallengreen) January 9, 2019

In another tweet, Jon Holbrook, a barrister and law writer, attacked the “snowflake” generation for launching such a petition.

Snowflake students call for eminent Oxford law professor (John Finnis) to be sacked for his views on homosexuality.

They rely on the Equality Act to protect their sensitive souls & dislike of free speech. https://t.co/dXxCsepr1a

— Jon Holbrook (@JonHolb) January 8, 2019

The petition also directed its ire at Oxford University itself and asked it “to clarify its official position on professors who have expressed discriminatory views and behaved in discriminatory ways, especially those who have shown obvious hatred and intolerance.”

This comes at a time when debates about free speech in universities amongst both academics and students continues to rage. In the past, students have tried to ban certain controversial figures from speaking such as Germaine Greer who faced a ban from students at Cardiff University due to her alleged transphobic views. “No-platforming” on campus has in turn been criticised for flouting free speech laws.

A spokesperson for Oxford University said:

“Oxford University and the Faculty of Law promote an inclusive culture which respects the rights and dignity of all staff and students. We are clear we do not tolerate any form of harassment of individuals on any grounds, including sexual orientation. Equally, the University’s harassment policy also protects academic freedom of speech and is clear that vigorous academic debate does not amount to harassment when conducted respectfully and without violating the dignity of others. All of the University’s teaching activity, including that in the Faculty of Law, is conducted according to these principles.”

For a weekly round-up of news, plus jobs and latest event info

The post Oxford University students launch petition calling for top law professor’s removal over alleged homophobia appeared first on Legal Cheek.

from All About Law https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/university-of-oxford-students-launch-petition-calling-for-top-law-professors-removal-over-alleged-homophobia/

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fayeburnsus · 5 years

Text

Oxford University students launch petition calling for top law professor’s removal over alleged homophobia

Legal Twitterati condemns ‘snowflake students’

John Finnis

The petition on the Change.org website states that Professor Finnis has “a long record of extremely discriminatory views against many groups of disadvantaged people.” It continues:

“He is known for being particularly homophobic and transphobic. He has even advised the US state government not to provide legal protection for LGBTQ+ people who suffer discrimination.”

The petition gives examples such as Finnis’ Collected Essays published in 2011 that include extracts from his writings from 1994 where he wrote about homosexuality.

In his defence, Professor Finnis, who converted to Catholicism in the 1960s, told The Oxford Student:

“The petition travesties my position, and my testimony in American constitutional litigation. Anyone who consults the Law Faculty website and follows the links in the petition can see the petition’s many errors. I stand by all these writings. There is not a ��phobic’ sentence in them. The 1994 essay promotes a classical and strictly philosophical moral critique of all non-marital sex acts and has been republished many times, most recently by Oxford University Press in the third volume of my Collected Essays.”

John Finnis is about as wrong as it is possible for a law professor to be, on the issues in this piece https://t.co/S8xFPi4nnu as well as so many other legal issues.

But I am flatly against any move to sack him from tenure.

Rebut, even refute, his manifold errors instead.

— David Allen Green (@davidallengreen) January 9, 2019

In another tweet, Jon Holbrook, a barrister and law writer, attacked the “snowflake” generation for launching such a petition.

Snowflake students call for eminent Oxford law professor (John Finnis) to be sacked for his views on homosexuality.

They rely on the Equality Act to protect their sensitive souls & dislike of free speech. https://t.co/dXxCsepr1a

— Jon Holbrook (@JonHolb) January 8, 2019

A spokesperson for Oxford University said:

For a weekly round-up of news, plus jobs and latest event info

The post Oxford University students launch petition calling for top law professor’s removal over alleged homophobia appeared first on Legal Cheek.

from Legal News And Updates https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/university-of-oxford-students-launch-petition-calling-for-top-law-professors-removal-over-alleged-homophobia/

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davidchanus · 5 years

Text

Oxford University students launch petition calling for top law professor’s removal over alleged homophobia

Legal Twitterati condemns ‘snowflake students’

John Finnis

The petition on the Change.org website states that Professor Finnis has “a long record of extremely discriminatory views against many groups of disadvantaged people.” It continues:

“He is known for being particularly homophobic and transphobic. He has even advised the US state government not to provide legal protection for LGBTQ+ people who suffer discrimination.”

The petition gives examples such as Finnis’ Collected Essays published in 2011 that include extracts from his writings from 1994 where he wrote about homosexuality.

In his defence, Professor Finnis, who converted to Catholicism in the 1960s, told The Oxford Student:

John Finnis is about as wrong as it is possible for a law professor to be, on the issues in this piece https://t.co/S8xFPi4nnu as well as so many other legal issues.

But I am flatly against any move to sack him from tenure.

Rebut, even refute, his manifold errors instead.

— David Allen Green (@davidallengreen) January 9, 2019

In another tweet, Jon Holbrook, a barrister and law writer, attacked the “snowflake” generation for launching such a petition.

Snowflake students call for eminent Oxford law professor (John Finnis) to be sacked for his views on homosexuality.

They rely on the Equality Act to protect their sensitive souls & dislike of free speech. https://t.co/dXxCsepr1a

— Jon Holbrook (@JonHolb) January 8, 2019

A spokesperson for Oxford University said:

For a weekly round-up of news, plus jobs and latest event info

The post Oxford University students launch petition calling for top law professor’s removal over alleged homophobia appeared first on Legal Cheek.

from Legal News https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/university-of-oxford-students-launch-petition-calling-for-top-law-professors-removal-over-alleged-homophobia/

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itsartworkbylem-blog · 6 years

Text

Japanese Film: Blog #13

Reaction to “My Grandpa” story

I really enjoyed listening to your grandpa’s story and the visuals you used in class. It’s really fascinating to listen to actual family member’s recounts of what happened before and after the bombing. It’s one thing to read about it in a book, and another when you can have first-hand narratives from people who were there. I think it’s interesting that anyone who could prove their medical problems were caused by the bombings got free medical care. I also thought that your grandpa was very brave or going back knowing that there was nothing left because he wanted to help others.

I think one thing that could make the story more effective when you tell in class is to make the visuals bigger. I couldn’t really see the pictures you painted and wanted to see more. Maybe use poster boards or create something in Power Point so you could show it on the projector. I think you should definitely keep telling the story in your classes though. It gives a new perspective for American kids to hear and see about Hiroshima.

Nemawashi: Laying the Groundwork in Japan

“in addition, since he and the designing chief did not get along well, he should have asked the latter to go out drinking together, a common business practice in Japan, to talk about the plan with him beforehand.” (pg. 159)

If someone I didn’t get along with at work asked me to go out for drinks I would wonder if they had ulterior motives for doing so. Since we don’t get along, I wouldn’t consider spending time with them outside of the workplace. So, I would wonder what they were trying to gain from this meeting. These thoughts would be because we do not have nemawashi in America. If a coworker tried to gain my favor on a subject by taking me out after work I think I would be less inclined to try and listen to them because doing it in that way feels shady.

In western business circles, it is common to “schmooze” your clients to gain their support in whatever business dealings you are working on. However, if you go out drinking with someone you don’t generally get along with in your company, then the other person may see this as an underhanded tactic to get them to agree with you. A couple decades ago, drinking with your coworkers was more accepted. However, in modern times it is less common as drinking during work matters is considered inappropriate.

In Japan, nemawashi is a normal occurrence of the business world. Because of the Japanese ideas of groupism and maintaining harmonious social relationships, they use nemawashi to maneuver behind the scenes before making decisions as a group. They do this to avoid conflict, which would upset the balance of harmony within the group. One way they do this is by taking someone they might disagree with out for drinks to try and convince them to understand their point of view. Drinking together while discussing business matters is a normal practice in Japan, and many people get deals done in this way because it can loosen up the person to view more sides of the point.

“…meetings in Japan are more like ceremonies, and often, important decisions have been made well in advance through the process of newawashi.” (pg. 161)

In America, making decisions well in advance for businesses would be seen as wildly inappropriate. Meetings are a place to discuss matters, listen and address concerns, and generally work as a team to come to a consensus. If I showed up to a meeting thinking that I was going to be a part of a team that worked together to solve a problem only to find out that others had met separately and beforehand to discuss it without me I would be really angry. I would wonder why they even asked me to join if they didn’t care about my ideas or thoughts on the matter. For most western societies, this would seem extremely backhanded and shady, and would cause a lot of issues within the company. It would sever relationships and probably cost some people their jobs.

However, this is a really common practice in Japan. Japanese people do not like to cause a scene or feel like they are speaking out of turn because it can disrupt the social harmony of the group. This is no different in business settings, and many will not speak up during meetings because of these reasons. Conclusions in business meetings are based on unanimous decisions, meaning everyone must agree, so disagreeing with the group could result in someone being ostracized. Nemawashi prevents this because the discussion and disagreement part that happens in American meetings is already done before the meeting, resolving anyone from having to make themselves feel uncomfortable.

Sempai-Kohai: Seniority Rules in Japanese Relations

“...terms of respect or titles of honor such as -san, -sama, and –sensei are added to people’s family names or occupational titles in sonkeigo.” (pg. 189)

When I want to show respect to someone I add a title like “Mr.” or “Miss” before his or her name. For example, when I talk about my friend’s parents, I call them “Mr./Mrs. Stump” not their first names. Growing up I was taught that this was the most respectful way to address someone older than myself, which is common in western culture. We also use words like “sir” and ma’am” when addressing someone with respect. You can find this a lot in the relationships between older and younger people. Typicall, these titles are enough to indicate the level of respect towards the other person in America and other western cultures.

In Japan, however, vertical relationships based on seniority dominate. If talking to a superior, then Japanese people use keigo, or honorific language. Keigo involves three types of language including sonkeigo (respectful or honorific language). In sonkeigo, -san is similar to titles like “Mr.” or “Miss” and viewed as neutral for everyone. If they use –sama in replacement of –san, then they are giving raising the title of the person higher as the translation is more formal and polite. Sensei is used for professionals like teachers, doctors, or lawyers. In this way the Japanese are separating those they place at a higher hierarchical level than others.

“It is common in sports clubs for kohai to clean the rooms, collect balls, and manage the equipment for sempai. They must also give a small bow or say hello respectfully to their sempai when greeting them.” (pg. 190)

Kohai and sempai relationships remind me of relationships between team sports in America. In high school and college sports, like football and baseball, the teams are based on experience level. They are freshman, sophomore, junior varsity, and varsity – varsity being the highest rank. In most cases, the freshmen are not only the youngest, but also the least experienced. They are considered “lowest on the totem pole” and are given the least fun jobs after practice like cleaning up. Usually, they are expected to give the higher level teams, especially varsity, respect because they are older. This is similar to the Japanese kohai/sempai relationship. However, the freshmen in American schools are not expected to show such formal respect as Japanese students.

In Japan, relationships are based on seniority and these rules are very important to students whose school life is separated based on age. Those who are older are considered to be superior in sports clubs, even if their skill doesn’t match. Younger students are expected to show their respect through politeness and communication. One way they do this is by greeting their sempai with a small bow or hello. Kohai always clean up after practice because it is considered their job as someone lower on the hierarchy.

Iitoko Dori: Adopting Elements of Foreign Cultures

“Iitoko dori, then, refers specifically to this process of accepting convenient parts of different, and sometimes contradictory, religious value systems…” (pg. 129)

There is a similarity between the religious definition of iitoko dori and how some religious people in the US accept many values and morals from multiple religions and sciences. Many people who regularly practice a religion like Christianity also believe in science principles. Personally, I grew up learning Catholic principles, but as I got older, I adapted values I learned from it along with other values and ideas from other religions and sciences. I no longer believe in the religious aspects of Catholicism, but I still believe in some of the morals and values I learned from it, mixing them with the new philosophies I have learned over the years.

The Japanese often believe in more than one religion, adopting certain practices and beliefs based on what is the most useful. In the past, Japan has gone through many cultural and religious changes, altering the way its people viewed the world. As a result, they do not have religious prejudices because they have been given the chance to experience the good values of many religions. In the seventh century, prince Shotoku, who was the nephew of the emperor, helped this ideology by stating that “Shinto is the trunk, Buddhism is the branches, and Confucianism is the leaves.” By following this approach, Japanese people were able to place aside their theoretical contradictions and accpe the new religions and philosophies.

“But in Japan, the sense of ethical values is relative, and it varies with changes in people’s opinions and the context in which decisions have to be made. As a result of a long history of iitoko dori, the Japanese are able to change their sense of values in a short time and with little difficulty…” (pg. 130)

My personal values and sense of ethical values is very similar to the Japanese. I do not conform to a set of ethical views based in the belief of God and absolute values. Instead, I try to focus on the individual situation and decide the right ethical answer from there. In America, Christian values are considered the nation’s core values, and many decisions are based on them. Unfortunately, there are millions of people who have a different set of absolute values so this creates a lot of friction, especially between individuals and the government. This is different than in Japan, because people are so resolute in their beliefs, that they are often unwilling to see the other sides of the ethical problem.

In Japan, people do not have this problem because their ethical ideals change with the situation. Because Japanese people have been exposed to many different viewpoints, they are willing to not reject them outright. Instead, they use iitoko dori to adopt and use the best parts. This helps with ethical dilemmas as well because it helps Japanese people to change their views based on the situation and use the different viewpoints they have used.

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smartestcstudent · 7 years

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This might actually fall under the it’s none of your business category. I have a friend I think is in a cult. My friend doesn’t proselytize about them and there’s nothing he’s done or said that gives me any indication he’s been harmed by the situation. In fact, if anything his life seems to be more together than ever. Still, I can’t help feeling I should do something. He’s a smart guy and I can’t help but worry about how this is going to backfire on him at some point. - Dave, 42, Virginia

What is the difference between a cult and a religion? Both offer life philosophies for people to follow to lead an ethical or moral life with meaning. Both usually lean on some sort of creation backstory that wouldn’t hold water as anything resembling reality. Both involve followers of a leader that interprets the philosophy for the followers or claim to have communication with the deity at the center of it all. They seem pretty similar to me. But wait you say. The difference is that a cult brainwashes its followers so that it can abuse and take advantage of them sexually (cough, cough, Catholicism), financially (Christian televangelism) or by causing fatal harm (uh, hello, story of Jesus). I think ultimately there is no difference between cults and organized religions. In fact, I would guess that most people in cults are typically people who were disillusioned by organized religion. So really the worry you have is mostly generated by the word cult. The word cult damns, the word religion sanitizes.

So the question is should you worry about your friend’s involvement in this cult. I would say no more really than organized religion. They fact that your friend is thriving in this situation and that you think he’s too smart to fall for this shouldn’t surprise you. For starters everyone, no matter how rational they seem, believes in something ridiculous. Irrational beliefs are bred into our human nature. It’s not smarts, it’s about needing some foundation for existence. I guarantee you even people who have no religious or spiritual affiliation believe deep down in some unifying force in the universe: karma, luck, love, something. Few can actually reckon with the fact that life is more likely nothing more than random happenstance everyday.

Which is why cults and religions work. They philosophy gives them something to trust in, a true north. And that’s okay. If it makes you feel better, if it gives you comfort in life’s harsh winds, I think it’s alright. The problem is rarely ever the doctrines themselves, it’s the people teaching them. Belief conveys power and humans are prone to abusing power. So if your friend seems to be doing fine, respectfully woll with it. If he seems to start believing more in the institution than the philosophy and that institution is abusing that belief, ask questions but don’t be antagonistic. They’re in deep and the best you can do is constantly remind them they have a connection to outside world that’s always there for them. Given that there is no one singular, unchanging meaning to life, or any permanent happiness on offer, what are practical goals worth pursuing? I don’t want to have a huge career, get pregnant, make my body into a project, or become obsessed with an obscure hobby. - Emma, 38, California

Well, for starters don’t take any pamphlets from strangers on street corners because you are ripe pickings for a cult or organized religion. You recognize that the human condition is mutable but want concrete goals in spite of this fact in order I would assume to have a sense of purpose. But the very nature of life itself is always going to thwart that sense of purpose. Your sense of purpose will always slip away at some point as you age and perspective and times change. The best you can do is accept that fact so it doesn’t completely disorient you when it happens again.

Instead of going macro I’d go micro. If there’s any practical goal I’ve always got an eye out for it’s how I can make life easier or better for myself or someone else. Life’s a long distance run with hurdles every day. Especially in a modern society where every level of technological advancement or convenience only seems to add more layers of crap to deal with. Anytime you can spot a way to make the day go smoother is a fine goal to have on a day to day basis. Especially if you can do it for someone else. A couple weeks ago I was having lunch in a diner. When I went to pay the waitress she told me someone had bought my meal. Who I asked. She wouldn’t say. Because it didn’t matter. Somebody felt like doing a stranger a solid. It relieved me of the small stress of spending ten dollars and I’m sure gave them mood boost of their own for the day. The little things add up and matter just as much as the big ones.

Aural medication for the week: “All Night Thing”

There’s plenty of great Chris Cornell songs to choose from to honor his unfortunate and untimely passing. Some a little too on the nose. But I wanted to highlight something about the early ‘90s era Seattle frontmen that doesn’t get mentioned enough. The general caricature of the grunge scene is that their attitudinal and lyrical stock in trade was angry depression. They were a glum bunch. Just as important though was their cultural outlook which in the parlance of our times would be described as “woke.” Kurt Cobain regularly made his allegiance to outsiders, gays and feminists well known. Eddie Vedder tackled causes in his lyrics like homelessness, child abuse and gun control. Cornell wasn’t as overt as those two aside from “Big Dumb Sex”, Soundgarden’s parody of cliched metal songs about sex. In many ways though he was a more subtle inversion of rock’s more sexist tendencies. Cornell most resembled the leonine sex God rock stars of yore a la Mick Jagger and Robert Plant. But he steered clear of those old school trappings in search lyrically of something deeper. “All Night Thing” is a rare sex song from Cornell in that it details a girl at a party taking him home for a possible one night stand. Unlike the typical bro story of conquest though he lets her know that if she changes her mind before they get there he won’t “take offense.” Alternative rock’s dour disposition might look dated in 2017 but when it came to cultural politics it was decades ahead of its time.

#chris cornell #ripchriscornell #cults #meaning of life

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