Religion or Cult?

Apparently im not allowed to use these words interchangeably. For some reason people get offended if i reference their religion as a cult. I personally see no difference. To differentiate is to claim that one person’s beliefs are more valid than another's. Considering no one can definitively prove one way or the other they shall all be cults to me.

Its so hard to legally define what is a religion, simply cause its so loosely established. So because of this reason we shall stick with the basic concept. The main difference between a religion and a cult is there size. Apparently if enough people believe in something, no matter how absurd, it gives it validity, and even more importantly a tax status. (Even christianity was once considered a cult).

The word cult has negative connotations, the image it congers is of an elitist totalitarian society headed by a self appointed charismatic preacher who intends to keep its members separated from the 'polluted' ideals of established society. Im here to tell you not all cults are like this, and not all religions are that far from this concept. The religious wars that caused so much blood shed over countless years were the original way to limit the strength of opposing religious concepts. By physically decreasing the amount of individuals believing conflicting views, they were able gain strength through fear and brute force. Add this to smear campaigns listing other religions as cults and you can almost understand why pagan symbols such as pentagrams were adopted by satanic extremists.

Religions/Cults aren't bad. That said they are not always good either. They give people hope, strength, courage and faith. They also give limited responsibility, irrational reasoning and prejudice logic. As long as they are not taken too seriously in a fanatic nature, and a person remains open minded i don't too much care what you believe. Just don't expect me to share your views.

A cult by any other name...

Till next we meet,
Paul

My youth is slipping

Today i woke up old. I guess it could have been worse, i could have woken as Gregor Samsa did, but even this gives me little solace. I have been ripped from my teens before my time, before i could truly appreciate that that is the teenage life. And now with each passing year, death comes one step closer and i become that little more undesirable.

I initially had a plan to combat this problem, instead of turning twenty i would simply turn twenteen. But now in my much more wiser frame of mind i see this would be a foolish attempt to grasp at my slipping youth.

In the fading days leading up to this moment, i (almost) made a list of 'lasts'; things to do while i was still a teen. This turned out to consist of most of the things one is able to do when they turn 18, and because i didn’t put much effort into it i didn’t follow through by completing the tasks. For reference sake the kind of things that were on the list included: purchasing smokes (i don't smoke), going to a club (for the last time as a teen), getting a tattoo or piercing, get married and then consequently getting divorced (i sadly couldn’t find a willing participant) ect ect... And now looking back it perhaps could have been fun, ow well we live and learn.

So what happens now? What’s left for me? Will i slowly develop a taste for plaid? An overwhelming desire for lawn bowls? What?

The future is so unpredictable, and time so fleeting i doubt ill know until it’s upon me. So here’s to one more morning, for now that they are numbered. Half way to 40...

Youth is wasted on the young.

Till next we meet,
Paul

Fluro is in? Really?

Ok so this gospel is anything but a raver, i don't pretend to understand that impulse attraction to such colours and concede that style is a matter of personal taste. Obviously im a very accepting person, but there are some fashion faux pas that i cannot stand idly by and allow to continue.

1: The hot pink trackie dacks, IT IS NOT socially acceptable to wear hot pink trackie dacks in public! I realise pink is the new black, and i do not have a vendetta against the colour, simply the vile combination when it meets the already over abused trackie dacks. Whenever i venture out to a public shopping center i am bombarded with wave after wave of hideous looking teenage girls sporting these gag inducing pants and this self conceded look on their face as if they actually think they are 'all that'.

2: Clogs. You know what im talking about, those crazy plastic abominations. They are supposable extremely comfortable but that does not mean you are allowed to wear them in front of me! Its not just crazy people buying these things either, for some reason places like kmart and target cant stock enough of them.

What is this world coming too, first the fluro trackie dack and now the clog... is there any hope left for us any more? This needs to stop, sign a partition or write a letter to your local council member. Do whatever it takes, this has gone far enough, for if we don't do something now who knows what will happen. And for those of you who own either item you should be ashamed!

Fashion is not a luxury, It’s a right!

Till next we meet,

Paul

Smart people wear glasses

There still remains a preconceived notion that smart people wear glasses. And at one point i agree this conception could have been true. Back before stylish designs were created, those with less than perfect sight (and therefore physically flawed) were shunned from view and social activity. Now these freaks roam among us, and worse yet, these defective individuals no longer even have their superior intelligence.

This stigma was originally created because every saturday night they would be locked away in their rooms with nothing but books to comfort their lonely pain. All was right in the world, they knew their place and they could be contained.

Life has changed so much, and with this the acceptance of 'the four eyed' breed. We see them in our movie theaters, in our parks, in our lives. They have seeped from their rightful places in government institutions and laboratories to our supermarkets, surf shops and yes even our hair dressing salons. The infestation is total.

The reason i bring this startling development to your eyes is because elections are approaching. It used to be, that at a glance, the common man (person, woman can vote now too apparently) was easily able to identify the correct candidate by how hideous their eye wear happened to be. There WAS a direct correlation between this hideousness and social rejection , but now the lines are blurred and has left this voter with no other option to base his decision than each candidates political agenda. What is this world coming too?

Stop blurring my vision

Till next we meet,
Paul