I have mentioned before on this blog that I love the old south. Let me rephrase. I'm a romantic. I love long avenues lined with magnolia bushes; the way 'I' is pronounced 'ah'; deep shaded porches and creaking rockers; lemonade with mint under a hot sun; sultry Gulf breezes; cuffed dust-caked overalls.
Reading Anthill (previously mentioned here), I am reminded of a different south, one of which I am not so very fond. The racism, the religious zeal, the class divide. You may say that these things have all but gone extinct, but I would disagree. Racism and classism go hand in hand. Although the two are not as severe as they were, they certainly still exist. In my own town, there is a brand of local-nearly gone now-that holds an animosity towards Native Americans. People of colour still make up 60% of those in prison in America. And I remember the slums when my parents and I would explore the backstreets of Florida. They were such a change from the ritzy shorefront condos and society meetings. There was the class divide, so clearly defined. And no one is really free from it. Racism, or different gradients of it, exists all throughout society. I'm not free of it, and I don't think that many people truly are. Just something to keep in mind. Lots of prejudices can go unnoticed, and I think it's an interesting idea to just...discuss them, get over them, and move on.
Another thing I've been mulling over recently is the subject of church and individual belief. Playing hymns for the local parish, there is lots of time to listen and observe the practices of Roman Catholics.
In general, it is very well-rounded and just interesting to listen to. Of course, the entire gathering of parishioners is made up of hardy, work-worn, kind people who really care for each other and who, I think, really benefit from and enjoy going to church. I myself believe that any good "karma" going out into the world can't hurt, and when the Lord's Prayer is sung, it is very beautiful and heartwarming.
In other parts of the world, however, religious zeal and fanaticism are actually a problem, and this to me is absolutely terrifying. I do understand where they're coming from. I can clearly see what it would be like to love something SO much, and then want everybody else to love it that much as well. It's like you can see and everyone around you is stubbornly blind.
But forcing a religion on someone is flat out wrong. And threatening people with the wrath of God (which has kept many peoples in line for millennia) won't have a personal, positive lasting effect. We must learn how to be good for goodness' sake, not because we want to 'go to the right place' when we die. This is why I find things like the KKK so gruesomely ironic. Here are middle class Americans, many of them fervent church-goers, actively turning against the general message of the bible and persecuting fellow humans.
If people want religion, they'll seek it out. I'm all for the continuation of church-like environments. I think they are a great way to meet similar-minded people, make friends, start charities, have nice communal suppers with townsfolk. And I think having something to believe in is great. But when the bible is taken sentence-for-sentence, when the word of God is thrust before someone's face, drilled into them, and made to frighten them, that is where the line should be drawn. Religions are meant to be beautiful things, not excuses for war, and certainly not tools of conquest and oppression.
There are so many gray areas here, and, as history has proved, people can go on arguing about religion and it's 'rules' forever. But this is where I currently stand on religious beliefs. Everything, as wise people know, is subject to change, and maybe in my old age or middle age I will start to actually attend a church, or practice Hinduism or Bhuddism, or go on visits to holy places (because so much great architecture is contained in the churches and temples of the world!). My opinions are still forming, everyone, so feel free to add input, criticism, and advice. I'm just drinking it in. Nothing seems simple, and I don't think that anything is simple, in the end.
Related links: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/11351/the-top-10-most-startling-facts-about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obyusV6ISgA (we saw St. Joseph's oratory. It was massive and the copper dome was one of the most beautiful colours!)
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