Abuse: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Abuse, like charity, begins at home.  From the beginning, culture and civilization have been about occupation and entitlement.  Control and power. 

From the perspective of those who are entitled, the problems begin when those they wish to control do not go along with the perceived power and perceived entitlement.

Derrick Jensen, author of Endgame, summarizes the root of all evil.

It all comes down to perceived entitlement...Entitlement is the abuser’s belief that he has a special status and that it provides him with exclusive rights and privileges that do not apply to his partner.  The attitudes that drive abuse can largely be summarized in this one word.

The world is merely a reflection of the inner workings of beliefs perpetuated in families, cultures, and communities everywhere.

For years, I’ve not only been fascinated by those who seek power and control through war and claim God as their motivator and leader, but equally, by atheists who fall for this claim of a manipulative, skilled abuser. 

At odds in the ring?  The controller, the occupier, the entitled, the “believer” vs the atheist.  Fighting for God or against God?  “God starts more wars than anyone or thing.”  Really?

This is the same logic and brain-washing accomplished by all abusers.

  

When all else fails, blame God?  The occupations continue.  In fact, they grow.  Land ravaged.  Human rights violations and atrocities occurring practically unwatched and virtually ignored.  Neglect, abuse, horror flourishing.  

Atheists blaming, in fact, reflecting, exactly what the abusers have manipulated and orchestrated.  Essentially, buying into the brain-washing.  

Abusers change the game and they do it better than anyone.  Parasites and predators.  Diverting with words and smokescreens   Abusers accomplish this in their sleep.

Words are there to protect the perpetrator.  Actions must be the focus.  Like occupation of a country, the entitled will provide rhetoric, change the story, blame anyone or thing (obviously), to act.  Stealth attacks through incessant, hypnotic ramblings and encouraging friendly fire.  Control, domination and power are the goals.  

The irony is that while believers and non-believers fall for the same scapegoat, abusers provide a reason to in-fight while they continue raping and pillaging.  It’s what abusers do.  The abuse continues.  Abusers skillfully manipulate reality and we find that we blame anyone nearby.  

Essentially, abusers encourage uncertainty and instability.  They have followers doubt their own sanity and memories.  It’s a cruel irony.  The sane and sympathetic are anxious, uncertain, seeking leadership, and may succumb to being lost.  Abusers give a subtle mission to the prey and victims they wish to make accomplices:  find a “reason” for the chaos and turmoil.  Place blame.  It keeps everyone busy while the abusive occupy, take, and control more.

In the world of warfare, believers and non alike blame God?  I’m pretty sure that whether you follow a preacher or not, you may want to consider who everyone is following?  Abuse is not isolated and with our help and submission, the abusers have made it almost invisible.

What do you think?

Does “Faith” Freak You Out?

Perhaps, I lost you at the word.  Faith.

Originally, “faith” had nothing to do with “religion”. 

See also:

Strong belief.  Loyalty.  Acceptance.  Constancy.  Truth.  Trust in someone or something.  Allegiance to duty or person.  Fidelity to promises.  Sincerity of intentions.  Strong conviction.  Confidence in a person or thing. 

Strong, weighty word.  Redefined through history and encumbered with a load that it did nothing to deserve.

My feeling is...what a loss.

The word has been translated by the very language that created it. 

With some, the fear of the word is palpable.

Mindfulness is about clarity.  Removing judgment. 

Science needs clarity to practice science.  Science, itself, will be greater when we clear our heads (our thoughts), bring awareness to our language (word), and follow through with unbiased action (experimentation).  When we perceive threats, in a spoken word, we elicit a fight or flight response.  We function from our primitive brain.  We react.

People have had “faith” in placebos.

Faith existed long before religion.

The English Language lost a weighty word to its “evolved” meaning.

I want to start a movement.  Save “faith”.  In fact, “keep the faith”.  Fear leads to paranoia and so much more. 

Let’s get mindful with our words.  We have enough judgment leading to dissension.  I’d like to kidnap “faith” back from the battle zone of religion (more on that at another time).

Will you join me in a “leap of faith”...an “act of faith”?

Maybe, what we really need to change is judgment and fear?  What are we afraid of?

Used as it was originally prescribed, faith sure sounds like a source of peace and tranquility.

When Success Became Failure

But look toward the sky?

A curious thing happened one day when we weren't looking.  Our confidence did a flip-flop.  The meaning of a simple phrase changed.  Completely.

"I KNEW it!"

That's the phrase.

Maybe you remember being in 1st or 2nd grade.  You, or another bold classmate, raised a hand.  "Ooo.  Oooo.  Oooooo.  I know!  I know!  Pick me!"

The teacher glanced over and said, "Joe?  Yes?"  You answered with assurance.  Her pitch became higher and pleasant, "Yes!   Good job!"

She looked down at the textbook to move on, a hush fell over the room for just a moment, and you responded one more time even louder, "I KNEW it"!

Then, one day, all that changed.

Maybe it was life.  Maybe time hardens us.  Maybe time disappoints us.  Maybe time proves that we may be wrong sometimes.

Maybe time makes us wiser...and maybe, it doesn't.

We begin wanting to deliver that "right" answer more than anything.  We want to be right so badly that the day we were wrong, or the day we watched someone else give the wrong answer, the world of right changed.  Success changed.  Maybe it was that first twinge of hearing, "try again", "get-ting warmerrrrrr???", or the dreaded moving on...from a nod to Joe to a turn to Sarah.  "Do you know the answer, Sarah?"

Whoa.  That was rough.

Perhaps, we became cynics.  Disenchanted with our possibilities.  Perhaps, our dream of playing for the New Orleans Saints didn't come to fruition or that the audition for The Voice was just not in the cards.  Perhaps, it's just safer to know that we WILL be wrong and be "prepared for defeat" as a well-adjusted grown-up.  After all, if Joe were a Boy Scout, being prepared doesn't only mean knowing how to make Boston Baked Beans over an open fire.  Being prepared, in and of itself, often has pretty grim, pessimistic connotations.

BUT...one thing did remain the same.  We wanted to be "right".

So...when we grew up, "I KNEW it" almost always meant failure.  After all, we may be wrong, but we didn't want to lose being right.

If we want to be successful, change the world, chase dreams, be a positive force, and make anything and everything possible, I believe we need to put "I KNEW it" in front of a mirror.  Pull out her old reflection and stick with THAT.

We need to stop proving our selves "right" when we fail and start a movement of "I KNEW it" meaning I can make a difference.  I can bring positive change to my surroundings.

Maybe harness our "inner child" of promise, excitement, creativity....and definitely, enthusiasm?

"The Ripple Starts Here".

We need to ask who is the genius?  I'm thinking it was Joe.  Confident, brave and a little bit brazen too.

Sometimes, I hear our 1st grade teacher saying, "Yes.  Joe.  You certainly do know!?"  Failure after each miserable failure.  "Your ARE right.  You're wrong again."  Awesome. 

Drop the world-weary psyche-out of adulthood.  Abandon the journey to failure.  Stop blindly traipsing along on the "mature" stepping stones of "I KNEW it.  I KNEW it.  I KNEW it". 
Yes.   You're right again.  Success!   You failed.  They failed.  The world fails.  Sounds like insanity to me?

What are we teaching our kids?  Maybe it's time for us to learn from them?

Then, you KNEW it.  Now, you don't.

Do you wanna be right?  Or...wrong?  Surprise yourself!  Whodda thunk being wrong could feel so right?