Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Religion, Absolution, and the Name of God


I make a conscious effort to stay away from two very touchy subjects on my blog--Religion and politics. Because yea, nobody likes to be yelled at. But ya know...Eventually, I was bound to say fuck it...I will no doubt get off track here, and possibly piss a few people off, but hey...A girl's gotta ramble when the inspiration strikes.

It was recently suggested to me, that F/m D/s and D/s without God are doomed to failure as these paths exist outside of God's plan and displease him greatly.
So maybe I lost my cool a bit at my fairly polite, very judgmental commenter. Human history is fraught with wars over belief, and so often God and his religions are touted as a reasonable excuse to persecute people with different belief systems. Many atrocities are, and have been, justified by holding forefront the edicts of religion.

In all fairness, I am biased on this subject--Alpha and I both see religion as a basis for power exchange between a man and a woman to be based on an outdated belief system wherein women are inferior to men. Now, that is just how we feel about it. Do we really care who follows that particular path and who doesn't? Not in the least little bit. What goes on in your bedroom is none of our business, your house is your own, and how you choose to live is ultimately of no consequence to either of us.
I believe that religious justification for our choices is a way of absolving ourselves of personal responsibility for our own actions.

The concept that church offers absolution if one conforms to the beliefs reached within its walls is...Disagreeable to me. I truly do believe that some people are beyond absolution. I also believe that how and who we choose to love is none of religion's business and should not require the absolution which is so publicly withheld from those who love differently than the norm.
Religion is man's way of attempting to interpret and speak for God, to define and follow the undefinable. And we are truly fallible creatures, prone to the interpretations we want to believe.

To me, God is a construct of the human mind. A construct we use to put a name we can identify with to a power greater than ourselves. We choose to follow the Gods we can feel close to. The name given to what we believe in is important only to ourselves.


In contemplation, I admit that I have spent a great deal of my life in prayer to something more, something greater than myself. I truly do believe in an entity beyond and of us all, and what you name that power is of little consequence to me.
I have spent more time on my knees begging for absolution than you average human being, but never thought to beg it of any God, only of one man.

The purity of God and man is held high with the power of offered absolution should we conform.
Interestingly enough, I have found purity in the darkest of places.
There is purity in the darkness, absolution in the rain, enlightenment to be found in pain, there is heaven at his feet, and there is beauty in things which God's church has often declared abhorrent.

I don't care if you're gay, straight, bi, kinky, F/m or like fucking in purple pansies at the end of the rainbow. I don't care if you worship in a church or in the dirt, or if your god is a man, woman, or something far removed from both. Your beliefs do not make you better, nor worse than me.

Gay love is no different than my love. And perhaps, just maybe, God is love so merely by loving something, someone, anything, truly and deeply....Maybe that is how we touch that which is beyond the constructs we create.

I see more absolution in one lustful gay kiss, one "good girl", in one cruel stroke of a whip, in one choice to be a good person, than my heart finds in all the halls of God. And there is more God on earth than could ever be contained in one religion.

24 comments:

  1. I identify with so much of this. You really have a beautiful way with words.

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    1. Thank you, ksst. It's lovely to get a comment like this on a post that you know might get you hate mail, lol.

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  2. I believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and if Jesus doesn't say it but Paul says it, well maybe it is true or maybe it isn't. Jesus does not talk specifically about any type of marital sex. And Jesus tells us not to judge. He died on the cross for us and any of our transgressions. I don't believe that I need absolution from God only from the ones that I have sinned. This will hopefully take place before I die or right before I enter the gates of Heaven. God has already forgiven me. But that is just my thought. Our personal relationship with God is just that, personal. I know that I can live my life and believe in Jesus. And I am glad that you are open minded. I am a Christian but that doesn't make me any different than anyone else. Like you said, we all have our own beliefs. I just believe that God is good and God wants us to love all and to accept one another with love. So to all my friends, with any sexual preference, know that you are supported and loved by me. I really don't care about it. Now if you want to debate politics, well that is different. Lol

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    1. Blondie,
      I do think that things like religion and spirituality are individual experiences with soo much room for our own interpretations.

      I'm holding off on the politics, lol--maybe on a day when I'm feeling extra scrappy!

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  3. I don't define myself as a Christian, although my cultural values are based on Christianity and not other religions. Like you, I see faith as a personal journey and I try hard not to judge people based on what they believe. Most of my friends have no strong beliefs and only a handful attend religious services. Less than 10% of Brits are active church goers, but many more would define themselves as religious, which makes me wonder what drives people to believe and in exactly what?
    As for politics and religion - would someone tell what would happen if the President didn't end a speech with 'God bless America'? Isn't religion and state separate in the US?

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    1. DelFonte,
      personally, I think that what drives us to believe (that vast expanse of of individual faith aside) is need. We need to feel like there is something greater, a touch of magic in the world, a reason...AS to what, what we can identify with most, perhaps?

      Lol, if he did, the sky might fall. Religion and state are supposed to be separate...Though, they clearly are not. Nothing like the sweet smell of hypocrisy...Crap, You almost got me sucked into politics!

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  4. another great post where I was nodding in agreement all the way through!

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    1. Thank you mc kitten! I'm still waiting for the hate mail...

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  5. Oh lil, you are so very brave! I saw the title and automatically thought, "oh boy, here we go." Lol. I loved this! I think you did an awesome job explaining yourself.

    Having grown up with God in my life, I've found that those that are deep into religion...well, they come up with comments like that one because that's what they've been tought to believe, and they want to believe it. My Grandma once told me to take off a Metallica t-shirt because it had skulls on it...only devil worshipers wore skulls. lol! Just because I had a shirt with skulls on it didn't make me a devil worshiper, and just because a relationship doesn't have God in it doesn't mean it will fall apart...duh! (And just because you have God in a relationship doesn't mean it won't fall apart!)

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    1. Misty,
      the line between brave and crazy is fine...

      As to the rest of your comment, well said!

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  6. Wow Lil, very well said. Like DF, I don't define myself as a Christian, although my values are based on Christianity.

    Hugs
    Roz

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  7. I believe there's a power higher than us and I assign different names but it's the same no matter what name I call it at the time. Do unto others is my creed.

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    1. sunnygirl,
      I'm with you all the way on that one...

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  8. This is a great post. Why can't everyone just realize that there are soooo many ways to find and express love? I am baffled by people who get offended at other peoples love lives, I truly don't understand it. I pretty much agree with your sentiments on spirituality as well, although sometimes I'm darn sure we are an alien race's pets and they just want to watch us be weird.....

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    1. River,
      Ya know, I don't find the need to be particular about other people's love lives either--they're not mine!

      I tend to believe that there is a difference between spirituality and religion, but I'm trying to stay off the soapbox for a day! Lol @ the alien bit.

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  9. Very good. I too consider myself Christian, but I believe that often each 'religion' is as different as every individual and their faith should reflect that. All beliefs are true. I don't believe that anyone person's belief is absolute truth.

    We should never judge.

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    1. Minelle,
      Thank you.
      I do think that when we start talking those absolute truths, things get very questionable--those absolutes are so very subjective when it comes to belief.

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  10. Oh, the things mouse could say...but won't. What anyone believes (or disbelieves) is their own business. It does become a bit frightening when people claim to speak for god use it for divisive purposes, like telling others who or how they love -- or any other subject that are probably more political.

    Your post was very well said. :)

    Hugs,
    mouse

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    1. mouse,
      I admire your self restraint!

      And yes, I think that is really where I take issue--when people claim to speak for god and use the name of something greater to justify their actions and resolve themselves of personal responsibility for their own actions. All in the name of god...

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  11. That "wonderful" commenter CLEARLY Doesnt know you well if she'll post a comment like that. Ho-ly crap! Some people should get a clue. Anyway.....
    Great post! My favorite line is, Your beliefs don't make you better, nor worse than me. Perfect!!

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    1. Sarah,
      lol! The interesting thing is, it was a man trying to convince me that my Dominant needed to submit to God...I tried to convince him that he was talking to the wrong side of the power spectrum, but no go...If you're bored, it's the last 3 anonymous comments here:
      http://submissivesanctuary.blogspot.com/2012/12/i-want-my-wife-or-girlfriend-to-submit.html

      P.S nice to see you! Hope all is well in your world.

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    2. I couldn't help myself (i'm way too nosy) and had to read the comments.

      Wow! That was...entertaining. Interesting how he uses God as a means to justify how he treats women--he just doesn't want to admit that he is twisted...I was going to say that he can't admit that he is twisted like the rest of us but, he's not twisted like the rest of us, he is on a 'whole' other level.

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    3. Misty,
      Lol! Yes, a whole 'nother level all his own! Truth be told, I'm kind of surprised he hasn't come back for more...

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Play nice.