11-07-2016, 05:03 AM
(11-05-2016, 11:20 PM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: You are having a nice little conversation with Galen, but don't assume he's any more representative of all Americans than Eric. In my youth I flirted with several variations of New Age and spiritualist practice, from Taoism to Born Again Christian, to Wiccan. There was a good deal of variety and growth, at least if you accept that the goals of spiritualism can lead to growth. If your values aren't compatible with spiritualist goals and methods, as Galen's aren't, it is easy to reject spiritualism as 'pretty empty'. Then again, if one is deeply partisan in any set of values, others pursuing any sort of conflicting values would be perceived of as 'pretty empty' or worse... Far worse. Just ask Eric if living one's life without using spiritualist means to seek enlightenment and wisdom would be 'pretty empty'.
Me, I chose science over spiritualism, but I can quite understand others making other choices.
Living one's life without spirituality of some kind (what means is beside the point) I would call "pretty empty." I also value science and do not consider spiritualism and science to be mutually exclusive. So that's a different choice than Bob makes, apparently.
Quote:I would note many Red Boomer's pursuit of fundamentalist religion includes using the government to harass and oppress those with conflicting values. This is in strong conflict much of the Blue Boomer's religious and spiritual diversity. What you see with Hillary welcoming minorities while Trump flirts with racism is part of the red/blue divide. It exists in religious perspectives as much as it does in race and gender. The various flavors of blue tinted spiritualists will be happily doing their own thing, while the red tinted fundamentalists will be trying to use the law to force their religious beliefs on everybody.
And again, anyone who generalizes about all Boomers is going to miss the point. They don't get it. The Red Boomers and Blue Boomers are very much different, especially in how they accept diversity. This is also hardly unique to the Boomers, you can see it in the other generations as well. One would like to think that the notion that America is a white christian nation is unique to the Ku Klux Klan, but it isn't. It's a common part of the red perspective. It's the difference between "If I'm right, and it is beyond question that I'm right, then everyone who disagrees is wrong" and "Let's all do our own thing." There is a theme, visible in Trump's message, that everyone has their place, and the place of the white christian males is on top. This is an old element of America, but not part of the values of everyone in America.
Quite right.
Quote:Also, stereotyping any group as being just like Eric would stand as example of vile stereotyping. This isn't to say Eric is necessarily vile, but to say that bunches of people are just like him is vile stereotyping. Eric is quite unique. Galen might be deep enough into partisan stereotype thinking that he can't perceive a difference between various flavors of spiritualism and various practitioners of spiritualism. "They all look alike to me." No. Spiritualists are unique and diverse too. Real people. They ought to be respected like real people. (I know. In Eric's case, this might require more spiritual enlightenment than most people possess...)
I would disagree with Bob that it takes more enlightenment to respect me than it takes to respect other folks. But that's just me.