Sometimes it drives me mad when I see hypocrisy in this time of year (which happens A LOT). But it is the disrespect with people with another beliefs which bothers me most. I know about this matter unfortunately because I am a proud pagan trying to live peacefully with the christians around me - sometimes unsuccessfully. I think it’s a disrespect when people try to make you pray their prayers, and that’s what happened to me last December 24th.
There’s this guy in my work who enjoys talking bad things about people and spreading gossip everywhere. There he comes, so, being a show-up guy like he is, trying to say something about X-mas and Jesus (hypocrisy! he was not trying to say something nice, he was trying to be the center of the attention), and then he asks to everyone to pray a christian prayer and me and a friend of mine who is atheist look at each other and decided not share the prayer because it’s not what we believe. I have the right to do that. But people keep insisting us to join them (for Gods’ sake, no one respected my decision!) and we see ourselves in a situation we couldn’t get rid of because society says we must be polite in situations like that specially at work (but I believe they forgot that when they insisted to us to join them). So since there’s no way out, we hold each other hands and there we go. I stay there, mouth shut - I am not going to pray a prayer which is not mine, and people who is praying with open eyes start looking at me in a way it make me feel uncomfortable (I hate those judging eyes). When prayer is over, I make a complain about it, because forcing people to participate of something they don’t like or feel comfortable it’s not nice at all and it shouldn’t be allowed.
I respect their beliefs in such a way I didn’t want to participate because I know people feel offended when they see there’s someone not praying together with all the rest. I know that because I had to pass by those kind of situations a lot in my life. But they forget they should respect me too. Respect my decision of not being involved. That’s why I don’t want to participate of prayer moments like this one, people simply don’t understand. And I am obligated to hear I am intolerant with those kind of things. I’ve been discriminated and harrased because of my beliefs, my behavior today comes from my experience in the past. Don’t come and blame me for feeling insulted and mad with those situations. People would feel more than uncomfortable if I’d stop the christian moment and I’d started a pagan prayer telling how the celebration of X-mas is a date stolen from pagan times. But I had the right to do that, since they put me in that position, right? No, wrong, I’d be that crazy girl spoiling the moment to them, and they would do something to shut me up. That’s the truth.
This is sad. And in the end, I have to hear I am the one who is intolerant.
Do As Infinity (or DAI as the band is also known) is one of the best j-pop bands out there, one of the most famous in Asia and overseas. They disbanded in 2005 but the band reformed in 2008, releasing a new album in September 2009, Eternal Flame. It was the first album without having the former band Dai Nagao on the staff.
DAI is one of my favorite j-pop bands. The voice of Tomiko Van is sweet and strong at the same time. It’s inspiring. Ryo Owatari’s guitar is great and involving. This band is part of my life for so long that it’s part of “the soundtrack of my life” (a list of musics I consider my personal soundtracks). It’s worth listening.
Check it out some of the old best DAI songs: Tangerine Dream, Week!, Summer Days, Fukai Mori, Oasis, Toku Made and one of the most important DAI songs to me: We are.
Now you can broadcast using Twitcam to all your followers on Twitter. Seems cool. But I don’t think I’m going to try it :P
What a chaotic theme I’ve chosen, my posts are not in chronological order at all! But since I’m going to post unconnected subjects, I don’t really think it’s going to be a problem. It’s chaotic but it’s nice to look at :)