Like every single one of the other seven billion people on Earth, I make mistakes.
One of those was the "tradition" I've carried on for the past few years of espousing my disdain for religiosity in the form of over-the-top "shock jock" (as I perceived it) style "humor". Namely, I'm talking about my annual Christmas Day accounting of the tragedies which happen to occur on that day.
I'm not going to link to those posts which exist on this blog, but in the same vain I'll, for the sake of "owning up to it", not delete them either. I have always said that this blog will endure the minimum of hindsight-aided editing in order to bear witness to my life, which, as with all of us, comes with its ups and downs and all the virtual warts and pimples as well.
Why the change of heart? Oh, rest assured, it's no relinquishment of my animosity towards religion and its blind followers. It is still the primary reason this world is as fucked up as it is and I despise how non-religious people are treated as demons by many theists who maintain that there can be no inherent goodness in a person who doesn't ascribe to their version of an almighty god.
But to use acts of random chaos, strife, and disaster as vindication of a godless worldview is stupid and wrong. And yes, today's insane massacre in Connecticut hit home that point good and well, let me tell you. I may not believe there is a God, but I shed more than a couple of tears in light of this unspeakable tragedy like any other human being.
So will death and destruction suddenly not befall the fate of the world on December 25th this year just because I won't post about it? Of course not. Shit will happen as it always does. But I'll recognize that sometimes a bitter joke that isn't funny does more harm than good.
And I think this world could do with a little less harm right now.
One of those was the "tradition" I've carried on for the past few years of espousing my disdain for religiosity in the form of over-the-top "shock jock" (as I perceived it) style "humor". Namely, I'm talking about my annual Christmas Day accounting of the tragedies which happen to occur on that day.
I'm not going to link to those posts which exist on this blog, but in the same vain I'll, for the sake of "owning up to it", not delete them either. I have always said that this blog will endure the minimum of hindsight-aided editing in order to bear witness to my life, which, as with all of us, comes with its ups and downs and all the virtual warts and pimples as well.
Why the change of heart? Oh, rest assured, it's no relinquishment of my animosity towards religion and its blind followers. It is still the primary reason this world is as fucked up as it is and I despise how non-religious people are treated as demons by many theists who maintain that there can be no inherent goodness in a person who doesn't ascribe to their version of an almighty god.
But to use acts of random chaos, strife, and disaster as vindication of a godless worldview is stupid and wrong. And yes, today's insane massacre in Connecticut hit home that point good and well, let me tell you. I may not believe there is a God, but I shed more than a couple of tears in light of this unspeakable tragedy like any other human being.
So will death and destruction suddenly not befall the fate of the world on December 25th this year just because I won't post about it? Of course not. Shit will happen as it always does. But I'll recognize that sometimes a bitter joke that isn't funny does more harm than good.
And I think this world could do with a little less harm right now.