Topic: Fahrenheit 451 & the Rise of Anti-Intellectualism This week’s sermon is about the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, published in 1953, and what it is really about according to its author. This book is often misinterpreted as a warning against the evils of censorship, but Bradbury states that it is about the rise of anti-intellectualism in American society. He believed that the television would be the beginning of the end of our collective IQ’s, and if you look into our history, he had a point. People believe what they see on television, even when it is complete bullshit. We are seeing an attitude of “my ignorance is as good as your knowledge” around scientific concepts that should not even be a matter of debate. Scientists and researchers who have spent their lives learning about something see their work dismissed in favor of the incoherent ramblings of some random actor that is only good at dressing up and playing pretend but has enough money and charis...
Wheels Upon Wheels The Wheel of the Virtues and the Wheel of Ka. The wheel of the seasons, the wheel of years. The wheels that measure the globe of Earth, horizontally and vertically. The wheel of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The cycle of the phases of the moon can be expressed with a circle. The cycles of life and death and rebirth. Then there are the cycles of the Chinese and Solar Zodiac signs. Even the pattern of a single rotation of Earth describes a wheel. Everywhere you look, there are wheels or circles or cycles. What does all of this mean? The most likely explanation is that I am stoned and seeing patterns in the Universe that I cannot see while I am sober. Does this invalidate the whole thing? I do not think so; now that I see it, I cannot stop seeing it. Just an interesting thought.
Topic: Core Tenet #6 On Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation This Tenet teaches us to use an individual’s preferred name and pronouns, even if we do not yet understand why. For those who are fortunate enough never to struggle with identity issues, the experiences of a trans person, or anyone using a different name than the one they were given, can be confusing and therefore frustrating. We automatically dislike anything we do not understand, but it is our responsibility as followers of the Path to put in the Effort to ask questions until we do understand. It is also our responsibility to exercise Patience and Compassion when we are asked to address an individual in a way that is different than what we are used to. Trans people in today’s society face multiple challenges. Research indicates that over eighty percent of trans teens have attempted or considered suicide. Some states literally deny that they even exist in any official capacity. Others simply do nothing t...
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