... wrote Richard in a comment on his blog in response to a comment I made that I had woken early on the chance of seeing Matariki in the dawn sky but cloud obscured it. I said that I wasn't really bothered as there are plenty of other constellations to see on a clearer night.
I wasn't being 'anti-Maori' and Richard wasn't being censurious in these comments but it did get me thinking.
I'm a centrist in my beliefs whether they be political, social, cultural or religious*. Some people might consider this being a fence sitter and it being something to be ashamed of but I see it as a way of getting a better view of the world without being mired in ractionary biases.
In politics I do lean to the left a bit but make sure that I read at least some of the 'right' news in order to balance my beliefs. Unfortunately not enough people do this and so we are forever in a 'he said ... she said' type of situation where conflict results and no resolution can be had. Look at Israel/Gaza and Iran/ rest of world to see how current biases will never resolve these.
In religion which, no real surprise there, politics are bound up in differing beliefs, as long as closed-mindedness dominates free thinking then nothing will change for the better. Even within religious faiths there are scisms. Islam has 73 different sects with the major ones - Sunni, Shi'a, Ibadi, Ahmadiyya, and Sufism being at ideological and political odds with each other. Our own Robert - a Catholic, in his blog posts constantly renounces not only other religions but other Christian ones as well. It's no wonder then that historically right up to today we have had violent suppressions and massacres within Christianity as seen in 'The Troubles' in Ireland and Catholic vs Protestant wars in Europe. I think I'm a pluralist when it comes to religion and believe that religion can be a glue that connects people but that cultural and religious diversity can be a positive thing that can create a common society. Oh, I'm also a dreamer...
.. but fortunately "I'm not the only one."
Getting back to Matariki, I'm glad that Maori cultural and religious traditions are being respected and that we have a public holiday highlighting this. I'm not going to become all Maori about it though just like I don't do all the nutty church-going stuff that Robert does at Christmas and Easter. I like the holidays and respect that some people have more invested in it but It doesn't mean that I have to become involved. Sheesh!
*I see religion in a positive light when it's being a guiding force for people who need ethical and moral direction but in a negative light when it force-feeds claptrap and division to naive and anxious followers
1 comment:
Can you spot the mistake?
"I like the holidays and respect that some people have more invested in it but It doesn't mean that I have to become involved. Sheesh!"
People from 3P in 1966 may struggle to find it.
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