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Yes, I'm sad, the beauty that was New Orleans and that I saw in May is no more.
Also for all the losses and troubles and sorrows, but I would be just as sad about scenes from Iraq, or the aftermath of the Tsunami victimized areas (where they are still struggling with unthinkable hardship), but this thing has taken on a personal perspective for me now.
There is one thing about a certain part of the Christian American mentality that I can't wrap my mind around, and I was brought up, both old school/old world Catholic, and secularized Swedish socialist, and both those parts are deeply troubled by this.
The Geek, and through him I as well, have close relatives in Nola, a young family with a four month old child. They are not married (yet), but steadily living together, planning on marriage eventually, when life settles down a little for them, also they are newly out of college.
So, her part of the family are Colorado hippie style people not very religious, and not terribly well off when it comes to money, while his are southerner-Catholic people and really well off.
His parents and other relatives are not welcoming them into their homes just because they are not married, they are rejecting their own flesh and blood in the face of a catastrophe, because of a technicality that in his case hasn't even anything to do with faith (he really is catholic!).
Instead the non-religious left wing hippies take them in, even though they really don't have the resources for it.
Where is the Christianity in that?? I'm so..so..baffled. It is not even uncommon though, this kind of mentality, as far as I understand it.
Now..if I drop the Swedish/socialist/secularized perspective on this, because frankly, over here, the State would both help this young family a bunch, and come down hard on such an attitude from the relatives, but instead apply the old World European Catholic view...it's still deeply unnatural and upsetting. See...contrary to some beliefs, the Catholic faith isn't very evangelical. The religion has a long history of bastards being born, the madonna/whore syndrome, the human flawed side of life etc, and culturally in Catholicism there is nothing more sinful and criminal than to turn away from your own flesh and blood.
So, even though I'm not of the Christian faith, my old catholic upbringing is revolting against this, as well as my Swedish side. What the fuck...
Also for all the losses and troubles and sorrows, but I would be just as sad about scenes from Iraq, or the aftermath of the Tsunami victimized areas (where they are still struggling with unthinkable hardship), but this thing has taken on a personal perspective for me now.
There is one thing about a certain part of the Christian American mentality that I can't wrap my mind around, and I was brought up, both old school/old world Catholic, and secularized Swedish socialist, and both those parts are deeply troubled by this.
The Geek, and through him I as well, have close relatives in Nola, a young family with a four month old child. They are not married (yet), but steadily living together, planning on marriage eventually, when life settles down a little for them, also they are newly out of college.
So, her part of the family are Colorado hippie style people not very religious, and not terribly well off when it comes to money, while his are southerner-Catholic people and really well off.
His parents and other relatives are not welcoming them into their homes just because they are not married, they are rejecting their own flesh and blood in the face of a catastrophe, because of a technicality that in his case hasn't even anything to do with faith (he really is catholic!).
Instead the non-religious left wing hippies take them in, even though they really don't have the resources for it.
Where is the Christianity in that?? I'm so..so..baffled. It is not even uncommon though, this kind of mentality, as far as I understand it.
Now..if I drop the Swedish/socialist/secularized perspective on this, because frankly, over here, the State would both help this young family a bunch, and come down hard on such an attitude from the relatives, but instead apply the old World European Catholic view...it's still deeply unnatural and upsetting. See...contrary to some beliefs, the Catholic faith isn't very evangelical. The religion has a long history of bastards being born, the madonna/whore syndrome, the human flawed side of life etc, and culturally in Catholicism there is nothing more sinful and criminal than to turn away from your own flesh and blood.
So, even though I'm not of the Christian faith, my old catholic upbringing is revolting against this, as well as my Swedish side. What the fuck...
