I had that same experience at a similar age, but with the Holocaust. I'd never even heard of the Japanese internment camps until I saw the TV movie of "Farewell to Manzanar," when I was about 13. I got into researching the Holocaust when I saw a TV movie (hmm, a recurring theme) about the capture of Eichmann a year or two earlier, and was horrified, but couldn't imagine it ever happening in the world again.

Now, I'm not only shocked by Abu Graib and Gitmo, but also the immigrant camps in Texas where families are being held with very little rights, including education for the US-born children living with their illegal parents.

I guess I've never had an unwelcome hug forced on me, nor kids I didn't care about asked to call me "Auntie ita." Which is just as well, because I won't answer to it. "Tita" only.

I'm cranky and impotent.

We shall call it 'crampotent'.

Dad was kicked out of catechism(?) in the Lutheran chruch when he got in a theological argument with the priest which he was winning.

Me, I'm all about finding common ground. "OK, my lack of belief is as unfathomnable to you and your belief is as unfathomnable to me" where can we meet? I may have internal judgements, but I keep them internal because they don't do anything to move understanding and acceptance forward.

I mean, how the fuck do you try to talk to someone, gain some commonality, some sense of respect , if you start out with "you are so wrong"?

I mean, you may be wrong, and me, right. But I ain't winning anything if I antagonize you first. And my logic can't argue against the heartfelt belief. Faith doesn't play with logic. I get it. I have PMS, I GET IT.

But I CAN engage it. And make it work for both of us.

I mean, you may be wrong, and me, right. But I ain't winning anything if I antagonize you first. And my logic can't argue against the heartfelt belief. Faith doesn't play with logic. I get it. I have PMS, I GET IT.

I heart sarameg. So very much.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has released a new universal radiation warning symbol. While the old one was pretty abstract, this one incorporates the old symbol, along with "death" and the idea that you should run away. However, from the symbol it is unclear if the radiation will get you anyway....

[link]

eta: This is the best quote:

"We can´t teach the world about radiation," said Carolyn Mac Kenzie, an IAEA radiation specialist who helped develop the symbol, "but we can warn people about dangerous sources for the price of sticker."

sarameg , i hope it helps that I understand exactly what you are saying. I told DH a long time ago that I don't rant , and I don't lecture, I ask questions- and it is amazing how people that seem to have very different views than I do , actually don't really think that differently . ( helps that I believe that a pragmatic approach is often a good place to start)

Dad was kicked out of catechism(?) in the Lutheran chruch when he got in a theological argument with the priest which he was winning.

What is it with the Lutheran church? that is the church DH left in a very dramatic way.

You'd think priests following in Martin Luther's tradition might be a little more open to people voicing dissenting opinions about doctrine...

A friend D had a discussion with his daughter. D is an athiest, so is his daughter. But M asked D why he was so sure there was no god. His answer surprised him, but also clarified his own thinking . I have faith that there is no god. Knowing that he was speaking from a postion that he believed made him understand more of how others were speaking.

I end up in the more neutral corner because, although I do not have a belief in god, I figure it doesn't really matter. A belief in god will not change my behavior now, so if I find out later I'm wrong, well, I still wouldn't have done anything different because of god. ( and ETA: I don't see people behaveing better just because they do believe)

You'd think priests following in Martin Luther's tradition might be a little more open to people voicing dissenting opinions about doctrine...

But that was a long time ago. Like, ancient times. All that stuff is settled now....