blamebrampton (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blamebrampton) wrote2009-11-19 12:14 am
blamebrampton) wrote2009-11-19 12:14 am
In which we stretch an analogy a little ...
I was talking with a lovely young person earlier today about her idea for an hp_religion fest. Despite the fact that I am a godless heathen, I find religion endlessly fascinating and think that it works very well as a lens through which to view the Potterverse (obviously, since the author was consciously constructing a Christian allegory in parts).
Thinking about this, I had an epiphany of sorts, which relates strongly to the current brouhaha* on mpreg among my fandom friends.
My atheism does not affect the religiosity of some of my friends. Their beliefs do not affect my atheism. I would consider it the height of rudeness to tell them they cannot believe in their sundry gods, and they, after a cursory effort to convert me in a few cases, do not tell me that I must believe in one of their religions.
Some of them do believe that I am going to hell. Some of them believe that I am missing some basic truth of the universe. I believe that they believe in something a bit basically odd. Every now and then I have one of those conversations that goes: 'But how can you believe there's nothing?' 'How can you believe in something that is obviously an anthropological artefact?' 'No seriously, nothing? How?!'
However, in both cases, it doesn't matter. My lack of belief, my friends' beliefs, they are things that are important to US, not things that we need each other to adopt. The things that unite us, that bind us, are far deeper and more important.
Similarly, I think that there are lots of things in fandom that we take very very personally, but they are important to us as individuals, and when we try to make the personal public, it's just a recipe for disaster.
One of my friends loves mpreg because it soothes her soul, one of them loves it because it allows her to investigate whole new ideas in stories. I think it's fairly daft because I think stories about babies and pregnancy are essentially daft, just as I don't like avocado and am the least romantic person in the world. It doesn't matter! I leave more avocado for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pushdragon ! My mpreg atheism does not weaken anyone's mpreg faith! It's exactly the same as the way that gay marriage doesn't weaken straight marriages.
Anyway,heathen_archive , come back! Maggie and Liz, chins up! And everyone else, like what you like, even if it's not me ;-)
* It's certainly more than a kerfuffle, but not yet a schism, and too personal to some to be considered wank.
Thinking about this, I had an epiphany of sorts, which relates strongly to the current brouhaha* on mpreg among my fandom friends.
My atheism does not affect the religiosity of some of my friends. Their beliefs do not affect my atheism. I would consider it the height of rudeness to tell them they cannot believe in their sundry gods, and they, after a cursory effort to convert me in a few cases, do not tell me that I must believe in one of their religions.
Some of them do believe that I am going to hell. Some of them believe that I am missing some basic truth of the universe. I believe that they believe in something a bit basically odd. Every now and then I have one of those conversations that goes: 'But how can you believe there's nothing?' 'How can you believe in something that is obviously an anthropological artefact?' 'No seriously, nothing? How?!'
However, in both cases, it doesn't matter. My lack of belief, my friends' beliefs, they are things that are important to US, not things that we need each other to adopt. The things that unite us, that bind us, are far deeper and more important.
Similarly, I think that there are lots of things in fandom that we take very very personally, but they are important to us as individuals, and when we try to make the personal public, it's just a recipe for disaster.
One of my friends loves mpreg because it soothes her soul, one of them loves it because it allows her to investigate whole new ideas in stories. I think it's fairly daft because I think stories about babies and pregnancy are essentially daft, just as I don't like avocado and am the least romantic person in the world. It doesn't matter! I leave more avocado for
pushdragon ! My mpreg atheism does not weaken anyone's mpreg faith! It's exactly the same as the way that gay marriage doesn't weaken straight marriages.Anyway,
heathen_archive , come back! Maggie and Liz, chins up! And everyone else, like what you like, even if it's not me ;-)* It's certainly more than a kerfuffle, but not yet a schism, and too personal to some to be considered wank.
no subject
I personally have no problems with mpreg because I am baby-crazy (yes, at my age. Alarming, isn't it? I think it's because a few of my friends are having babies and my mother worked in childcare so I've always been around kids). But anyway, most of it is poorly written so I don't tend to read it that often. If someone writes good mpreg, though, they are granted my eternal devotion. I like seeing characters with kids, even if they're adopted/foster/godchildren/from another marriage. Doesn't have to be mpreg!
Anyhoo, thanks for this post, I wish all of fandom thought more like you! It just seems so commonsense to not try and force your beliefs on other people but...well. We all know that doesn't always work out. :)
I'm with you on the avocado, too. Hate the stuff. One of my friends makes her kids (see? I'm surrounded by children) avocado, carrot, tuna and pasta bakes and I cannot bear to look at the stuff!
no subject
I'm not surprised you cannot look at that bake, it sounds scary!
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It was. *shudders*