Labels

I find it very interesting how people label themselves.  Just think about it for a minute.  We label ourselves based on race or ethnicity, religion, nationality, political affiliation, or lack thereof, and economic policy just to name a few.  It is fascinating to me to to observe people and see how they respond to situations depending on their particular label or labels.  I also find it interesting how people label themselves and then do not live up to the label.  Religious people, especially Christians, are a very good example of this.  We recently had the opportunity to do some work for some friends of ours.  It is amazing how money affects how people behave.  These people had been friends of ours for a long time, were very active in the churches that they had been members of, and the gentleman was even a deacon.  Things happened during the course of the job, most of it their choice, that caused the job to go over budget.  They paid for most of it but there were some things that they refused to pay for and were very ugly about it.  I could not help but think that they exhibited a good example of true Christianity.  

Back to labeling, it is interesting to observe people and try and guess how they would label themselves in regard to political philosophy and especially religion.  I would also like to mention that it is intriguing how people's labels evolve over time.  I am a good example of this.  I was raised in a very conservative, Christian home.  I was taught traditional values and these are the things that helped to shape me as an adult.  It was when I was away from the immediate influence of those who helped shape my ideologies that I began to question things in more detail.  Then, I hit a brick wall when I fell into a major depression which was brought on by a serious bout of OCD.  This made me really question thing in detail, especially in regards to religion.  When I started examining everything with the blinders off, the facade of Christianity and religion in general fell to the wayside.  This in turn caused me to question other ideologies that I once firmly held and they too began to change.  There are too many for me to go into great detail at this point but needless to say I am a great deal more open-minded now.  

Now that my beliefs and ideologies have evolved I like to view others.  It really saddens me how closed minded many people are.  Labels and the meaning behind them are one of the major problems that we face as a human race.  Until we can put mythology, ie. religion to bed, this poor world will continue to suffer and may not make it.  As long as those who hold our fates in their hands still hold on to bronze age desert myths, we will never be a truly free people.  I look forward to the day when the labels Christian, Muslim, Conservative, Republican, Democrat, Black, White, ect..., are replaced by friend, brother, sister, neighbor, etc....