Do Have A Nice Day!

One popular accusation against religions is that they are meant to pacify the people; I argued in 

another post why this isn't the case e.g. people didn't become lazy until well into the past century to century and a half, most people still had to work for a living and take care of large 

families, being that large families were unavoidable, and Homer Sapiens (the couch potato man) didn't come into the scene until very recently in human history. 

It's not plausible that the church or any other organized religion wanted to control people

(by scaring the wits out of them with 'fire and brimstone')just to make sure they kept working. 

This is a 'fail' and a concocted argument. Obviously, the feudal lords didn't invent religion, it's 

been around as long as people have.

It is much more plausible that messengers really did come to teach people, throughout the ages, and that is why we have scriptures with similar themes, about Hell and Paradise, some type of "salvation" (the idea of repentance, as well is included), and "commandments"(about what is "good or evil"). 

But I read something which made me take a different approach to this topic - 'controlling the masses' is done more than not, with entertaining plays, during the Greek period (200 - 600 BC) 

and later, during Shakespeare's day, with the English plays. Today Hollywood, or Bollywood do the same thing, on a much bigger scale, but the reason for building theaters was to draw in more and more people to the earlier works, and today people are driven to the modern 'movies' and 'home theaters', too.

At first, plays were about religion performed at religious occasions. Then morality plays, which told about the struggles between good and evil, and finally drama plays, which included a hidden message (about something the author wanted to convey to the audience without 'getting caught').

All this is information one can learn from any student of English Literature at the University.

I have to wonder though, how did Shakespeare intend his audience, of peasants or anyone else, to understand his 'hidden message' and for him not to 'get caught' at the same time? 

Didn't the authorities also understand Shakespeare's meaning? (They couldn't have been more dense than the average lover of theater, could they?) At this point my sons will shout, "Illuminati confirmed!"

I hate to argue with Christians or anyone else about their beliefs, because it isn't my intention to convert people. On the contrary, I would like if people who are questioning their own faith 

could seek out myself or anyone else to get 'information'. I am not one to judge others, on 

the contrary - I know what it is like to question one's beliefs, being a convert to Islam myself. 

I don't think it is helpful to others or the cause of peace, to force one's ideas or beliefs onto individuals who are at a 'happy place' in their lives and are not interested in learning (not that I am putting them down for being understandably skeptical, because most people are, regardless of their background.) Maybe they are not the like minded, or open-minded person you can make an instant connection with. 

"Leave well enough alone", I say. I did forget this 'cardinal' rule of mine yesterday, maybe because people were wishing me and others a 'Happy New Year!'

But the truth is, it is very uncomfortable to confront people with opposing beliefs, which often clash dramatically with their beliefs (or world view). 

Christians and other religious folks are quite tenacious, just as many Muslims are. I think that's okay, 

and we should all learn to accept the differences.

I want to wish all  my readers "Peace", as usual. Like I told someone else yesterday, he was an English teacher no less, people can send me well wishes any day! (the hidden message being, 

please don't include me in your religious or secular celebrations!) 

Why Classics are Important

I lament the fact my husband read “The Taming of the Shrew” but only the first half.

He used to like reading some of Shakespeare’s poetry as well as other names. But one of his favorite poems is the one about a mother hen and her chicks. I’ve never read it myself, perhaps it was Shakespeare, (I’ll have to go and Google™ it). But the plays of ‘olde’ are especially good in teaching valuable lessons, at least when one studies it properly under the tutelage of a stern-looking high school English Lit teacher.

When it comes to any kind of trouble at home, my husband usually turns into an Ogre. It’s kind of like watching a children’s cartoon in mid-flight. You know there will be a happy resolution for the main characters, but so much “emotional baggage” has to get sifted and misunderstandings resolved before the “fairy tale” ending. Also, any mean witches or heavy-set balding villains (usually alpha males) better watch out; things don’t usually bode well for them, and never go their way in the end; kind of like in Shakespeare, trust me.

I’ve been trying to teach my husband the lesson in the Taming of the Shrew; but he hasn’t gotten past the first half of the story, yet. His thought seems to be, if there are problems, it must be my fault. You might think that’s a typical Arab male mindset; but I can tell you it’s not so. I had a friend who had a very big problem (to her it was, her husband, he didn’t see it… at first) which was leading to a critical situation; the kids were in the middle, even another woman was involved (hope she’ll never read this, my friend I mean) Well, things worked out, when he was the one to give in; he made all the concessions, even divorced his second wife, and now they live “happily ever after”.

One man’s happy ending is another man’s unhappy ending, though. There is a couple who for years have wanted a child, with nothing positive yet, except that their marriage seems to be rock solid. He won’t even consider getting married again, (over his wife, so to speak) even when she insists that it’s okay. She wants him to have children, even if she can’t. I admire her for her selflessness, which lots of people could learn a positive lesson from. Unfortunately, most people are not even remotely selfless.

In our home lately, whenever the children want or need something, it seems to be boiling down to, “what does your mother want?” I argue, that I don’t want anything, why drag me into it? I say, if you want to buy our daughter a car, so she can drive herself to University next Semester, why bring me into it? If our four year old is begging him for a laptop (which my husband carelessly promised to buy him), why ask me for a second opinion? I say, don’t break your word, you promised a car, or a laptop; especially when a four year old with chocolate brown eyes is looking up to him for some kind of “I do” or at least a sign that his father can be taken at his word, which I’m really praying for, even though we can’t afford to give a four-year old a laptop when his older sister is getting one for a graduation present; nor is it age-appropriate (I know, because two years ago he propelled mine off the desk, and broke the monitor, and I don’t see him slowing down in the “break things, it’s fun” department, yet). My son is very good at taking care of his own things, but now he is in the habit of scavenging anything that is not tied down, or literally too heavy to move, and putting them in his “house”, behind the kitchen, really a small storage room. If the IPhone is missing, or anything like keys or sunglasses, shoes, purses, loose papers, staples, things from the ‘home office’, kitchen utensils, various jackets, shoes, and more clothing, or anything not belonging to him and missing, it is probably there. It is becoming bothersome; I rather begin to favor giving a four year old his own laptop, but hopefully it will be something that is not as costly as a 15 inch screen, or an expensive model. Can we find something on sale at Toys R Us™?