Conversations in a Bus: Religious Materials Spread Around on Route 16 of HART

There are moments when I want to spread The Scientific Method, and create a competition to the religious groups that conquer people and get adepts, through this kind of cheap propaganda.

Yes, it is cheap to try to get more adepts whenever exploiting their weaknesses and moments of sorrow. Not many people realize how the mass transportation system, can be used for preachers and missionaries, to expose them to the good news, but what good news.? If at the end you are going to be bounded by a series of outdated rules that form no part of a viable social contract.

Jehovah's Witnesses are the latest material I've found in the last couple of months, around route 16 with the Hillsborough Transportation System, there should a separation between State and Religion, but avoiding and cutting these people on using public system into spreading their message is almost impossible.

It makes me think that a humanist approach is less acceptable on the public light, than a religious approach, on a political environment not accepting God is an inspirational suicide, as well in certain companies that follow a Christian doctrine.

Not matter how many times I go outside, it seems savings souls is a big business, what happened to follow any noble truth without buying the propaganda.? It doesn't seem profitable for a bunch of individuals such as The International House of Prayers or almost any other newer and growing denomination.

There are some guerrilla tactics on these methods, as much of the time the spread of materials could be done by placing them strategically that someone will find them, also people sitting silently in the bus, or some other people who try to engage in conversation and try to disarm the speech of the interviewer, as he or she needs God.

There are plenty of ways to disarm them, to counter attack as even if there is an existence of a mighty being in this universe, that has no body, that being wouldn't go into such as cheap tactics into gain followers. With the different informational supplements that can be found anywhere, it can be seen how humanity is essentially divided into seeking an absolute truth through a series of fragmented ones. Maybe, we are seeking that truth on Earth, while the truth could lay outside in the vast mantles of the universe.

It is true that every head is an universe, and different people think vastly different even if they can agree on similar points; but yet there can be some discomfort on the religious aspect as it tends to represent the conjunction of social momentum of an individual. Yet, there is the ideological war, where we tend to forget our own humanity.

The main problem on this ideological war is when we start to attacking each other; every time I find a Watchtower magazine in the bus, I read a magazine filled with accommodated truths and some pseudo scientific content, that only contains support from the Bible to claim anything. Yet, how can believe in a cult that has tendencies of seen the apocalypse everywhere and almost and at every time a tragedy happens.? People believe so, if someone emotionally is broken they will go the first light they will see.

The Pop Culture Approach of Religion and Mass Media

Janet Jackson

Tampa- Fl, Lately this week I've been wondering about the public scrutiny regarding a public figure's life and specialty their faiths. Why the pop culture and people are so obsessed.? Makes me wonder if any ideological currents celebrities follow can be commercialized so the group can find more followers,? or to change the public perception of the faith image.? My question goes to Janet Jackson and Tom Cruise who both have been on the spotlight recently as tabloids are speculating their involvement with religion has been the responsible for the changes in the lives.

It is true that when you follow a series of dogma, there will be a change in your lives, that's a fact, but also it can go on two extremes where you will live to find salvation or you will live your life implementing certain aspects to try to become a better person without loosing your principles, but when you are in the spotlight and you have to deal with the imagery of a class of people who follow your career and yet they are ignorant regarding many levels of anything that is not white, Protestant, Republican  from Missouri. The latest thing I read was from the National Enquirer where they claim that Janet Jackson is living a double life by converting to Islam to marry her fiancee Wissam al Mana - which as many tabloid stories they try to sensationalize a fairy tale in order to catch the attention of the readers but at the same time they expose details which luminaries are trying to keep private, but yet Janet Jackson fits also into the imagery of being in the closet in therms of hiding her beliefs if the story is true, as much many LGTB people hide their orientation in order to avoid bullying from the masses and to avoid any career backlash.

Tom Cruise

But what to do when there you as a celebrity find yourself in that side of the spectrum,? that was mentioned on the last paragraph. Where you behavior is not only erratic but also you had associated with a dubious religious that according to several media it's classified as a cult but yet your career only seems to suffered after three failed marriages and the rumors that you are living a double life in order to satisfy the needs of your peer group as well to shut up the media. That's the case of Tom Cruise, where his career took a wrong turn after jumping the couch  a few years ago on the Oprah Winfrey Show and speaking publicly about his faith but also in a surreal way about his relationship with actress Katie Holmes.

So far 2012 has been a brutal year for Tom Cruise as he got divorced for a third time, yet religion seems a factor in playing a good role on the public image as Holmes so far is being 3,000 miles away along with their six year old girl Suri placing Tom Cruise under the microscope as a man who is control freak and yet living in a seclusive life surrounded only by people with his similar beliefs sparking allegations that Scientology has to be the pivotal stone of his relationships as well some other minor gossips regarding his sexuality.

According to People Oct 8, 2012 edition, screenwriter and friend of the actor Christopher McQuarrie said that Cruise busy schedule don't let him see his girl but yet the matter of religion plays a central role on the imagery of the divorce as there was no given reason for Katie Holmes to snap and ask for the divorce beyond the involvement of the actor in the Scientology affairs. According to investigative journalist Maureen Orth in a Vanity Fair article published on the September 2012 Edition mention that the religion leader David Miscavige to auditioned several woman as potential girlfriends for the actor and one of them was Nazanin Boniadi who by now is a former member of the church but on the other side of the story, Cruise attorney Bert Fields deemed the story as "a rehasj of tired old lies previously run in the supermarket tabloids." as well as the church giving a similar stance but yet why a prestigious journalist as Maureen Orth would lie.? There is no reason for a journalist to sell his or her ideals that easy specially one as her, yet no one is perfect so as any religion in the world.

Yet people seem to see religion as a connection point between the public figures, an element of emotional connection where it can sell an individual to the masses or even so help a political candidate to win any election if he appeals to the majority of the people's emotions but yet it can be an element of division where not many individuals will try to seek understanding but over-imposition of their values to the masses.  

Let's Talk This Clear

Equality 

OK, you and me let's talk this clear, hate is such a strong word, that first thing; second, the world is more complex than what you see in church or the four streets of your neighborhood; and third people are not exactly like you, they are equal and if they were exactly like you then the world would be a boring place where there are no differences. We are humans and by default we should be equal, because we are equal and those little differences are what they make us humans; but then when fear and intolerance comes because someone who is different appear in your life and you realize the world is not as exactly as your parents told you then you will be starting acting like a bigot if you don't surpass the idea that we are different, or maybe you can realize it and see how wonderful and complex humanity is.

Let's talk this clear, you are not going to be less macho, break the stereotype first for reading poetry; you are not going to be less of a man if you can with your woman to a shopping trip; you are not going to be less of a man if you enjoy arts and ballet, you will be less of a man if you promote hate toward people because they are different. Let's talk this clear, you are not going to be less Christian if you live your life beyond the principles of your religion, you are going to be just a mere fanboy if you decide to use the Good Book to incite hate and wars, you are going to be who you profess if you see the message of the Bible as simple and clear, a message of love, brotherhood and equality, but yet if you decide to use the good word to spread hate, you have to be aware that the world will be behind you, because you are just a player hater.

Why to hate?. Are you scared to face world?. Maybe you are just immature, as simple as that. Are you scared of yourself? And maybe because you are scared of yourself you don't want other people to be happy?. Let's be real, no matter what, there is only one chance to live , and you are not going to be less if you decide to live true to yourself, you are going to be less if you are going to spend hating humanity because they don't think like you.