Post #22210
September 23, 2014, 06:35:32 PM
My efforts to find a new job have been unsuccessful, maybe I'll have another month, but that's it. I'm eyeing a new possibility but this will be my last chance (another research assistant post, but this time in labour law, which would be fucking grand). I'm also going to send resumes to anyone who will have them, minimum wage or otherwise, even these fucking customer service jobs that pollute the student job market because no one with an actual choice wants to be paid peanuts to be abused by raging, salty or downright stupid customers, or better yet, customers who are terminal syphilitic levels of crazy. Thanks to my past experience in this kind of job, I know that these are depressingly common, especially the stupid ones. I can't deal with stupid people, this is one of my flaws, I cannot fathom that someone would have difficulty with what I find obvious. I lack a lot of empathy on that regard, so I'm often very callous towards people who are less educated than myself.
Anyway, if that last round of job-seeking still doesn't work, instead of going right away to my mom's (because obviously without a job I can't live by myself), I might miss a week of classes and do that retreat right away. Almost all the classes are classes I've already taken or have friends in so I can catch up, so I'm pretty lucky.
In regards to denomination, I honestly don't think they matter much anyway. It's just a question of differing tradition and ritual, which are useful insofar as they allow one to appreciate the message, and gives it an air of importance. I don't think it's very complicated being a good Christian (but it is very hard), basically all it requires is "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12) and the other commandments will follow naturally, plus accepting that Jesus gift. I think as long as you try and do that, it'll be alright. It's a decent way to live even if there's no afterlife, in any case.
However, I do think some denominations (and even individual churches) have appropriated the word "Christian" for themselves for outward legitimacy but ended up as something totally different. What is preached in most megachurches by pastors with Rolexes and 2000$ suits, the prosperity gospel, is an example. In general I don't think the so-called Christian right is actually Christian. It's easy to yell in tongues in public so that everyone knows how chosen you are and "pray" loudly to ask Jesus Christ to please guide your ball and score a strike while playing bowling, and it actually convinces some people, but that's not Christian behaviour, and until very recently I myself fell into that trap and thought Christianity was shit because they had these people representing it. It sounds like a no true Scotsman but the rules of the religion are there and these people just don't follow it. They just steal the name. They had me disgusted for a long time but I'm doing an about face.