American Cliche - #57
This has been one of those stressful weeks that you read about in medical journals. At two points, I had actually made myself nauseated. Turns out that finding a place to live in Santa Barbara is not very easy. Couple that with the fact that we HAVE to move out of our place before September 10th…wow…I think feel another wave of nausea coming on…
The skinny:
* Taunting Letter Has Return Address
* Dirtbag of the Week: Milton Mass. Lifeguards
* One Man’s Opinion
* Teens Using Mothballs to Get High
* Listener Rant of the Week: Max
* Mighty Minute
* British Worker Fired Via Text Message
* Panic at the Disco - Time to Dance
* Show Sponsored This Week By: Earthlink/ Podshow Ad Challenge and by Shell Gas
August 9th, 2006 at 2:56 am
My post has to do with Max’s rant. I think that religion was created to keep order and to start a war like Hilter created a religion to make the German people think that all other races were inferior to them and Moses did the same.
August 9th, 2006 at 7:01 am
I live in the state of grand ol’ MA and I cannot believe that those life guards A) did not have the necessary equipment and B) refused to offer any help for the young child. I really hope something came or comes of this. The public puts trust in the services of the state and the state hires certified candidates for their training and experience. I realize parents should be aware of their kids too, but…HELLO the lifeguards they hire are trained to perform CPR. They have spent money and time taking classes and practicing…
August 9th, 2006 at 7:29 am
Young Max is going through what millions of ‘young adults’ have (and will continue to go through), during that fucked up “coming of age” period. Its that rad period of enlightenment where you question everything that everyone has tried to instill in you and decide to come to terms with infinite decisions, such as theology, on your own. Questioning; asking; debating - all good things. I think that Mr Max has some valid points but the wonderful thing about religion is, like Scott said; it is a faith. As an atheist/agnostic/unbeliever/believer in everything, I have had many a debate with the avid religious folk. Although interesting (and fun to provoke), you soon learn they get you NO WHERE. Frustration from both ends accompanied by the occasional hurt feelings. The best thing to do is respect peoples faith and just believe what you want to believe. If people want to believe that miracles saved them from tragedies, who are you to say it didn’t happen?
The debate for religion is endless. With no answer. And no argument is fallacious. Opinions are opinions. Period.
August 9th, 2006 at 8:02 am
I usually love the music you play on your show, but please, I’m begging you, please don’t ever play Panic at the Disco again.
August 9th, 2006 at 9:17 am
hey i’d like to respond to max’s rant. Starting off, i am a native american, from the crow tribe, and i’d like to state that i am a christian.
listening to max, i dont think he knows enough about christianity to be puttin it down the way he did. “up in the sky?” dude, sounds like you’ve gathered your information from cartoons. I respect the fact that you dont believe in it, and that is your choice, But damn dude, get some good points before you go off on air.
if you want to argue, your wasting your time. there is no point in arguing or debating. i’ll tell you what i believe, and you tell me what you believe, said and done, if your curious ask questions, if your not oh well. just chill and we’ll have a beer, and bullshit about other topics.
last point, RESPECT, and how it has diminished through the years. Our beliefs shouldn’t interfere with our ability to just hang out, make friends, and bullshit. Respect what people believe and you wont come off as an asshole who is just looking for trouble, and wants to come out thinking you know it all, that won’t make you popular.
August 9th, 2006 at 9:20 am
oh! i forgot to say, big fan of the show..listen to it on itunes every week. if only the show was recorded more than just once a week, that would rock.
i only get to hear it once a week, then the rest of my week is boring.
DO MORE SHOWS
peace
August 9th, 2006 at 11:11 am
I was a lifeguard in Ohio. Even if you do not have the breathing mask you are about to make them out of plasic baggies. Those lifeguards were jokes and probably teenagers.
But I stress, lifeguards are first responders. They are trained to do a job. Please respect them. Not all are idiots.
August 9th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
KImberly,
I totally hear you on this. This story shouldn’t deface the good work that lifeguards do all over the U.S. I do think that they should do a little better job screening as to the character of people they employ…clearly this group had none.
-S
August 9th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
In response to Max’s rant, your argument had almost the same substance as the “mystical paridise in the sky” you speak of. From you rant, I hear that you don’t like to have someone else’s beliefs and theological points forced upon you. Well, well, what sort of message are we trying to send here? If you don’t believe in anything, I completely respect that. DO NOT try and force on us your “obviously, well researched” validations for your argument (which might I add are “little kiddish”).
It would have been far better off for you not to have said anything at all. Rant about sports, movies, or your beloved emo, but do not expect to be taken seriously when you talk of a subject you obviously have done no prior research on. For the sake of your own embarrassmant, you should head to your local library quick and check out some theological philosophy books! Check in with us later and tell us what you find.
August 10th, 2006 at 5:57 am
If someone has faith, why shouldn’t it be questioned by him/herself or from outside? I think the main point in Max’s rant was that some people believe without thinking. Noth every religious person THINKS about why they believe, or know their sacred texts and the possible historical contexts they were written in. “You need to know your Islam” (that was just and example and taken from a text I once read). Not allowing people to think about the faiths they claim their own is a fundamentalist action, and shutting up these kind of rants would be such an action also. It’s good the rant was played on the show despite - or due to? - the fact Scott didn’t agree with it. That’s great, and a big hand for Scott about that!
BUT.
Scott: Maybe they were just the particular words you chose, but the way you said he might re-think his beliefs (believing in God, science, both..?) when getting older - well yeah SO? I also think he might reconsider the existence of God, but am I also allowed to tell you Scott you might reconsider your belief in a higher power “when you get a little bit older”? Or would that be insulting? Hm. Anyway, I think the way you presented your thoughts was patronising.
And if someone now thinks I’m an Atheist and that I’m a teenager, well, you’ve got one right and one wrong. Guess which is which.
‘Cause on Max’s case, I think he would’ve been handled differently if he was either older or a believer.
And PS. I’m a Finn and if I’m misspelling, I’m sorry. (But “patronising” is a British variant.) Stephen, it’s “embarrasment”, not “embarrasmant”. I hope it was just a typo, but corrected you just in case, for possible future embarrasment.
August 10th, 2006 at 6:23 am
Actually, honey; its embarrassment, but lets not go there…
I agree with what you said in part. I don’t know if I would consider Scotts’ comments to be patronizing, (or even condescending for that matter). I think it was obvious that young Max was, indeed, ‘younger’ and I think Scott was valid in commenting that the likelihood that Max’s ideals will change between now and the future is quite great.
As for dj’s comment- in no way was Max’s rant disrespectful. Religion isn’t cut in stone and people have the right to oppose that which is not law. Although I agree that younger generations do not seem to have the same amount of respect for one another and those older than them, in no way did Max’s rant succumb to this stereotype.
August 10th, 2006 at 6:24 am
(it did come off sounding like a whole lot of nonsense jargon though…)
August 10th, 2006 at 8:08 am
Totally off topic:
Oh, it IS embarrassment! I really had to check that and was surprised. Sorry, my mistake.
August 10th, 2006 at 8:22 am
NEA: “I think it was obvious that young Max was, indeed, ‘younger’ and I think Scott was valid in commenting that the likelihood that Max’s ideals will change between now and the future is quite great.”
Yes, it’s true that Scott is older, and that Max is a teenager and that people often change their minds about things - or their opinions soften a bit - after those years. But also, Scott sounds quite young to me too, and certainly not has reached his senior years yet. Who knows if one day he’ll be a 80-years-old Atheist? It’s just that often young Atheists hear that “oh yeah I used to be like you but then I settled and found my faith again” -talk. Maybe that’s true, but there are also many of those people who used to be religous when there were young and later on lost their faith. And, often, it’s socially more acceptable for a(n older) believer to “guide” a (younger) non-believer than a non-believer do the same to a believer.
August 10th, 2006 at 8:32 am
How was I condescending? This seems to me like Rafael if trying to stir the pot…go back and re-listen to the segment. I was very supportive of Max and his views and also said above all that religion and faith is a personal thing. End of story. It means something different to everyone. You can’t leave it at that?
If I say the sky is blue, you’ll probably tell me that it’s yellow, right?
-S
August 10th, 2006 at 9:35 am
Wait…Actually I think I have reached a peak of confusion. Okay- quick recap: Max made a comment saying that he does not believe in things like miracles and is questioning his religious roots. Scott says that he has faith and it feels nice to goto sleep at night knowing that there is a higher power. Rafael says that Scott may have sounded patronizing (untrue) and his choice or words indicated that Max will more than likely change his beliefs “when he gets older” (probably true). What is the problem here? This whole discussion has no resolution. You don’t know that there isn’t a god (God) just as much as others knowing that there is. FAITH is subjective and not an issue that can be disputed with conclusive evidence. Why? Because there is no answer. End. Period. Put away your spoon, pot stir’er…
August 10th, 2006 at 9:44 am
The point of the discussion (in the comments) hasn’t been whether God exists or not but wether Max was being disrespectful or not. It IS true Scott said faith is everyones personal thing, but I still think he was being patronising at the same time. I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you by saying that, Scott, but it insults me too to say I should shut up because of the track I’m leading the conversation.
August 10th, 2006 at 9:51 am
Rafael,
It doesn’t hurt me in the least. To do what I do, one needs to have a pretty thick skin. However, you are the only one that seems to feel I was patronizing.
As far as telling you what to do, I never told you to “shut up.” I never actually told you what to do. I simply said “faith is a personal decision, can’t we leave it at that?”
I appreciate anyone that takes the time to post a thoughtful reply on this site. I happen to be done with this particular track of conversation however.
-S
August 10th, 2006 at 12:08 pm
For the record, my beliefs temporarily lie with the Flying Spaghetti Monster and a world full of Pastafarianism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_Monster
Best part for me of all this is that Max, despite his age, not only had an opinion, but felt confident in himself to express it!
August 10th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
I understand Max’s view of the world that surrounds him. It sounds like he denies the presence of God because he isn’t looking and doesn’t care. That’s his reality. The fact is God is energy and is everywhere. It’s everything and everyone. We are co-creators with God and take this energy and we create with it–bad or good but it’s still made of God. How do I know? Is what I’m saying to Max’s rant based on “faith?” Or, is it based on experience? For some it is faith. For me and many others, it’s experience. And I’m not talking drug induced.
Why am I here? Am I here to have as much fun as possible then die at the end? Then what? Is that it? Think about it. Max may not care but personally I’m very interested in this and other spiritual mysteries, like “visions”. If you would ever ask me if I’ve experienced God, (or higher consciousness, or spirit), I would have to say “yes”. Literally out of the blue I have seen appear angels, masters, and other various “odd things” in my life and have wondered what they are. I can tell you stories you wouldn’t believe. Are these a figment of my imagination? I don’t think so. In reading the lives of eastern and western masters and saints, I realize I’m not alone in what I, and thousands of others have experienced.
This has nothing to do with “religion”. You don’t need a church to experience spirit or higher consciousness. In fact I think many churches hinder true spiritual experience and try to paint us into their own “belief”. I agree with Max on this. I also think our mind and heart just needs to be in the right place to experience what some call God and others higher consciousness. We see and become what we place our attention on. It’s our choice.
Another thing: When I die, where am I going? That depends on where my consciousness is at the time. If I have lived a life of drugs, stealing, or murder, etc. I believe my spirit (or soul) will go where others in that vibration hang out. The same is true with living a life seeking spiritual truths. Personally, I believe we have all lived before. But how do I really know? Thousands know.
Many will think I’m feeding you a crock. They have never experienced anything remotely like described above. Well, all I can say is, what you seek is what you get in life, both materially and spiritually. And at the end it’s what we’ve gained spiritually that counts. Can’t take the Corvette with.
August 14th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Scott, just thought i would share this with you… I have turned all my coworkers (in our art dept) onto the show. I was out of work last week and missed the weeks show. I was listening to it today and everyone that came in my office, was like “oh… wait, that’s last weeks show, I have already listened to that!” So needless to say, the show is a big hit here
Props to the moms that stepped-in and saved that little boys life. I guess one day when those 2 lifeguards have kids of their own (if they ever do), the real guilt will set in. How could you even live with yourself?
August 14th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Sarah,
Word of mouth is what will get us to the next level. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you spreading the word. Now, to the rest of you guys, get out there and shout it from your rooftops!
-S
October 1st, 2007 at 3:28 am
Teens For Cash…
Sorry, it just sounds like a crazy idea for me :)…