Watashi-no YÅkai
Kitsune Ryune Speaks:
I never intended to be cynical going into high school, yet as I grew older I found it hard to find good in everything as I had in middle school. To me, it just seems there is too much hatred and unkindness to look on my generation in anything but contempt.
I despise my classmates, am disgusted by what they say and do, and loathe all that goes on within the four wall of my school.
Take today, for example. As I stated before, I relate to Kurt, likening my Christianity to his being a mutant. I quail from speaking my mind and defending Christ before my classmates. Today, 3-30-04, I got my chance to speak up. My debate class is the most liberal, atheistic and foul-mouthed group of teenage guys I know. Somehow, the topic of conversation had turned to Christians. One guy, whom we'll call Kyle, said that Christians were the most bigoted people in America. Of course, the only version of Christianity he has ever been exposed to is the racist ranting of Bill O'Reily, but that's a different story.
The conversation went on like this for a while, with harsh words toward Christ being thrown back and forth until I could stand it no longer.
"Kyle," I glowered, my voice hard and flat, "any so called Christian that doesn't love his fellow man is a hypocrite and a liar." He shut up, as I expected, but then another jumped in.
"All that crap about God is Love and Do Unto Others is all derived from Confucianism. And your religion is based on Catholocism, so your non denominational garbage is stupid."
"What do you know about my faith?! Have you ever read the bible?"
"No, but you've never read the Confucian Dao either."
That got me going. Since I was 10, I have been fascinated with Apologetics and other religions, and to be accused of ignorance is a HUGE insult to me. To be quite honest, I know enough about the Dao to know that one, Daoism and Confucianism are in no way related, and two, that Christianity is derived from neither one. I wasted no time in telling him thus, but he just laughed in my face and said I was dumb.
Trying not to explode in front of everyone like that, I left the room to let my anger cool. After all, it does say that a soft word turns away anger, and by God, I did NOT want to be angry. When I returned, the conversation had turned to my reaction.
Kyle spoke to me first. "Hey Ryune, are you done with your Christian fit?" I glared at him, daring him to say more. Unfortunately, he is one of those who likes provoking others, and opened his mouth to say more.
Someone else spoke first. "Why did you leave anyway?"
"Because I'm tired of everyone thinking that I can't see past my own religion. I've spent a good deal of my life trying to understand other people's viewpoints, and it makes me madder than hell when people think I'm as ignorant and bigoted as the other "Christians" who have given us a bad name!"
I sat down, and Kyle got up. He marched over to me, stuck his index finger out, poked the air and made a popping noise.
"Oops! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pop your bubble!" he said, sarcasm dripping from every word. Slowly I rose, actually growling, my hand clenched into a half raised fist. A group of boys, who had been laughing seconds before, blanched and backed away from me. I have never been angry in that class before, and I'm the last person anyone would expect violence out of. Kyle paled to, and sat down a seat next to mine.
"I swear to God, if you hit me I'll kill you," he muttered threateningly. I only stared him down, willing myself not to cause him bodily harm. Fortunately for me, the substitute intervened, saying to him that if I was about to hit him, I probably had a damn good reason to do so.
With that, I slumped into my seat and burst into tears.
Later, as I left the class room, I felt a burning hatred towards Kyle. Who did he think he was to pass judgment on ME? Who was he to torture and persecute me just because of my beliefs? What did I do to deserve his contempt?
As I moved down the hall, I felt my hate melt into nothing but pity. After all, wasn't it Kurt who said (in X2) "I pity them, because they will never see anything but what they can see with their own two eyes."? I pitied Kyle, because he was an ignorant fool who didn't even realize what it meant to me and just thought that he was being funny by making fun of a Christian.
What a fool. Only a fool would think it was funny to hurt someone's feelings. Only a fool would throw contempt and scorn at something he didn't understand.
So, I guess my point is this: love your enemies, and when they feel like being ignorant jerks, don't be angry. For if they're gonna be ignorant, then they are only fools. Pity them and their soul.
Kitsune Ryune Speaks:
I never intended to be cynical going into high school, yet as I grew older I found it hard to find good in everything as I had in middle school. To me, it just seems there is too much hatred and unkindness to look on my generation in anything but contempt.
I despise my classmates, am disgusted by what they say and do, and loathe all that goes on within the four wall of my school.
Take today, for example. As I stated before, I relate to Kurt, likening my Christianity to his being a mutant. I quail from speaking my mind and defending Christ before my classmates. Today, 3-30-04, I got my chance to speak up. My debate class is the most liberal, atheistic and foul-mouthed group of teenage guys I know. Somehow, the topic of conversation had turned to Christians. One guy, whom we'll call Kyle, said that Christians were the most bigoted people in America. Of course, the only version of Christianity he has ever been exposed to is the racist ranting of Bill O'Reily, but that's a different story.
The conversation went on like this for a while, with harsh words toward Christ being thrown back and forth until I could stand it no longer.
"Kyle," I glowered, my voice hard and flat, "any so called Christian that doesn't love his fellow man is a hypocrite and a liar." He shut up, as I expected, but then another jumped in.
"All that crap about God is Love and Do Unto Others is all derived from Confucianism. And your religion is based on Catholocism, so your non denominational garbage is stupid."
"What do you know about my faith?! Have you ever read the bible?"
"No, but you've never read the Confucian Dao either."
That got me going. Since I was 10, I have been fascinated with Apologetics and other religions, and to be accused of ignorance is a HUGE insult to me. To be quite honest, I know enough about the Dao to know that one, Daoism and Confucianism are in no way related, and two, that Christianity is derived from neither one. I wasted no time in telling him thus, but he just laughed in my face and said I was dumb.
Trying not to explode in front of everyone like that, I left the room to let my anger cool. After all, it does say that a soft word turns away anger, and by God, I did NOT want to be angry. When I returned, the conversation had turned to my reaction.
Kyle spoke to me first. "Hey Ryune, are you done with your Christian fit?" I glared at him, daring him to say more. Unfortunately, he is one of those who likes provoking others, and opened his mouth to say more.
Someone else spoke first. "Why did you leave anyway?"
"Because I'm tired of everyone thinking that I can't see past my own religion. I've spent a good deal of my life trying to understand other people's viewpoints, and it makes me madder than hell when people think I'm as ignorant and bigoted as the other "Christians" who have given us a bad name!"
I sat down, and Kyle got up. He marched over to me, stuck his index finger out, poked the air and made a popping noise.
"Oops! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pop your bubble!" he said, sarcasm dripping from every word. Slowly I rose, actually growling, my hand clenched into a half raised fist. A group of boys, who had been laughing seconds before, blanched and backed away from me. I have never been angry in that class before, and I'm the last person anyone would expect violence out of. Kyle paled to, and sat down a seat next to mine.
"I swear to God, if you hit me I'll kill you," he muttered threateningly. I only stared him down, willing myself not to cause him bodily harm. Fortunately for me, the substitute intervened, saying to him that if I was about to hit him, I probably had a damn good reason to do so.
With that, I slumped into my seat and burst into tears.
Later, as I left the class room, I felt a burning hatred towards Kyle. Who did he think he was to pass judgment on ME? Who was he to torture and persecute me just because of my beliefs? What did I do to deserve his contempt?
As I moved down the hall, I felt my hate melt into nothing but pity. After all, wasn't it Kurt who said (in X2) "I pity them, because they will never see anything but what they can see with their own two eyes."? I pitied Kyle, because he was an ignorant fool who didn't even realize what it meant to me and just thought that he was being funny by making fun of a Christian.
What a fool. Only a fool would think it was funny to hurt someone's feelings. Only a fool would throw contempt and scorn at something he didn't understand.
So, I guess my point is this: love your enemies, and when they feel like being ignorant jerks, don't be angry. For if they're gonna be ignorant, then they are only fools. Pity them and their soul.