labels.
bleeding heart liberal. right wing conservative. mushy moderate. pro choice. pro life. evangelical. catholic. mormon. fundamentalist. muslim. jihadist. jock. blonde. yuppy. preppy. virgin. blue collar. white collar. executive. redneck. roughneck. and on and on the list goes.
labels. with each term listed above, a certain image comes to mind. like it or not, we all stereotype and associate a certain set of characteristics with each of the labels. and automatically assume those characteristics apply to everyone who is branded with said label.
and it pisses me off.
very few things piss me off, but i absolutely despise being labeled. being forced to fit someone else's cookie cutter mold of who they think i should be.
i don't believe dad used molds when he created us. i believe he's given each of us unique characteristics and giftings and talents. i don't believe we were intended to be herded like cattle into one category or another.
so why is there this underlying need to categorize everyone? why are we as a society to quick to assign everyone a label?
please understand this blog is not an attack against anyone, but rather a springboard for discussion. i seriously welcome all comments and would appreciate hearing your feedback and perspective on this subject. thanks in advance.
~Q
posted by Quirkafiably Quirkified @ 7/08/2005 08:25:00 PM
2 Comments:
thanks for your comment, solomom!
i haven't forgotten it. working on a reply, but with the move, my online time has been rather limitted. hoping to have it posted soon.
~Q
as promised, here we go.....*DING!*
lol i knew the quirky label would be mentioned soon enough. thanks for playing DA...heh tis kinda fun to do from time to time, no? ;)
anyhow...you do present some good points.
labels can be beneficial, perhaps even necessary in some scenerios (still don't know if i buy that, though). however, once a label is introduced, there's a certain stereotypical image attached with it. and everyone else who wears that label (whether deliberately or not) is painted with the same tainted brush.
the point i was trying to make with the whole cookie cutter mold.....i just get frustrated when once people learn i'm a christian, they assume that either i'm:
a) one of those bible thumper zealots who insist on cramming my perversion of the gospel down everyone else's throat because i'm mandated by my commander to do so, and condemning everyone else to hell if they dare to even disagree with any of my beliefs;
b) one of those happy faced people at church every sunday, but living some sort of secret covert dirty double life during the week;
c)some raving lunatic who feels mandated to enforce the morality of the bible on this nation, being God's mouthpiece for justice in the immoral and corrupt nation (similar to those who condone bombing abortion clinics and killing doctors);
etc. etc....you get the idea.
we all know those stereotypes exist, and we've all seen people who cringe or shrink away when the dreaded "c" word is invoked.
somehow, i don't think this is what christ died for.
on the other hand, we as christians have a certain image painted in our heads as to what our borthers and sisters should look like....and yes, there are some characteristics, or fruit, if you will that must be evident and cannot be tampered with. i'm not talking about the meat and potatoes here. i'm talking lil things. like a hairstyle. or certain jewelry (ie piercings). or fashion statement (lol or in my case, lack thereof :P).
take creation, for example. all people from all walks of life gathering together to worship. amazing.
yet, and i've been guilty of this...what society would deem as "outcasts" with their scrubby clothes and weird hairstyles....people i've been quick to judge before as people in need of prayer (ugh i hate admitting that)...are the same people who worship the most honestly, sincerely, openly real of them all.
bah, i'm babbling, let me see if i can make my point.
why is it that in order to be "christian" in america, we have to have the cutesy lil bible cover and wear the preppy sunday church clothes and all that happy mess?
that's what i'm referring to when i mention cookie cutter mold. this idea that in order to be a "real" christian, we have to dress and act a certain manner....any other way, we're just backslidden and rebellious.....am i making any sense here???
it's late, so i'll shush for now....i'm sure solomom will have a field day disecting this next week....love ya girl!
~Q
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