What Would Matt Do

Now I know this collection is purposely the crazy posts, the outlandish, the highly ignorant and/or stupid. That doesn't stop it from being really depressing.

I know that most people aren't this intolerant, at least the people I've been around, but it still makes me deeply sad to see anyone being like this.

"There are a lot of things I have concluded to be wrong, without studying them in-depth. Evolution is one of them. The fact that I don't know that much about it does not bother me in the least."

That quote has to be most awesome quote I've ever heard to describe the average internet poster. Perfect. It's definitely some of the nicer stuff on that page.

It's disturbing to think that anyone thinks that way, much less that lots of people do. But I take solace in that that level of ignorance can't possibly be the norm…can it? I grew up in a household that believed in god, but didn't have a particular religion. On my mom's side we went to church and my grandpa was a respected minister for most of his life. But his church, or any other church I went, didn't preach hatred and killing. They preached acceptance and patience. They preached learning to get along and see the good in life and people. They preached the Serenity Prayer, basically.

As I got older, I realized that not all religion was like that. And that even though I didn't really get into the religion I had grown up with, it was perfectly all right. As a friend put it, in my household "ignorance was worse than anything else."  That's what really bothers me about all of those posts, or most of them anyway. They seem pretty content to be ignorant. They aren't looking for answers, the answers have already been provided to them so they don't have to look.

That's the sad part. If you've stopped questioning life, religion, god, the universe, etc…well, I feel for you. That's what life is all about, in my mind, questioning things, finding what works for you, using it and continuing to question it. If you can't ask questions, if you can't put forth different hypothesis, if you can't wonder about other ways, consider things from all angles, what the fuck is the point of it all?

Life isn't about looking for The Answer™. It's about looking. The doing. The continuing. I'm of the opinion if you decide you've figured it all out and have given up on questioning things, you've already failed. To bastardize an old phrase, if I claim to be a wise man, turn and run away.

What Would Matt Do: I don't know. Do the best I can by me and mine. Help those who ask for it and make fun of everyone. Even me. Well, maybe not that last part. I'm pretty damn cool and all.