Hello! It has been a while since my last post. Finally I have a will to type again haha. Anyway, I was inspired by last Sunday sermon for this one, and I just thought that maybe I should write.
The preacher was talking about prejudice and how the culture rooting on how we see individual disparate, in other word, stereotyping. Personally, I coincide the fact that our culture affects our judgment on something or someone. In Indonesia, for example, with huge number of tribes, differences are inevitable. Every clan has its own tradition, values, idealism and point of view. Some are disjoint with other’s culture, but some just fundamentally divergent, hence, distinguishes one to another. However, time flies and we still manage to live together with those differences.
For most modern people, we can now accept that no matter where we came from, we still have to tolerate in order to live together in a society. Even so, the differences are still ingrained in us, that we sometimes cannot avoid being judgmental. For instance, perhaps by reason of their ancestors’ history, some people just don’t like those from other or particular ethnical background, unreasonably.
I didn’t say that people have no right to give opinion or express themselves, I just think that it’s no longer acceptable when other suffers from your acts. Skin colors, eyes, figures, ethnics, religions and social status are just tools human made to classify themselves. What the deuce is so different, we all feel the same. What makes a person’s heart could be so different? Is one made from metal and other from glass? I still cannot understand the thoughts lying in people who suddenly treat harshly or hate a stranger just because his different appearance. He is still a human being, right? What is so different? If culture, or religion, or civilization means to bring virtue, then why do people have to create conflict of it?
Regarding religion, I believe every religion teaches good values, guides its adherents to be better human, seeks for kindness and peace. Might be a little sensitive, but I understand the unbeliever of a religion might be claimed as “infidel” (I mean no harm). Though, is it a right to hurt others or interferes with their religious observances? As in my religion, I believe in love, so I see people from other religion just as human as I can be. One cannot simply force belief unto others and one cannot simply impede their ways. Why some persons just cannot respect other’s right to belief?
Aside from being prejudice for different culture/religion/ethnical background, I also wonder about society’s bias opinion on “unique” life choices. I said unique because conventional life has typical phases which may be occurred differently with some people. Commonly, a person goes to school, obtains proper education up to university, graduates, has job, makes some money, achieves something, marries someone, has children, grows old and dies. This linear timeline seems to be the purpose in almost every one’s life, and people believe that is how a person’s life should be. Therefore, when people face diverse circumstances like dropouts, unmarried, childless, unemployed, they tend to perceive it refutably, almost condemnable. A woman cannot have a child, so you can look down on her? She didn’t ask to has such illness, what’s your right to offence her so fiercely. Yes, he’s a dropouts, he makes mistakes, but he tries to amend it. Give him a chance, it’s his life you’re ruining with your words. Interracial marriage, what can you say, love knows no times, ethnics, ages, religions or any other diversity. A family without a father, you look at them condescendingly and do you know he was fighting for this country so you can live in freedom? People shouldn’t judge hastily, putting label on everyone different. Could it be our culture so rotten that we cannot accept differences? The paradigm in society sometimes could make people petty and narrow-minded.
I read this post again and, wew, sorry for being so hard. I understand this differences issue will always linger throughout humanity perennially. Me, myself, am not a perfect person that sometimes prejudice still slips in my mind. I see that having prejudice makes it difficult to give objective views. What we called the right to give opinion freely, at times unknowingly discriminate other’s right. It’s like a virus, it creates wound, then leads to resentment, conflict, and as time goes by it has been spreading and becoming plague.
I wish people could stop judging. Everyone has his own journey, you don’t know what he’s been through to be what he is today. Nobody is the same, we come from different background, but guess what, we all are human. Try to put up with differences, no one stand in the same shoes. I suppose you should expect no reciprocation, but still be kind, treat people like how you want them to treat you. Don’t let poor legacy blinds you from virtue. You are smart enough to see fault and decide on your own.
God bless you 🙂
deravn 