In the spirit of things

Been a little while since I blogged, but now that I've decided to head the blog committee for Africa Dream Project, I really should learn how to write regularly. I probably have the least demanding committee, but considering what I have on my plate right now, there's no sense in grabbing more from the buffet table before the plate collapses on top of me. (The fact that I'm writing this at 12:30am instead of finishing my reading is already a pretty clear sign I think....)

Speaking of Africa Dream Project, if you see any of their stuff around on campus, do support them. It's not a big group actually (Jon constantly repeats how surprised he is that they got so much done with so little organisation) but I've found it an opportunity to sort of "return" to Kenya. Yeah, I seriously miss that place.
I believe that we will be tabling during Homecoming, though the time and location haven't been decided yet.

And to keep up with the campaigning spirit, I've been roped into No on Prop 8 for a while already. During on-campus recruiting, I had an interesting conversation with someone who, believe it or not, actually spotted my No on Prop 8 sticker and walked up to me for a chat instead of me blocking his path and waving in front of his face to flag him down. (That seriously happens about once in a blue moon. Why blue? Don't know, don't care.)

Him - "Hi, what are you campaigning on?"

Me - " So, how do you stand on same-sex marriage?"

Him - (totally paraphrasing, sorry, bad memory...) "Well, I'm not sure, I mean, isn't marriage a religious-based institution..."

Me - "I wouldn't be here if it were exclusively so."

Seriously, do correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't marriage present in civilizations pre-Christianity as a form of property transaction and for political alliances as well as for love? I'm pretty sure that China has not had a monotheistic state religion for ages, and I come from a long line of atheists/agnostics. But anyway, what I'm trying to say is that the religious argument against gay marriage has always hit a sour note with me, even though I never realised exactly why until I had the above conversation.

Okay, the last paragraph was rambling. I need sleep.

"Blueprints still in development"

I honestly don't care if I never adhere to a religion.

I don't really care if I'm a strong atheist, a weak atheist, an agnostic, or an apathetist.

I could join the cult of Cthulhu, Pastafarianism, or start a new religion if that's what it takes.

I found something a while back that sort of helps explains it all. It pertains to an atheist court case, but what the hell:

"An Atheist loves himself and his fellowman instead of a god. An Atheist knows that heaven is something for which we should work now—here on earth—for all men together to enjoy. An Atheist thinks that he can get no help through prayer but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue, and enjoy it. An Atheist thinks that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellowman can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment.
Therefore, he seeks to know himself and his fellowman rather than to know a god. An Atheist knows that a hospital should be build instead of a church An Atheist knows that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An Atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated. He wants man to understand and love man. He wants an ethical way of life. He knows that we cannot rely on a god nor channel action into prayer nor hope for an end to troubles in the hereafter. He knows that we are our brother's keeper and keepers of our lives; that we are responsible persons, that the job is here and the time is now."
- Madylyn Murray

Pretty idealistic, admittedly, but I'm not gonna take it as doctrine.

I think this is the one time where the journey means more than the destination.