This is the first time I’ve ever written a music review on this blog. I don’t plan to normally write reviews of albums, or movies, but we’ll see. I borrowed this CD from the library, because I wanted to familiarise myself more with hip hop, and before this, I had only listened to albums by JoJo, and Kiley Dean. So I wanted to try out something by a man. I had read that LL Cool J’s lyrics are reputable, so I chose to begin by listening to his latest, and possibly last, album recorded. The overall theme of this particular recording is how he feels slighted, as an older hip hop recording artist, by the younger generation of performers. If you listen to the first, and last tracks back to back, it summarily reinforces this sentiment. However, in spite of thanking the trinitarian God of the Christians, plus his pastor, in the linear credits, a number of the tracks are about sexual liaisons. “Feel my Heartbeat”, may be simply about dancing, or it could very well be about more specificly “the horizinal tango”. “Baby”, as it turns out, is about an affair with a prostitute, whom the person is enamored with. I thought that the lyrics were so ridicoulous though that LL Cool J might have just been self-satirizing. But anyway, it’s still adult material. “I Fall in Love” confuses love with lust, as the person has the hots for the subject’s body, rather than her personality/soul. In ”This is Ringtone Murder”, he refers to rival rappers as “homos”, and implies that they spend time masturbating. I find this to be unfortunate, not only because of it’s heterosexism, but also because I feel that if LL Cool J’s charecter had spent more time pleasuring himself, rather than fornicating with promiscuitous women, he’d cause less heartbreak, and STDs. I know that certain folks, namely Catholics, still condemn masturbation as violating chastity; but I find it morally preferable to fornication. The only track which has any social significance, and which I particularly liked, is “Mr. President”, in which he respectfully questions the President at the time, whom I believe was George W, Bush, about various policies. Such as ones dealing with issues such as war, and poverty. He also proclaims that he’s not a Democrat, or Republican, but instead is an independent, which I found to be interesting. Overall, my impression of his personal charecter, based upon the sentiments conveyed in the lyrics, is that he doesn’t just think so much that he’s God’s gift to women, but that women are God’s gift to him. I really expected better of him, especially from knowing that he professes the Christian faith. I’d say that if he really wants to show his gratitude to God, he should show it better by using better discernment in the songs he chooses to perform. I really wish that I could give my approval to the entire recording, but unfortunately in good conscience I can not. It has solid sounds, and tight beats, but the lyrical content is less than praiseworthy.
Islam’s a Force to be Reconned With
This past week, I read two books, from the library, about Islam, and Muslims. One, “Voices of American Muslims”, is about the personal lives, and thoughts, of a number of Muslims whom are Americans. Some, from various ethno-cultural backgrounds, converted to Islam. The other was “The Koran For Dummies”. I thought that this book would be especially helpful for me to learn about the scriptural teachings of Islam. LOL Since reading these books, I can better understand the appeal that the Islamic faith might have for some people. I feel that western society, with the rise of post-modern moral relativism, has left people without a sense of meaningful purpose, and absolute moral principles, to guide one’s life. For those people whom either were not brought with a religion, or have become dissatisfied with it, they might choose to examine various religions, among these Islam in particular. The reasons for this is simple 1. Islam, being of the Abrahamic faith tradition, is similar in some ways to both Christianity, and Judaism. More so than some might initially think. So one can accept Allah as being the one true God, without feeling as if you’re forsaking the God of your childhood. 2. Islam can fill the vaccum left by the decline of classical culture. With a pop culture which has no roots in historic heritage, Islam can ground a person in a community with a shared historic faith, and give one a sense of personal belonging. I especially feel, based upon what I’ve read of what Sohaid Sultun wrote in “The Koran for Dummies”, pertaining to Islamic principles, that Islam might appeal to a number of political liberals. For instance, two of the precepts of Islamic society is “zakat”, and “shadaqah”. “Zakat” is charity, only unlike in Christianity, it is mandatory for all Muslims to pay it annually. So it’s more like both a tithe, and/or a tax. It’s purpose is to provide aid to those in need, and/or other worthy causes. “Shadaqah” means social justice. An Islamic society is supposed to forbid usurious interest rates, and unfair treatment of labour. So in a country, such as the U.S.A. , where for whatever reason Christianity might be considered by some to be synonomous with conservatism, as is the case with Christian Reconstructionism, for example, Islam can be regarded as being a welcome change. The one notable aspect of Islamic society which the liberal left will take exception to though is it’s code of social-conservative, communitarian, moral conduct. For instance if someone is inadvertantly discovered to have committed illicit sexual acts, such as adultry, fornication, and homosexuality, that person may be liable to be sentenced to capital, and/or corporal punishment. So western style secular democracy, with it’s minority civil rights, allows for more personal freedom, in one’s private choices. However, when natural law is disregarded, shariah law can be able to supplant it. Which is a reason why I personally perfer Deism over Islam. While old time deists such as Thomas Jefferson, felt that homosexuals should be castrated, as a penalty for there sexual relations http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/tp/History-Gay-Rights-Movement.htm , modern deists generally feel that homosexuality is both natural for some creatures, including certain persons, and moral, as long as it’s motivated by genuine love, and not simply lust. Also I’ve found that the Quran contains a number of errors. Here are a list of some of them. http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/quran/science/long.html So I invite any current, or whould be, Muslims to become deists instead. I think that as people become more enlightened about such matters, Deism will be on the rise. But for now, it seems that it’s widely considered to just be a religion for dead white men. But I don’t think that this needs to be the case.
Economic Democracy is Moving Forward
http://www.care2.com/causes/a-co-op-solution-fighting-the-new-normal-with-workplace-democracy.html?page=1 This is what I respectfully refer to as democractic/libertarian socialism in action. The respective companiesare administered under worker self management. The employees have direction over company descisions, and enjoy more of the fruits of there labor. I really do not see why even right-libertarians/conservatives would object to this business model. In the U.K., Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, has propesed a piece of legislation, intended to make it easier to set up co-operative enterprises. http://www.guardian.co.uk/david-cameron-cooperatives-bill-consolidated-legislation?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Plus, here in the U.S., the Senate will be considering a bill to encourage autogestion as well. http;//www.veoc.org/hearing.html So I am impressed by the progress that’s been made on this matter.
Greetings My Readership.
For those whom are not aquainted with me, I am a young man who lives in rural Ohio, with my family. I’m the only registered Democrat in my immediate family too. My parents, and sister, are all registered Republican. Also they’re evangelical Christians, whom are also involved with the Holiness movement, while I obviously am a Deist. So I created this blog in order to express my personal thoughts, and experiences. Whether or not to many people will take notice, or even care. I primarily am concerned about the spread of theonomy, no matter what the religion. Which is why I try to contrast this with my own espousal of both deism, and democracy.
