re: #173 Citizen K

Yeah, I managed to have an uncharacteristically diverse neighborhood for Southern WV, being raised Filipino and Catholic, with Mexican neighbors, an Indian best friend, and a Catholic School class that was just as uncharacteristically diverse. Not to mention a theology teacher who was a serious social activist (he had a picture of Martin Sheen from one of the protests he attended, as well as one from a School of the Americas protests), and I’m pretty sure was the son of legitimate hippies.

Catholic School was, ironically, where I lost my faith, but only because I was disillusioned with institutions, but it informed my philosophy enough where I gelled with all the messages of empathy in the Gospels. So even if I’m way lapsed, I still feel my hackles raised up when people use Christianity as an excuse to tell people that they are somehow undeserving of even basic respect.

A lot of my philosophy more or less was shaped by devout Catholics or people who were raised by them. IT’s yeah the messages of empathy. And I really think empathy is sorely lacking these days.