firecat

Apropos of a couple of discussions on

wiscon lately I want to express the following, which I posted in alt.polyamory in a thread about said discussions:

Every time I try to describe my feelings about children it boils down to "Um...they are people." As with adults, I have all sorts of superficial thoughts about the ones I don't know - positive, neutral, suspicious, whatever, depending on my mood and their behavior in the moment - and I tend to like the ones I know, especially if they take an interest in me.

Also, I think that hate speech directed at any people is ugly.

For the record, I don't have or want children of my own.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

starcat-jewel.livejournal.com

childfree_zone is also a sane group, and it's fairly active. Instead of spending all our time talking about other people's children, our main topics of conversation tend to be:
1) information/support about sterilization;
2) dealing with pronatalist pressure from friends and family; and
3) noting and discussing mentions of childfree people, or CF in general, in the media.

The hate groups like to call us "fluffy-bunny", but that's their problem.

From:

kmd.livejournal.com

Hey thanks!

From:

johnpalmer.livejournal.com

You know, it's scary, because there are parts to the pagan community that seem to be the exact same way (and use the exact same term).

And it always makes me wonder, do they realize it sounds like they're saying there's something wrong with people who don't have hate (or anger, or what-have-you) as a major motive force in their lives.

(I feel obligated to mention that there are also pagan folks who think of "fluffy bunny" folks as those who don't study seriously, feel they can grab anything that makes them feel good from any tradition, regardless of accuracy, and who have no discipline. I think this is a bit better, but it still seems unduly judgmental.)

From:

firecat

I'm pretty far outside the pagan community at this point, but I've only ever heard the pagan version of "fluffy bunny" applied in the latter way you mention.

Although there is also a split between pagan people who study what they might or might not call "dark forces" and people who don't really see it that way.

I can see why people might want to contemplate "dark forces" as part of their paganism the same way I can see why people might want to use BDSM as a healing tool. (For example. I can think of other reasons.) It wouldn't have to be about promoting hatred in other people per se.

In my personal spiritual work I don't really see it that way (that there are "dark forces").

From: (Anonymous)

You're right, the intended use of the term is the latter, but it gets used as well for people who try to be peacemakers (for example). I think the "dark forces" might be part of the key.

I've always had a lighter view of the universe, so I'm more on the side of the fluffy-bunny-from-their-perspective anyway, I suppose.

(I don't think there are dark forces in the universe; I think that it can be a useful way to think about things. "If you go into the wilderness, you might want to think about the dark spirit of the wild wanting to kill you, because otherwise you might do something not-smart-enough (as opposed to "something stupid") and end up dead.")

Kind of a digression, I suppose... but I'm tired this morning. (Well, "afternoon", now.)

From:

johnpalmer.livejournal.com

From:

firecat

I generally don't think there are dark forces in the universe but I do think there are dark forces in people. (I don't mean I think people are evil, I mean I think people have the ability to be scared/angry/stuff like that and to act on those in ways that cause harm to the earth/other people.)