Reposted from alt.poly

[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.

Comments

[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").

[(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.)

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

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.)

[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.)