Hey NP5, hey everyone,
just got some thoughts according to the topic off my mind, because it was about time to write them down somewhere. Just happened to be on this platform. Maybe they are interesting for someone. But it´s a whole lotta text. If it´s too much, please just ignore. Hope it´s okay to post it here, even if they don´t have much to do with a blender scene.
TL;DR
Love your conept. Totally agree on the religious aspect. For your render: Maybe pick a single aspect of your concept and just visualize that, so there´s not so much going on in the scene (i love your idea of nebula around the „inquisition“)
Associations
Oof! I thought my own associations to the topic were already pretty dark and harsh. Haven´t seen it from this side yet, but i agree that there is a cultish ideology and also sect-like mechanics going on . It´s an interesting visualization and shows the act of perpetration. And i like that you show it covered in nebula, through which it connects with my own experiences and problems i have with the „snowflakish“ mindset. If you´re in that nebula, you can not take a single step in any direction that may not lead to punishment of yourself or someone else. Which leads to kind of a personal hell, in which the inner child just isn´t allowed to grow up.
My experience
My experience is, that those individuals (mostly) aren´t putting noteworthy harm directly onto others, but it often happens through totally „normal“ people as enablers who don´t see those sect-like mechanics as what they are and cater to the belief in an act of low-cost investment, shrouded in a fake cloud of tolerance, kindness and social responsibility. „It doesn´t hurt me to change my language a bit, but it shows that i´m a good guy“ (own workplace - marketing agency - just changed outbound marketing-communication to gendered language, but boss just sees it from a strategic viewpoint. Doesn´t see that the „inclusivity-rules“ he wants us to implement can change anytime and just make things much more complicateted for everyone, including his own life. Hasn´t experienced the negative side-effects himself yet.) And that´s the way the whole dogma finds its way into politics and the corporate world, where there lies the power to really make things change on a greater scale. For the better or the worse. I like my boss and my workplace, still, but now i wonder how long it can last. And i´m pretty experienced in being kind of a misfit myself, knowing how it feels to be cast out by groups while growing up for different stupid reasons. But after around a thousand kicks in my stomach (physical and metaphorical) it just doesn´t hurt anymore and i can live my life. So far.
Power in language
I believe that language/communication is one of the main-foundations of power and also enables us to find constructive solutions without inflicting too much physical harm on each other. Don´t believe in a bible, but i do believe in kindness, caring, sharing and mindfulness (not as laws, but to keep them in mind) - which are also traits you can find as an aspect of most religions. And that´s what i try to practice in my day-to-day life, since i don´t want to rely on anyone else to do it for me. Also think that this specific „blame-game“, which tries to make everyones life into a neverending walk on egg-shells, plays a role in a larger transhumanistic campaign and is deeply connected to many other ongoing themes. But i can´t specify exactly who or which group is all behind it. I see some of the acting parties and factions, but the real source of it seems shrouded. And then again, maybe i´m all wrong and just biased because of my own experiences.
Solution?
I have no solution but i know how i not want to treat the problem - through demonization and slander of its prey. To me that´s a pretty hard task on its own. Torches not only get lit on the neoliberal side. Let´s not jump to the conclusion that everyone who feeds the conflict is inevitably a dumb or evil person, no matter on which side of the topic they take part. And that goes for myself, too.
A positive experience
A while ago i had a discussion at a party. With someone who tried to shame me for not agreeing that i´m just a privileged white male who victim-blames a girl for telling her to better not leave her cigarettes laying around on the table, after they got stolen. First i was stunned because i never had such a weird encounter before. The moment i told her that it´s not wise to leave stuff in the open at partys, even if people seem nice, i got swarmed by her friends shouting at me. The one who shamed me for victim-blaming wasn´t even the one who got her cigs stolen (woman with missing cigarettes was an au-pair from south-africa and pretty smart, but her local clique did everything to „shine“ as perfect human beings). I told her that people at partys are often drunk and drunk people often do drunk stuff without having an evil intent behind it, and that i didn´t blame her but had to learn it myself the hard way to keep an eye on my goods when taking part in social gatherings. You have to be aware on your surroundings. Her answer: „No, you are victim blaming! This is exactly what victim blaming is! Do you think she´s dumb just because she is from africa?“. It got forth and back for a while, but not for long, since it was pretty exhausting for everyone. While fighting about true or false, black and white, naivity and theft - we all held our ground while sharing some more beers, even clinked bottles over some points we could agree on. After a while, it was about 5:00 in the morning, we decided to search for the local bakery. And on our way, the topics changed and we had a good breakfast altogether, one of her friends even took a naked bath in the nasty river nearby.
PS: Found out, that my best friend took the cigs and didn´t even remember. He can be an A** when drunk, he just stops thinking. Puts him in lots of trouble at times. But when he´s sober, i trust him with my life.
After all, most humans share the love for fun experiences and acts of togetherness. Maybe don´t fight each others political/ideological stance, but show compassion and willingness to talk on a peaceful level, even if it just works out in a fraction of the cases.
Thanks for reading, have a great day!
Kasimir