Conservative Alternative Lifestyle Values

           My Values Bared Before You 

     I truly believe that there is nothing more important that to discover the values and morals that guide your life behaviors.  Values that are based upon the core of who you are by inherent nature.  And, through seeing that we are all born with inherent goodness and innocence, while having the potential for misdirected self-orientedness - things like self-obsession, idealism, inhospitality towards others, and much more serious wrongs towards others, yourself, and life as a whole.  Yes, what we call sin, which is missing the mark of our desired and attempted moral standards of behavior.  The greatest sin, in my opinion, is forgetting that we are all human, meaning those of us of the humanoid animal species upon the planet.  The most gifted and blessed living species created by G!D.  For a special purpose, so many of us believe (even if we can't agree in unison on what this purpose is for us).  So, I wanted to reflect for a moment on what I believe and hold dear as an ever growing and ever changing (spiraling higher) moral and value system.  And, to start this sharing of heart, a conservative based alternative lifestyle heart of desires and way of viewing the world, I wanted to share some lyrics from one of my favorite groups, the Black Eyed Peas.  Have you heard their latest album, The End?  If you haven't, you should.  The whole album is just plain hot, hot!, hot!!  In my opinion.  But, the song I wanted you to read for a moment is, .  And, the message of this song is why I so love this group (almost as much as I love the talented savant musical sharings of Prince!). 

     The lyrics go like this, "One tribe, one time, one planet, one race, it's all one blood, don't care about your face, the color of your eye or the tone of your skin, don't care where you are, don't care where you been, 'cause where we gonna go is where we wanna be, the place where the little language is unity, and the continent is called Pangaea, and the main ideas are connected like a spear, no propaganda, they tried to upper hand us, 'cause man, I'm loving this peace, I don't need no leader that's gonna force feed, a concept that make me think I need to, fear my brother and fear my sister, and shoot my neighbor or my big missile, if I had an enemy to, if I had an enemy then my enemy is gonna try, to come and kill me 'cause I'm his enemy, there's one tribe y'all, we are one people, let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya, remember that we're one people, one tribe, one time, one planet, one race, one love, too many things that's causing one to, to forget about the main cause, connecting uniting, but the evil is seen and alive in us, so our weapons are colliding, and our peace is sinking like Poseidon, but we know that the one, the evil one is threatened by the sum, so he'll come and try and separate the sum, but he dumb, he didn't know we had a way to overcome, rejuvenated by the beating of the drum, come together by the cycle of the hum, freedom when all become one, one forever, one tribe y'all, we are one people, let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya, remember that we're one people, one love, one blood, one people, one heart, one beat, we equal, connected like the internet, united that's how we do, let's break walls so we see through, let love and peace lead you, we could overcome the complication, 'cause we need to, help each other, make these changes, brother sister rearrange this, the way I'm thinking, that we can change this bad condition, wait, use your mind and not your greed, let's connect and then proceed, this is something I believe, we are one people, we're all just people, one tribe y'all, we are one people, let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya, one tribe y'all, one people, lord help me out, trying to figure out what it's all about, 'cause we're one in the same, same joy, same pain, and I hope that you're there when I need ya, 'cause I don't wanna sound like a preacher, but we need to be one, one world, one love, one passion, one tribe, one understanding, 'cause you and me can become one."

     I believe truly that what the Black Eyed Peas are trying to teach in this song, even if they didn't realize it at the time they wrote it (I haven't asked them), is not that we should all be One in the sense of being exactly alike in mental and religious beliefs, thinking, and behavior.  But, rather that, in all our cultural diversity together, we be One Tribe in unison through the principals of peace towards each other, what I like to call 'live and let live,' and love for each other, the unconditional type that says that I love you for who you are now as you are, even if some of your behaviors, beliefs, or ways of being I would do differently.  Its all good (or, as they would say in my tradition, it's all G!D), if the internal focus of heart and intent is correct.  And, this I believe is what makes this song so attractively beautiful to me.  It's what I believe and what I'm always striving to teach in my ways and in my expressions.  So, that now we set the scene, I would like for you take a moment to look at what I mean by 'my conservative alternative lifestyle values.'  And, see for yourself, if they don't make sense in this context.  The context from which I try to daily operate from.  Life is too short to be imposing one's beliefs and ways of life upon another, and miss the beauty diversity of what others have to show, to share, and to teach us.  We all need to learn to love and live together in our diversity.  Accepting each others expressions and ways of life, through finding a balance within our societies that allows for glory of our collective human expression.  I am staunchly conservative for, I hope and believe, all the right reasons.  Meaning, I believe that we need to always be embracing what it is that stirs the joy interest we have in life, and finding a way of expressing it that give it an element of sacredness.  To elevate our G!D-given natures, to edify the inherently good natured core that we have.  And, to step away from the likewise self-orientedness of our inherent nature.  The violence we inflict upon ourselves individually, first of all, and upon others through the intolerance and hate that develops from it, must stop!!  For the sake of humanity, and for the sake of what I believe is G!D's intent for the world (the humans of the planet), we must embrace our diversity, begin to truly love one another, and be One Tribe!

     Here are my beliefs - What I Abhor, and What I Am For:    

     I abhor the idea that one person, or one people, or one country, or one religion possesses the "truth" or is a better way than the others of the world, and that everyone else needs to live by that set of beliefs and behaviors.  So, I am for the expression of multiple religions and cultural ways of life, and multiple beliefs and expressions of "truth" within one religion.  And, if you expect others to respect and appreciate your ways, you must be just as willing to respect and appreciate their ways!  So long as it sets a life-affirming example, you simply must give accepting space for the lifestyle behaviors of others and not impede him-her-them, whether you choose personally to live in a way that is clearly different or, maybe even, contrasting to them. 

     I abhor rudeness and lack of respect for the feelings, thoughts, and concerns being expressed by others.  So, I am for our listening openly and attentively to and entertaining the thoughts, feelings, and concerns of others, even if we don't agree with what they are saying.  I am for being thankful for the expression given by others, recognizing the importance of their words.  And, if we don't quite agree, that's all right.  We've been respectful and now can expect the same from them when going about doing our thing and sharing our expressions, feelings, thoughts, and concerns.  Acceptance, whether we agree and conform or not, brings about peace and happiness (and shorter more pleasant conversations!), because we have raised those who are expressing up to the same level of dignity we demand of ourselves from them. 

     I abhor the idea of picking up weapons of war against each other, nation upon nation, people against people.  I abhor even though and because of my experiences through military service.  Being contracted to kill others on behalf of the political and social agendas of a nation, has informed me to the fragile-ness of life and of each other.  Anyone who has been conscripted, such as I, and has been in a war zone will understand my view and stance on this.  I'll defend my people from harm, but I will not be a propaganda spewing puppet.  And, from my experiences interacting with people throughout the world, I have no desire to ever lay possession to a weapon again, except strictly in self-defense of family, community, and I.  Seriously, I belong to no nationality, anyhow, never have and never will.  So, I am for the embracement of peace across the world by the laying down of arms now by everyone and every country.  We need to come together as a human people, one tribe, and make this the reality now.  I am for no country and no country's way of life, what I am for is the health and happiness of my family and community.  My loyalties go no further, any work I do is strictly for them.  And, if we were to all embrace this, throughout the world, there would be no time or reason for war.  Live and let live, people!  It's time to stop killing ourselves.  It's time to end the tiredness!

     I abhor the restriction of marriage to just a heterosexual bent, and the limiting of raising a family to just by couples that are male-female.  For the world of humans will always be naturally inclined towards heterosexual relationships as a majority, homosexual relationships as a minority, and the rest of us sexually fluid folk (the real human majority) either choosing one or the other or forming poly marriage relationships.  This is just the way the world is by natural design, and no ideals, beliefs, behaviors, and teachings can ever have any real effect upon this.  So, I am for successful family-oriented socially condoned and sanctioned marriage relationships, that are founded on sound living practices and open honest communication between partners (rather than idealistic vows and emotional reasons for being together), that are life-promoting and culture an environment of love, morality, and self-esteem, regardless whether the family is the result of a straight or gay or poly (three or more) marriage relationship.  Society needs successful examples of families within its midst, and successful families do exist now in many forms - sanctioned or not!

     Did I say I am for birthday bodysuit lifestyles?  I abhor clothing, for they are so uncomfortable to have upon my naked skin.  So, I am for ascetic nudity, both in private and in public, both privately and socially.  G!D has blessed us all with beautiful, miraculous bodies that should be seen and appreciated by others.  All clothing is momentary as-needed and sexually-enticing costumes, and our nudity is just plain sacred!  I am for a social caste of people who are required to be naked at all times in private and socially in public, to keep the balance within society between our focus on clothes of fashion, which are so heavily focus on concealment and reveal-ment for the sake of deep rooted sexual reasons, and our need to continuously re-embrace who we are as a species and as intelligently aware and conscious beings, giving G!D thanks for the beauty that is us which G!D has created!  I am one who truly belongs to this nudist caste of society.

     I abhor the idea that is taught that G!D intended only one form of marriage-oriented relationship for us as humans.  That monogamy, a several hundred year old practice, is the only right and healthy form of marriage relationship.  No where does it actually say this in Torah, but rather Torah and the histories of societies demonstrate that there are advantageous and life-promoting generation-promoting alternatives that have worked for humans successfully for thousands upon thousands of years.  Successful marriages and families are not based upon love, this comes naturally with time, but rather they are about something far more great - the creating of a way of life together that is focused on Unity and deliberate lifestyles of Intent.   So, I am for the thousands of years old tried-and-true practices of polygamy and polyandry (the latter being my personal favorite).  The ancient of practice of dedicating your life to caring for and working for a poly family has it's benefits, which comes in many forms (no need to "cheat" on your spouse(s), accumulation of the wealth of multiple families to be passed down through your children and children's children, marriages not being formed on ever changing feelings for one another but, instead, upon social responsibility and ensuring the future generations, etc., etc.).

     I am also for the preservation of indigenous cultural lifestyles (am a traditional Jew by ethnicity and practices myself), especially ones that are thousands of years old.  G!D loves diversity, and so does life!  I am for ritual meditative sex, masturbatory and with others.  I am for growing into a higher standard of life and morality over time (not for trying to live by and enforce standards one has not yet grown into and, then when failing, being judged as a failure by - this is just silliness, needless drama that creates needless baggage and psychosis!).  I am for daily religious chanting, and meditation, and exercise, and blessing the cycles of the seasons, thereby leading us into a culturally deep relationship with the land that informs our behaviors (religiously green lifestyles).  I am for recognizing that we are all humans living the human condition, and are all wrestling with it and striving to evolve into something better than what we now are.  I am for peace among all people, and an ever-present focus upon G!D in all aspects of our living.  I am for blessing life and being humble before life.  This is what I am for!

     I am for the laying down of arms, taking off our clothes, and living in peace together!

The thoughts writings and beliefs of, Tsefanyahu

Author of Sefer Digambara Pulkhanim ha'Yehudi, ©2009

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