No More Power Games

So, after four long posts about politics and religion, all of which had me viewing the issue in an impartial light, I want to use this post to address some of my concerns and thoughts. I never considered myself a religious person; I was forced to attend a catholic school in my elementary years, so, religion never really affected me as a person. The occasional sermon never inspired me, as I felt that it was too “restricting”. It restricted me to a certain lifestyle, which limited my individuality. Of course, I didn’t think of it this way back then, but now it seems like the likely conclusion.
 

My mother is a born-again Christian. Luckily, she does not force religion on me, unlike many other people I know. A lot of people have to withhold certain values due to their culture and background. Some people do not even have a say in their beliefs, as they are taught certain values from a young age. These values remain attached to them as they grow, and gradually become their own values. The cycle repeats with their offspring, of course. From my understanding, religion is an outlet to promote “faith“, which is what truly contributes to our spiritual development. However, I feel that many people misinterpret faith as religion. Most politicians see this misunderstanding, and utilize this to their advantage.

I really did not care for this issue until I realized that this has happened consistently throughout history. Authority figures realize that the masses are following a religion, or a person and they will utilize that to further their manipulation on society, dictating its morals, values, and thoughts. It is just as if they are stripping them of their individuality, and replacing them with ideas and values that complement the rule; they don’t tolerate any opposition, of course. I feel as if the society we live in is built upon centuries of abuse and oppression. 

Upon hearing, and realizing, that oppression runs amok in this world, I failed to realize that as long as there are oppressors, there will be a resistance. All throughout history, when a tyrant took rule of a land, there were groups which actively resisted. It is no different now, and I wish I could say that I am one of the rebels; oppression has no place in today’s society. I can not imagine my children living in a world run through inequality and oppression, and molded to start conflicts because of narrow-minded people in power.

 
Politics and religion are only two mere pieces of a large puzzle, the completed piece spells “oppression“. They are tools, used by oppressors to further pressure us into conforming to their morality, values, or a dangerous lack of both. It is as if they breed greed and hate among us, just to keep the wheel of oppression rolling. Individually, the concepts of politics and religion are completely harmless, as I mentioned in my first post. Add manipulation into the mix, and voila, you have the most dangerous weapons ever designed. This concoction’s place in our current society is quite disturbing; I say it with great disgust: we are all a part of this global operation. However, awareness leads to realization, and hopefully, we can do something about this.

As a musician, I stand for the freedom of expression and thought. Although the genre of Heavy Metal is generally misunderstood for its lyrical content and portrayal of politics and religion, it is somewhat eye-opening to find that some lyrics shed lights on social issues, such as the manipulation of the public from religious organizations, or even the false justification of war used by our dear politicians. A certain song by a Swedish metal group, Arch Enemy, discusses how the church has utilized religion as an excuse for bloodshed by forcing its beliefs onto the weak. Even though it is a song, it shows that these musicians are willing to express their feelings, and expose the oppression that is in our society - through the sheer power of their art. I look up to these people as examples to follow, and wish to use musical instruments as instruments of change.

Warning: Music contains death growls so it might not be easy for you to hear the lyrics.

Also I do not own the rights to this song.

Even though it might seem grueling for us, the oppressed have to stand up against the oppressors. In the end, if we are all united, there is no way for the oppressors to succeed. There are many instances in history, in which whole societies came back from the verge of self-destruction. It is our generation that is going to fight this battle for our future, and for our children. Even though this oppression is systematically implanted within the foundations of society, we, as individuals and members of the community, can bring forth the first steps of change by resisting and spreading awareness of this oppression.
 

One for all - all for one. 

We are strong – we are one
 ~ Nemesis