THE LATEST BLOG POSTING FROM MERTON

Here is where you find
the newest postings from Merton!

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(7/12/08)

DEAR FELLOW DA ARTISTS AND READERS OF MY DA PAGE:
HERE IS AN ESSAY CONCERNING CENSORSHIP AND TOLERANCE ON DEVIANT ART WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN FOR THIS, MY DA JOURNAL. I HAVE POSTED IT ON MY OTHER BLOGS AS WELL, AS I FEEL IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.

I begin with several pertinent quotes:

"I sing the body electric..."
"I am the poet of the body, and I am the poet of the soul..."

-Walt Whitman

"Spirit and sex are one. God in all things."

-Merton Parrish

I have just run across the debate on DA in which certain members of our community are asserting that "artistic nudes are not art." As well, I have witnessed the related debate in which members are asserting that certain forms (like photo manipulation, for example) are not "art" and thus have no place on Deviant Art. I must say I am saddened.

I hate to say it, but the arguments of those who feel we should not have nudes (or only certain sorts of nudes) on Deviant Art and the demands of those who wish to make their own standard of what constitutes "art" DA's standard are eerily similiar to the reasoning of those who try to dictate what is "acceptable" in our country.

The raging debate on DA is much like (and perhaps an extension of) the political scene in the USA. Many US conservatives wish to legislate that there is no room for erotic expression on the net and in other media. They are anti-immigrant, as well. They believe, too, that there is no room for gays to marry in our country and deny them the constitutional rights which come with marriage.

These conservatives justify their controlling views and desire for legislation which would enforce these views with prudish, close-minded, judgemental, moralistic rheotoric. It's the same on DA. In both cases, these attempts to judge, control and censor others are intolerant and dangerous to our world, to our country, to our fellow citzens, and to humanity in general.

Need I remind my fellow DA members and my fellow Americans of the plots of such novels as Brave New World and 1984? Need I remind my readers that the Deviant Art which censors nudes and dictates what is "good art" now will be censoring and dictating more and more by necessity? Need I point out that the government which erodes our freedoms in the name of justifying its policies and actions severly endangers democracy? Need I stress that the DA or government which censors nudes and determines what is good art now, will be censoring religion (and other things which even conservatives might object to) tomorrow?

Was it not Hitler's Germany which had a program, the goal of which was to stamp out "degenerate art"? Who can forget all the other things (like human life, expression, freedom, etc) which were stamped out along with this so-called "degenerate art"?

It is a slippery slope.

Let us not be prudish and fascist, just because some of us may not like seeing boobies or penises...

And why are certain parts of the body acceptable and beautiful and others not? Why such a focus on what is porn and what is art? Surely those so focused on this are masking a feeling (not so deeply hidden) on their part that the body is bad and sex is immoral. (Or perhaps that only certain sorts of sex, or sex in certain situations is allowed and acceptable.)

I think the body is good and holy. All of it. Period.

Penises, vaginas, anuses... we all have them. And all parts of our body, naked or covered, inside or the outside, sexualized or not... are holy and good!
We are all naked under our clothes. We all have sexual organs, desires, drives, etc., no matter how much some try to suppress these. I say sex (whether procreative, intimate, recreative, theraputic, fetishistic, or just playful) is good and holy.

Why would God, if we MUST anthropomorphise Him/Her create a human, only parts of which are beautiful and good. This makes no sense. It is this view, and its incumbent ramifications which cause so much pain and misery in the world.

Life, theology, standards and art are all in the eye of the beholder! To some, even porn is art. Who am I to judge? Who are you to judge? If one does not like adult material, one can view DA with an adult filter, view DA without being signed in, or, heaven forfend, just ignore the art that they don't like. It's the same with tv, movies, books, or any other media. We can always ignore or "turn the channel."

If we allow censorship to take hold, we are in trouble! Again, conservatives remember please that the censorship and intolerance you start rolling today will come back to bite you in the posterior later, when the things you value all of a sudden are the things being devalued and forbidden.

Tolerance, tolerance, tolerance... it is so important to the survival of our world. Judging and dictating does not work. Have we learned nothing from centuries of judging and violence?

I close with the words of Walt Whitman:

(from Leaves of Grass, Song of Myself (24)

"Walt Whitman, an American,

one of the roughs, a kosmos,

Disorderly fleshy and sensual...

eating drinking and breeding, No sentimentalist...

no stander above men and women or apart from them...

no more modest than immodest.

Unscrew the locks from the doors!

Unscrew the doors themselves from thier jambs!

Whoever degrades another degrades me,

and whatevere is done or said returns at last to me,

And whatever I do or say I also return...

...

I speak the password primeval...

I give the sign of democracy.

By God! I will accept nothing

which all cannot have their counerpart of on the same terms...

...

Through me forbidden voices,

Voices of sexes and lusts...

voices veiled, and I remove the veil,

Voices indecent by me clarified and transfigured.

I do not press my finger across my mouth,

I keep as delicate around the bowels as around the head and heart,

Copulation is no more rank to me than death is.

I believe in the flesh and the appetites,

Seeing hearing and feeling are miracles,

and each part and tag of me is a miracle.
Divine am I inside and out,

and I make holy whatever I touch or am touched from...

...

If I worship any particular thing it shall be some of the spread of my body...

...

Breast that presses against other breasts, it shall be you...

...

Mixed tussled hay of head and beard and brawn it shall be you...

...

Hands I have taken, face I have kissed,

mortal I have ever touched, it shall be you."

(Thus ends the Whitman quote... now onto my closing words.)

God bless you, Walt Whitman. May we never go back to the days of Puritanism. May we see God in all, and allow all to see God as each sees God.

EVERYTHING is holy. God in the grass, the trees, the penis, the vagina, our difficulties, even the dog doody... it's all God.

No separation. No separation between me and my brother or sister. It's all one big God/Universe. When we see this... Only then... will we stop judging, fighting and killing.

I choose to see love and light and good in ALL. Evil is only the abscence of good. Shine the light of love on "evil" and "poof" it disappears.

All this judging is the old paradigm. It's its last ugly death throes. If it does not pass away, our world will pass away. If it does not pass away we will destroy ourselves, our earth and each other.
Something like intolerance on DA might seem a small thing, but it's not. We are all one, all connected, so intolerant words thoughts and deeds hurt my brothers, sisters, and my world.

I choose to see love and light in my brothers' and sisters' postings on DA, even if they are not to my taste. I choose to be tolerant, flexible and loving.

Ok, I have said my peace.

I wish you loving thoughts and creativity today and everyday.

-Merton :)

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(10/26/07)

A friend wrote and asked me my opinion about attending gay male nude gatherings. He asked if I felt it was ok to touch others and be touched by them at such gatherings. Below you will find my response...


My Response:

Dear Friend,

What a good question.

You asked about nude gay male gatherings.

Well, I think these are great, though everything should be legal. Only legal age people should be there. No alchohol or drugs should be allowed. And, the ground rules about "no means no" etc., should be clearly spelled out in the invitation to the gathering... or I would not go.

Also, I would recommend that you and your partner agree about whether you two would go to this sort of gathering together, or whether it is ok for you/him to go on your own.

Each person and each couple must decide what is right for them. As long as the things I describe above are met, I don't see why you should not go, and let guys touch you and you touch them, you suck them, even, and they suck you (or not, according to your criteria).

Just make sure you and your partner set the criteria, think out all the ramifications, and then sitck to your criteria. My partner and I are ruthlessly honest and we stick with what we decide. That's not to say we can't change our criteria about what is acceptable (and we have), but we do not do this without consulting each other and mutually agreeing...

Certainly I do not think there is anything morally wrong with a nude gathering and anything sexual which might go on, as long as it's legal, no one is endangered, and as long as everything which is done is mutually agreed upon by all conerned.

Go and have a good time! And stop worrying so much! All that Catholic guilt sucks and not in a good way! :(

-Merton :)

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(10/19/07)

A Friend wrote:

Is it wrong to show off my body and to be proud of it? I seem to be ashamed, embarrassed, and humiliated by a past incident with the church, which I know was not in my best judgement. I want to wear a speedo, but I am afraid what people might think. I do have a fairly decent body and I feel embarrassed to show it off. Do you have any thoughts or ideas about this. It seems that the Catholic Church thinks that this is wrong to express male sexuality. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank your for your time.

My response:

I once wanted to be a priest, and tried to live as the catechism says... it made me MISERABLE... I have pretty much given up on the church and all organized religion, since I now believe these do more bad than good. Organized religions with their heirarchies, literally interpretted scriptures, rules, shaming tenents are not healthy for individuals or societies. So much bloodshed and misery is caused by them.

God? Yes! Indidvidual worship? Yes! Groups who gather in a forum which supports ANY love based path? Yes! Traditional Organized religion? No for me.

You and your quandry is a perfect example of why I feel the way I do. You, your body, your sexuality, your Speedo? All good! You should be free to express yourself without being shamed. God is in all things: Speedos, males, females, sex, washing the dishes, going potty... all is God! Not just certain "holy" acts or outlooks designated by a heirarchy or scripture of a certain religion.

When one religion thinks it has the market cornered on what is right and holy... then we're in trouble. Fundmentalism of any kind is not good. Priapus, Yahweh, Buddha, Jesus, etc., ... all just different names for God. All Good... but none is the only name. Each must find his path, and be free to pursue it as he/she sees fit...

You should be allowed to wear a speedo, or even worship in one! :)

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(10/13/07)

Calling God "Darling" as in a Cole Porter song?... I LOVE that! :)

Ty to my 360 friend Paul for this suggestion.

My thoughts on this?

What a perfect name for God... one of God's many names... God is in the leaf, tree, doggie, wind, sand, surf, human being, the penis... God is in ALL things, in all experience... Washing dishes? God is there. Going potty? God is there. Sucking dick? God is there. Call God he, she, father, mother, Buddha, Jesus, Priapus, Zuess,... all God. (but I really love "Darling"... that's fab!)

-Merton :)

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(9/20/07)

I Just sent this comment to a fellow
whose blog I read nightly

on Live Journal...

He is Dominic,

and his id on LJ is "Waltingtree."

It's my favorite blog,
and well worth your time reading often.

Here is it's web address:

http://waltzingtree.livejournal.com/

Dear Dominic...

I am an almost nightly reader of your blog. I really enjoy it. I think your blog is my favorite. We actually spoke on the phone when you were home several years ago, but we could not work out the timing for a real time visit.

I just formed a blog on LJ tonight (more than anything, I think, so I can comment on your blog!... lol... Just what I need another blog... I already have several!). I pretty much recreated my Blogger blog here on LJ. Hope you will take a few minutes to examine it. I think you will like it. (Lots of art and text entries). FYI: You will have to wait about 20 seconds for it to load. Hopefully its not too racy for LJ.


Anyway, just wanted to say hi, and hope you will keep on blogging. You always have insightful things to say, and I enjoy this. You are wise for one your age. Maybe its all hat travel making you wise. Just wanted you to know you have a devoted reader. Perhaps it makes your blogging effort worth it to know that there are those out there in cyber space who benefit from your travels and writings?


Hope you will "get happy" soon. I know from your blog you have been frustrated alot lately. It does take some effort, fortitude, and compromise to settle down and make a home, and to find someone to love. (I know this, since I am a bit older than you (44)and hubby and I have been fussing and loving together for 8 years now!) But its worth it, I think. Hope you will find everything which is your heart's desire soon. Getting clear about what you really want and manifesting these this is the most important thing, in my opinion.


But goodness, even if relationships have not always worked out so well so far for you, what an exciting life you have led, traveling all over the world! And besides, all of it, all fussing, angst, unsettled-ness (if that's a word!) is all "spiritual," as you know. The dog, the tree, the play with its unhappy ending, going potty, washing the dishes, the trees, the sky, our frustration... its all "spiritual" and part of the journey.


And what a book your blog will make someday!


"Forget your troubles and just get happy" as Judy would say... Deciding we are ready to be happy is half the battle.


K, that's enough pontification for now! (Sorry, I am prone to that... I am a lousy chatter on IM for that reason!) I did send you and "add" as my first LJ friend. Hope you will accept it.


Peace buddy,

Merton :)