Ocean
John Butler
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter Sunday
I did something out of character today and went to church. I haven't attended regularly since age 14, so this is a big deal.
My reason for going, to be honest, was to try and keep my mother sane. She is convinced the family is falling apart and for whatever reason has turned to superstition for guidance. I figured if I satisfied her family needs by attending service this Easter, she would be off my back for a spell. With this motion of my filial piety in place, I might even get off the hook for Christmas, my other favorite pseudoholiday.
Sidenote: Over a span of 55 minutes, I was notified "HE IS RISEN!" approximately 236 times. I should have brought with me a hand counter. Repetition is key to the learning of children, or similarly impressionable minds.
It started off really well, with everyone pretending to get along with each other, singing praises of a supreme mythical being, and clandestinely having a best-dressed competition. I had a lot of fun people-watching.
In my observance, I remembered one of the most common Christian axioms that I was taught in grade school and reflected on it.
-God Doesn't Care About Looks
A righteous proposition indeed. "God loves ugly." Certainly, the faith would have us think that we all are children of god-equal in his sight. Perhaps appearances didn't matter to Christ, but to Christians, I reckon they do. I watched and listened as 'Christians' of different ages, races & backgrounds took turns demeaning others. Two immensely fat girls seated on the aisle were mocked. Churchgoers pointed at the only midget in the congregation and whispered about his stature to one another. Everyone who was 'appropriately dressed' took notice of those who lacked similar designer clothing, and shot glares at the financially distressed others. I think Jesus (if he had risen, indeed, lolz) would agree with me in thinking they missed the point.
You don't have to be religious to be a decent human being.
In fact, religious people can be downright shitty.
The same is true for nonbelievers.
My point is that religion doesn't dictate your morals or your worth as a person. Surely, it can influence ethical decisions but ultimately doesn't matter.
I think I'm a good guy, most of the time, simply because that's what I want to be, and not because some taboo religious code instructed me to.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Ben Folds Doesn't Publicly Endorse Child Labor...
...and to me, that counts.
Not The Same
Ben Folds w/Western Australia Symphony Orchestra
Not The Same
Ben Folds w/Western Australia Symphony Orchestra
George Carlin on Religion
"religion is bullshit"
George Carlin for president. I know the man is dead, but he could be posthumously elected. Dead presidents are the best kind anyway.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Religion and Peace
Prompted by this light-hearted analysis (rather accurate too).
Clever.
I consider many religious people to be of a rather disoriented kind. Regardless of denomination, most religious groups promote indifference toward another and spread prejudice in multiple forms. Religion in itself is probably the least credible of any of the globe's major theories and is probably the most dangerous as well. It also has the most followers of any major theory that contains no validity. I think peace would be more easily attained in a world bereft of religion.
The world would be a better, more intelligent place if individuals could set aside personal beliefs. Underneath the various religious facades we use, most hold similar moral values anyway.
I don't see much sense in a moses-mohammed-abraham type of discrepancy when both parties agree on the roots of the issue anyhow. People should respect one another, appreciate the world around them, and just try to be happy. It shouldn't matter which imaginary figure you select as your channel to your personal god. I believe most would agree with that moral code. We shouldn't be killing each other over negligible details.
If I had to choose a religious fairy tale to believe, I would like to think that god himself passed his word through large eggs that contained his wisdom-eggs that were shat out of the easter bunny. Sounds insane, perhaps. But that claim has just as much credibility as an invisible man etching redundant commandments into stone on top of a mountain via lightning bolts when no one was around.
Think about it.....
CHRISTIANITY:
The belief that a cosmic Jewish zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.
Clever.
I consider many religious people to be of a rather disoriented kind. Regardless of denomination, most religious groups promote indifference toward another and spread prejudice in multiple forms. Religion in itself is probably the least credible of any of the globe's major theories and is probably the most dangerous as well. It also has the most followers of any major theory that contains no validity. I think peace would be more easily attained in a world bereft of religion.
The world would be a better, more intelligent place if individuals could set aside personal beliefs. Underneath the various religious facades we use, most hold similar moral values anyway.
I don't see much sense in a moses-mohammed-abraham type of discrepancy when both parties agree on the roots of the issue anyhow. People should respect one another, appreciate the world around them, and just try to be happy. It shouldn't matter which imaginary figure you select as your channel to your personal god. I believe most would agree with that moral code. We shouldn't be killing each other over negligible details.
If I had to choose a religious fairy tale to believe, I would like to think that god himself passed his word through large eggs that contained his wisdom-eggs that were shat out of the easter bunny. Sounds insane, perhaps. But that claim has just as much credibility as an invisible man etching redundant commandments into stone on top of a mountain via lightning bolts when no one was around.
Think about it.....
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