A “higher power” that doesn’t make itself known is irrelevant. The choices you make define you: make sure they really reflect the kind of person you want to be, because those choices say more about you than they do about the religion you chose.
Yesterday, I saw a car on the freeway that had a big message plastered across the back window: “Fear God” and in smaller print under that: “and give him glory”.
Fear? Someone who is feared deserves loathing and condemnation, not worship and glory. You fear entities that you think will hurt you in some way – that is not something to love and worship. You love things that have qualities you admire – no one should admire or look up to anything that causes fear.
I suspect that the message they’re trying to convey is “be good or you’ll be punished”, but in this context, that message is probably in the vein of “everyone’s a sinner”. The fact of the matter is though, most people’s “sins” are pretty minor and not worthy of being afraid of being sent to hell for minor lapses. It’s neither healthy nor desirable to live in a constant fear of some infraction having severe consequences.
Live right because it’s the right thing to do: it’s good for everyone, including yourself. We don’t steal from or hurt other people because if everyone did that, we’d all be living in fear. Teaching others helps us learn ourselves. Helping others means there will be more people who will be in a position to help us when we’re in need. Smiles are much more pleasant to be around that snarls, and each is likely to be returned in kind.
It’s not a perfect world, and we do need to be wary, both of others who make antisocial choices, and our own inclination to unfortunate choices, but a life lived in fear is a life half lived: live life to the fullest, not in fear.
Tis the season to be jolly…unless you’re City Hall, and then some rabble rouser decides to take offense at the Christmas decorations.
The principle of separation of church and state is about making sure that the government does not give preference to one sect over another, creating an implicit “official” religion. That means that, yes, if you put up decorations for one religious holiday, you have to put up those for the others (I think you can be reasonable here: there are a pretty standard set, and if someone else in the community wants theirs celebrated, they should be accomodated comparably).
That does not however mean other religions (or anti-religions) have the right to use the space for denigration. If they want to have a holiday to celebrate rational thinking, or some event in their history, fine. Attacking others, whether it be against religion in general or one religion taking aim at another, belongs in a different venue.
Like it or not, Christmas is a huge part of our culture, and only a small part of it has anything whatsoever to do with religion. Like many things, whatever it originated as, it’s taken on a life of it’s own, and the secular spirit of Christmas giving is worthy of everyone’s attention, no matter where it came from.
I couldn’t say it any better, so won’t even try. Just go read what is probably the most serious thing The Onion has ever done, and as usual, they nail it: God Clarifies “Don’t Kill” Rule.
A friend at work recently came in and said (essentially), “my fiance is interested in having you be the minister at our wedding because you remind her of Friar Tuck.”
OooooKkkkkk. I had to think on that one a minute as I burst out laughing. That just raises soooo many issues, but mainly how appropriate is it as a gay man and one who is pretty anti-religious in general to do something like that. And I suck at public speaking. But the romantic in me believes strongly in the idea of committing to each other, and, of course, if friends ask me to do something that important for them, I would be honored to do so.
So, online I went to see what I could turn up, and lo! The Universal Life Church popped up. Enter your name, street address and spam address and out pops an Ordination Certificate: I’m now The Reverend Alan Batie. Although I know a little about ULC from someone I know who’s a member, I checked, and their tenets are actually strongly in line with mine: A belief in freedom and doing what’s right. I can’t think of anything more important philosophically. My primary objections to most religions are that they train people to become pawns, which all too many people line up to be, and that they discourage critical thinking (not to mention that nasty tendency many religious zealots have to kill, or at the very least, oppress, those who don’t agree with them). I recognize that I don’t have the experience and/or vision to be much other than a pawn, but at least I try *not* to be one. Maybe now I’m a Bishop? I suppose Reverend will do for starters.
By leaving it up to the individual to direct their own lives within, essentially, the boundaries of “do no harm”, they almost require critical thinking, or at the very least encourage it.
As I thought about it more, I thought, “I’ve been handed a pulpit and a reason to preach: put up or shut up.” I always did talk too much, so here we are… While I don’t think anyone is likely to make a movie about me, I hope it will give people something to think about!
