“It is a serious offense to mock God.”
I think I’ve noticed that people are discussing religion. Maybe more than usual. And with less concern as to who hears them. But they’re not discussing their faith - or their lack (or uncertainty) of faith. They’re poking fun at religion, and those who would follow one.
Amongst the heathens, for every respectful comment by a Lance Armstrong or playful reference on Scrubs (they “debated” abortion and contraception from the point of view of what best serves our personal interests), there’s a sarcastic quip from a Scott Adams or an ironic tip-of-the-hat to the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Whereas in the past I held a great deal of interest and curiosity toward all things religious and sought out a faith that fit and therefore felt more uncomfortable at such “attacks”, these days I’m finding myself more in agreement that religion is silly and unnecessary. Or groan-inducing. Or, some might say, dangerous.
It hasn’t been a conscious decision, and the idea of a brash mocking of religion still tweaks me on some level (that is, the level of offending someone I care about) in a way that I cannot reconcile - even the title of this post somehow feels wrong - but I’d be lying if I said that a serious conversation about religion and faith, in a way that suggested I needed either, left me more enlightened than amused.
Does this have any real-world implications for me? Not many. I wasn’t a very god-fearing person in the first place; the pope, his repressing decrees and hording of wealth still upset me. The other religions of the world may be more or less affluent, but otherwise no different.
I’ve lost interest in reading about religions. I’m less inclined to visit a new “place of worship” out of curiosity. I’m uncomfortable with the idea of religious-based ceremonies, such as weddings. I’m less interested in carrying on a pretense of a “personal faith”. And I’m less interested in biting my tongue about it, despite knowing that I am in the minority.
And accepting these feelings within me creates room for new, sincere curiosities: what happens to our society without religion? How does it impact the evolution of society? Would life itself become more or less difficult? What would happen if governments outlawed religion entirely? What would happen if governments didn’t need to because people world-wide abandoned their faith?
Is this the next global realization?
This all feels so new to me. And saying it a little freeing - even if it has been a process that started in high school. But I found the observation of ridicule (particularly the afore-linked Spaghetti Monster article and Sam Harris speech) wandering my mind as a scrambled mess and I thought posting it here might create something approaching a temporary state of clarity on the topic.
Feel free to comment or not, as you will. I promise that new comments won’t disappoint me, regardless of their nature.
***
What I am about to post will likely be viewed as quite ironic in light of what I just posted, but…
My coffee cup has returned to me!
Some weeks ago (two, perhaps?) I went to the sink near my office desk with my coffee cup. I scrubbed it clean and put it down on the counter, then wandered off to visit the bathroom. When I returned, mere moments later, my cup was missing - replaced with an impostor mug. It was like an episode of Wife Swap.
The new mug wasn’t bad to look at. The BioWare logo wasn’t scratched off in places as it is with my mug, nor was any bit of the plastic handle affected by prior attempts at using the mug in the microwave. I should have counted it as a victory, but I missed my cup.
Still, fate being what it is, I washed the new mug and brought it back to my desk and used it lovingly - until this afternoon, when I brought it to the sink to wash it and discovered my old mug, sitting lonely on the counter. I quickly swapped out the mugs and raced back to my desk with the prodigal mug, awaiting tales of its adventures from the past weeks. I think the first question I’d like answered is, “Whose lips have been all over my mug?”
I can only wonder.
***
Celest and I broke up. It seems so blunt to just say it, but how do you lead in to an item like that? It happened some time back (mid-December?). I don’t really want to say anything more on it than that, but I will add that it was an amicable dissolution of our relationship - so no one needs to feel as if they should act any differently. OK?
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But how, then, can I do the right thing according to the Good Buddy Manual, and start the malicious bad-mouthing of the ex? Come on, Celest, give a guy a break here, I’m just trying to do my job.
Can’t you at least do some psycho hose beast-like things like kick his ass to the curb or start sleeping with all his friends or something the least bit reprehensible? Come on, throw me a frickin’ bone!
Anyhoo, sorry to hear about the dissolution of the couplehood, but I’m glad to hear that all is still well.
Also, I enjoy discussing controversial topics like religion, and when I argue with people, none of my comments are ever personal. I just like questioning other people’s beliefs and finding out why they hold them, just like I’ve done with myself many a time over the last 15 years.
As for your mug, Bobbert, I think it might have been the new guy in my office who borrowed your mug for a little while. Was it one of the white ones?
I have two views of religion… ignoring the pseudo-faithful who clearly worship Mammon and earthly power.
The first view is along the lines of Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth. It is basically about the appreciation of culturally meaningful storytelling and even ritual.
The second view is entirely rooted in the unyielding torture that is my life. It is basically about religions making promises that are painfully empty, and honestly rather leave religion as an affront to my suffering. Yet, without recourse, I am still left making continual and sincere pleas unto creation and the divine for assistance or even death.
>>> But how, then, can I do the right thing according to the Good Buddy Manual, and start the malicious bad-mouthing of the ex? < <<
Hahaha. Do it, Stan. You know you want to! She kicked my curb and slept at Mike Devine's house. Is that enough ammo? Hahaha, kidding!
But she really did sleep at Mike's house. 
>>> I enjoy discussing controversial topics like religion, and when I argue with people, none of my comments are ever personal. < <<
Likewise, though I think I'm starting to understand the general point that religion isn't necessarily something you an argue. If you are religious and I am not - where does it lead? You convert me? I convert you? I understand why someone would be religious but it otherwise has no effect? You understand why someone would be atheistic but it otherwise has no effect? Hmm. Is it a pointless discussion?
>>> Was it one of the white ones? <<<
Actually, no. It was one of the metal thermos-y… uh… maybe mug is a bad word for it. I don’t know what to call it. Haha.
>>> The first view is along the lines of Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth. It is basically about the appreciation of culturally meaningful storytelling and even ritual. < <<
I had to read that book for work. Let's just say I... didn't. Haha. I wanted to... the summaries and coles'/cliff's notes versions were very good. But it was a little too dry for me.
>>> The second view is entirely rooted in the unyielding torture that is my life. <<<
This sounds a bit like what Lance Armstrong was writing, saying that we have to believe or we have nothing.
But to get at the general point of your post… you’re saying that there are two ways to assess religion? As good stories or to give hope? Yeah, I’d say that’s a fair way to look at it. Unless there is a God. Then we’re all smited and partying it up in Hell.
If you believe in Hell
God and Hell don’t always go hand in hand, I think some people want so that they don’t have to be responsible for themselves. Can you imagine having to take responsibility for your actions? ALL of them? Not “the devil made me do it” or I’m bad… therefor I’m going to hell….
Eh, the devil makes me do a lot of things, but after I make fun of his tail and fuzzy feet he shuts up for a while.
I dug around religion for quite some time but ultimately I enjoy trying to understand others’ faith while believing only in myself. I do what I do and when it doesn’t work I shrug and keep on going.
*removed a comment about all-seeing gods seeing your jiggly bits*
Sneaky greebs
and it also brings someone’s passion out as oppose to just making them defensive…same goes with when somone is asking what I find fulfilling in my faith :). Unfortunatly, that doesn’t happen all that often. People would rather say how theirs is better and so on and so forth.
as of late, I haven’t gotten into many conversations about faith with people, but one thing I prefer to talk about is what makes them happy about their faith and what does it do for them, as oppose to how is yours better than mine, or mine better than yours…. personally I think that is more productive and informative
What does your faith do for you? How does it make you feel?
The PBS series with Bill Moyers interviewing Joseph Campbell about the Power of Myth is probably the way to go. The depth and facility of communication, relating and learning are greatly enhanced by shared experience, shared points of reference and all sorts of religious and cultural trappings. Consider how easy it is talking to your best friends, being able to use everything in your shared lives as metaphor and reference… just as you need to measure out the sand before you snatch the golden idol, context and preparation are huge for the human experience.
Life may be science, but living is art… and as such, religion isn’t all chaff.
Lance Armstrong is a moron. People attribute what they have to their beliefs, but that believing isn’t causally related. I languish in a state of need and nothingness… belief and faith have not perturbed that deteriorating condition in the slightest. My second point is that despite the inescapable conclusion that the promises of religion are void, “desperation and need” trumps “clarity and logic” and I cry out to the heavens.
I can’t define God enough to comment on God’s existence… but if the traditional God exists, it would be pretty hypocritical of him to expect us to hold up our end of his covenants when He does not. I ask for bread and I get stones. I ask and I do not receive. I seek and I do not find. Heck, I can barely walk now and can’t even get a moment’s peace from all the problems that plague me.