TrickyBuddha Studios

I’ve been off-line a bit and for that I apologize! I have a few posts in the works (I just need to get the pics off of Candice’s camera - and no, it’s nothing dirty. Don’t get all excited). They’re coming! Maybe tomorrow. But for now, there’s this note of things to come and a copy-and-pasted message board post - apologies in advance, because it’s a rant regarding a (religion-based) pet peeve of mine (which I probably have mentioned on this site before). So until next time, here’s the post:

Originally Posted by zoony

First of all, I’m not defending everything the church does or has done, but a couple things for you to consider.

1. The works contained within the Vatican were created to glorify God. Which is ironically enough, what gives them their value. Also, consider Jesus’s actual words from the Gospels when your exact point is made in his presence.

John 12:1-8

I promise none of this post is marked directly at you. Right at the front of your post you admit that there is good and bad with the church, and that your post was simply intended as an offering of ideas to consider. I can agree with that (that there is good and bad) about the church. And I’m totally cool with considering different ideas in contrast to currently-held beliefs.

But I disagree with some of your defenses. And it makes me want to rant. But that’s more about my issues with the church (and even then this rant is more about specific practices (hoarding wealth) regarding a specific faith (Roman Catholicism)) and not you. Or the faith (that’s another story). OK? Haha.

That said…

This (shows of wealth) is something that’s always bothered me about the church. In fact, when I visited Vatican City some years ago I remember feeling the ol’ rage build as the others around me ooh’d and ahh’d at the displays of wealth therein. I remember thinking that this is how far the church has fallen, but obviously that is not the case; somehow, as your reference points out, this practice of allowing wealth was even supported to some extent by Jesus thousands of years ago.

And to be honest I should have known that. (I’m no longer religious and I’d consider myself agnostic at best, but I was raised Catholic, attended 12 years of catholic school, and have most definitely read the Bible cover-to-cover.) But I guess the way I reconciled religion, when I had faith, was to separate the failings I saw in the human side of church from the beauty I saw in the spiritual stories of Jesus’ adventures. So yeah, I was wrong. :p According to your quote, even Jesus, it would appear, didn’t mind a little bling. :p

“Oh yeah, wash up my feet with the good stuff. And hey, Judas, don’t be a hater.”

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2. What do you propose that the Church does? Have an auction at the Vatican, sell everything, give it to the poor?

Yeah. That actually sounds like a pretty good start! Pretty good, indeed.

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Then what? For all its past transgressions, the Catholic Church has and continues to be one of the largest and most impactful charitable organizations in the world. Go to any 3rd world country today, come back, and look me in the eye and tell me this isn’t so.

No, I won’t disagree with you. They are, from what I understand, a very charitable foundation - even if that charity is somewhat self-serving (i.e. missionary work). (And I don’t mean that to sound like a butt because I do think the church does overwhelmingly good work, so far as religions go.) I’m saying the church should eliminate its signs of excess, its shows of wealth. It’s not necessary and it seems to be in contradiction with the teachings of the faith.

Look, if all the followers of the church properly tithe their 10 per cent then the church can and should use that money to support itself, humbly, and its charities, generously. You give to the church what you can spare, and the church uses that money toward good purpose. If it needs more, then maybe it should explain that to the supporters. Heaven knows (literally :p) people - many people - can afford it. And those who can’t? Well, then they get in line for help from the church. Right?

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Would you also ask that every scolarship fund that is set up to provide generation after generation of children an education be closed out, and that money given to education? Well that would be great in the short run, but in the long run it would be a disaster.

No. I’m not saying that the church needs to wastefully and foolishly give away all its money toward no good end. I’m not saying it should eliminate its own ability to be helpful.

If a guy works and happens to make $5,000,000 a year because that’s our world and that’s what he can do and that’s how we value things, I wouldn’t tell him to stop working because he makes too much. I’d tell him to give a *ton* of that money back to help others. Give it to the government. Give it to the church. Set up his own foundations and use those foundations to help. Whatever it is, do it.

But then again I’m something of a socialist and I’d be more than happy to earn $5,000,000 per year and only receive $15,000 if that was the kind of world we lived in - one where we supported one another. Apparently socialists are more into the idea of charity than many religious types - even if it seems like the religious types should be much more socialistic in nature.

It isn’t the point, to me, that people can’t have little niceties or frivolous little luxuries. I’m all for it. But let’s get everyone up out of poverty before we start worrying about giving up a year’s salary to buy some perfume to wash Jesus’ feet one time. That just sounds obnoxious to me.

Let me go back a second to close out this rant. You said at the start that “The works contained within the Vatican were created to glorify God. Which is ironically enough, what gives them their value.”

OK, I’m pretty sure I know what you’re saying. You’re saying that some famous painter is caught up in the spirit of Jesus. He decides to create a painting. Or maybe some rich guy or some guy with pull is able to contract a famous artist (or beg him, whatever) to make some brilliant painting. The painting is donated. Hey, nice! Some guy spent some time to make a little something for the church. Neat!

But the problem to me is that it doesn’t end there. Pretty soon we have marble columns being donated. And golden statues. And ivory fountains. And whatever the hell else the church is sitting on.

Did you see There Will Be Blood? Remember the church in that movie? If you don’t, or if you didn’t see it, I’ll describe it: it was not much more than a cardboard box in appearance, but sized to hold the people of the community. I think there was even some argument during the movie as to whether the church should even have a window. Period. End of description.

And that’s the way it should be. Isn’t it? Donate some labor to the church. Donate some wood. And then spend a few days building a *humble* (it doesn’t have to be miserable, but it doesn’t need gilded frescoes and stained-glass windows and on and on) place of worship. If one day the price of wood rises beyond the scope of our imaginations, then yeah! Tear the churches down, sell the wood, and build new, once-again-humble places of worship. And use that excess money to do more for those in need.

The following numbered list is made up of a variety of “hot topic” statements that, I’m sure, we have all heard more than once. I’d like everyone who is game to head to the discussion forum, copy-and-paste this list of paraphrased statements, and follow each item with their own opinions on the various topics.

Feel free to post to the private (if you’re shy) or public (if you hate registering accounts) forum. I’ll also leave the comments open in case people just want to talk about the post in general.

I’d like to encourage people to mention whether or not they are comfortable with people responding to their posts. If no notice is given, I will assume your post is off-limits for discussion and I will moderate accordingly. I’d like people to feel comfortable with sharing and/or debating.

OK? Ready? … Go?

01. The death penalty is an appropriate punishment for certain crimes against society.

02. Hair spray and Styrofoam cups, amongst many other things, created global warming.

03. Sixteen/Eighteen: Old enough to vote. Old enough to die. Old enough to drink.

04. Immigrants seeking better opportunities and distancing themselves from politically suspect regimes should be welcomed with open borders.

05. Affirmative action is a necessary step toward equality.

06. Abortion is a woman’s choice, and should be supported by proper medical facilities.

07. Men are hunters. Women are gatherers. We cannot break from our roles and be satisfied. Efforts at doing so belie our true nature and our true happiness.

08. The reason there has never been a female president of the United States is because women are too emotional.

09. On average, men make more money because, on average, men are better employees.

10. “First-person shooter” video games and the like are training our youth toward violent behavior, shorter attention spans, and/or an overall lack of respect.

11. Wal-Mart is a service to a community. It provides low-income families with alternatives.

12. Prostitution should be legalized and/or regulated.

13. Soft and/or hard drugs should be legalized and/or regulated.

14. No organization should stand in the way of a person’s request for euthanasia.

15. Even if the only achievement of the US invasion of Iraq is bringing gender equality more in line with the current standards of most first-world countries, then the war is justifiable.

16. Stem-cell research is a great advance waiting to happen – but is blocked by behind-the-times religious groups and sympathizers.

17. Any genetic manipulation will lead to greater exercises of usage and, therefore, should be resisted.

18. Any efforts with cloning will lead to greater exercises of usage and, therefore, should be resisted.

19. Every citizen should own a gun and be trained in proper usage and handling.

20. The US government staged the 9/11 invasion.

21. Downloading music/movies/games or other internet content is not theft, just like channel-surfing during commercials or borrowing a movie from a friend isn’t theft. And those who claim otherwise have simply fallen victim to corporate manipulations to maximize profit.

22. Homosexuality is a choice, and by accepting it we’re telling people that they don’t have to be accountable for how they are wired.

23. It isn’t just that homosexuality has to be legalized, it’s that advocates label those with religious beliefs opposed to homosexuality as homophobic.

24. Life-long monogamous relationships are not natural, and should not be enforced as the standard. Polygamous relationships or shorter-duration monogamous relationships are more natural.

25. Every problem we have starts with education. If we spent more on education than we do on the military, the world would be a far superior place to where it is now.

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?