sharplittleteeth (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sharplittleteeth) wrote2010-04-02 08:38 am
sharplittleteeth) wrote2010-04-02 08:38 am
Entry tags:
Easter Friday.
I hear stories from the chamber
How Christ was born into a manger
And like some ragged stranger
Died upon the cross
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way
He was a carpenter by trade
Or at least that's what I'm told
It's easy to laugh at religion. Hell, I think it's important to laugh at religion.
There are far too many people who mistake fairy tales for literal truth, who justify hatred and bigotry and oppression with "but my imaginary friend said so". If God really was all-powerful and all-loving, he could handle a few jeers. And if he can't, then frankly he should get the fuck out of the god business.
I'm an atheist. Have been all my life, except for a period when I was 18 and felt the presence of God for several months. And then I talked myself out of it, because wishy-washy feelings were not scientific proof.
But I'm not about to get all Richard Dawkins on you here. Quite the opposite.
I don't believe in God. But only an idiot would deny that spirituality is massively important to human kind. We have tens of thousands of years of proof how important it is, from cave paintings to cathedrals. Claiming that spirituality is just a delusion that we will eventually grow out of is like claiming that one day we'll wake up and realise that music is just silly noises.
This stuff matters. Not to everyone. But to many, many people.
Now, I said before that wishy-washy feelings are not scientific proof, and I stand by that. Just because you feel the light in your heart of God, or Buddha, or Sobek god of crocodiles doesn't mean that they actually exist. But those wishy-washy feelings have power in them. They can help you. They can heal you. They can bring people together. They can make your life richer and more beautiful.
(They can also be used as an excuse for all sorts of arsehole-ish behaviour. Please note: belief in a divine power is not an excuse-note to wag off from basic human decency.)
The point I'm trying to make is: scoff your face with chocolate. Make zombie Jesus jokes. This is good. This is proper.
But understand it's okay to be moved by Easter too.
Hope dies and is reborn. You can suffer pain and darkness and still live again. This message is in our blood, in our history. There is succour here. You can draw strength from it, if you need to.
*coughs*
Right...
In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holiday that the Christians nicked off the pagans anyway which is why we have all these eggs and bunnies and other symbols of nature's randiness...
Amen.
How Christ was born into a manger
And like some ragged stranger
Died upon the cross
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way
He was a carpenter by trade
Or at least that's what I'm told
It's easy to laugh at religion. Hell, I think it's important to laugh at religion.
There are far too many people who mistake fairy tales for literal truth, who justify hatred and bigotry and oppression with "but my imaginary friend said so". If God really was all-powerful and all-loving, he could handle a few jeers. And if he can't, then frankly he should get the fuck out of the god business.
I'm an atheist. Have been all my life, except for a period when I was 18 and felt the presence of God for several months. And then I talked myself out of it, because wishy-washy feelings were not scientific proof.
But I'm not about to get all Richard Dawkins on you here. Quite the opposite.
I don't believe in God. But only an idiot would deny that spirituality is massively important to human kind. We have tens of thousands of years of proof how important it is, from cave paintings to cathedrals. Claiming that spirituality is just a delusion that we will eventually grow out of is like claiming that one day we'll wake up and realise that music is just silly noises.
This stuff matters. Not to everyone. But to many, many people.
Now, I said before that wishy-washy feelings are not scientific proof, and I stand by that. Just because you feel the light in your heart of God, or Buddha, or Sobek god of crocodiles doesn't mean that they actually exist. But those wishy-washy feelings have power in them. They can help you. They can heal you. They can bring people together. They can make your life richer and more beautiful.
(They can also be used as an excuse for all sorts of arsehole-ish behaviour. Please note: belief in a divine power is not an excuse-note to wag off from basic human decency.)
The point I'm trying to make is: scoff your face with chocolate. Make zombie Jesus jokes. This is good. This is proper.
But understand it's okay to be moved by Easter too.
Hope dies and is reborn. You can suffer pain and darkness and still live again. This message is in our blood, in our history. There is succour here. You can draw strength from it, if you need to.
*coughs*
Right...
In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holiday that the Christians nicked off the pagans anyway which is why we have all these eggs and bunnies and other symbols of nature's randiness...
Amen.
no subject
Reminds me of my experiences in travelling and encountering non-believers who would visit religious countries and religious buildings without feeling the need to adhere to the requested dress and behaviour code (eg. modesty for women, no shoes, silence, etc). Um, you adhere to their code because although their chosen faith may mean nothing to you it is *very* important to them, and respect is imprtant too. You are a visitor in their house, their house of worship. M'kay?
no subject