I lied. I’m back. Yeah, I’m back. It’s not even the end of the year yet and already I’m making a new post. Now that I have a few moments to sit down and collect my thoughts there are just too many good things to talk about. And before I get into it all, I wanted to talk about religion: I believe in God, but I do not practice organized religion. I was raised Catholic but have fallen away from the religious practices. I just can’t stand behind a faith that has so many problems: Women cannot be priests, priests cannot marry, and officials have continually neglected to prosecute priests who have molested young boys. I could go on and on, but I won’t. It’s Christmas and I believe in God, his/her/its power in our lives and of the glory of being. I believe that we’re all God (more of a Hindu belief) and all of creation is God. We could not separate ourselves from God even if we wanted to. It’s just not possible.
Now: I like to take a step back and I want to share some joy and fun with you. Am I making fun of Christians and as to what they believe? No. But I do not support any religion that thinks that they have the right answer about how their faith is the right one. And that their God is THE ONE. Everyone else is in error. That’s bullshit. Plain and simple. (I could go on and on about how a priest told us in religion class that even the poor in Africa [who never heard of Jesus] couldn’t go to heaven.) Being born into a faith or having access to it, is not the means through which salvation is given to people. At least that’s what I believe. If there is a God, then why would he simply show himself to the world as a white man with a beard? Come on, let’s wake up a bit. You’re freaking God! You could be a cow one day, the President the next, and then a rock baking in the sun. You’re God! All dimensions, time, space, and existence are in your control. You thought it up, it’s all you. So with that said, I want to share with you my thoughts on the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (also known as Pastafarianism)
My wife told me about this back in the summer and I just couldn’t stop laughing. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster was created in response to Intelligent Design. Here’s the basic story: “In June 2005, Bobby Henderson submitted an open letter to the Kansas Board of Education in response to their scheduling a hearing debating whether to give intelligent design equal time with evolution by natural selection in biology classes.” From there, people just started jumping on the bandwagon. What do Pastafarians believe in? Well, one of my favorite tenets is: “Global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are a direct consequence of the decline in numbers of pirates since the 1800s.” (You have to check out this graph. It’s really funny.)
In an age in which religious fanaticism has swept America, I wanted to have some fun on this day before Christmas Eve. If God does exist and if she were to sit down with me and have a chat, I’d like to talk with her about Pastafarianism and hope that she enjoys the joke. I think she would get a big laugh out of it all.
While enjoying Christmas (if you celebrate the holiday), remember that: 1. You’re not the only people in the world who celebrate a religious holiday at this time of year. 2. Take a step back and just enjoy life—your family and friends and what you have. I can only hope that 2006 will be a better year. 2005 was filled with famine, war, disease, and natural disasters. If you want to learn more about Pastafarianism, then be sure to read this article on Wired. Have fun! Peace.
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