if there are so many ways to be better
why do we spend lifetimes mired in the
potential of books and prophecies-
the road maps are not difficult to read,
the where, the how, even the why
have been clear in
every era
every language.
being the change is easier said than done
looking in the mirror draped
in guilt and shame and disappointment
and promise to do better next time.
but what use is there of this self flagellation?
sitting alone on this tuesday night
shaking the can to see what might fall out.
can else inflict do I repent or change,
though chang'd in outward lustre; that fixt mind.
lost indeed,
paradise
has always been
in the errors
and attempts.
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
July 27, 2021
208/365
December 24, 2016
Joy
Tonight, as I sit typing on this quiet Christmas Eve, waiting for the kids to fall asleep, so we can wrap the presents and put them under the tree, I want to write about joy.
Anyone reading my posts the last few weeks, may have noticed a lack of joyful posts. The reasons for my somber posts should have already been made clear, so tonight I will not dwell on the past, but focus on the present- this moment. Tonight. And the meaning of joy.
I want to write about how joy is sometimes the simple awareness of reality. I am not one prone to elation. I've had my moments, but my times of pure jubilation are not too common. I am not sure how others receive or spread joy. I am a quiet about it and seldom make a fuss. This reserved behavior might be mistaken for joylessness or worse a quiet despair, this is not, in fact, true
Let me tell you about today’s joy:
At lunch, Kaia was asking about the nativity story. Marin and I did our best to fill in the blanks. It was a hodge-podge retelling for sure and I felt the need to add some historic context about how the Romans had occupied Israel and a few details about the crucifixion that had Skyelar pretty freaked out, but Kaia seemed interested.
The conversation spilled over into our walk to the movies: We talked Genesis and the Bible; Kaia was a bit taken aback that according to Christians, only people who accept Jesus as their personal savior are allowed into heaven. We spoke about sin and Islam and the patriarchy. We spoke about Greek myths and the power of folklore and storytelling, we spoke of ancient people and how Science has revealed so many thing we didn’t know about in the past. We spoke of evolution and the big bang, of Persian culture, and the invasion of Muslims to Iran in the 1300s. We spoke of Farsi and traditions. We spoke a lot. She asked many questions and pondered in the silences.
“I just don’t understand why so many people think they are right, when they can’t all be right. Why not just try to accept the fact that we are all different? ” This brings me joy.
The AC in our car is broken. Today as we drove home in the rain, the inside of our car felt like a furnace. The windows were fogged up, we were sweating and a horn heavy Diana Krall X-mas carol had me wishing for death. We were tired and cranky, but as I sat there sweating my mind drifted to the many chappa rides I endured in Mozambique. I thought back to the hours and miles I collected suffering quietly in the name of adventure.
I thought about how soft I have become in my old age. Sitting in the comfort of my own car, with my family, complaining about the heat. This somersault of the past and the present brought me joy.
We watched the Griswald Christmas Vacation movie tonight and Mairin was a bit nervous that it would be inappropriate, and oh boy was it. The language. The weird sexual innuendoes. All of it was weird and fun and magical. Our kids are so sheltered sometimes that it was fun to discuss what it means to “shit bricks.”
We watched the movie. I had a glass of wine in my new red wine glass, no more plastic cups for me. We ate cookies and laughed and relaxed. This brings me joy.
Joy is not a state of ecstasy for me. Joy is being awake to my life as it passes by. Small photographs and memories. Tiny dreams come true. The realization that this is life. Everyday. Everything. It is all here to enjoy and devour and ponder and live through.
I hope that you are able to glimpse a few of these moments, and capture the fleeting flakes of joy as they fall around you.
Anyone reading my posts the last few weeks, may have noticed a lack of joyful posts. The reasons for my somber posts should have already been made clear, so tonight I will not dwell on the past, but focus on the present- this moment. Tonight. And the meaning of joy.
I want to write about how joy is sometimes the simple awareness of reality. I am not one prone to elation. I've had my moments, but my times of pure jubilation are not too common. I am not sure how others receive or spread joy. I am a quiet about it and seldom make a fuss. This reserved behavior might be mistaken for joylessness or worse a quiet despair, this is not, in fact, true
Let me tell you about today’s joy:
At lunch, Kaia was asking about the nativity story. Marin and I did our best to fill in the blanks. It was a hodge-podge retelling for sure and I felt the need to add some historic context about how the Romans had occupied Israel and a few details about the crucifixion that had Skyelar pretty freaked out, but Kaia seemed interested.
The conversation spilled over into our walk to the movies: We talked Genesis and the Bible; Kaia was a bit taken aback that according to Christians, only people who accept Jesus as their personal savior are allowed into heaven. We spoke about sin and Islam and the patriarchy. We spoke about Greek myths and the power of folklore and storytelling, we spoke of ancient people and how Science has revealed so many thing we didn’t know about in the past. We spoke of evolution and the big bang, of Persian culture, and the invasion of Muslims to Iran in the 1300s. We spoke of Farsi and traditions. We spoke a lot. She asked many questions and pondered in the silences.
“I just don’t understand why so many people think they are right, when they can’t all be right. Why not just try to accept the fact that we are all different? ” This brings me joy.
The AC in our car is broken. Today as we drove home in the rain, the inside of our car felt like a furnace. The windows were fogged up, we were sweating and a horn heavy Diana Krall X-mas carol had me wishing for death. We were tired and cranky, but as I sat there sweating my mind drifted to the many chappa rides I endured in Mozambique. I thought back to the hours and miles I collected suffering quietly in the name of adventure.
I thought about how soft I have become in my old age. Sitting in the comfort of my own car, with my family, complaining about the heat. This somersault of the past and the present brought me joy.
We watched the Griswald Christmas Vacation movie tonight and Mairin was a bit nervous that it would be inappropriate, and oh boy was it. The language. The weird sexual innuendoes. All of it was weird and fun and magical. Our kids are so sheltered sometimes that it was fun to discuss what it means to “shit bricks.”
We watched the movie. I had a glass of wine in my new red wine glass, no more plastic cups for me. We ate cookies and laughed and relaxed. This brings me joy.
Joy is not a state of ecstasy for me. Joy is being awake to my life as it passes by. Small photographs and memories. Tiny dreams come true. The realization that this is life. Everyday. Everything. It is all here to enjoy and devour and ponder and live through.
I hope that you are able to glimpse a few of these moments, and capture the fleeting flakes of joy as they fall around you.
July 9, 2016
Ten on Ten
Ten piece of advice for my daughter on her tenth birthday:
1. Leave every space you are in better than you found it.
Whether you are in your own room, a restaurant, a park trail, the beach, a classroom, a sidewalk, a park or a car always pick up after yourself and leave no trace of yourself behind. If you can make it better by picking up other peoples’ trash or pushing in a chair or setting down some flowers, then do it. Sweep if it needs sweeping, wash if it needs washing, tidy when tidiness is needed. Arrange things to make the next person enjoy the space more than you did.
2. Every person has a story and has suffered in ways you need to understand.
Do not judge people or gossip in hurtful ways. You do not know the pain that people may have faced. Put yourself in their shoes and give them the benefit of the doubt. Even when they are mean or cruel, try and understand their anger. Listen when you can and ask questions before you react. Many people in life will act from pain and suffering and they may warrant your wrath, but give them your grace instead. The ugliest people need love too, and sometimes you might be the only one that can give it to them.
3. Do not act violently or in anger.
You will see suffering and injustice that will make you want to hate. You will see ignorance and racism and violence, that is so intense that you will think the only answer is equal amounts of anger and violence, but know this- love and peace will be the only way out of this trap. Even in the face of unspeakable atrocities, your love is the only way forward.
4. There is no right. There are only different ways of seeing things.
Anybody who tells you they know the right way to be, to think, to pray, to believe is not to be trusted. There is no “right” way to exist in the world. Only blinded, close-minded people think the world is so simple as to have a right way to experience it. Take it all in. Listen, trust, believe, explore. Try to balance opposing ways of thinking. Try to make sense of two opposing truths at once.
5. Art, music or a book will always make things better.
You are not the first person in the world. There have been countless others on this journey. They have sung and written and painted and sculpted their love and pain onto vinyl and stone and paper and canvas. Their pain and joy is your pain and joy, learn from it, be swallowed by it. Seek it. Devour it. Love and be loved by it. There is no question that cannot be answered by the exploration and/or creation of art. Music. Books. Dance. It will always be there for you. Create it. Turn yourself inside out and tell your story. It has value and is beautiful and necessary.
6. You are nature.
Never think that you are something different or separate from the ocean and the stars and the moon and the universe and every leaf and bug and animal on the planet. You are the planet. Love yourself and love all life. There is no need to kill. Respect the powerful form of nature that runs through you. Spend time in the forest and the desert and the ocean. Admire and protect every piece of life, from the tiny plankton to the giant whale. Learn about biology and chemistry and zoology, and be sure to spend time in nature. Take hikes, dive, ski, swim in rivers. Marvel at the clouds and the small breezes. Pay attention to shadows and leaves and trees everywhere you look.
7. Be kind even when it feels like unearned.
Smile at strangers. Especially when they have their heads down and scowling. Hold doors for people and let others go first. Pay for people when they are short. Compliment your friends and send handwritten thank you cards. When someone makes you feel bad, forgive them. When they insult you, know that they are dealing with their own insecurities. Go out of your way to make people feel better. Put other people’s needs before your own.
8. Being alone is not the same as being lonely.
Love that voice in your head. It will be with you till the end. Trust your gut. Love yourself. Long and hard. There is no one in the world who will be there for your more often and with more consistency than yourself. Take quiet walks. Watch movies alone. Lose yourself in a book. Eat alone at restaurants. Talk to yourself and ask questions. Never lie to yourself. Trust yourself. Be kind to yourself. You are doing your best. You are enough.
9. Stay away from guns and people who love guns.
Nothing was ever made better by a gun. They are weapons of destruction, anger, violence and pain. You can live your whole life and never even see a gun, I have done it. When people have guns, go somewhere else. If you meet people who glorify or love guns, leave them and find people who love peace and nature. People might say that they are good for hunting or shooting or protection. They are good for nothing. If you are in a place with a gun, move to another place without a gun. Your life will be much lighter and more beautiful if you avoid guns and people who love guns.
10. There is no such thing as race or countries or religions.
You are no better than anyone else for any reason. We are all human beings, regardless of what we believe, where we were born or the color of our skin. Love all people with the same enthusiasm as if they look and think just like you. Don’t believe in dogma or flags or passports. You are a child of the world, a wonder-star in the universe, never limit yourself to something as petty as a nation or a race. Love people. The more oppressed and poor that they are, the more they need your love. Take people in. Love them. Fight with them. March. Protest and stand up for the voiceless. If someone says that they are oppressed, do not question their oppression. People are scared of poverty and so they make excuses to hurt and oppress the poor, but you do not need to be scared. You simply need to listen and love.
1. Leave every space you are in better than you found it.
Whether you are in your own room, a restaurant, a park trail, the beach, a classroom, a sidewalk, a park or a car always pick up after yourself and leave no trace of yourself behind. If you can make it better by picking up other peoples’ trash or pushing in a chair or setting down some flowers, then do it. Sweep if it needs sweeping, wash if it needs washing, tidy when tidiness is needed. Arrange things to make the next person enjoy the space more than you did.
2. Every person has a story and has suffered in ways you need to understand.
Do not judge people or gossip in hurtful ways. You do not know the pain that people may have faced. Put yourself in their shoes and give them the benefit of the doubt. Even when they are mean or cruel, try and understand their anger. Listen when you can and ask questions before you react. Many people in life will act from pain and suffering and they may warrant your wrath, but give them your grace instead. The ugliest people need love too, and sometimes you might be the only one that can give it to them.
3. Do not act violently or in anger.
You will see suffering and injustice that will make you want to hate. You will see ignorance and racism and violence, that is so intense that you will think the only answer is equal amounts of anger and violence, but know this- love and peace will be the only way out of this trap. Even in the face of unspeakable atrocities, your love is the only way forward.
4. There is no right. There are only different ways of seeing things.
Anybody who tells you they know the right way to be, to think, to pray, to believe is not to be trusted. There is no “right” way to exist in the world. Only blinded, close-minded people think the world is so simple as to have a right way to experience it. Take it all in. Listen, trust, believe, explore. Try to balance opposing ways of thinking. Try to make sense of two opposing truths at once.
5. Art, music or a book will always make things better.
You are not the first person in the world. There have been countless others on this journey. They have sung and written and painted and sculpted their love and pain onto vinyl and stone and paper and canvas. Their pain and joy is your pain and joy, learn from it, be swallowed by it. Seek it. Devour it. Love and be loved by it. There is no question that cannot be answered by the exploration and/or creation of art. Music. Books. Dance. It will always be there for you. Create it. Turn yourself inside out and tell your story. It has value and is beautiful and necessary.
6. You are nature.
Never think that you are something different or separate from the ocean and the stars and the moon and the universe and every leaf and bug and animal on the planet. You are the planet. Love yourself and love all life. There is no need to kill. Respect the powerful form of nature that runs through you. Spend time in the forest and the desert and the ocean. Admire and protect every piece of life, from the tiny plankton to the giant whale. Learn about biology and chemistry and zoology, and be sure to spend time in nature. Take hikes, dive, ski, swim in rivers. Marvel at the clouds and the small breezes. Pay attention to shadows and leaves and trees everywhere you look.
7. Be kind even when it feels like unearned.
Smile at strangers. Especially when they have their heads down and scowling. Hold doors for people and let others go first. Pay for people when they are short. Compliment your friends and send handwritten thank you cards. When someone makes you feel bad, forgive them. When they insult you, know that they are dealing with their own insecurities. Go out of your way to make people feel better. Put other people’s needs before your own.
8. Being alone is not the same as being lonely.
Love that voice in your head. It will be with you till the end. Trust your gut. Love yourself. Long and hard. There is no one in the world who will be there for your more often and with more consistency than yourself. Take quiet walks. Watch movies alone. Lose yourself in a book. Eat alone at restaurants. Talk to yourself and ask questions. Never lie to yourself. Trust yourself. Be kind to yourself. You are doing your best. You are enough.
9. Stay away from guns and people who love guns.
Nothing was ever made better by a gun. They are weapons of destruction, anger, violence and pain. You can live your whole life and never even see a gun, I have done it. When people have guns, go somewhere else. If you meet people who glorify or love guns, leave them and find people who love peace and nature. People might say that they are good for hunting or shooting or protection. They are good for nothing. If you are in a place with a gun, move to another place without a gun. Your life will be much lighter and more beautiful if you avoid guns and people who love guns.
10. There is no such thing as race or countries or religions.
You are no better than anyone else for any reason. We are all human beings, regardless of what we believe, where we were born or the color of our skin. Love all people with the same enthusiasm as if they look and think just like you. Don’t believe in dogma or flags or passports. You are a child of the world, a wonder-star in the universe, never limit yourself to something as petty as a nation or a race. Love people. The more oppressed and poor that they are, the more they need your love. Take people in. Love them. Fight with them. March. Protest and stand up for the voiceless. If someone says that they are oppressed, do not question their oppression. People are scared of poverty and so they make excuses to hurt and oppress the poor, but you do not need to be scared. You simply need to listen and love.
May 6, 2016
The Introvert Wins Again
We saw one lone star.
She told me that she once heard that stars can be wished upon
She asked me if that was true:
I suppose; I responded
that anything can be wished upon
if you have dreams in your heart.
Earlier we walked home from dinner in the tropical heat-
the palm trees swaying unseen in the shadows
hints of frangipani and hibiscus
blending into the city streets under the traffic.
She told me about her favorite author
with intensity and excitement.
She loves his artwork and he is a good collaborator.
“Daddy!”
Every sentence pre-punctatued with two syllables
“Daddy, Eric Carle uses so many colors and writes so many book.”
She told me that she loves books and can’t wait to read to her kids every night.
“Daddy! I hope my kids appreciate books as much as we do.”
I was flabbergasted by the words coming out of her six year old mouth.
Early, on the way to dinner, the other one asked about the Bible.
We discussed the Garden of Eden story.
The tree of knowledge-
Eve being made from Adam’s rib.
“Why wouldn’t god take the time to maker her from scratch?”
That’s a great question I told her.
Holding back from defining the biblical roots of misogyny.
“So what do you call yourself?”
Atheist.
“Mommy too?”
I think so.
“What am I?”
Whatever you decide to be when you are ready to decide.
“For now I think I believe in the greek gods.”
Those are great stories.
“Daddy? What’s the difference between a myth and a religion?”
Great question.
…
My plans to go out tonight and make a night of it have fallen victim to fatigue and exhaustion.
Instead I am back in my pyjamas at 8:45 on a Friday night.
The immediate future looks like this:
finish up this thing.
grab a glass of wine
watch The Punk Singer.
She told me that she once heard that stars can be wished upon
She asked me if that was true:
I suppose; I responded
that anything can be wished upon
if you have dreams in your heart.
Earlier we walked home from dinner in the tropical heat-
the palm trees swaying unseen in the shadows
hints of frangipani and hibiscus
blending into the city streets under the traffic.
She told me about her favorite author
with intensity and excitement.
She loves his artwork and he is a good collaborator.
“Daddy!”
Every sentence pre-punctatued with two syllables
“Daddy, Eric Carle uses so many colors and writes so many book.”
She told me that she loves books and can’t wait to read to her kids every night.
“Daddy! I hope my kids appreciate books as much as we do.”
I was flabbergasted by the words coming out of her six year old mouth.
Early, on the way to dinner, the other one asked about the Bible.
We discussed the Garden of Eden story.
The tree of knowledge-
Eve being made from Adam’s rib.
“Why wouldn’t god take the time to maker her from scratch?”
That’s a great question I told her.
Holding back from defining the biblical roots of misogyny.
“So what do you call yourself?”
Atheist.
“Mommy too?”
I think so.
“What am I?”
Whatever you decide to be when you are ready to decide.
“For now I think I believe in the greek gods.”
Those are great stories.
“Daddy? What’s the difference between a myth and a religion?”
Great question.
…
My plans to go out tonight and make a night of it have fallen victim to fatigue and exhaustion.
Instead I am back in my pyjamas at 8:45 on a Friday night.
The immediate future looks like this:
finish up this thing.
grab a glass of wine
watch The Punk Singer.
April 10, 2016
I Went To Church Today
I went to church today. Yup. Church. Me. Today.
This is not some allusion or metaphor about me sitting on a beach somewhere lost in my spiritual ramblings. It is actually what it says: I went to church today. Complete with prayers, hands in the air (not my hands, but there were hands in the air) and the ole praise Jesus and a smattering of amens. Before I get into what it was like, let me start with the why. Several people who knew I was planning on going to church today asked me why, and while I tried to think of some reasons on the spot in the social environments where they asked, as you know I am better at articulating ideas in blog form. So why did I go to church today:
Because I want to be the kind of person who says yes to life more often than I say no. I want to say yes when it is easy and fun, but I also need to say yes when it is complicated and uncomfortable. I want to know, see and feel what other people value before I make judgements, and if I am doing it right I hope not to feel the need to judge at all. I want my ideals and values to be rooted in experience and understanding.
I went to church today, because I am curious about other people’s beliefs and how they think and make sense of the world. I spend so much time glibly proselytizing my atheism that I thought it might do me some good to spend some time in a church. While there, I was thinking that maybe I need to go to a Hindu temple or mosque next, so if you want to invite me I am down to go.
I went to church today because someone who listens and interacts with my rambling asked me to come, and I felt I owed him the respect he has shown my ideas. If I am going to be passionate about my values and ideas- art, veganism, peace, music, whatever it is, then I have to respect other people’s passions and give them the benefit of the doubt.
I went to church today because if I claim to be an open minded person then I have to be open minded in action and not just words. I have to listen more than I talk. I have to take-in as much I give away. I have to learn as much as I teach.
So for these reasons and maybe a few more, I went to church today. What was it like?
It was pretty great. It was exciting, musical, artistic, joyful, passionate, warm, welcoming, intimate, communal and honest. I haven’t been church in a long, long time and the times I have been it has never felt like this. I have always felt uncomfortable and bored and disconnected. But not today. I arrived a bit early chatted with some folks about day-to-day things, had some coffee, listened to a few songs and listened to Hamish give a well researched, interesting, and personal sermon about how to read the bible.
This is not a post to argue or debate the merits of his ideas or beliefs, that is what a bottle of wine might be for, but I appreciated his sentiment, his passion and his skill as an orator. I didn’t always agree with what he said and there many times when in my mind I was saying, ‘’but, but, but….what about…..and…..but, but, but.” I let it go and listened with an open mind. It’s amazing what that can do for your intellect as well as your spirit.
At first I spent so much energy pulling away and judging the people as they smiled too wide or praised Jesus too enthusiastically. It didn’t feel real to me. The cynic in me felt they were faking it. I guess because this type of devotion is not real for me, but I tried real hard to just be there in the moment and relate to what was being said without the need to argue all the time, which is what I usually do at religious events.
Before I go on, let me say that I enjoyed my time at Inspire Church. If I wanted a community of Christians to get to know this might be where I would start. If I created a church, this might be what it would look like. If I needed this type of faith, this might be the place where I would look, but honestly I don’t feel I need it.
It was nice to see these people so happy and bonded and worshiping as a family, and although I could appreciate what it was doing for them, I knew as I walked away that Church is not for me. Not because of anything this church itself was doing or not doing, but I guess I just reject the very idea of faith.
I started thinking about this idea of being consumed by god, jesus, faith, grace whatever you want to call it, during one of the first songs. They sang something like Jesus you are my everything and nothing I have is worth anything without you, or something like that. Which got me thinking- what is my everything? Is there one thing that I pour my entire soul into? One place that holds my complete heart and mind? Do I value anything so much that I consume it and allow myself to be consumed by it?
The answer- I hope not.
The world and the pieces of me in it are too rich, too complex to be poured into a vessel as one-sided as a singular faith. How can there only be one god, one faith, one church? I have faith in so many things, so there is no way I ever want to put one name around it all. If I closed my eyes, and raised my hands and praised any one thing, I feel like I would be doing a dis-service to all things. I don't ever want to see the world through one lens, even if that lens is the all-loving Jesus.
Beyond the stories and the bible and the sin and the language of worship and redemption and all of the devil and god and heaven and hell, my understanding from today is that it all boils down to love. The divine whatever it might look like. Compassion. Peace. Empathy. I get all that. I just don’t want to dilute the image through the lens of faith in Jesus. Those ideas of divinity, in my humble opinion, do not need Jesus, a god or a church.
It's a great story, the story of the Israelites and the covenant with God, but just one in a series of others. I can't, I won't reduce the divinity into such a simple cup.
I hope that it is enough that I live a good life. Try my best to be righteous. Understand that I am fallible and broken and wonderful and in pain and full of love without having to brand myself in any one faith. Or in faith at all. There is no one thing that I feel so consumed by.
I loved seeing the people today so happy and comfortable in their faith in Jesus and their approach was refreshing and made me happy too.
But I think I will keep walking down my own road and looking to see what else I can find. I am not sure what that church looks like or if I even need one. I have met many people on this journey and we have shared many stories and songs and our own twisted sermons along the way. These meanderings seem be enough for for me. Today my searching took me into a church, and I am grateful for the hospitality. And honestly, Hamish I look forward to coming back if you will have me, you have a cool thing going.
But for me the end of the journey can never be in any one church, actually for me there is no end to the journey.
This is not some allusion or metaphor about me sitting on a beach somewhere lost in my spiritual ramblings. It is actually what it says: I went to church today. Complete with prayers, hands in the air (not my hands, but there were hands in the air) and the ole praise Jesus and a smattering of amens. Before I get into what it was like, let me start with the why. Several people who knew I was planning on going to church today asked me why, and while I tried to think of some reasons on the spot in the social environments where they asked, as you know I am better at articulating ideas in blog form. So why did I go to church today:
Because I want to be the kind of person who says yes to life more often than I say no. I want to say yes when it is easy and fun, but I also need to say yes when it is complicated and uncomfortable. I want to know, see and feel what other people value before I make judgements, and if I am doing it right I hope not to feel the need to judge at all. I want my ideals and values to be rooted in experience and understanding.
I went to church today, because I am curious about other people’s beliefs and how they think and make sense of the world. I spend so much time glibly proselytizing my atheism that I thought it might do me some good to spend some time in a church. While there, I was thinking that maybe I need to go to a Hindu temple or mosque next, so if you want to invite me I am down to go.
I went to church today because someone who listens and interacts with my rambling asked me to come, and I felt I owed him the respect he has shown my ideas. If I am going to be passionate about my values and ideas- art, veganism, peace, music, whatever it is, then I have to respect other people’s passions and give them the benefit of the doubt.
I went to church today because if I claim to be an open minded person then I have to be open minded in action and not just words. I have to listen more than I talk. I have to take-in as much I give away. I have to learn as much as I teach.
So for these reasons and maybe a few more, I went to church today. What was it like?
It was pretty great. It was exciting, musical, artistic, joyful, passionate, warm, welcoming, intimate, communal and honest. I haven’t been church in a long, long time and the times I have been it has never felt like this. I have always felt uncomfortable and bored and disconnected. But not today. I arrived a bit early chatted with some folks about day-to-day things, had some coffee, listened to a few songs and listened to Hamish give a well researched, interesting, and personal sermon about how to read the bible.
This is not a post to argue or debate the merits of his ideas or beliefs, that is what a bottle of wine might be for, but I appreciated his sentiment, his passion and his skill as an orator. I didn’t always agree with what he said and there many times when in my mind I was saying, ‘’but, but, but….what about…..and…..but, but, but.” I let it go and listened with an open mind. It’s amazing what that can do for your intellect as well as your spirit.
At first I spent so much energy pulling away and judging the people as they smiled too wide or praised Jesus too enthusiastically. It didn’t feel real to me. The cynic in me felt they were faking it. I guess because this type of devotion is not real for me, but I tried real hard to just be there in the moment and relate to what was being said without the need to argue all the time, which is what I usually do at religious events.
Before I go on, let me say that I enjoyed my time at Inspire Church. If I wanted a community of Christians to get to know this might be where I would start. If I created a church, this might be what it would look like. If I needed this type of faith, this might be the place where I would look, but honestly I don’t feel I need it.
It was nice to see these people so happy and bonded and worshiping as a family, and although I could appreciate what it was doing for them, I knew as I walked away that Church is not for me. Not because of anything this church itself was doing or not doing, but I guess I just reject the very idea of faith.
I started thinking about this idea of being consumed by god, jesus, faith, grace whatever you want to call it, during one of the first songs. They sang something like Jesus you are my everything and nothing I have is worth anything without you, or something like that. Which got me thinking- what is my everything? Is there one thing that I pour my entire soul into? One place that holds my complete heart and mind? Do I value anything so much that I consume it and allow myself to be consumed by it?
The answer- I hope not.
The world and the pieces of me in it are too rich, too complex to be poured into a vessel as one-sided as a singular faith. How can there only be one god, one faith, one church? I have faith in so many things, so there is no way I ever want to put one name around it all. If I closed my eyes, and raised my hands and praised any one thing, I feel like I would be doing a dis-service to all things. I don't ever want to see the world through one lens, even if that lens is the all-loving Jesus.
Beyond the stories and the bible and the sin and the language of worship and redemption and all of the devil and god and heaven and hell, my understanding from today is that it all boils down to love. The divine whatever it might look like. Compassion. Peace. Empathy. I get all that. I just don’t want to dilute the image through the lens of faith in Jesus. Those ideas of divinity, in my humble opinion, do not need Jesus, a god or a church.
It's a great story, the story of the Israelites and the covenant with God, but just one in a series of others. I can't, I won't reduce the divinity into such a simple cup.
I hope that it is enough that I live a good life. Try my best to be righteous. Understand that I am fallible and broken and wonderful and in pain and full of love without having to brand myself in any one faith. Or in faith at all. There is no one thing that I feel so consumed by.
I loved seeing the people today so happy and comfortable in their faith in Jesus and their approach was refreshing and made me happy too.
But I think I will keep walking down my own road and looking to see what else I can find. I am not sure what that church looks like or if I even need one. I have met many people on this journey and we have shared many stories and songs and our own twisted sermons along the way. These meanderings seem be enough for for me. Today my searching took me into a church, and I am grateful for the hospitality. And honestly, Hamish I look forward to coming back if you will have me, you have a cool thing going.
But for me the end of the journey can never be in any one church, actually for me there is no end to the journey.
March 29, 2016
Sun Sunk Low
It wasn’t the longest travel day. Short flight. Short wait at the ferry station. Short ferry ride. Short(ish) immigration wait, but added all up, it felt long, but before we knew it we were in our room, changed, down in the ocean, by the pool and a few mojitos under before dinner.
The sun sunk low in the sky and the water was hinting orange, but still sparked bright like a bag of spilled diamonds. The girls were goggled and swimming somersaults, diving deep trying to touch the parrot fish and the anemone that they were able to see in the coral just off shore from our hotel. It was late afternoon already and I was revelling in the fact that we were aquatic mammals back home in the ocean. The ease and comfort with which they swam in the ocean made me smile. I looked forward to the coming days when we would spend more time in her embrace.
…
After I posted my rant last night, Mairin asked if it was a good idea to post such a biased one sided, slightly offensive post. “You are a teacher and you cannot be so opinionated,” was her plea. And this has been her plea for years. I get her apprehension. And the public nature of being an opinionated teacher has always been hard to balance. But are we not allowed to have public opinions?
I try to always ask myself, how would a parent react to this post or that photo or that opinion, but at the end of the day, I hope that I could show my years of writing and thoughts and feelings as the true reflection of who I am. I hope I am never judged by any one post. Sure, I might be angry and ranting about religion one night, but the next night I might post part of a prayer from Mathew that a friend posted in response to my previous thinking:
I put aside my anger, judgement, frustration, stress, prejudice, fear and pride.
I acknowledged the hurt and pain and suffering that is in the world. I take responsibility for my part in the systems and behaviours that have caused it; and I look for the answers to bring change within myself, and I choose to take action. I know that in me is the capacity for good and love and forgiveness. I return to my goodness, and choose to respond to the world out of that.
I choose to be love.
I choose to be patience and peace and kindness.
I choose to be the change I want to see in my world.
And... I choose to forgive. I choose to take the violence out of circulation. If wrong is done to me, if violence is poured against me. It will stop with me.
I choose to respond out of the environment of love, and not the environment of anger and pain and hurt or greed.
See that all sounds pretty good to me. I just can’t handle the stuff about the lord and the father and the “he” who created the world etc….I believe in love for its own sake, not of a god who created it. It is in peace and patience and kindness where I want to find common ground too.
Anyway, thank you for all the likes and loves and comments. It feels good to know that we are not alone in our thoughts. As teachers we have to be able to hold opinions about religion and politics, just like everyone else.
…
I finished The Bell Jar on the ferry today, and I found it pretty boring, but eloquently written. I didn’t care that nothing really happen, because I loved her dry sardonic tone. Next up, To Rise Again At A Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris. I am pretty excited because Adrienne didn’t like it very much, which means I will love it.
My eyes are burning. My muscles are sore. The kids are watching a movie and we have nothing to do tomorrow, but eat, drink, swim, sleep and maybe get a massage. Life here is good even though I am aware that in many places it is not.
The sun sunk low in the sky and the water was hinting orange, but still sparked bright like a bag of spilled diamonds. The girls were goggled and swimming somersaults, diving deep trying to touch the parrot fish and the anemone that they were able to see in the coral just off shore from our hotel. It was late afternoon already and I was revelling in the fact that we were aquatic mammals back home in the ocean. The ease and comfort with which they swam in the ocean made me smile. I looked forward to the coming days when we would spend more time in her embrace.
…
After I posted my rant last night, Mairin asked if it was a good idea to post such a biased one sided, slightly offensive post. “You are a teacher and you cannot be so opinionated,” was her plea. And this has been her plea for years. I get her apprehension. And the public nature of being an opinionated teacher has always been hard to balance. But are we not allowed to have public opinions?
I try to always ask myself, how would a parent react to this post or that photo or that opinion, but at the end of the day, I hope that I could show my years of writing and thoughts and feelings as the true reflection of who I am. I hope I am never judged by any one post. Sure, I might be angry and ranting about religion one night, but the next night I might post part of a prayer from Mathew that a friend posted in response to my previous thinking:
I put aside my anger, judgement, frustration, stress, prejudice, fear and pride.
I acknowledged the hurt and pain and suffering that is in the world. I take responsibility for my part in the systems and behaviours that have caused it; and I look for the answers to bring change within myself, and I choose to take action. I know that in me is the capacity for good and love and forgiveness. I return to my goodness, and choose to respond to the world out of that.
I choose to be love.
I choose to be patience and peace and kindness.
I choose to be the change I want to see in my world.
And... I choose to forgive. I choose to take the violence out of circulation. If wrong is done to me, if violence is poured against me. It will stop with me.
I choose to respond out of the environment of love, and not the environment of anger and pain and hurt or greed.
See that all sounds pretty good to me. I just can’t handle the stuff about the lord and the father and the “he” who created the world etc….I believe in love for its own sake, not of a god who created it. It is in peace and patience and kindness where I want to find common ground too.
Anyway, thank you for all the likes and loves and comments. It feels good to know that we are not alone in our thoughts. As teachers we have to be able to hold opinions about religion and politics, just like everyone else.
…
I finished The Bell Jar on the ferry today, and I found it pretty boring, but eloquently written. I didn’t care that nothing really happen, because I loved her dry sardonic tone. Next up, To Rise Again At A Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris. I am pretty excited because Adrienne didn’t like it very much, which means I will love it.
My eyes are burning. My muscles are sore. The kids are watching a movie and we have nothing to do tomorrow, but eat, drink, swim, sleep and maybe get a massage. Life here is good even though I am aware that in many places it is not.
March 28, 2016
More Of A Chant
“If there is a god then he must really hate people.” Kurt Vonnegut
The world is full of thoughts and prayers again tonight. It seems to be the one thing everyone can do after a tragedy- ineffective as thoughts and prayers are in times like these, everyone in the world is quick to send out thoughts and prayers.
Thoughts and prayers. Thoughts and prayers.
As a casual observer and as a person who has never uttered even a single prayer, they seem to me to be quite ineffective in creating peace, establishing justice, closing the widening gap between the haves and the have not or addressing any one of the million issues that are tearing our societies apart. One may even argue that it is the very nature of prayer that is forcing us into these disgusting cases of violence in the first place.
I refuse to send a prayer anywhere in the world tonight. I refuse to pray in any capacity. Ever. I will do my utmost to mediate, to hope for, to look within myself and seek solace, or work with my students or engage my family or talk to as many people as I can, or share my writing or find peace through song…I will do just about anything but pray and contribute to the madness that prayer has wrought on the world. I have no use for a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or another deity, because clearly he isn’t listening, or he isn’t there or if he is there and he can hear then WTF?
Enough thoughts and prayers. Some lunatic who thought his prayers would be answered blew himself up killing 70 children so that they couldn’t pray any more. Is this where we are? Thousands of years of evolution? All of our art? Science? All we have become is another suicide religious attack and the rest of us bleating like sheep- thinking and praying.
I am tired of worrying if I will offend religious folk. Here is the deal- I find your religions, all of them, offensive. I find the idea of bombings and death and redemption and sin and sects and intolerance and thinking you have all the answers and that you are right and priests and mosques and thoughts and prayers offensive. You can argue that this is not what religion is all about, but the proof is in the bombings, in the wars, in the persecution, in the racism, in the death and destruction. For those of us standing on the outside, death and destruction is all religion has ever been about. I've seen little else.
Woah. That rant came out of nowhere, but it has been bubbling inside me all day long and I needed it in words and out of me. Ignore if it you must, but I needed to name my anger and frustration.
All I know is that I am thankful that I am able to live in a safe secular society that allows me to raise my kids without the overt violent influence of any religion. I know there are so many people who have been forcefully bound to god for generations…..ahhh….here I go again. Maybe it is time for a new topic.
…
I went for a run today. It has been so long since I ran, that I felt out of practice, tried and sluggish. It was really more of a walk, but it still felt good to be alone for an hour even if I walked for most of the time. My ankles are sore and I realised that things like running must be maintained and there is little room for slacking off.
…
In other news, I will be taking my blessed, gracious, privileged self for a six day beach vacation in Thailand tomorrow, during which time I will enjoy good food and affordable drink. Bonding time with my family, a reconnection to the ocean, and the ever so sweet sensation of toasted salty skin and post shower aloe vera lotion. I will stuff my face with Pad Thai, grilled corn and mango sticky rice as I watch the waves lap up on the beach. It is in those moments of quiet sandy reflection that I have come close to uttering anything resembling a prayer. And usually it is more of a chant that sounds like this…thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
The world is full of thoughts and prayers again tonight. It seems to be the one thing everyone can do after a tragedy- ineffective as thoughts and prayers are in times like these, everyone in the world is quick to send out thoughts and prayers.
Thoughts and prayers. Thoughts and prayers.
As a casual observer and as a person who has never uttered even a single prayer, they seem to me to be quite ineffective in creating peace, establishing justice, closing the widening gap between the haves and the have not or addressing any one of the million issues that are tearing our societies apart. One may even argue that it is the very nature of prayer that is forcing us into these disgusting cases of violence in the first place.
I refuse to send a prayer anywhere in the world tonight. I refuse to pray in any capacity. Ever. I will do my utmost to mediate, to hope for, to look within myself and seek solace, or work with my students or engage my family or talk to as many people as I can, or share my writing or find peace through song…I will do just about anything but pray and contribute to the madness that prayer has wrought on the world. I have no use for a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or another deity, because clearly he isn’t listening, or he isn’t there or if he is there and he can hear then WTF?
Enough thoughts and prayers. Some lunatic who thought his prayers would be answered blew himself up killing 70 children so that they couldn’t pray any more. Is this where we are? Thousands of years of evolution? All of our art? Science? All we have become is another suicide religious attack and the rest of us bleating like sheep- thinking and praying.
I am tired of worrying if I will offend religious folk. Here is the deal- I find your religions, all of them, offensive. I find the idea of bombings and death and redemption and sin and sects and intolerance and thinking you have all the answers and that you are right and priests and mosques and thoughts and prayers offensive. You can argue that this is not what religion is all about, but the proof is in the bombings, in the wars, in the persecution, in the racism, in the death and destruction. For those of us standing on the outside, death and destruction is all religion has ever been about. I've seen little else.
Woah. That rant came out of nowhere, but it has been bubbling inside me all day long and I needed it in words and out of me. Ignore if it you must, but I needed to name my anger and frustration.
All I know is that I am thankful that I am able to live in a safe secular society that allows me to raise my kids without the overt violent influence of any religion. I know there are so many people who have been forcefully bound to god for generations…..ahhh….here I go again. Maybe it is time for a new topic.
…
I went for a run today. It has been so long since I ran, that I felt out of practice, tried and sluggish. It was really more of a walk, but it still felt good to be alone for an hour even if I walked for most of the time. My ankles are sore and I realised that things like running must be maintained and there is little room for slacking off.
…
In other news, I will be taking my blessed, gracious, privileged self for a six day beach vacation in Thailand tomorrow, during which time I will enjoy good food and affordable drink. Bonding time with my family, a reconnection to the ocean, and the ever so sweet sensation of toasted salty skin and post shower aloe vera lotion. I will stuff my face with Pad Thai, grilled corn and mango sticky rice as I watch the waves lap up on the beach. It is in those moments of quiet sandy reflection that I have come close to uttering anything resembling a prayer. And usually it is more of a chant that sounds like this…thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
March 22, 2016
Here Is The Gist
I should have known that today was gonna be a big hitter day when it started with Kaia asking, ”What happens when you die? What’s Good Friday? Why don’t you believe in God?”
I gave longer answers than what I’ve added below, but here is the gist:
What happens when you die?
Your body is broken back down into its essential elements, whether through cremation, burial or rot- the energy stored in your cells, that some people might call your soul, is released back into nature where it resurfaces as another form of life or matter. You have always been a part of nature and so you never actually existed, and when you die the body you inhabited simply returns back to the universe.
What’s Good Friday?
I gave a brief history of the Roman empire, the state of the Jews under said empire, spoke of Jesus as spokesmen for the Jews during reign of said empire. Mentioned that they were not too pleased with his help the poor, don’t be rich, love each other spiel so they had him killed. Oh and by the way some people believe that he was the son of God, and did I mentioned that back in those days when they killed people, they nailed people to a cross and so Jesus was nailed to a cross. Some people believe that he was killed for all the things people do wrong on earth.
After he died some people who loved him buried him in a cave and put a giant rock in front of it. Good Friday was the day he was killed. A few days later, on Sunday- Easter, he left the cave and returned to heaven.
Why don’t you believe in God?
I find the stories that people tell about God to be too simple, and I prefer to believe in science and nature and wonder. Also, I don’t like the fact that many of the stories say that we are made in his image, did I mention I don’t like that A.) he has a gender and B.) he is a man. I also am not a big fan of the idea that we are somehow different than the rest of nature and that we are meant to have dominion over the earth.
I do love the stories about Jesus being loving and kind and forgiving and non-violent, but I don’t need to believe in a god who punishes people to believe in love.
The questions ended. We finished breakfast and made our way to school.
…
Just got back from a mid-week movie, which is always a good idea. Saw Sisters, it just came out here, and it was crass and funny and over the top. Great way to laugh off a long day.
Created a first draft video for Learning 2.0 and it was so bad, I could barely watch it. I showed it to Paula and she looked confused. Back to the drawing board and a second draft tomorrow.
…
Rob Ford is dead.
Brussels is under attack.
The candidates are frothing at the mouth
and the world just got one shade darker.
again.
I gave longer answers than what I’ve added below, but here is the gist:
What happens when you die?
Your body is broken back down into its essential elements, whether through cremation, burial or rot- the energy stored in your cells, that some people might call your soul, is released back into nature where it resurfaces as another form of life or matter. You have always been a part of nature and so you never actually existed, and when you die the body you inhabited simply returns back to the universe.
What’s Good Friday?
I gave a brief history of the Roman empire, the state of the Jews under said empire, spoke of Jesus as spokesmen for the Jews during reign of said empire. Mentioned that they were not too pleased with his help the poor, don’t be rich, love each other spiel so they had him killed. Oh and by the way some people believe that he was the son of God, and did I mentioned that back in those days when they killed people, they nailed people to a cross and so Jesus was nailed to a cross. Some people believe that he was killed for all the things people do wrong on earth.
After he died some people who loved him buried him in a cave and put a giant rock in front of it. Good Friday was the day he was killed. A few days later, on Sunday- Easter, he left the cave and returned to heaven.
Why don’t you believe in God?
I find the stories that people tell about God to be too simple, and I prefer to believe in science and nature and wonder. Also, I don’t like the fact that many of the stories say that we are made in his image, did I mention I don’t like that A.) he has a gender and B.) he is a man. I also am not a big fan of the idea that we are somehow different than the rest of nature and that we are meant to have dominion over the earth.
I do love the stories about Jesus being loving and kind and forgiving and non-violent, but I don’t need to believe in a god who punishes people to believe in love.
The questions ended. We finished breakfast and made our way to school.
…
Just got back from a mid-week movie, which is always a good idea. Saw Sisters, it just came out here, and it was crass and funny and over the top. Great way to laugh off a long day.
Created a first draft video for Learning 2.0 and it was so bad, I could barely watch it. I showed it to Paula and she looked confused. Back to the drawing board and a second draft tomorrow.
…
Rob Ford is dead.
Brussels is under attack.
The candidates are frothing at the mouth
and the world just got one shade darker.
again.
February 8, 2016
Too Small
I woke up to the sound of birds outside my window. It was almost 6am and I was tired, but could feel that I would not fall back asleep. I tossed and turned a bit, but eventually decided to get up for a run. Strapped on my shoes and made my way out into the crisp pre-dawn darkness.
Out of the Daraja gates, I made my way toward Ol Giri Giri a tiny village a kilometre up the road. The landscape was littered with acacias and cactus, but the soil, even in the darkness, emitted a maternal warmth. The paprika coloured ground was vibrant beneath each step. Slowly, as I made my way up and down the gentling sloping hills, the sun began to make her presence known and my body temperature heated up.
I couldn’t believe it. Where I was. Who I have become. What I was doing. The only sounds: the cooing of some scattered birds. My footsteps one after the other. The day beginning. I didn’t see a soul on the entire run. Six kilometres, alone except for Rasta the dog, who was sprinting back and forth, I ran and let my thoughts cascade out of my mind, forming into tiny dropplets of sweat. My muscles important and alive.
….
Out of the Daraja gates, I made my way toward Ol Giri Giri a tiny village a kilometre up the road. The landscape was littered with acacias and cactus, but the soil, even in the darkness, emitted a maternal warmth. The paprika coloured ground was vibrant beneath each step. Slowly, as I made my way up and down the gentling sloping hills, the sun began to make her presence known and my body temperature heated up.
I couldn’t believe it. Where I was. Who I have become. What I was doing. The only sounds: the cooing of some scattered birds. My footsteps one after the other. The day beginning. I didn’t see a soul on the entire run. Six kilometres, alone except for Rasta the dog, who was sprinting back and forth, I ran and let my thoughts cascade out of my mind, forming into tiny dropplets of sweat. My muscles important and alive.
….
Life is painful. And to be strong might mean the ability to face our weakness and continue to move forward. We sat on the porch in the darkness. Two old friends-brothers, talking about the pain that comes from trying to save the world, right ever injustice. He told me stories about the selection process and the emotional toll of choosing how to save a life. “How do say no?” He kept asking me as if I had the answer. We sat in silence. My thoughts, one after the other, charging onto dead ends. The world might be too big and too damaged to save all at once. But we do what we can in the places in which we inhabit. It seemed too simple and obvious, so cliche that it rendered the simplest solution a moot point out, so we stared off into the night. The tears welled up in our eyes, unaware of the work that was happening down the hill in the classrooms and dormitory rooms so close to us that we could touch them.
…
During spiritual time, I sat with five Kenyan girls and asked them about their beliefs and the Seventh Day Adventist. They asked me about my beliefs and I told them I love Jesus, but couldn’t understand the god of the bible. I mentioned that he seemed too small to me. We sat under a tree alone-together with our thoughts.
Later I watched one of the most awkward and shiest kids I have ever taught, stand in front of twenty-five strangers and lead them in a hymn; he played an electronic key-board. Maybe this god wasn’t so small after all, I thought. The girls sang along knowing each verse and joining him in the chorus.
I think sometimes we complicated things a bit. Maybe the world is too big and our gods too small, but our actions, however small, have to matter for something. Maybe the solutions are that obvious- bring people together and let them eat together and sing songs together and talk about their beliefs. Maybe we just have to…
…
It was a long hard emotional day. And it is late now and dark and quiet again. The words forming and the ideas behind begin to fade- unsure if they make sense or will connect to anyone but me and this blank screen. But without them, the thoughts become too heavy and the world too big.
…
During spiritual time, I sat with five Kenyan girls and asked them about their beliefs and the Seventh Day Adventist. They asked me about my beliefs and I told them I love Jesus, but couldn’t understand the god of the bible. I mentioned that he seemed too small to me. We sat under a tree alone-together with our thoughts.
Later I watched one of the most awkward and shiest kids I have ever taught, stand in front of twenty-five strangers and lead them in a hymn; he played an electronic key-board. Maybe this god wasn’t so small after all, I thought. The girls sang along knowing each verse and joining him in the chorus.
I think sometimes we complicated things a bit. Maybe the world is too big and our gods too small, but our actions, however small, have to matter for something. Maybe the solutions are that obvious- bring people together and let them eat together and sing songs together and talk about their beliefs. Maybe we just have to…
…
It was a long hard emotional day. And it is late now and dark and quiet again. The words forming and the ideas behind begin to fade- unsure if they make sense or will connect to anyone but me and this blank screen. But without them, the thoughts become too heavy and the world too big.
January 28, 2016
A Tornado Is Coming
I read the news today oh boy!
The Iranian president, now that the sanctions have been removed, has been gallivanting around Europe. First on a trip to Italy and now he is in France buying up airbuses and making deals with car manufactures.
At first this trip, or at least the symbolism of it, made me happy. After decades behind the veil, it feels like Iran might finally be moving away from the global pariah state. The picture of the President and the Pope was somewhat endearing. You see, we Iranian don’t see our leaders hobnobbing with the likes of people like the Pope too often. It feels strange and somehow important.
Maybe this could be a sign that Iran is finally about to re-enter the world of nations, instead of being on the Axis of Evil, denying the Holocaust, supporting Hezbollah or making nuclear bombs.
But as I read further, by newly found joy and mirth turned to skepticism, frustration and eventual rage. (It’s a joy being me.)
I began to think about how Rouhani and his chums, the clerics and mullahs, are going to benefit the most from the release of over 100 billion dollars worth of frozen assets. There is no way they will use that money to build Iran. For almost thirty years these bastards have been in charge and for what? How have they ever improved life for most Iranians? When have they ever been decent enough to think of the people they rule instead of lining their own pockets and pushing their backwards dogma?
Then I read about the statues and the wine, and I lost it!
So apparently when he was in Italy, the Vatican covered up all the nude paintings so as not to offend his holiness. In his defense, he did ask for this to be done, but the Vatican felt it would be a nice thing to do.
Well, is that swell. But get this! He was meant to lunch with the French president today. And in this case, he did ask that there be Halal meat on the table, fair enough, but that they also remove wine from the menu and not have any on the table.
Really? Really? Are we dealing with children here, that we have to worry that he might be offended of possibly seeing a few boobs and a penis, and that if he is even around a glass of wine…that what? What would happen exactly? Is he not the ruler of a nation, a people who’s history is over two thousand years old? Has he not been educated to realise that maybe the french like to drink some fuckin’ wine with their meal, and that maybe, just maybe, he can ignore it?
So the meal was canceled, because the French refused to remove the wine! Viva Le France. They offered a breakfast instead, but Rouhani refused, saying that was “too cheap.” Palm to the face.
As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, in Iran, the Supreme Leader and his cronies have decided to ban the word wine from all books published in Iran.
Ban the word wine!
It’s almost too idiotic to believe. Who do they think they are leading? A bunch of morons? We Iranians are the people of Hafez and Rumi. (The symbol of wine, as in the drunkness of the beloved) is in our blood and our poetry.
"Bring the pure wine of
love and freedom.
But sir, a tornado is coming.
More wine, we'll teach this storm
A thing or two about whirling. "
I just don’t get it. The people of Iran, with our poetry and food and culture and history are like a magical gem that can and should shed light on the people of the world. We are The Persians for goodness sake. We were doing civilisation before anyone else. And what do these jack-offs in charge do with this gem? They cover it up. Try to remove its magic and in the process hide it from the world, as if it is theirs to control.
So yeah, the president of Iran is buying planes in France, but we are still a long way from Iran taking its place on the world stage. Not sure how much longer we will have to wait for freedom from this madness. Still hoping I see it in my life time.
…
It seems that I get hot and bothered about news stories I can’t do much about, and I am very happy when talking about my teaching and my new exercise routine (did body pump again today)
It’s been strange and thought proving to write every night for the last 29 days. It’s a lot like running, as I rarely want to do either. It’s hard as hell while I am trying to pull out the thoughts and dress them in words, finding something important or interesting or funny to say. And it feels pretty good when it is all said and posted. It is forcing me to really be aware of the thoughts I find valuable and carry around with me throughout the day.
...
My trip to Kenya is only a week away- I am ready to sit on Jason’s porch and watch the sunset and talk and catch up and see my best friend again. As we get older and live farther and farther away from our closest friends, we learn to value the short visits we can sneak in. It has been a year since I saw him and I will only be at Daraja for a week, and will be busy taking care of students, but those nights when everyone is asleep and we sit and watch the stars and talk about the past, present and future…..well that is what heaven is like. Friendships that have lasted twenty plus years are what make life worth living.
…
I hate that Donald Trump is making Ted Cruz look like a viable candidate. But I love how Bernie Sanders is making Hilary look like less of one.
...
Lessons Learned:
The Iranian president, now that the sanctions have been removed, has been gallivanting around Europe. First on a trip to Italy and now he is in France buying up airbuses and making deals with car manufactures.
At first this trip, or at least the symbolism of it, made me happy. After decades behind the veil, it feels like Iran might finally be moving away from the global pariah state. The picture of the President and the Pope was somewhat endearing. You see, we Iranian don’t see our leaders hobnobbing with the likes of people like the Pope too often. It feels strange and somehow important.
Maybe this could be a sign that Iran is finally about to re-enter the world of nations, instead of being on the Axis of Evil, denying the Holocaust, supporting Hezbollah or making nuclear bombs.
But as I read further, by newly found joy and mirth turned to skepticism, frustration and eventual rage. (It’s a joy being me.)
I began to think about how Rouhani and his chums, the clerics and mullahs, are going to benefit the most from the release of over 100 billion dollars worth of frozen assets. There is no way they will use that money to build Iran. For almost thirty years these bastards have been in charge and for what? How have they ever improved life for most Iranians? When have they ever been decent enough to think of the people they rule instead of lining their own pockets and pushing their backwards dogma?
Then I read about the statues and the wine, and I lost it!
So apparently when he was in Italy, the Vatican covered up all the nude paintings so as not to offend his holiness. In his defense, he did ask for this to be done, but the Vatican felt it would be a nice thing to do.
Well, is that swell. But get this! He was meant to lunch with the French president today. And in this case, he did ask that there be Halal meat on the table, fair enough, but that they also remove wine from the menu and not have any on the table.
Really? Really? Are we dealing with children here, that we have to worry that he might be offended of possibly seeing a few boobs and a penis, and that if he is even around a glass of wine…that what? What would happen exactly? Is he not the ruler of a nation, a people who’s history is over two thousand years old? Has he not been educated to realise that maybe the french like to drink some fuckin’ wine with their meal, and that maybe, just maybe, he can ignore it?
So the meal was canceled, because the French refused to remove the wine! Viva Le France. They offered a breakfast instead, but Rouhani refused, saying that was “too cheap.” Palm to the face.
As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, in Iran, the Supreme Leader and his cronies have decided to ban the word wine from all books published in Iran.
Ban the word wine!
It’s almost too idiotic to believe. Who do they think they are leading? A bunch of morons? We Iranians are the people of Hafez and Rumi. (The symbol of wine, as in the drunkness of the beloved) is in our blood and our poetry.
"Bring the pure wine of
love and freedom.
But sir, a tornado is coming.
More wine, we'll teach this storm
A thing or two about whirling. "
I just don’t get it. The people of Iran, with our poetry and food and culture and history are like a magical gem that can and should shed light on the people of the world. We are The Persians for goodness sake. We were doing civilisation before anyone else. And what do these jack-offs in charge do with this gem? They cover it up. Try to remove its magic and in the process hide it from the world, as if it is theirs to control.
So yeah, the president of Iran is buying planes in France, but we are still a long way from Iran taking its place on the world stage. Not sure how much longer we will have to wait for freedom from this madness. Still hoping I see it in my life time.
…
It seems that I get hot and bothered about news stories I can’t do much about, and I am very happy when talking about my teaching and my new exercise routine (did body pump again today)
It’s been strange and thought proving to write every night for the last 29 days. It’s a lot like running, as I rarely want to do either. It’s hard as hell while I am trying to pull out the thoughts and dress them in words, finding something important or interesting or funny to say. And it feels pretty good when it is all said and posted. It is forcing me to really be aware of the thoughts I find valuable and carry around with me throughout the day.
...
My trip to Kenya is only a week away- I am ready to sit on Jason’s porch and watch the sunset and talk and catch up and see my best friend again. As we get older and live farther and farther away from our closest friends, we learn to value the short visits we can sneak in. It has been a year since I saw him and I will only be at Daraja for a week, and will be busy taking care of students, but those nights when everyone is asleep and we sit and watch the stars and talk about the past, present and future…..well that is what heaven is like. Friendships that have lasted twenty plus years are what make life worth living.
…
I hate that Donald Trump is making Ted Cruz look like a viable candidate. But I love how Bernie Sanders is making Hilary look like less of one.
...
Lessons Learned:
- I feel a weird pride in my Iranian heritage and I hate it when the mullahs misrepresent what we are all about.
- Writing every night is hard work.
- What do you love about your culture and who or what messes it up?
- What do you like writing or exercise that is hard but pays off?
January 27, 2016
Random Whispers, Echoes, and Shouting
Every year our grade elevens are involved in a series of talks about religion for their TOK (Theory of Knowledge) class. The director of the event asks teachers throughout the school to prepare a twenty minute session, where we are asked to talk to the kids about our religious beliefs and then have a short Q&A.
I have participated in this event every years since I started UWCSEA, so today was no different. I spent first block talking to three groups of grade elevens about atheism with a dash of Zen Buddhism. I love that our school trusts its teachers and is open-minded enough to let us share what can sometimes be controversial or taboo topics. If we hope to close the gaps between people from different cultures, we need to be able to speak openly and critically about our religious beliefs.
They say you shouldn’t discuss politics or religion, but I disagree; politics and religion might be the most important things that we talk about.
Like I said I have spoken to kids for four years, so I have a bit of a formula. This year was a bit different, because for the last three years, I didn’t know any of the kids I was speaking to, as I teach grade 8, but this year the the grade elevens I was speaking to were the first group of kids I taught in grade 8 a few years ago. It was cool and unnerving to see them all grown up and listening to me talk about something so personal.
I could write a verbatim draft of the speech I usually give, but honestly I am spent. I ran 11.7km tonight (The longest I have ever run) and I wrote a quick 1000 word scene in the novel. I am ready to just veg out and stare at the ceiling, so I will give you highlights and a general outline of the material I covered.
I start with Iran and 1979.I talk about my bitterness and anger at religion for “ruining” the country of my birth. After a brief history of the Islamic Revolution and the destruction of Iranian society in the 80’s, I mention how long I had a chip on my shoulder. I talk about the mistrust of religion that was planted in my childhood from the traumatic experience of being exiled from Iran.
I go on to say that as I got older, I began to make sense of dogma and religion to find out how people could be so fervent about it. I told them how, after trying to read The Bible, I felt that I fundamentally had opposing views of the Old Testament.
A male god creating a world for the special people he created in his imagine to hold dominion over the planet. This not does not mesh with my values as an environmentalism. I discussed how the idea of Eve as a part of Adam and the cause of the downfall of the garden doesn’t mesh with my feminist politics. In short, it feels like the fundamental ideas presented in those early stories are very different to how I see our role in the world.
I mentioned my introduction to the Green Gulch Zen Center and how I used to listen to lectures while I was in High School. My parents would drag me there on Sundays- I thought here is a philosophy I could get behind. I don’t see Zen as a religion, but as a way of life. A practice of values:
No attachments.
Non-Violence.
Compassion and kindness for all beings.
We do not exist outside of all beings. There is no self.
I talked about how I prefer questions to answers and how Zen allows me to explore my world on my own terms and from within myself. I mentioned how I love the teachings of Jesus, but I really see him as more of a Buddhist and that the church has moved so far away from his teachings that I can’t respect it these days.
They asked questions. I tried to answer. I mentioned that “I don’t know,” is my favorite answer when asked questions about the universe and that the answer I don’t know is better than being sure of answers that might actually be folklore and myths.
I packed a lot in 20 minutes. Maybe someday I will record it. All I know is that I really enjoy talking to young people about these kinds of things. And I look forward to participating every year. Cathy was there, I am curious what she thought of my talk.
…
They arrested those dudes in Oregon and apparently shot one of them and Trump is boycotting the 87th Republican debate. My response to both news bites is a big fat SO.
…
I now have over 6000 twitter followers, but the space feels empty and quiet. A sort of one way megaphone of random whispers, echoes, and shouting into the void, where few people ever respond. Maybe when everyone has an outlet to speak and share their every thought, we all just try to avoid the noise. Having said that, I am looking forward to my 66,666 tweet.
Lessons Learned:
I have participated in this event every years since I started UWCSEA, so today was no different. I spent first block talking to three groups of grade elevens about atheism with a dash of Zen Buddhism. I love that our school trusts its teachers and is open-minded enough to let us share what can sometimes be controversial or taboo topics. If we hope to close the gaps between people from different cultures, we need to be able to speak openly and critically about our religious beliefs.
They say you shouldn’t discuss politics or religion, but I disagree; politics and religion might be the most important things that we talk about.
Like I said I have spoken to kids for four years, so I have a bit of a formula. This year was a bit different, because for the last three years, I didn’t know any of the kids I was speaking to, as I teach grade 8, but this year the the grade elevens I was speaking to were the first group of kids I taught in grade 8 a few years ago. It was cool and unnerving to see them all grown up and listening to me talk about something so personal.
I could write a verbatim draft of the speech I usually give, but honestly I am spent. I ran 11.7km tonight (The longest I have ever run) and I wrote a quick 1000 word scene in the novel. I am ready to just veg out and stare at the ceiling, so I will give you highlights and a general outline of the material I covered.
I start with Iran and 1979.I talk about my bitterness and anger at religion for “ruining” the country of my birth. After a brief history of the Islamic Revolution and the destruction of Iranian society in the 80’s, I mention how long I had a chip on my shoulder. I talk about the mistrust of religion that was planted in my childhood from the traumatic experience of being exiled from Iran.
I go on to say that as I got older, I began to make sense of dogma and religion to find out how people could be so fervent about it. I told them how, after trying to read The Bible, I felt that I fundamentally had opposing views of the Old Testament.
A male god creating a world for the special people he created in his imagine to hold dominion over the planet. This not does not mesh with my values as an environmentalism. I discussed how the idea of Eve as a part of Adam and the cause of the downfall of the garden doesn’t mesh with my feminist politics. In short, it feels like the fundamental ideas presented in those early stories are very different to how I see our role in the world.
I mentioned my introduction to the Green Gulch Zen Center and how I used to listen to lectures while I was in High School. My parents would drag me there on Sundays- I thought here is a philosophy I could get behind. I don’t see Zen as a religion, but as a way of life. A practice of values:
No attachments.
Non-Violence.
Compassion and kindness for all beings.
We do not exist outside of all beings. There is no self.
I talked about how I prefer questions to answers and how Zen allows me to explore my world on my own terms and from within myself. I mentioned how I love the teachings of Jesus, but I really see him as more of a Buddhist and that the church has moved so far away from his teachings that I can’t respect it these days.
They asked questions. I tried to answer. I mentioned that “I don’t know,” is my favorite answer when asked questions about the universe and that the answer I don’t know is better than being sure of answers that might actually be folklore and myths.
I packed a lot in 20 minutes. Maybe someday I will record it. All I know is that I really enjoy talking to young people about these kinds of things. And I look forward to participating every year. Cathy was there, I am curious what she thought of my talk.
…
They arrested those dudes in Oregon and apparently shot one of them and Trump is boycotting the 87th Republican debate. My response to both news bites is a big fat SO.
…
I now have over 6000 twitter followers, but the space feels empty and quiet. A sort of one way megaphone of random whispers, echoes, and shouting into the void, where few people ever respond. Maybe when everyone has an outlet to speak and share their every thought, we all just try to avoid the noise. Having said that, I am looking forward to my 66,666 tweet.
Lessons Learned:
- Talking to young people about a variety of religions is good for them and for the speaker.
- When you’re tired the lame news matters less.
- Twitter is getting boring.
- What material would you cover in your religion talk to grade 11s?
- What news made you think…hmmmm. so.
- What are your thoughts on social media these days?
January 8, 2015
The World Burns Around Us
Warning: Half baked thoughts raw with emotion and definitely not soaked in any kind of rationality. They were rattling around inside me somewhere and I needed them out.
Either you believe in evil or you don't. Either you think that human beings do terrible things because of sin and demons or you don't. Either you call people evil-doers or infidels or you don't. It is easy to accuse people of evil when they don masks and massacre journalists in broad day light. It is easy to say that people are wicked when they bomb and kill and scream and sin.
But what if we assume that human beings, all of us, are not evil or the experiments of some omniscient being, but just fucked up individuals tied to our expereinces, cultures, and histories. That every tragedy is not based on a soul's value, but on sociology. What if our default assumptions were that we can fix these things. That we can eradicate ignorance.
What if we believed that even the worst of us can be healed and cured and fixed. Taliban or Tea-Party, Extremist or Progressive, makes no difference. What if we understood that we are who we are due to a plethora of variables and it is the exploration of these variables that will lead to understanding.
After every tragedy, and man does there seem to be lots of them these days, we point fingers and assign blame. We volley hate and pain and accusations. They did this so we will do that. But what if, we stop to ask why? How does a person become so angry and disillusioned, so ignorant and terrified, so insecure and so violent to think that because someone thinks differently then they do that they should kill the other person. This behavior is a sickness. It is not evil. It is the failure of the systems we have created. Failures of nation states, churches and mosques, families and schools. Every massacre is proof that we have failed to understand each other.
Every tragedy is a reminder that we have barely advanced from the birth of our civilization. But that is no reason to throw up our hands and yell, evil. We owe it to the beauty of humanity to keep working toward a better understanding of each other. Both Darren Wilson and Kim Jong-Un are reminders of how far we still have to go to educate and illuminate.
These men are not evil, but the results of circumstances. The result of colonialism and war. Misguided immigration policy and failing school systems. Broken families and false promises. These men are the result of failure.
Either you believe in evil or you don't. Either you think that human beings do terrible things because of sin and demons or you don't. Either you call people evil-doers or infidels or you don't. It is easy to accuse people of evil when they don masks and massacre journalists in broad day light. It is easy to say that people are wicked when they bomb and kill and scream and sin.
But what if we assume that human beings, all of us, are not evil or the experiments of some omniscient being, but just fucked up individuals tied to our expereinces, cultures, and histories. That every tragedy is not based on a soul's value, but on sociology. What if our default assumptions were that we can fix these things. That we can eradicate ignorance.
What if we believed that even the worst of us can be healed and cured and fixed. Taliban or Tea-Party, Extremist or Progressive, makes no difference. What if we understood that we are who we are due to a plethora of variables and it is the exploration of these variables that will lead to understanding.
After every tragedy, and man does there seem to be lots of them these days, we point fingers and assign blame. We volley hate and pain and accusations. They did this so we will do that. But what if, we stop to ask why? How does a person become so angry and disillusioned, so ignorant and terrified, so insecure and so violent to think that because someone thinks differently then they do that they should kill the other person. This behavior is a sickness. It is not evil. It is the failure of the systems we have created. Failures of nation states, churches and mosques, families and schools. Every massacre is proof that we have failed to understand each other.
Every tragedy is a reminder that we have barely advanced from the birth of our civilization. But that is no reason to throw up our hands and yell, evil. We owe it to the beauty of humanity to keep working toward a better understanding of each other. Both Darren Wilson and Kim Jong-Un are reminders of how far we still have to go to educate and illuminate.
These men are not evil, but the results of circumstances. The result of colonialism and war. Misguided immigration policy and failing school systems. Broken families and false promises. These men are the result of failure.
I know it can be difficult to remain calm in the face of reckless murder and injustice. It is difficult to ignore our natural need for revenge in the face of barbarity and petty ignorance, but if have any hope for the future we have to see the perpetrators of violent acts as human beings. Not evil monsters. Because there is no hope for a monster. There is no cure for evil, but there is work to be done for flawed human beings. This work starts with love and education, empathy and trust.
Sometimes I imagine adults who commit terrible crimes as children in my classroom. What would I say to the three men who shot up the Charlie Hebdo magazine when they were twelve? How would I counsel or teach the cop who killed Eric Garner when he was ten?
It's not easy to stay loving and calm as the world burns around us, but it seems to me that we have no choice.
July 7, 2011
The Book of Dave- A Review
Before I left for summer, a colleague at work gave me a copy of The Book of Dave by Will Self and suggested that I take it with me as summer reading. Never one to directly say no to a book, I said sure and packed it as my only summer book. Tipping the scale at nearly five hundred pages, I figured it would keep me busy.
Let’s start with a brief review; what better place to start that the Wikipedia synopsis:
It took about a hundred pages and a trip back to the twentieth century for me to finally find my footing in the language. But once I did, I began to see the beauty of what Self was doing- Using a sharp and critical satirical prose, he carefully crafts an intricate novel of amazing depth. There is not much more to say- there is never a point where The Book of Dave is not extremely well written. The stories from the past, present and future seamlessly intertwine to create a biting mirror reflecting the hypocrisy and absurdity of religious dogma. I will end the review here, by saying that this is a novel that is worth your time. Before I end this post, I did want to make some comments about the thoughts that were alighted because of this text.
While I often expose an aggressive atheism, I like to think that I tote a robust and healthy spiritualism. I am a seeker and enjoy contemplating spiritual matters. Never one to shy away from discussions about the purpose of life, morality, or the human condition, I am always looking for conversations about topics steeped in mysticism and exploration.
What has always turned me off religious discussions is the certainty of truth. The reliance (faith) on dogma and holy books. The prescriptive rules and hoop jumping of organized salvation is not for me. Let me wallow in a Walt Whitman poem, or Rumi, or Bukowski, till I see a light that guides me through the darkness. Your “book” may be the outline that leads you to peace, but it lost me when it demanded that I should have dominion over all the creatures of the earth, or when it took it upon itself to classify certain forms of sexuality as abominations.
Be kind. Love your enemies. Show compassion. Treat others as I would like to be treated. These are ideas I can get behind, and honestly the holy books hold no monopoly on these ideas.
What does any of this have to do with The Book of Dave? Throughout the novel, Self creates a world that illuminates the childishness of relying on scripture as self-evident truth that should be followed to the tee.
I often found myself shaking my head at the idiocy of the men of Ham as they were misguided by the madness of Dave Rudman. Dave unleashes a rant at the zeitgeist of a psychotic breakdown, that becomes The Book for the future denizens of Hampstead. I couldn’t help to think how much of the material from our holy books could have been written by, if not madmen, than surely by the non-evolved minds of a tribe of desert nomads two thousand years ago. The realization that so much of our world is dictated by interpretations of random thoughts of ghosts from the past would be ludicrous if it were not so sad
Whether you are religious or not, this is a thought provoking novel that will leave you questioning how much of the holy books were meant to be questioned and how much was meant to be lived. What do you think? Do we still need such a prescriptive guideline to direct our morality? Be kind. Love your enemies. Show compassion. Treat others as you would like to be treated. We haven’t even gotten that right yet. Isn’t that enough? Maybe once we can learn to be openminded and loving we can begin to worry whether or not women are less than men because they came from a man who was made from mud in the image of a loving/vengeful god.
Let’s start with a brief review; what better place to start that the Wikipedia synopsis:
The Book of Dave tells the story of an angry and mentally-ill London taxi driver named Dave Rudman, who writes and has printed on metal a book of his rantings against women and thoughts on custody rights for fathers. These stem from his anger with his ex-wife, Michelle, who he believes is unfairly keeping him from his son. Equally influential in Dave's book is The Knowledge—the intimate familiarity with the city of London required of its cabbies.As is the case with most dystopian novels, I began feeling lost and confused. I immediately regretted having strayed from my literally routine of handpicking each book I read. The novel begins in a bizarre futuristic English landscape where the characters speak in a muddled language called Mokni, an invented dialect of English derived from Cockney, taxi-drivers' and Dave's own usages, text-messaging, and vocabulary peculiar to the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Dave buries the book, which is discovered centuries later and used as the sacred text for a dogmatic, cruel, and misogynistic religion that takes hold in the remnants of southern England and London following catastrophic flooding. The future portions of the novel are set from 523 AD (After Dave).The book alternates between Dave's original experience and that of the future devotees of the religion inspired by his writings.
It took about a hundred pages and a trip back to the twentieth century for me to finally find my footing in the language. But once I did, I began to see the beauty of what Self was doing- Using a sharp and critical satirical prose, he carefully crafts an intricate novel of amazing depth. There is not much more to say- there is never a point where The Book of Dave is not extremely well written. The stories from the past, present and future seamlessly intertwine to create a biting mirror reflecting the hypocrisy and absurdity of religious dogma. I will end the review here, by saying that this is a novel that is worth your time. Before I end this post, I did want to make some comments about the thoughts that were alighted because of this text.
While I often expose an aggressive atheism, I like to think that I tote a robust and healthy spiritualism. I am a seeker and enjoy contemplating spiritual matters. Never one to shy away from discussions about the purpose of life, morality, or the human condition, I am always looking for conversations about topics steeped in mysticism and exploration.
What has always turned me off religious discussions is the certainty of truth. The reliance (faith) on dogma and holy books. The prescriptive rules and hoop jumping of organized salvation is not for me. Let me wallow in a Walt Whitman poem, or Rumi, or Bukowski, till I see a light that guides me through the darkness. Your “book” may be the outline that leads you to peace, but it lost me when it demanded that I should have dominion over all the creatures of the earth, or when it took it upon itself to classify certain forms of sexuality as abominations.
Be kind. Love your enemies. Show compassion. Treat others as I would like to be treated. These are ideas I can get behind, and honestly the holy books hold no monopoly on these ideas.
What does any of this have to do with The Book of Dave? Throughout the novel, Self creates a world that illuminates the childishness of relying on scripture as self-evident truth that should be followed to the tee.
I often found myself shaking my head at the idiocy of the men of Ham as they were misguided by the madness of Dave Rudman. Dave unleashes a rant at the zeitgeist of a psychotic breakdown, that becomes The Book for the future denizens of Hampstead. I couldn’t help to think how much of the material from our holy books could have been written by, if not madmen, than surely by the non-evolved minds of a tribe of desert nomads two thousand years ago. The realization that so much of our world is dictated by interpretations of random thoughts of ghosts from the past would be ludicrous if it were not so sad
Whether you are religious or not, this is a thought provoking novel that will leave you questioning how much of the holy books were meant to be questioned and how much was meant to be lived. What do you think? Do we still need such a prescriptive guideline to direct our morality? Be kind. Love your enemies. Show compassion. Treat others as you would like to be treated. We haven’t even gotten that right yet. Isn’t that enough? Maybe once we can learn to be openminded and loving we can begin to worry whether or not women are less than men because they came from a man who was made from mud in the image of a loving/vengeful god.
June 29, 2011
A Drift in the Sea
Sometimes things happen in the world and are highlighted on the Internet that are perhaps better ignored. And seeing that I am awash in a Zen like state of summer sun-drenched bliss, I know I really should let this one go, but I just can't.
How can you ignore something that shows a little girl in a video who is using a day of prayer to make sure that her father loves her? I don't have much to say on the topic, except that things must be in a bad way when a government official sponsors an event claiming that the very government he has sworn an oath to uphold is in such a state of crisis that only the hand of his god can save it. He claims that as an elected official he understand the limitations of government when it comes to spiritual matters, then goes on to make a list of problems: financial crises, natural disasters, terrorism, depression- in the face of which he is powerless.
His civic irresponsibility is not even the worst part of the video. The worst part is the barrage of people questioning why this is happening to them. Who is responsible? What can they do? Their answer? Not to study history and politics and economics or to organize within their communities, but to pray. We have a right-wing republican government official telling his base not to question the actions of the government he represents.
Not sure what I expect to come of this post. I know I don't want it to turn into some kind of religious debate. I understand now that those go nowhere. I am just jaw dropped perplexed at how strange America seems to me these days. I know, I know this is not a true reflection of Americans or even Christians, but...I don't know. See for yourself and tell me what you think.
Prayer might help some people come to peace with their spiritual issues; I can respect that, but social activism needs a bit more action and education. Go ahead call me a hypocrite. Who is to say that praying is any less effective than signing a Facebook petition? Either way, seems to me we need a bit more action and organization.
Maybe you can salvage some kind of decent discussion from my ramblings. I just knew I couldn't let it go by without some comment.
How can you ignore something that shows a little girl in a video who is using a day of prayer to make sure that her father loves her? I don't have much to say on the topic, except that things must be in a bad way when a government official sponsors an event claiming that the very government he has sworn an oath to uphold is in such a state of crisis that only the hand of his god can save it. He claims that as an elected official he understand the limitations of government when it comes to spiritual matters, then goes on to make a list of problems: financial crises, natural disasters, terrorism, depression- in the face of which he is powerless.
His civic irresponsibility is not even the worst part of the video. The worst part is the barrage of people questioning why this is happening to them. Who is responsible? What can they do? Their answer? Not to study history and politics and economics or to organize within their communities, but to pray. We have a right-wing republican government official telling his base not to question the actions of the government he represents.
Not sure what I expect to come of this post. I know I don't want it to turn into some kind of religious debate. I understand now that those go nowhere. I am just jaw dropped perplexed at how strange America seems to me these days. I know, I know this is not a true reflection of Americans or even Christians, but...I don't know. See for yourself and tell me what you think.
Prayer might help some people come to peace with their spiritual issues; I can respect that, but social activism needs a bit more action and education. Go ahead call me a hypocrite. Who is to say that praying is any less effective than signing a Facebook petition? Either way, seems to me we need a bit more action and organization.
Maybe you can salvage some kind of decent discussion from my ramblings. I just knew I couldn't let it go by without some comment.
May 12, 2009
Do Not Harm
In this post, I want to return to highlighting and discussing the lines and ideas I found useful from The Engaged Spiritual Life, tonight I want to talk a bit about the precepts. For someone like me who is not a fan of rules, and who finds the idea of dogmatic sermons and commandments stifling, the precepts are a challenging facet of Buddhism. I often say that I love Zen, because of the freedom it allows me to explore my state of self and its interdependence with the rest of the world, so then how do I reconcile following a set of rules. This rigidity does not mesh with my philosophy.
But as Rothenberg says, the precepts are not a set Do’s and Don’t’s. He says it like this:
Honestly, I don’t spend enough, or any time, contemplating the precepts and perhaps I should. That is why I am excited to work my way through some of the points he raises in the book.
The precepts are often open to a certain degree of interpretation, but most would agree that the first precept looks something like this:
I have to say it again: Respond to pain of any kind, our own and others, even if the pain was born of injustice and oppression without inflicting further pain on others or ourselves.
Simple right? Not for me. I have a tendency to lash out against opposing view points and thus cause myself to get more frustrated and thus suffer more. Whether it is corporate capitalism, right-wing conservatives, or religious zealot, I have a hard time not rehashing the pain they cause me back onto them or myself.
I see this precept as a way for me to try and not regurgitate the pain they cause, by lashing out at them, but rather trying to step back and recognize how they make me feel and react, and trying to stop the cycle of pain.
But as Rothenberg says, the precepts are not a set Do’s and Don’t’s. He says it like this:
I like to think of the ethical precepts as providing training guidelines in another way as well, as establishing the very condition of safety that make training and learning possible. It is very hard to learn when feeling unsafe or threatened.In other words, they are not saying Thou Shall Not Kill or face the consequences, but rather if you want to reach a state of awareness and understating, if you want a safe environment to further your learning that you should follow the precepts to the best of your ability.
Following the precepts thus helps us not go down certain paths that typically lead to behavior that harms.
Honestly, I don’t spend enough, or any time, contemplating the precepts and perhaps I should. That is why I am excited to work my way through some of the points he raises in the book.
The precepts are often open to a certain degree of interpretation, but most would agree that the first precept looks something like this:
I will be mindful and reverential with all life,In short, do not do harm to other beings. The idea of not passing on pain and harm is where Rothenberg focuses his attention:
I will not be violent nor will I kill.
Avoid killing or harming any living being.
I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.
I shall endeavor to protect and take care of all living creatures.
The inner work with the first precept is to cultivate mindfulness and wisdom in relation to tendencies to harm ourselves and others and to cultivate lovingkindness as an antidote to hatred and aversion. We especially study the tendency to “pass on” the pain when we are in emotional or physical pain ourselves. As we shall explore, this compulsive and often unconscious reaction to pain constitutes “suffering.” We therefore examine, over and over again how, when we are in pain, we react with fear, anger, or blame and act in ways that we think will somehow alleviate pain.Reaction to pain causes suffering. When we are in pain, we react with fear, anger, or blame. The first precept says we should not harm others, so when we are in pain we should work on not passing it on.
One way to understand the precept’s centrality is to see how it guides us to respond to pain of any kind, (our own and others)- even if the pain was born of injustice and oppression- as much as possible without inflicting further pain on others or ourselves.
I have to say it again: Respond to pain of any kind, our own and others, even if the pain was born of injustice and oppression without inflicting further pain on others or ourselves.
Simple right? Not for me. I have a tendency to lash out against opposing view points and thus cause myself to get more frustrated and thus suffer more. Whether it is corporate capitalism, right-wing conservatives, or religious zealot, I have a hard time not rehashing the pain they cause me back onto them or myself.
I see this precept as a way for me to try and not regurgitate the pain they cause, by lashing out at them, but rather trying to step back and recognize how they make me feel and react, and trying to stop the cycle of pain.
February 25, 2009
Faithless
I was thrilled when I first heard that Sam Harris had written a rebuttal book in the form of a letter to all the angry Christians about his book The End of Faith. I was equally excited when said book arrived yesterday, but that is when my enthusiasm slowly turned to disappointment.
The book itself is a slim 90-page recap of all the arguments Harris made in The End of Faith. While I agree with nearly every single point he makes, I was let down that there was not much new material.
Having said that, although, Letter to a Christian Nation does not break new ground, Harris does an adept job of creating a nice little handbook for every atheist arguing the absurdity of religion. He says himself:
The book itself is a slim 90-page recap of all the arguments Harris made in The End of Faith. While I agree with nearly every single point he makes, I was let down that there was not much new material.
Having said that, although, Letter to a Christian Nation does not break new ground, Harris does an adept job of creating a nice little handbook for every atheist arguing the absurdity of religion. He says himself:The primary purpose of the book is to arm secularist in our society, who believe that religion should be kept out of public policy.I suppose one could say that Letter to a Christian Nation is a valuable because of its brevity not despite it. Harris makes several compelling arguments, my favorite being the following:
Consider: every devout Muslim has the same reasons for being a Muslim that you have for being a Christian. And yet you do not find their reasons compelling. The truth is, you know exactly what it is like to be an atheists with respect to the beliefs of Muslims. Understand that the way you feel about Islam is precisely the way devout Muslims view Christianity. And it is the way I view all religions.The rest of the book is littered with sharp nuggets like the following:
Faith is nothing more than the license religious people give one another to keep believing when reasons fail.In closing, books like Dawkin’s God Delusion and Harris’ own End of Faith are much more comprehensive arguments, but Letter to a Christian Nation is a nice read. I read it in one sitting and am happy that I did.
While believing strongly, without evidence, is considered a mark of madness or stupidity in any area of our lives, faith in God still holds immense prestige in our society.
January 9, 2009
You are Loved
The anger comes in waves. A slow powerful swell that leaves me raw and feeling useless. Then quick jabs. An uppercut. I am numb. The seeds of rage grow into sprouts of hate. It at this moment of the beating that I breathe. Stop.
I scroll through all the images. I read all the words. Starving children sit besides the corpses of their parents. I see Kaia standing there. My eyes flash open. It is too unbearable to imagine. I see her awash in a fear that is beyond the ability of any one person to endure, let alone a child. A lone child. Who will she become without the love of her parents? Watching them bleed away to nothing. Their murders ignored or branded as self-defense.
How did we get here? I push back the hatred. It is in my heart, just like yours that hatred grows. And it is here that we must fight it. Push it back with all our force. I will carry this anger only so far. My back aches with the weight of the world again. My heart goes to the oppressed everywhere they suffer the injustice of hate. But anger does no one any good.
Please do not take my words to mean that we should ignore the anger we feel when we see injustice. Just the opposite, we must acknowledge the anger, carry it a while and feel its weight, find its source. Let it soak into every fiber of our being, but from that soil we must transform it to love.
Love for our enemies, love for the monsters that kill children in their schools. Love for armies who ban medical help for the people they butcher. We must learn to love those that commit evil, because our hatred only fuels their crimes.
Terrified young men assault each other with missiles and bullets, because they were not able to defeat the hatred in their hearts. Broken men, brainwashed with the fantasies of older men follow orders because the fear in their hearts is too much to bear.
How else do you explain neighbors who kill each other’s children over such meaningless things as borders and gods? Lost in ancient stories, these men have forgotten how to create love and spread it to those who beg for it.
All I can do these dark nights is sit with my anger and prick myself wake from the numbness. There is light to shed in my heart still. I hope this light translates from these words and touches someone who may be reading. If not, if I am alone, I know that this light will not simply disappear into the universe. Perhaps somehow my thoughts will find there way to that little girl standing next to her dead mother. And they will simple say, “you are not alone. I am here in your heart. I love you. Let everything else go. You are loved.”
I scroll through all the images. I read all the words. Starving children sit besides the corpses of their parents. I see Kaia standing there. My eyes flash open. It is too unbearable to imagine. I see her awash in a fear that is beyond the ability of any one person to endure, let alone a child. A lone child. Who will she become without the love of her parents? Watching them bleed away to nothing. Their murders ignored or branded as self-defense.
How did we get here? I push back the hatred. It is in my heart, just like yours that hatred grows. And it is here that we must fight it. Push it back with all our force. I will carry this anger only so far. My back aches with the weight of the world again. My heart goes to the oppressed everywhere they suffer the injustice of hate. But anger does no one any good.
Please do not take my words to mean that we should ignore the anger we feel when we see injustice. Just the opposite, we must acknowledge the anger, carry it a while and feel its weight, find its source. Let it soak into every fiber of our being, but from that soil we must transform it to love.
Love for our enemies, love for the monsters that kill children in their schools. Love for armies who ban medical help for the people they butcher. We must learn to love those that commit evil, because our hatred only fuels their crimes.
Terrified young men assault each other with missiles and bullets, because they were not able to defeat the hatred in their hearts. Broken men, brainwashed with the fantasies of older men follow orders because the fear in their hearts is too much to bear.
How else do you explain neighbors who kill each other’s children over such meaningless things as borders and gods? Lost in ancient stories, these men have forgotten how to create love and spread it to those who beg for it.
All I can do these dark nights is sit with my anger and prick myself wake from the numbness. There is light to shed in my heart still. I hope this light translates from these words and touches someone who may be reading. If not, if I am alone, I know that this light will not simply disappear into the universe. Perhaps somehow my thoughts will find there way to that little girl standing next to her dead mother. And they will simple say, “you are not alone. I am here in your heart. I love you. Let everything else go. You are loved.”
January 7, 2009
Doubt is Humbling
A few night ago, I watched Religulous with Bill Maher, and I have been thinking about it ever since. I found a few clips on Youtube that epitomize the themes of the film, but like I always tell my students, one shouldn’t just post Youtube clips without any personal insight as to why the said clip is being shared.
The problem is that I am lazy and don’t really want to take the time to explain why I found this movie in general, and this clip in particular, so damn important. One could argue than, that I should just stew in my own reveries and leave the blog posts to more diligent and thoughtful writers. I can’t do that. I want to try and at least scribe a few paragraphs.
Now before all the religious types get worked up, let me say a few things: I see myself as a spiritual person. I believe that there is a force that runs through the universe and that there is some kind of karmic scale on which our actions are measured. I find myself occasionally in awe of the things that makes our amazing planet function in such a perfect and precise way.
Let me also say that I find the idea of Jesus as some kind beatnik rabble-rouser akin to John Lennon, spreading love and peace in his sandals in the desert very appealing. I love mysticism and the idea of the Gnostics, the Sufis, and what ever Jewish sect skews from orthodox scripture.
My problem is with the rigidity of faith. The idea that there is only one answer, one book, one faith, whatever that idea may be. It is this idea of one group holding all the answers that terrifies me. That is why I think that it is important for non-religious people to speak out and not be afraid of “offending” people. Our time has come to be heard or else we are forfeiting our freedoms, our ideas, our planet, and our future to, let’s be honest- irrational close-minded people.
In short, religion as it has been practiced and is being practiced today is dangerous, “because it allows human beings who don’t have all the answers, think that they do.” I agree with Maher when he says that rational freethinkers need to stand up and not be afraid to offend the faithful. They have steered this ship in the wrong direction for long enough, let us take over for a while.
Take a look at this clip and be sure to watch the film in its entirety it is worth your time.
I also came across this fun little clip about intolerance that I felt was a nice accompaniment to this post:
The problem is that I am lazy and don’t really want to take the time to explain why I found this movie in general, and this clip in particular, so damn important. One could argue than, that I should just stew in my own reveries and leave the blog posts to more diligent and thoughtful writers. I can’t do that. I want to try and at least scribe a few paragraphs.
Religion must die for mankind to liveThis is a hyperbolic statement, there is no doubt about that, but more and more I think people, myself included, are waking up and seeing that the myths in which we have ensconced ourselves are the main reasons why we are heading towards global extinction.
Now before all the religious types get worked up, let me say a few things: I see myself as a spiritual person. I believe that there is a force that runs through the universe and that there is some kind of karmic scale on which our actions are measured. I find myself occasionally in awe of the things that makes our amazing planet function in such a perfect and precise way.
Let me also say that I find the idea of Jesus as some kind beatnik rabble-rouser akin to John Lennon, spreading love and peace in his sandals in the desert very appealing. I love mysticism and the idea of the Gnostics, the Sufis, and what ever Jewish sect skews from orthodox scripture.
My problem is with the rigidity of faith. The idea that there is only one answer, one book, one faith, whatever that idea may be. It is this idea of one group holding all the answers that terrifies me. That is why I think that it is important for non-religious people to speak out and not be afraid of “offending” people. Our time has come to be heard or else we are forfeiting our freedoms, our ideas, our planet, and our future to, let’s be honest- irrational close-minded people.
In short, religion as it has been practiced and is being practiced today is dangerous, “because it allows human beings who don’t have all the answers, think that they do.” I agree with Maher when he says that rational freethinkers need to stand up and not be afraid to offend the faithful. They have steered this ship in the wrong direction for long enough, let us take over for a while.
Take a look at this clip and be sure to watch the film in its entirety it is worth your time.
I also came across this fun little clip about intolerance that I felt was a nice accompaniment to this post:
September 26, 2008
What if?
What if I am wrong about everything I hold to be true? What if a jealous, vindictive, masculine god really did create the world six thousands years ago in only six days? What if women shouldn’t have the right to choose and god really does hate the gays? What if blacks are only three-fifths human beings and ignorance and intolerance build strong communities teaming with family values? What if it does make sense to spend my tax dollars on endless war, Wall Street bailouts, and a police state? What if teaching to the status quo is what the world needs? What if I believed that my daughter should not worry about the planet but should spend more time on what she wears and buys? What if I thought that the American system is the best in the world and so we should keep the Mexicans on their side of the fence? What if I could be all I could be in an Army of one? What if I trusted homeland security, the police, and politicians? What if I believed in the market to regulate itself and had faith in corporations to be better stewards of the planet? What if human nature is base and greedy, and nothing will ever get better? What if Fox news really is balanced and the liberal media is trying to brainwash me? What if murdering animals and eating their flesh is what I was meant to do? What if competition builds character and cooperation stifles creativity? What if Milton Freedman was right and Naomi Klein is dead wrong? What if torture works and Guantanimo is not a shameful insult to human rights everywhere? What if the third world is lazy and corrupt and lucky have us buy their water supplies? What if colonialism is in the past and Globalization the future? What if the world really is flat? What if teaching to the test and grubbing for grades really does help students learn? What if a meaningless degree and a 4.0 is better than life experience and travel? What if we should have guns, panic rooms, and brainwash ourselves in sub-divisions? What if power wasn’t meant for the people? What if there is a heaven and a hell? What if anybody even cares?
June 21, 2007
Book Review: The God Delusion
I am sitting in the ey of the hurricane. For some strange reason, although I have written several posts about the chaos of my life right now, I find myself sitting alone in a brightly lit condo (some friends are letting us stay here while they travel the country and our house is in disarray), I am surfing the net on their Macbook and have found some Cat Stevens on their iTunes, downstairs another friend has lent us the use of her LandRover to do our last minute errands, and I am on baby duty while my wife is at our house packing her bags for the summer. I have the afternoon shift at the house, backing up our files, sorting out the office, and getting things ready for the movers who are now coming on Saturday.
So in the meantime, I have a book to quickly review before the little one wakes from her morning nap.
The first, I discovered after reading The End of Faith by Sam Harris. Richard Dawkins is apparently a pretty big name in the atheists, evolution, scientific circles. He was named one of the worlds top intellectuals aside Chomsky and some some guy named Umberto Eco, I didn’t know who he was, but I was intrigued to read his book The God Delusion.
At times I found the book a bit meandering and pedantic, other times I found it childish and immature, but overall I think it is an important book for people to read, unfortunately I do not think the people who would get the most form this book will ever read it. The people I am referring to are people who refuse to examine evidence, test their values, or challenge their beliefs. Yes, I am talking about the religious faithful, both fundamentalist and moderates.
I wish I had time to fully express my thoughts upon reading this book, but now is not the time. I simply want to write a quick overview of the book and recommend it to my readers. I guess if I had to sum up Dawkins’ thesis in one sentence it would look like this: There are many things that science cannot explain, but there is no reason to fill these gaps with the concept of a creationist god who spends his time watching us from atop his perch. Dawkins urges us to remain patient and allow for human knowledge to grow and realize that we will eventually uncover more and more of the universe’s secrets.
As mentioned earlier, this book is preaching to the choir, because people who believe in science, reason, evidence, and open-mindedness already understanding and practice much of what Dawkins is saying. The people who accept dogma on faith alone, people who simply refuse to look at evidence and stick tight to the faith they were taught as children are the one who will never read this book, although I would love to hear what they have to say if they do.
I hope this posts does not sound like an attack, although I am aware of the tone in which I am writing. If you are religious, I am curious what your thoughts are on books like this. So please read it and let me know. I also hope that this topic/thread can be explored further in later posts.
I feel that there is a growing atheists movement worldwide, well maybe not in the states or the Muslim world, but we are getting closer to a more secular world. I think that like all things in the universe we are evolving and that perhaps sometime, not in my lifetime, we can outgrow our need to be under god’s watchful eye. Maybe we will realize that we have enough, we are enough, that this is the universe in which we live and it is perfect. We can abandon these ideas of sin and guilt and domination of the earth, and we can focus on the task at hand-living our lives in peace!
The question many people may ask is why not just live and let live? What do I care what people choose to believe. The problem as Dawkins explains it, and I agree with him, is that most religious people are not satisfied with believing their bizarre beliefs on their own, they choose to make the rest of us live under their ideas of fear and guilt and redemption. They feel the need to save us, from a hell we refuse to believe in. As an Iranian-American I have seen both by country of birth and my second home ruined by religion. I wish I could take my daughter to Iran and show her the beauty of the land and her ancestors can offer her, but because of obscure thirteenth century laws, the country of my birth is shroud in fear and misogyny. And for Americans out there shaking your heads at the backwardness of my Iranian brethren, I urge you to look into your own religious mirror and see that the rest of the world is casually throwing around terms like the American Taliban to describe America’s disproportionatality when it comes to matters faith. I try and believe in a world where neither Iran nor America is weighed down by religion.
But back to Dawkins’ book. I recommend it to any one who wants to take a closer look at reasons that will help you reconsider your belief in an omniscient God and the affects this type of faith can have on the rest of the world. The problem with faith is that people tend to think that "It is better to persist in an irrational belief than to vacillate, even if new evidence or rationality favours change."
I could go on forever about this topic, but I feel that my daughter could wake up at any moment, and we have a slew of errands to run. I will end with this post with a random list of new commandments that Dawkins claims to have found on the Internet that may be useful to a non-religious world. Contrary to what many people of faith believe, morality is not solely under their jurisdiction. That is one of Dawkins’ main points- Morality is a natural human trait and we do not need to fear of a vengeful overpowering god, nor do we need the love of a savior. We can be “good” and moral simply because that is what human beings are meant to be. Here are the commandments:
So in the meantime, I have a book to quickly review before the little one wakes from her morning nap.
The first, I discovered after reading The End of Faith by Sam Harris. Richard Dawkins is apparently a pretty big name in the atheists, evolution, scientific circles. He was named one of the worlds top intellectuals aside Chomsky and some some guy named Umberto Eco, I didn’t know who he was, but I was intrigued to read his book The God Delusion.
At times I found the book a bit meandering and pedantic, other times I found it childish and immature, but overall I think it is an important book for people to read, unfortunately I do not think the people who would get the most form this book will ever read it. The people I am referring to are people who refuse to examine evidence, test their values, or challenge their beliefs. Yes, I am talking about the religious faithful, both fundamentalist and moderates.I wish I had time to fully express my thoughts upon reading this book, but now is not the time. I simply want to write a quick overview of the book and recommend it to my readers. I guess if I had to sum up Dawkins’ thesis in one sentence it would look like this: There are many things that science cannot explain, but there is no reason to fill these gaps with the concept of a creationist god who spends his time watching us from atop his perch. Dawkins urges us to remain patient and allow for human knowledge to grow and realize that we will eventually uncover more and more of the universe’s secrets.
As mentioned earlier, this book is preaching to the choir, because people who believe in science, reason, evidence, and open-mindedness already understanding and practice much of what Dawkins is saying. The people who accept dogma on faith alone, people who simply refuse to look at evidence and stick tight to the faith they were taught as children are the one who will never read this book, although I would love to hear what they have to say if they do.
I hope this posts does not sound like an attack, although I am aware of the tone in which I am writing. If you are religious, I am curious what your thoughts are on books like this. So please read it and let me know. I also hope that this topic/thread can be explored further in later posts.
I feel that there is a growing atheists movement worldwide, well maybe not in the states or the Muslim world, but we are getting closer to a more secular world. I think that like all things in the universe we are evolving and that perhaps sometime, not in my lifetime, we can outgrow our need to be under god’s watchful eye. Maybe we will realize that we have enough, we are enough, that this is the universe in which we live and it is perfect. We can abandon these ideas of sin and guilt and domination of the earth, and we can focus on the task at hand-living our lives in peace!
The question many people may ask is why not just live and let live? What do I care what people choose to believe. The problem as Dawkins explains it, and I agree with him, is that most religious people are not satisfied with believing their bizarre beliefs on their own, they choose to make the rest of us live under their ideas of fear and guilt and redemption. They feel the need to save us, from a hell we refuse to believe in. As an Iranian-American I have seen both by country of birth and my second home ruined by religion. I wish I could take my daughter to Iran and show her the beauty of the land and her ancestors can offer her, but because of obscure thirteenth century laws, the country of my birth is shroud in fear and misogyny. And for Americans out there shaking your heads at the backwardness of my Iranian brethren, I urge you to look into your own religious mirror and see that the rest of the world is casually throwing around terms like the American Taliban to describe America’s disproportionatality when it comes to matters faith. I try and believe in a world where neither Iran nor America is weighed down by religion.
But back to Dawkins’ book. I recommend it to any one who wants to take a closer look at reasons that will help you reconsider your belief in an omniscient God and the affects this type of faith can have on the rest of the world. The problem with faith is that people tend to think that "It is better to persist in an irrational belief than to vacillate, even if new evidence or rationality favours change."
I could go on forever about this topic, but I feel that my daughter could wake up at any moment, and we have a slew of errands to run. I will end with this post with a random list of new commandments that Dawkins claims to have found on the Internet that may be useful to a non-religious world. Contrary to what many people of faith believe, morality is not solely under their jurisdiction. That is one of Dawkins’ main points- Morality is a natural human trait and we do not need to fear of a vengeful overpowering god, nor do we need the love of a savior. We can be “good” and moral simply because that is what human beings are meant to be. Here are the commandments:
- Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.
- In all things, strive to cause no harm
- Treat your fellow human beings, your fellow living things, and the world in general with love, honesty, faithfulness, and respect
- Live life with a sense of joy and wonder
- Always seek to be learning something new
- Test all things; always check your ideas against the facts, and be ready to discard even a cherished belief if it does not conform to them
- Never seek to censor or cut yourself off from dissent; always respect the right of others to disagree with you
- Form independent opinions on the basis of your own reason and experience; do not allow yourself to be led blindly by others
- Question everything
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