gonzai | Entries tagged with religion

The first thing I heard today (other than CJ whining) was that the Pope quit. Hmmm. Next scandal drops in 5...4...3...

I've had a reaction to that I've had to keep bottled up today because one of the attorneys in the office is such a staunch Catholic that he thinks the child molestation scandal was created by the media to discredit the church. Rriiiiiggghhhtt.

Anyway...

( Cut in case there's any Catholics like my co-worker around here )

Current Mood: pleased
Current Location: home
Current Music: Little Green Cars, 'The John Wayne'

At least, off from the internet, for the most part. I had today off of work (Happy Rosh Hashanah, as applicable) so I took Mom to a Senior Day Center to see what she thought. We were greeted by a dog named Buttercup. I consider that a good sign. Mom thinks it's too expensive, but my brother doesn't, so I'll let him convince her she can afford it. Then lunch at a new sandwich shop, Potbelly's. I think it's a chain. Decent sandwich though, and Mom was happy with hers.

Rest of the day was TV and computer games, as I caught up with nearly everything on the DVR and finally watched last year's 'Whitechapel'. I put that off because series 2 did nothing for me; turns out series 3 was much, much better. I'm taking '2001: A Space Odyssey' a chunk at a time, because I've tried and failed to watch it a few times already. I liked the 'trio' episode of Leverage much more than the rest of this season, and Mom actually liked it, first time in years she's liked the show. Maybe we have our new direction - just let Elliott, Hardison and Parker be the show. Fine with me. I enjoyed Doctor Who, esp. the conversations with the horse. Big surprise, right? We also watched Bill Maher, who I think properly summed up recent events thusly: "Some crazy Christians pretending to be crazy Jews riled up a bunch of crazy Muslims, so Mitt Romney could prove Mormons are even crazier."

Sunday, I was a party host. Can't remember the last time I tried that. But 4 of my gaming friends came over for the 'game', that being Ravens/Eagles, of course. We had an Eagles fan. I seated him near the door and we took turns reminding him we could easily toss him out of it. But he had the last laugh, dammit. But we had a grand time other than the final score, and a couple people stayed after and we played board games until late. I had to let CJ out eventually, but she was nice to the strangers! Total relief, that. The whole thing must have gone well, because the last folks out said we should do this again. My back isn't so sure about that, I'm a hurting pup today (presumably from moving around the furniture) but otherwise, yeah, gamers at the game, why not?

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Location: home
Current Music: Major Crimes

OK, so there's a kerfuffle amongst Republicans and pundits about this Pastor Jeffress calling Mormonism a cult at a Republican summit. But what amused me was something else Jeffress said.

"Do we want a candidate who is a good, moral person — or one who is a born-again follower of the lord Jesus Christ?”

Note that lovely little 'or' in his statement. Changes the meaning just a little bit, to something I suspect would mortify the pastor. See, by using 'or', his statement now says that you can be a born-again Christian, OR you can be a good person. Using 'or' means you can't be both. Somehow I don't think that's what he meant, but I snicker at him all the same.

Current Mood: angry
Current Location: work
Current Music: David Bowie, 'Ziggy Stardust'

Er...maybe.

( Beverage warning! )

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: work
Current Music: REM, 'Endgame'

"I have been part of this debate for years, but things do get settled and this issue is now settled for me. I do not debate any longer with members of the "Flat Earth Society" either. I do not debate with people who think we should treat epilepsy by casting demons out of the epileptic person; I do not waste time engaging those medical opinions that suggest that bleeding the patient might release the infection. I do not converse with people who think that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans as punishment for the sin of being the birthplace of Ellen DeGeneres or that the terrorists hit the United Sates on 9/11 because we tolerated homosexual people, abortions, feminism or the American Civil Liberties Union. I am tired of being embarrassed by so much of my church's participation in causes that are quite unworthy of the Christ I serve or the God whose mystery and wonder I appreciate more each day. Indeed I feel the Christian Church should not only apologize, but do public penance for the way we have treated people of color, women, adherents of other religions and those we designated heretics, as well as gay and lesbian people. Life moves on. As the poet James Russell Lowell once put it more than a century ago: "New occasions teach new duties, Time makes ancient good uncouth." I am ready now to claim the victory. I will from now on assume it and live into it.

I am unwilling to argue about it or to discuss it as if there are two equally valid, competing positions any longer. The day for that mentality has simply gone forever. This is my manifesto and my creed. I proclaim it today. I invite others to join me in this public declaration. I believe that such a public outpouring will help cleanse both the church and this nation of its own distorting past. It will restore integrity and honor to both church and state. It will signal that a new day has dawned and we are ready not just to embrace it, but also to rejoice in it and to celebrate it," - Bishop John Shelby Spong.

Current Mood: impressed
Current Location: work
Current Music: Camera Obscura, 'French Navy'

( The Onion got a hold of the Catholic molestation scandal...perhaps I should rephrase that. )

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: work
Current Music: Calexico, 'Quattro'

Over the last couple of days, I have continued to ponder the ( polling call )I received. And I'm getting more and more angry about it. The incomptetent pollster and lousy poll questions aren't what's bugging me; I'm perturbed about the religion question. Besides it not really belonging in such a poll, the whole thing about the ONLY possible answers being "Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, refused to answer" is galling me. There are plenty of answers other than those 3 that are not 'refusing to answer'. Even just an 'other' category would resolve the issue, but they wouldn't put one in there. And it makes me feel that this candidate, since he must have approved this poll, doesn't give a damn about anyone in the county who doesn't fit those 3 categories. Probably throwing out answers by anyone not in those 3 categories. And I wonder, if Baltimore County didn't have a significant Jewish population - which happens to include his opponent - would Jewish have been option? He's definitely convinced me to vote for his opponent, I just wonder if my irritation is irrational and if it isn't, if this poll/candidate should be called out on it.

Current Mood: aggravated
Current Location: work
Current Music: They Might Be Giants, 'Mesopotamians'

( Ranting )
( Catholic Church Gives DC an Ultimatum )

Current Mood: angry
Current Location: work
Current Music: Phoenix, '1901'

As I seem to be hijacking

terri_osborne's LJ with this, let me properly return the subject to mine.

I am, and have been since around the age of 8, an atheist. While there are many reasons why I became an atheist, there is one huge reason why I stay that way. And that is wanting to stay as far away as possible from organized religions and even more importantly, their dedicated adherents.

The news is full of reasons to avoid organized religion, just today.

( Pakistani university bombed )

( Delaware diocese files bankruptcy to avoid child abuse trial )

And today's grand champion, WTF category (and a front page piece in the Washington Post):
( There aren't words to properly describe this article )

I wouldn't have known where to begin with the last one, except that among other things, this ninny singles out dog walkers - dog-walkers - as one of the primary threats to religion and America. Do I laugh or cry, that is the question...

Current Mood: pissed off
Current Location: work
Current Music: Kasey Chambers, 'Brick Walls & Barricades'

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