religion and politics

The things we are not supposed to talk about: religion and politics. Today, I pick religion!

After a week of wakes and funerals, I was once again obligated to go to church. I was raised Catholic, but haven’t considered myself a Catholic for a very long time.

I have my own beliefs which include: all organized religion is malarkey, the bible is a work of fiction, and Jesus and Joseph Smith were either schizophrenic or cunning as foxes.

Lately, every time I go to church, it confirms my decision to no longer be Catholic/Christian/religious. At the funeral I went to this week, the priest went on and on about suffering and service. It seems as though, the more suffering you do, and the more you attend to others’ happiness rather than your own; the closer to God you become.

I call BULLSHIT. IF there is a God or Higher Power, she wants everyone to be happy and to live one hell of a life.

I came home and was telling Ignacio how bothered I was about how the priest was saying that by suffering so much, this person was now closer to God. I also mentioned how anytime I have ever heard a scripture in church; it was never a happy story. It was always a story about some bad shit that happened to some good person. Ignacio then went on to tell me the story of Job. Now that is another great example of bad shit happening to a good dude in the bible. My knowledge of the bible is, ummm, non-existent, but I just don’t ever remember going to church and hearing a happy story.

an example of the miracle the life

I just can’t buy into organized religion. Every religion thinks that theirs is the right one. Really? Everyone can’t be right. And, there is just so much other nonsense that I don’t even have the desire to write about with regards to organized religion. Why can’t everyone just join the “be deliriously happy and be nice to people” religion?


an example of 'love thy neighbor'

 All I could think of while I listening to the priest talk about ‘suffering and service’ and becoming ‘closer to God’ is: WRONG! And then that got me thinking of the other thing I hear often. When someone is going through a bunch of crap, someone brilliant will say, “You know, God only gives you what you can handle. God knows you are so strong and can handle all of this.” Here I go again, but I call BULLSHIT! The Higher Power/God/The Universe doesn’t want anyone to suffer. You know what she wants? She wants you to be freaking happy and to be a good person. And by the way, if someone said that crap to me, I’d punch ‘em.

When I die, I certainly don’t want a religious service or ceremony. But, whoever is doing the talking about my life, I want that person to be able to say, “That bitch lived!”