Religion

I believe in God. Or better yet a Supreme Being(s) or Higher Power. There has to be something more powerful and more intelligent than the Human Race. I prefer to use the word God for this being or beings. God is the word that I am comfortable in using.

I consider myself to be a spiritual person. I am not a religious person. Religious people go to church. The only time that you’ll see me in a church is for a funeral or a wedding. I’m a non-believer in organized religion. I do not need another person telling me about my human failings (and I have plenty of them). I do not need anyone to tell me that I must atone for my sins (and I have plenty of them). I judge not others and prefer that they judge not me.

I was born into the Catholic Church. But, I could have been born into any other religion and I would feel the same way about religion as I do now. “Religion is the opiate of the masses” is one of the few things that Karl Marx (or was it Groucho Marx – I occasionally get the two mixed up – one had a beard and the other a painted-on mustache) wrote that I readily agree with. Marx wrote “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions.”

I rarely pray. Why? Because, I know, if there is this all powerful being “up there” he’s too busy to listen to my petty prayers. He has billions of people on Earth praying to him daily. Not to mention the possibility of several other planets that may be inhabited in our Universe. These people must also be praying to him.

Praying to God just doesn’t work; he’s too busy with other stuff (like preventing a Super Nova).

I have a friend that prays to Saint Jude, who is the Patron Saint of lost causes and desperate situations. He’s says that he gets a 50% positive response to his prayers. So I figure that if I pray to anyone it will be Saint Jude, as my life is a "hopeless cause" Either that or I will pray to some tangible human being that I know can get the job done.

In the past it would have been John Wayne, now it is Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson. These are guys that can the job done (at least in the movies) and I have about a 50% chance that my prayers will be answered (as long as I don’t ask for something dumb, like winning the Lotto), about the same odds as praying to Saint Jude 50/50.

Where is this all going? I have been nurtured in to my beliefs about religion. Partially from what was thrust upon me as a child (this is our beliefs – so this is what you will believe). And partly because I had an inquiring mind that wouldn’t accept the bullshit that was being preached to me.

I don’t knock anyone’s religious beliefs. You can believe anything that you desire, as long as to don’t try to push your Religious beliefs on me.

The Beach Bum