The Christian Right is Neither...
On Saturday morning I discovered that Satan had selected me. It was a surprise, not because I shouldn't be in Hell, but because Satan so easily saw right through this Wizened Wizard cloak and into my black heart.
It's always been my belief that this life is all there is - or, rather, that when we die, we go back where we were before our moment of birth. (Remember what it was like? Yeah, me too.) Of course Satan's post has me re-thinking my assumption.
There have always been people willing to spend lots of time and energy selling the concept of heavenly life everlasting. Pat Robertson is probably talking with God at this very moment, and he and Billy Graham and Jim Bakker and countless others (whose names escape me because I am in the habit of changing the channel) are eagerly awaiting the happy day when they'll trade in their earthly existence for a spot playing first harp on a cloud overlooking the rest of us poor suckers living "down here" on mortal earth. When I think of eternally rubbing elbows with this current fundamentalist, conservative, self-righteous lot, "heaven" and the time-honored concept of "hell" seem to have swapped definitions. The refrigerator magnet I received from my son for Christmas says it all:
There are fine people of all religious stripes, but they don't see things in the recently popular black and white absolutist shades. Many folks do pattern their lives after the teachings of Jesus or Buddha or Brahman or Allah, and many find comfort in religion, and that's fine. I just don't, and not because I have some strong Satanic leaning, but because I'm an agnostic: I believe that God is unknowable. As Iris DeMent sings:
Everybody's wonderin' what and where they all came from.
Everybody's worryin' 'bout where they're gonna go when the whole thing's done.
But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.
My "born again" acquaintances look at me with feigned sadness: I will not be joining them in their hereafter. And you know what? I don't want to. Hell no.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
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21 comments:
I read Satan's comment in the Book Quiz post. Before he decides to "gather" this particular wizard, he might well read the words to "Devil & The Farmer's Wife" (Child #287 for those who are so inclined). One verse reads,
"I brought your wife back
And I hope she's well,
If I'd kept her longer
She'd have torn up Hell
Fi-di-fiddle-I-day
Fiddle-I-diddle-I day"
Fair warning.
Well said, Wizard, well said. I believe it ok for someone to believe in a power greater than one's own and have a "personal" relationship with whom ever they think holy. But I prefer they keep it to themselves, as I do.
Wizard,
Just want to make a comment, not to convert, but give you a view you may not have thougth of-- what if you are acting like the perfect "christian" except for the Jesus thing? You know, feed the hungry, help others, respect the earth all the stuff that Jesus guy told us to do. And what if, because of that you find yourself in an afterlife? Would you be disapointed? I hope not :) because some of us christian people think you so called non believers, who set a better example than us believers, may wind up in the same place as us when this is all done. (to spite what some of our Christian fiends-- note the word-- may think)
Bravo!
I believe in the basic principles of christianity insofar as they do not conflict with a pleasurable life of sin!
Jesus was a tree hugging hippie freeloader.
When the pharisees said, "A glutton, a drunkard a friend of tax gathers and sinners!" Ibelieve they were describing the man as the hippie he was...
Found you through Pepper. What a wonderful blog you've created. I'll be back.
I'm 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'.
I spent some time on your blogs and really enjoy the nature stuff and photography. I envy the country life and will be reading more.
Amen Sister!!!!
And another thing. I see churches that must have cost a million or more dollars to build and I think to myself how that money could have been spent on something better.
Jesus protect me from your followers.
Citymouse -
No, I wouldn't be disappointed to find myself in an after-life with the truly "good" Christians (although please don't make me play a harp and sit on a damned cloud for all eternity). But this "heaven" would also contain Jews and Muslims and Hindus and Animists and agnostics and even atheists - as well as my animal friends.
wizard--- agreed :) oh no harps, I hate harp music so that wouldnt be my heaven
Make me an angel
That flies from montgomery
Make me a poster
Of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing
That I can hold on to
To believe in this livin
Is just a hard way to go
Wizard, coming from a family full of fundamentalist nut jobs I know exactly where you are coming from. I believe in what Jesus taught but think that most "Christians" today have forgotten those lessons. That's why I don't go to church. BTW speaking of playing harps on a cloud, have you ever read Mark Twain's Letters From the Earth? I highly recommend it. It's right up your alley.
Ah yes, Whim, it was many years ago, but I have read Letters From the Earth. And yes, I did enjoy it. More recently I have heard Randy Newman's musical, Faust - surely not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. (James Taylor sings "God", Randy is the devil, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt are also featured).
I left you a rather long message a while ago, but for some reason it didn't seem to post...Let me try to express my thoughts again, in a more shortened version.
As I have stated in my own previous blogs how I feel about "religion" and "christianity" I too get highly annoyed by them, and I am a believer...BUT, I have my own beliefs and strongly disagree with the way they conduct themselves and look down their noses and tsk.
I enjoy drinking (wine), dancing, I sometimes cuss, and (God forbid) make mistakes, all things that christians are opposed to.
I can say that I am very happy to have made your acquaintance from our community and I also agree that our "heaven" should be minus puffy clouds, but with lots of people of all different races, creeds, and beliefs!
Sounds like I'll have to check out Faust.
LOL A rousing AMEN SISTER to that sentiment! Found ya, of course, via Dirk, Meander, & Whim.
hey, hopefully i can finally comment.
i've been trying for a couple of days.
it's the oddest thing. every once in a while the visuals (the letters) for word verification do not show up one some blogs for me which hinders me from blogging.
can't remember what i tried to say before ...
but i basically feel the same way you do. and i love that magnet.
Just droppin by to say thank you for making a Princess happy on her special day.
We had a simple celebration, but you guys made it special.
Thank you.
Wait a minute folks...
Enough of the hippie love fest here.
Wouldn't it be a lot more fun for lthe majority of us if we declare the wizard a heretic and a witch and held a good old fashioned burning?
C'mon, she talks to animals...
She is anti christians...
She hangs around that Dirk_Star guy...
That's reason enough to burn anyone!
Let's hear it, "Burn the witch!"
This message was paid for by the citizens for weekend burnings.
A non-prophet organization.
I'm melting!! I'm melting!!! Aaaaarrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh!!! I'm mel.. Wait a minute. Mistaken identity - I'm a WIZARD, not a witch...
Careful, Dirk, or you'll be Star-struck...
...grumble grump grumble friggin' neo-con babbling grumble idjit grump from a friend no less grumble grump...
Aw shucks...
I was only trying to have a little fun and now you've gone and toasted my hair all frizzy.
Don't forget to root my Ohio State Buckeyes home to victory tonight!
Dear wizard:
Please aim your superior skills of mystification at the Florida Gators.
They are evil and mean to small woodland animals.
Sometimes they kick gnomes, and not in a fun way either.
Buckeyes are lovely objects and are considered to be lucky charms to gnomes.
Thank you for casting whatever hinderances you are able to in front of the Gators.
P.S.
You don't have to watch the game on television, I have supreme confidence in your rooting abilities.
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