Question Everything

It's been a while since I have last posted anything on this blog. To any of those curious, I'm a born again Christian. Haha! Just kidding. Nope, still Religion-Free and continuing to enjoying every minute of it.

It's quite different being an outsider of friends of family who are devout in their own sects or religion. I'm actually going to be the best man at my friends wedding and the ceremony will take place in a Roman Catholic Church. Oh how the religion tries to reel me back in by using my friend as a scapegoat. I told my friend I'm no longer practice nor do I follow any religion. Like a true friend, he still asked me to be his best man at his wedding.

It's been a good four years since I've stepped in a church. The last time I was in a church, I was at my niece's baptism. Under the influence of my mother, who is a devout Roman Catholic, she some how convinced my sister to have her daughter baptized. I don't know if it was forceful or out of parental shame, but my sister eventually caved in. My sister isn't religious, but she would quite say that she divorces the idea of religion. I only know this, because when I told her about my religious stance, she could not even think about turning off the God machine in her head. I'm not one to convince or to create an argument so we just left the conversation at that. It has not come up any time after the fact.

I still haven't come clean with my mother about my choice to stay far, far way from religion. I'm pretty sure she suspects something. I don't do the sign of the cross when we're at a family gathering saying grace. I do however will bow my head if a moment of silence is called upon. I just use the time to honour the memories of friends and family. Other than that, my mother has never approached me about my blasphemous ways. I'm sure my father suspects. He and I have very interesting discussions that often lead into either scientific or theological debates. I remember one time he made a comment stating "You know you sound like a humanist." When I was trying to explain to him my ideas of how common sense and social norms came about. This will be another topic to discuss for sure.

If I were to sum up my experience without god thus far, I would say that I'm mentally free in my decision making. What do I mean by that? Think about all the times you've found yourself with a problem. Do you pray for divine help or do you take it upon yourself to look for ways to solve the issue? I find that if you pray for divine help, you're pretty much taking it upon yourself to solve the issue yourself by sugar coating it with a  supernatural element to it.

Let's Pray: The Curse Word

When the religious say, "Let's pray[...]" where the ellipse range from "for something" or "it will never happen" do they really understand what they are asking? This casts doubt on one's ability and throw caution into the wind as if one wishes to be held by the hand rather than command their own life.

When the phrase "Let's pray[...]" ever enters the vocabulary of a person, they are bound by the limitless connotations of doubt. It is the curse word they use upon those who have a firm belief that they themselves and others are incapable of living without the direction of the "observing almighty".

The massive earthquakes in Haiti and Chile indefinitely brings on this curse word: "Let's pray[...]". Here are other words that could have been used in lieu of "Let's Pray":

"Let's help"

"Let's do something about it!"

"Let's raise awareness"

"Let's aid them in their time of suffering"

Simple communal good thoughts through "Let's pray" do nothing to help those in need. This is not to say that good thoughts are a bad thing, but "praying" and feeling a sense of accomplishment that your good thoughts have reached the whimsical ears of "almighty omniscient" does nothing.

This is not an argument.

It's a fact.

Praying does nothing but make small minds cope with their non-action towards other humans who are in need.

Alright, let's say you (religious) helped and you say to yourself, "Hey, I've done my part in helping a prayer to God should be in order."

I say "No"

You ask "Why?"

I say "Humanity needs to realize the efforts and actions of one and all proves prayer is utterly useless - not to mention highly illogical when aid is needed. Your god will not help in time of need. Humanity helping humanity is greater than the efforts you believe your god will ever do."

Give credit where it is due, not where you believe.

Heaven Sounds Like a Boring Place to Hype Up

"Welcome to Heaven, where your soul will be spending all eternity."

The Kingdom of God. A title like that should boast some profound imagery into some individuals. To me, well, I find it a mediocre title.

No one exactly knows what happens after death, but there are those - predominantly the religious - who claim otherwise. I often play on the philosophy if you haven't experienced it don't bother explaining it, but then again, I never had buttsex and that's easy to explain. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you aren't able to observe or examine it, then don't bother. If there is some sort of technology to examine the soul or spirit, then I would throw out those claims, but as far as I'm concerned, there is no soul nor spirit. There are those have a lot of spirit in them, but that's just a personification of their actions and not what they have in them.

Why hype yourself up on something that may not happen. Ever since humanity has domesticated itself, the hype of life after death has been programmed to be passed on to other generations. I don't care if its been 2000 years since the Christians have hyped up their afterlife or about 1400 years for the Islamic; the hype is just a hype and nothing else.

Then again, why hype yourself on something that may happen? Have you ever had an experience where a friend of colleague gave you high ambitions to attend an event or a place, but when you get there you realize it was all for naught? Who knows, maybe heaven will be a place in the clouds where people play shuffle board. You can't eat and you can't drink, because face it you're a spirit now and what you were used to on Earth is no longer necessary in Heaven. Discovering and examining would no longer be necessary, because everything is already explained. Well, if God couldn't explain to us why we're here on Earth, then he'll have all eternity in heaven with no breaks in between. God is going to be like that uncle who never shuts up in a group conversation. The Islamic's have it great with their 70 virgins claim for afterlife, but then again it's also a hype and there's no other explanation on what kinds of virgins they'll get - maybe infidel virgins? Let's see the Jihadist wag their dicks at that.

Yes, there are those in the world who live a short life - due to disease or genetics - and it seems very natural to ease one's sorrow with thoughts of another life for others and oneself, but when it comes down to it this is the only life. Short, long or agonizing, this life is the only one.

I'll end off with this video clip from the Colbert Report where Steven Colbert interviews an Anglican Bishop about Heaven [Phase 1] and Earth 2.0 which got me riled up about this heaven business.

We Trust, In Bob

The Chicago Suntimes reports Steve Kreuscher changed his name to the most familiar used phrase on American Currency.

"I didn't want to use my own money because things are tight," said the father of four. "Three weeks later, I got my (tax) rebate check for $600."

Last time I checked, Steve, tax rebates are your own money. As a father of four you could have used that money towards your children - if they are still dependent - or temporarily alleviate your monetary shortcomings.

"There are billions of artists out there. If you don't do something to stand out in the crowd the world won't recognize you," We Trust said.

You could have just called yourself God, Lord of the Cosmos, but I guess you had to rip off someone else's work. Very Piccasso of you.

Sex from God

Sex is good for a loving relationship you say? Is this some sort of revelation from god? *gasp* I dare not say for I shall be shunned! Where the hell did the media scrape these people off this world? Oh right, America.

Makes you wonder what the hell Pastor Wirth and his wife did prior and during their marriage, don't it? The other guy is much more of an idiot. "Uh.. yeah there was this book [about this thick - Zing!]about having a good marriage, but hey, you know the Pastor had a simpler solution." You can tell his thinks the report is stupid. WTF! It's called sex people! It's not rocket science!... Well rocket science if you know what I mean eh? Eh? *ahem* But that's besides the point!

Just watch these people talk as if they found the holy grail:



Holy Shit: Shit Holier than Thou is a new segment brought to you by Religion-Free. News that makes you go "HOLY SHIT!"

My Father

When I speak of my father, I don't mean some imaginary being who keeps tabs and surveillance on me 24/7. I am talking about my real father. My Earthly, tangible and living father. He was born and raised Roman Catholic in the Philippines.

Before I became religion-free, I constantly asked my father about our religion. The one thing I noticed was his cohesion with science and religion. He is no scientist, but there are some things he melds with science and religion. For example, I asked him about Genesis and the origin of the universe; did he believe the world was created in seven days? The simple answer would be no. The more complex answer he would give me is this:

The world was created in seven days, but God's perception of days is much different from ours. We live within a 24 hour clock. God is eternal and therefore a day may be millions if not billions of years to God.

I showed him videos of the Creationist museum in the United States. He was pissed. He told me that those Christians are nutcases and they have no idea when they are talking about. I agreed with him. It's too bad he's stuck with the same belief's as them.

Another question I would ask him was, does he believe in Adam and Eve? The simple answer is Yes. The more complex answer is this:

God created man and woman. When he damned them to live on Earth their genes were not as simple as you or I have in our blood. Instead the were blessed with complex genes that allowed humanity to flourish from just one man and one woman. [ I don't get how vindictive God can be to damn two people and have the future generations to suffer for their loss]

I tended to agree with him in his mythological logic. However looking back at it now, I find no basis to believe any of it.

My father is a person who lives an old-world mentality. He harbours when he has learned in the past and refuses to accept future views.

My father is homophobic. I've realized that my father is an extremely homophobic person. When Toronto was passing legislature to allow gay marriage he would often yell at the television about how it was wrong to be gay. His response about gays are the same as every homophobic, "As long as they don't bother me, I don't give a fuck what they do." I never understood why he would be so against something that is obviously natural. I guess it's because he's a baby boomer. In those years it was impossible for those to be freely gay in public. For those who chanced being openly gay were condemned by society. My view is a lot different from his. I honestly don't find anything wrong with gay marriage and the gay community. I never really believed in forcing upon something that isn't possible. You can't "ungay" [if that isn't a word, then I made it up] a person. From my observations as a child growing up with a gay aunt and with gay friends I firmly believe people are born gay. It is definitely not a choice. Any hormonal analysis will prove my point.

My father is militant against other religions. Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Mormons and Baptists are on his hit-list. More recently he has been very ignorant towards my brother-in-laws Gnostic family. If any people from those religious beliefs say anything that goes against his faith (i.e. virgin birth analysis, holy communion, etc) he will hold a personal grudge. I remember on several accounts my father would constantly tell me how one person blasphemed the Catholic doctrine. Often he would tell me how he would like to slap those people across the head. I often wonder what would happen if I told him I was Religion-free and don't believe in god and Jesus. I would be disowned and he would never talk to me. I often worry that I will never come to terms with him, because he would be dead and the moment of reconciliation will never come. I will never change my belief in a no god philosophy. I have followed the path of believing in a God and it's brought me nothing but headache and false hopes. He will never understand what I am going through and don't expect him to, but I will hold off telling him the truth; as he is already living his life through a lie.