Happy Easter!
I’m one of those Atheists/Skeptics who enjoys cultural and aesthetic aspects of religion - I’ll visit temples, churches, shrines, synagogues, sanctuaries, holy places and places of worship - not as ‘god’s house’, but as cultural, anthropological, historic, artistic and curious glimpses into beliefs and the human mind.
Religious holidays are especially interesting times to see this in action. This is the gig, man…THE performance, and the reunion concert for the lapsed…
The artworks, the candles, the floral arrangements, the flock in their ‘Sunday best’, the clergy in their Elvis-like vestments.
Sometimes there’s even grog and snacks too! (although somewhat tasteless wafers, I’d add…)
But don’t drink the water there…it’s holy…
Although admittedly, sometimes the clergy tell some tall tales!
(Once I heard this story about the world being created in six days…I would have been spanked for such a big fib!)
It’s all inspiring…in a self-inspirational sort of way…
I went to church today. California in lined with these fantastic Spanish Missions, and I’ve been fortunate to travel to all of them, from the elusive, hauntingly dilapidated yet beautiful Mission San Miguel, to the touristy Mission Santa Barbara. Most have museums, collections of early photographs and displays of artifacts. I live right near the reconstructed Mission San Rafael, and even though a right bitch works in the gift shop, I visit there on occasion, for the ambiance.
Today, Easter Sunday, I went to church to get some footage for a TANK Vodcast interview, but I also listened the priest’s sermon.
An Easter sermon can be filled with bits and pieces of philosophy and psychology (if you overlook the supernatural bits about Jesus’ resurrection, omnipotence and martyrdom for our sins).
If I took anything away with me, it was the priests’ earnest and virtuous cry for peace, kindness and good will, be we “Christian, Muslim, Jew or non-believer.”
Then the brick of rationalism hit me over the head (and other tangled metaphors). As an epilogue to my Moral Atheist blog entry, and another tool in the armory of the Atheist, the Skeptic, and the Agnostic…it’s not a matter of atheists stereotypically ‘not being moral’, and religious people stereotypically ‘being moral’…’the burden of proof’ isn’t with the atheist to prove that we have morals, it isn’t even with the religious to prove that atheists ‘don’t have morals’.
Morals don’t need religion.
And now…
to more secular concerns…
I’m hanging out for Walgreens to discount the Lindt Easter choccies!
That first picture made my day.
Once in a Chinese class, a girl complained that what she really wanted to study was Elven. She talked at length about its beauty and majesty, and the brilliance of its creator (Tolkien). She paused and I said, “You know its all just pretend, right?”
Religious holiday’s remind me of that, or the kid who has so much fun playing D&D that he accidentally kills his friend with a broadsword. Its all a wonderful, intimate, social game for everyone, until someone forgets that its all pretend.
CHOC BUNNIES!!!!!! I heard the holiday was cancelled when some paleontologist found the body. Oh, I should go see if there’s any left-over chocolate Daleks…
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