This is crazy!

The whole country is fiddling while their home burns… much less Rome.

I’m writing from Whataburger using their free wifi.  why?  Because for the SECOND time in four days a main phone cable was stolen.  Not just cut but stolen.  A section of line was cut right next to one of the most major highway /loop intersections in the city at 5 AM.  How do I know when?  I was using it at the time.

The first theft was Sunday AM.  No phone and no cell modem since it was a main line to the closest cell tower, too.  Both times they stole a complete section between two poles.  The phone guy putting the new one up said it’d get them a good $500.  Save pennies, they may be worth something some day, as copper!

Just finished an article on Alternet about how the Pres is keeping soldiers in uniform indefinately.  DON’T SIGN UP, YOU’LL BE STUCK FOR LIFE!

Housing market horrible.  Jobs horrible.  Prices going up.

Is everybody in this entire country asleep?

Sad.

Absurdity and the Christian Religion

The Christian Religion is absurd.  Now I have offended everybody.  But wait!  I said “religion,” not Faith.  There’s nothing absurd in believing in Jesus whom many call The Christ.  In fact, I believe very strongly not only in the existence of Jesus but that he was the Son of God and that his mission on the earth was to teach humans how to live and to redeem humankind from a bad fate by some supernatural and mysterious means.  Faith in Jesus is great.  The Christian Religion is absurd.

For example: The Vatican has created new sins.  Poor sinners have even more “sins” to worry about.  Besides terrible Cardinal Sins and all the little sins we’ve been whacked about with over the centuries the Powers that Be in the Catholic Church has heaped a few more.  Darn shame we can’t by dispensations like folks used to be able to!  Oh, well, I couldn’t afford them anyway. 

Afraid of going to hell?  Then you better recycle!  Terrified of that fiery lake?  You better not be involved in cloning or any kind of medical research dealing with stem cells.  Want to keep your hide from the crisper?  Better fight to save the planet.  Since we don’t have a blue bin with that triangle on it I suppose we’re toast.

Give me a break.

“But I’m not a Catholic!!”  If you are a member of the Christian Religion I will disagree.  Your declaration is another reason the Christian Religion is absurd.  Every major denomination in America, save one or two, are branches off the same crooked tree that modern Catholicism comes from, a Blooming Contradiction of a tree planted by a Roman Emperor and watered by the blood of millions of people who fell at the feet of glory and power seeking church leaders.  If you don’t believe me, look it up.  Learn the history of YOUR denomination.

Most Protestants point back to the Reformation.  Guess what.  It wasn’t the doctrines of the church that Calvin and Luther objected to so much.  It was the practice.  There has not been anything “Christ-like” in any of the major denominations, left or right, since they were formed.  The structure, the attitudes, the power-seeking hierarchy exists everywhere, even in purportedly “independent” associations.  It’s there.  It’s just more subtle in some than others.

It doesn’t matter what the association or bishopric or head honcho’s are called.  ‘Doesn’t matter if they do not control activities of local congregations or regulate every single aspect of the local church.  They still dictate doctrine and beliefs.  They say what members of their church organization can officially believe.  They publish the literature.  They explain the practices.  They teach the sacraments and how sacraments are done.  And they define sin, whether it’s as obvious as the Vatican’s decree or the “suggestion” to be more ecco-friendly made by the Southern Baptist Convention.

The Christian Religion, like I said, is absurd.  It is absurd because it bases its rule-making on a collection of legal statutes that its penultimate leader, Jesus, cast aside.  Jesus threw out all the Old Testament and Jewish law and replaced it with two very simple, easy, and straightforward commandments which not a single Christian Religion (denomination) honors.  How absurd can one be if one ignores his spiritual leader and guide and instead decides to make up books of rules that contradicts what he taught?

When I was growing up I was always confused by the schizophrenic nature of my religious instruction.  I was taught that Jesus loved everybody, “red and yellow, black and white, they’re all precious in his sight.”  Right?  No.  Blacks were “N…” (that horrid word) and “knew their place.”  Jesus set us free, forgives us, but then if we don’t do every single thing right we’ll go to hell.  Are we forgiven or not?  Sunday school teacher said Jesus did away with the Jewish law but Reverend in the Pulpit preached about hell and pounded the podium as he quoted the same Old Testament that Jesus did away with.  Huh?

In fact all the “rules” I have ever been taught came from that book of rules Jesus treated with disdain and disrespect.  Even the “Pauline” rules have their roots in the Hebrew Scriptures which Paul knew extremely well and which he fought for before he was zapped on the road to Damascus. 

Jesus didn’t just NOT follow the law, he flaunted not following the law.  What he did would be tantamount to walking into one of the local holier-than-everybody-else congregations smoking a joint and escorting a couple of hookers.  Why did Jesus do such things?  Because HE said the Jewish Religion was absurd.  Since the Christian Religion is born of Judaism cum Christ, the Christian Religion is also absurd.

Christian Religionists will forever condemn people like me, and me especially.  I’m being rude, self-righteous, disrespectful, and I’m sending myself to hell.  They’ll think that.  They’re wrong.  I’m following in the footsteps of that Person whom I have absolute faith and belief in: Jesus.  I love him and his Father with all my heart.  I love all others.  I respect every individual who has touched the mind of God no matter what he calls himself.  But I can’t sit idly by and say nothing when so many people I really do care about are so bound up in absurd religious practice rather than enjoying the peace, love, and grace available to every human who recognizes the Truth of Jesus and the freedom he gives.

Hate me if you wish.  I love you so I just can’t keep my mouth shut.  I am not a Christian religionist.  I follow the teaching OF Jesus, not the religion about him.  I worship God in the name of Jesus, I do not bow to the Son and ignore what he and his Father said.  I obey his commandments as best I can.  Those commandments tell me to love God with all my heart and love others instead of myself.  I know that in following them all other rules are superfluous—they are not needed.  If I love others I will respect others and the home where they live.  That home is called Planet Earth.

What the Vatican and every other Christian Religious group SHOULD do is teach Jesus’ two commandments and practice them absolutely.  But that would mean a few—or a lot—less gilded cathedrals or massive sanctuaries, wouldn’t it?  Ahh, but I meddle so I shall rest my pen for now.

Mr. Stupid Comes to Town

OK, so I’m going to make Evangelicals more angry with me than I have already.  Of course if you’re an Evangelical and you’re living according to the teachings of the guy you’re supposed to be preaching about you won’t get angry but then how many Evangelicals do that?

News today: Huckabutt, aka, Huckabee, aka, Stupid, has floated the idea that he’s the one to lead the Evangelical Right.  If that’s not the most Evangelically WRONG idea I don’t know what is.

Check the news today.  It’s headlines.  Can I barf now?

I don’t like being unkind.  My heroes are Jesus and Buddha.  Neither of them would approve of this post.  I almost said, “I’m sorry,” but the truth is, I’m not.  I’m so agrivated with people who will so NOT use their brain for anything at all but chase the most rediculous people and follow the most rediculous ideas simply because it’s the “popular thing among Evangelicals” or your totally mis-informed pastor said so or some knucklehead talking HEAD on TV said so…. good grief, people are you  EVER going to wake up at all?

You have voted for idiots and brought this country to its knees.  Have you not NOTICED how screwed up this country is because YOU voted for BUSH?  Hello?

Today I am frustrated.  I have a problem with cowards and my son has not learned that, he did something very cowardly, so I’m a bit testy today.  You know what?  YOU are a coward if  you don’t have the guts to really LOOK at what these people are saying.  Chicken! Bock Bock!

Check down and see the post I made a while back called “Stupid.”  The man Huckabee has his head up his…. (expletive deleted) so far he can check the spots on his own liver.  I mean, come on, people.  Can’t you see that? How on God’s green earth could you follow such a person?

I am usually critical of nasty-mouthed name-calling bloggers who show no respect to anyone including themselves.  Really, it bothers me.  But dingidy dad-gummit, how wacked can some folks get?  I spent decades trying to get knucklehead Evangelical friends to get off their rear and get them to do stuff like they’re supposed to.  They were always afraid to walk the streets with tracts and preach but they could follow stupid talking heads around like …well, like sheep.  Baaaaaaah.  (Ask me why my car doesn’t grace the parking lot of that Mega-pseudoChurch any longer.”  From Pat Robertskunk to James Dobsnot  to  Huckaboob, have you no shame?  If you’re going to pick a leader pick one with brains, will ya?  Pick one that cares about making real a difference, one that will lead you to truth and will teach you how to be humble.  Find one that does not love his gold watch and cadilac!

OK, so, headline in the Washington Times: “Huckabee at forefront of evangelical revival.”  What Revival?  …I go on…

Quote: “He has become the leader of a new generation of Christian conservative voters,” said Rex Nelson, who was communications director when Mr. Huckabee was Arkansas’ governor. “The old leadership has either passed on in the case of [the Rev. Jerry] Falwell or become either irrelevant or out of touch — the Pat Robertson endorsement of Rudy Giuliani proves that.”  And Huckabumble ISN’T out of touch?

Next  Quote: “There is nobody else you can identify outside of Mike Huckabee as a leading person to take on that role, really in a new era where evangelicals care about a lot of things like the environment and working with the poor,” Mr. Nelson said.  Oh, yeah, Evangelicals care about the environment and the poor.   I see all those tiny, efficient cars in the parking lots of our local Super Churches, don’t I?  I bet all of those buildings have those cute little florescent bulbs in them.  And none of those glaring electrical vacuums called spot lights are turned on towards the pulpit, especially since the pastor is wearing K-mart Suits and a General Dollar watch and twelve-dollar loafers from Wallyworld?  Uh, huh.

Not.  How many of those Cadilac Escilades are parked over in poor town full of grits and gravy after church?  No, they’re down on the South Side (in Lufkin, at least) at upscale eating places.  And don’t you ask what I’ve been doing, either.  I’m not the ones out there claiming I’m “giving it all for Jeeeeesus.”  (Sorry, Lord, I should not have been sarcastic with your name.)

Another quote: “We are running one of the most cost-effective political campaigns in modern American history, chiefly because of the governor’s ability to communicate and the campaign’s ability to excel on the earned media front,” said Kirsten Fedewa, who has contributed to Mr. Huckabee’s media strategy for years.   (emphasis mine)  Want to know who the greatest human communicator was that ever walked this earth?  A man who lead millions?  A man who persuaded hundreds of thousands to do his bidding?  Guess again.  His name was Adolf Hitler.

Is Huckabiddybiddy Hitler?  No.  But he certainly doesn’t deserve to be followed because he gave a good speech.  I had a pastor once who could make people cry.  He was very good at preaching against “sexual sin.”  At least he was until he knocked up a member and destroyed his family and his church in one little poke. (pun intended!)  Stop listening to talking heads and stupid fools (OK, I know the warning but I can’t think of a better word).  Use your HEAD and look into your own HEART and figure IT out!

I am a (usually) dedicated traditional Unitarian.  I follow the teachings OF Jesus, not the junk people say about him.  Go back to the Gospels, people, and read them for yourself.  See if you match up.   Are you living selflessly?  Are you hoarding riches?  (This means living in big houses, wearing rollex watches, sitting in front of your HD-DVD Five-thousand-dollar big screen, and driving SUV’s, by the way.)

If you claim Huckabiddle as your political leader then you are terribly misguided and extremely politically naieve.  But if you claim him as your SPIRITUAL leader then you’re so far from what Jesus taught then there’s only one interjection I can think of: WOE!  Well, there is another but I’ll save it.

I feel better now.  And you’re mad at me!  What else is new?

Ted.