Was that it?
I mean, was that was all the fuss was about?
Oh, well.
Stick it in a box marked "Used Christmases" and kick it under the bed.
Here's a gripe:
I've got my passport application form at last and there's the inevitable section where you have to state your religion …
I just checked the stats for the UK; a frankly unbelievable 71.8% of Brits profess to being "Christian", with only 15.1% giving "none" for their religion.
I wonder how many of the people who fill in "Christian" actually gave a thought to celebrating the birth of Christ on Christmas morning; I wonder how many of them got off their fat asses and went to church instead of sat around opening presents and teaching their children greed and ingratitude.
I'm not talking about the Yanks here; some of them actually DO go to church; I'm talking about the millions of Brits who profess themselves "Christian" in the census but for whom that is the end of the matter.
They go to church for weddings and funerals and vaguely believe in some sort of "spiritual God thing", but that's the extent of their commitment.
Their sole purpose seems to be to make the statistics look like we are a nation of fervent believers and regular churchgoers when in fact Sunday in this country is a day for lazing around in front of the TV and most of our professed "Christians" are no more Christian than I am.
Probably considerably less as at least I still read The Bible and try to make sense of it all; the closest to Jesus most people around here get is watching the fucking da Vinci code.
I've been down to my local church on several occasions; the big festivals where you'd expect the place to be packed out.
The most I've ever seen in there is around twenty people and all of those were elderly.
Which for a church that has a catchment area of over five thousand people gives a much clearer indication of the nation's spirituality than the official statistics.
I'm not knocking any genuine Christians out there, but I'd dearly love to see how the statistics would change it they added a category to official forms that gave you the option under religion of ticking a box marked:
"Yes, I believe in some sort of God … well not "God" actually, but I feel there has to be something out there, you know … er … bigger … something spiritual … otherwise where do you go when you die?"
Sigh …
Sorry I'm waffling. It just ticked me off when I saw that on the form.
As you can probably guess from yesterday lack of a post and today's heap of crap my brain relaxed at Chrismas and has yet to restart. I kicked it with some coffee in the city this morning but there's still nothing happening in there.
Maybe later.
14 comments:
"I'm not talking about the Yanks here"
Why not? It's the same here, Dive. The stats make us look like a bunch of Christians, but will the REAL Christians please stand up? We have enough greedy people in this country to bankrupt the whole world. In fact, they HAVE bankrupted the whole world. When someone spends a billion dollars on a boat and people are starving to death, what does that say about our society?
No wonder some countries hate us. The Brits aren't any different, I'm sure....except you have cooler accents, of course. But you can't feed people with an accent, can you?
it does give pause about the question. why is it on the form anyway? why do our respective governments care? is it some sort of trick question for terrorist screening? (ok, that's a joke.) i used to say none, then i started putting my religion down, but then again, my name kinda gave that away anyway...so, talk about waffling...i'm just thinking about my birthday! xoxox
In my opinion, most religions have the right kind of intentions but the wrong kind of followers.
It's all well and good to rabbit on in sycophantic terms about a Superior Being and an afterlife that might see you either having your skin turned to crackling in Hell, reading thousand-year-old copies of gossip mags in Purgatory, or drinking Virgin Marys in Heaven, but, to me, there seems to be little of either moral or intellectual value in most so-called holy books that couldn't have been arrived at by way of a moderately sensitive disposition and slightly more than half a brain.
In short, why do so many of our uniquely abled species trip over themselves to abnegate their own common sense and decency in favour of the directives dished out by scripture? What good are minds and hearts that cannot be free until they have first been enslaved? Must we be prisoners before we can be persons?
Don't get me wrong - I am enthusiastically in accord with much that is printed and preached in the name of religion. My beef is with those who resort to cant and convention when what is really required is a devotion to compassion and community. Are these things we necessarily need to learn in "places of worship"? If so, then it's not religion we need, but a collective overhaul of our humanity.
Most of what is good about the multifarious faiths on offer only seems innately good to us because it is the good we are already - and have always been - capable of. Ah, man...
Maybe they write Christian because it's easier to remember how to spell than Agnostic.
Lucio, the parts of religion that advocate helping others, leaving the world in better shape than you found it in, following the golden rule, forgiving when you can and acknowledging "God" (in whatever form you may or may not believe God is) ARE indeed good.
No one is perfect. But You are so right when you say we have the wrong people espousing certain religions. Hypocrites make every religion look bad.
It's the same in Oz and I'm one of those who only goes to church for funerals and weddings too. Digraceful!
Perhaps some people use the term "Christian" as in, non-Buddhist or non-Muslim, or even non-atheist.
One can say "none" on the form, can't they?
Hope your brain recovers soon dearest Dive because there's a little someone on my blog for you to meet.
I wonder why the question is on the form. I am never sure what to put down. I think the point is "they" want to summon the right clergyperson if you are dying somewhere. I have felt this way when I've had to fill out admission forms for hospitals.
They differentiate between Catholic and Protestant. I don't believe it matters. I can't slip a clergyman of either persuasion a fiver in the hopes he or she can get me a "better seat in the afterlife."
I always struggle with that religion thing. I was raised Catholic, spent some time in a wacko Christian church, and now (for the last 25 years or so) I'm a confirmed cynic. I cannot stand "holier than thou" fundamentalists.
I am a spiritual person and I believe in karma. I think Jesus was amazing. I think the message of "do unto others...as you would have them do to you" is central to both. I also think Jesus hated "religion". I have read most of the Bible several times and can quote scripture when and if I need it.
I have met a few rare individuals of various faiths who were so deeply committed to their faith and the message of the bible that they radiated a positive energy. I believe they are the exception. I think materialism and the act of "gathering and heaping" of worthless things causes futility and hopelessness for most.
I try to find good and do good. I am human and frequently dwell on the bad. I think humor is a quality of the devine. I believe in "Transcendence through humor".
Wow! That was a rant! Unfortunately I am taking up your space and not my own! Sorry! Cheers!
Very curious that your passport application asks such a nosy question! I really would like to know why your government needs to know this info in order for you to leave the country. I do think there's societal pressure to say you're part of an organized religion, even if you never go to church. I can't figure out why this is though.
Assuming I am coherent (and alive) enough to have a choice in the matter, I would like the last rites administered to me by a local gardener - who, for his or her services, will be rewarded with my ashes. The ceremony will be short and simple, consisting of a brief discussion regarding the immanent disposal of my powdery remains: i.e. in which bed he or she intends to scatter them.
Unknown Gardener: "Would you prefer to be laid to rest among the vegetables or the flowers, Mr. Crispino?"
Lucio Crispino: "Oh, definitely the flowers! I've lived my whole life among vegetables of one sort or another."
UG: "Perennials or annuals?"
LC: "Well, I can't imagine my eternity being all that peaceful if I'm being raked up every few months, so I guess it will have to be one of the perennials."
UG: "Any preference as to species or genus?"
LC: "One with a mercifully short and highly memorable name, if possible. You know, so I can be easily located by those who have trouble with Latin nomenclature."
UG: "No marker - or, indeed, remark - of any kind?"
LC: "No, I don't think so. I've lived a pretty unremarkable life."
UG: "Oh, but you leave behind your work. You of all people can afford to say, 'Exegi monumentum aere perennius!'"
LC: " ... "
UG: "It's Latin for, 'I have erected a monument more lasting than bronze.'"
LC: "Yes, I know what it means, and Horace was right to have said it because in his case it was true! In my case, however, the words 'mors ultima linea rerum est' would probably be far more appropriate."
UG: " ... "
LC: "'Death is everything's final limit...'"
UG: " ... "
LC: "That'll be all. Come back when I'm a fine grayish dust, please - and not a moment sooner!"
Wow! A passing comment from a tired brain can really open a can of worms.
Fun!
Katherine, Lucio and Neetzy:
I don't think I've read many wiser words on the subject. Thank you so much, all of you.
I shan't reply to your comments as I am in total agreement with them but I shall definitely refer to them to reinforce my arguments in my Godbothering posts.
You all rule!
Savannah: Your real name is beautiful. Perhaps with Obama in office people will be less eager to stereotype others by their names.
I so wish I were in Savannah this week so I could crash your birthday party.
Yay!
xoxox
Vic: Maybe they don't tick "none" because they think it says "nun"?
Mme: I really think the box should read "Committed and practising Christian and regular churchgoer" rather than simply "Christian". As you say, people tend to tick that box to differentiate themselves from other religions rather than to confirm their beliefs.
They can indeed say "none", but very few do. Weird.
I'll pop across to your blog in a mo.
Katie; I've never figured that one out either. Hey ho.
You already know my thoughts on the subject. Big difference between religion and spirituality. I avoid churches when there are plenty of people inside them. I like having God to myself :D
But that is good news! A passport application, eh? We'll chat about that offline, shall we? Hope you're feeling better. Come over here and you'll be feeling like you're on top of the world!
Hi, Joy!
What on earth are you doing blogging when there is sun and sand and family and Thaea to revel in and enjoy?
Get off that stupid computer and make the most of every single moment of your time in Manila.
Then you can tell me all about it over coffee when you get back to grey, rainy England.
Whenever I come across a questionnaire that asks for religion, I always put down "druid."
My sisters don't find this one bit funny.
Hee hee hee!
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