The Mother Of All Posts......with a little Coke and some lime

I have finally gotten the courage to write this post after a couple of Sapporo's and a nice triple of Jim Beam and Coke. This has been a post that I have been meaning to write for a long time but never found the footing to actually address it.

The topic is on my own personal religion and it is probable that I might piss off a few people with the context alone.

Sorry.

The backstory of my upbringing with religion is that I was raised hardcore Baptist. I say hardcore because in a household with a fudamentalist Christian mother who tool their children to EVERY church function, you see many aspects of Baptist Christianity. From singing "Father Abraham" and "March on Christian Soldier" to attending every church function (Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, youth group meetings, bible study meetings, Holiday services, business meetings, church friend get togethers, ect) you see a varied aspects of church workings and mentality around you.

This does not mean that I am an educated scholar in the field of religion. Far from it. Our personal experiences are our own. This is my perspective. Remember that.

Perspective.

I remember the look on the face from my Dad's side of the family when I quoted verbatim what my beliefs were. Uneasy stares were passed around when I was too dumb to understand. The words were recited from the environment I was raised in. "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins." They strummed out like my mouth was a ticker machine. I thought I knew what the words truly meant with the actions of others surrounding the meaning of these words. I was young.

Time moves forward and I am now reading more and taking in as much information as my young mind could understand. I enjoyed my Forgotten Realms novels with the best of the geeks along with some choice Stephen King readings and my precious comics that I still hold dear to my heart. Mythology and philosophy were always interesting as well. People trying to make analogies with the occurrences (freak or not) that took place in this world. Mankind has proved anything if not scientific.

Thoughts and ideas evolve and the things you once thought were true have either gone away or evolved into something stronger or something else entirely. More reading and understanding took place. I remember asking my close friend what she believed in and her answer really made me think.

"I think that whatever you believe in is where you go."

There is a lot of strength in its simplicity. Where does the Muslim go, or the Buddhist? Does the Catholic meet up with the Mormon at the pearly gates? Can the Agnostic tag along with Hindu to the next life? Fire and brimstone are promised to all non believers in my youth. There is something seemingly arrogant about having the "one true" religion. She viewed life with a unique sort of tolerance. Tolerance.

Remember that word too. It might help you figure out my weird little worldview.

Upon my move down to south Texas, it was priority number one for my family to get to a church; preferably one that had a warm accepting environment and one that was Baptist. There was church hopping for a while, until the family settled on a small one whose congregation consisted of mostly of old "winter Texans" and a preacher whose style made my ears twitch with confusion.

The topic of homosexuality came up and the fire and brimstone routine was right around the corner. I had no homosexual friends at the time being a teenager so I wasn't sure how to feel about their lifestyle. I will say that none had ever killed my dog, stole my lunch money, or put a bag of burning shit on my porch. Having said that, I never really had a reason for distain or disgust. He rambled (I say rambled because I was bored with the man and constantly watched the clock so I could do whatever the hell teenagers are supposed to do in their youth) on about Sodom and Gomorra, and "wrong", and "bad", and hell. I was used to the routine. It had been hit with the hammer so many times that it became a chore to remain interested. In mid doze, the man startled me with his actions next.

"Can you imagine that? Two guys kissing? Ewww....."
Now the man had my attention. Chuckles erupted from the sea of white hair.
"I mean.....come on. In the butt.......that's just gross....."
More chuckles like a soft wave crashing on a beach. The preacher's southern drawl echoed these words with the congregation showing their consent with soft laughter as I sat there in disbelief. I'm still not sure how I feel about that situation.

Was the man wrong about what he said? Perspective. The man is entitled to his own.

The man was definitely not very tolerant on the issue and I suppose that is evident in fundamentalist thinking.....a thinking that I was slowly evolving from. I do remember another story about my old church back in the industrial swamp of my home town. A gay couple came into church holding hands sitting in the back pew during service. There was a spark of defiance to this religion's stance on their lifestyle which showed itself after a while.

The congregation was leaving the service, back to their homes when the couple approached the preacher. The couple showed their colors high in the sky.

"We're gay so does that mean we are going to hell....that we are not allowed HERE?"
The preacher looked at them and responded back.
"What you are doing is sin. But brothers, Jesus loves you and you are welcomed to come here for service."
They stormed off hands held with their defiance to religious dogma held as well.

I still use that story whenever someone tried to bring up the words "God" and "fag" in the same sentence.

News articles flash dealing "hot topics". In the present, information is still important to me as ever. I search like a dog for things that make me laugh or let me know what the hell is going on in the world today. Nothing like seeing your buddies faces when you tell them about the story of an ex-girlfriend glues a man's penis to his stomach, his testicles to his inner thighs, and his butt cheeks together, or how an eighteen year old kid took mayor in a small town in Michigan. I will confess, I am the guy that loves the words "Check out this crazy shit.". I have become an information hound in recent times.

When you hear about someone like Pat Robertson condemning a town in Pennsylvania for its removing of members of the school board who were in favor of "intelligent design", it doesn't make me mad at all. The man is, after all, entitled to his own opinion and ideas. It is his perspective which is something that I'm not sure I can relate. That's ok. I'm sure he can't relate to me giggling like a schoolgirl every time he opens his mouth.

I guess the circle of perspective really goes around. But I am tolerant (wait....who the fuck am I kidding) or try to be when it comes to other peoples opinions. I really do try.

To sum up my feelings on religion, I'll have to go back on what one of the few times my father ever gave me some sort of fatherly advice.

"Do whatever makes you happy, but try not to piss on other people's happiness."

In religious terms, believe what you want to believe. Your relationship with your god is your own.

With this, I would like to add that I do not believe in teaching "intelligent design" in schools or prayer as well. I firmly believe that there should be separation between church and state. I am pro-choice and have no problem with gay marriage. Going out on another limb here, I think that prostitution, gambling, and marijuana should be legalized. Does this mean that I will make my girlfriend have an abortion so that I can break up with her to marry that sweet gay prostitute so we can smoke weed and gamble our income tax money away while making fun of kids who pray. No. Allow me to explain.

JUST BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IN CHOICE DOESN'T MEAN YOU BELIEVE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S CHOICE.

It is not up to the government to tell you how to live your life. Making the government enforce a set of beliefs is a cop out. You want your kids to pray in a learning environment? Send them to private school. Can't afford it? Send them to church. It would be nuts if all religions got their way in the school district. English class followed by US History followed by Thetan Cleansing hour followed by lunch followed by the teachings of Gilgamesh. Don't cop out and let the state raise your kids for you. This is school. They are there to get educated, not to instill religious values.

Fuck this is a long rant. The booze just ran out.