I didn't really do anything this weekend. I slept and watched TV. And I played with my son. He and I played "school". I was the teacher. We read, we practiced our letters, we did macaroni art, and painted. We had a small class. My son, and two imaginary people named George and Amelia. Amelia was new to the school and my son was very kind to her, offering words of encouragement and holding her hand through many of the school tasks. George, however, was not a very good student. George kept disrupting class by farting and he was continually eating glue. That George...he was a handful.
These characters that my son created for us. I was completely content to pretend teacher in my son's pretend world. There was no place on the planet that I would have rather been. Those secret moments in a world only belonging to me and my child.
It's a funny thing, hanging out with kids. Some adults are not completely comfortable just pretending with their children. I can vaguely recall my own parents with this. My mother would pretend with me, my father, not so much. I don't want to get too old and too guarded not to imagine with my child. His world is full of colors, sounds, images, feelings...that are amazingly brilliant. Who doesn't want to be a part of that?!? Nothing can recharge a spirit like hanging out with a child.
I watched a couple of shows of interest, that seemed to have merit for thought. One show was on the Pope. And one show was on being a skeptic and exorcism. There's this man that holds ceremonies, weekly, performing exorcisms. And people go to be exorcised. They absolutely believe they are possessed by a demon, or the devil...etc. This one woman had been exorcised over fifty times, and felt like she was showing some improvement, where all the therapy and medication had failed her before. The camera showed this woman in her "demon" possessed state. She growled and bore her teeth, etc. After seeing all the movies and whatnot, she didn't make a very convincing possessed person. But, I'm not expert. She just looked, to me, like a lonely, geeky, not belonging, person, in need of attention and a group. I suppose if you need that, who am I to say it's wrong. But, it did look a bit silly. If I need such a group, I would choose, maybe, clown college, or something. The idea of juggling, riding a unicycle, and jumping out of the tiniest car ever with your friends seems like more fun.
Science has found the part of the brain that isolates religious experiences.
Ultimately, I suspect that God is not real. All current signs point to that being just a made up thing to comfort the masses. This being an important point, as it challenges just about every notion that I have had instilled in me. And, of course, all the atrocities committed in the name of control, and in the name of a God. That has not changed at all. Even though the very books that are out there for us to read, all preach very clearly against being mean.
What are all the people in power going to do, when the word gets out that God is not real? What's left then? The people are going to want revenge for being fooled...havoc will be prevalent.
And what about all the good that has happened in the name of God? Can humans face that the good is still needed if it's not backed by an icon?
Is it truly part of human nature to be kind and helpful? Hard to predict, I think. If you use the examples of human reaction after Katrina, there were people who stole from stores because they needed the water, food and medicine...then there were people who stole from the stores because they wanted a new TV. Hard to say, if the entire world went mad, who would be the winners, isn't it? History and books often have predicted the latter to be the victor...Poor Piggy...Circa...Lord of the Flies.
Now, having said all of that. I am impressed by religious leaders that dedicated their lives to educating humans on the basic rules of being good. Not screwing your neighbor's wife, not stealing, not judging...are all terribly nice thoughts to adhere to. And I do believe that there is some basic collective consciousness. Science oftens lacks studying the mind and body, etc. as a whole working mechanism. Science tends to isolate and segregate functions. I tend to want to believe there is more to us than that.
So, now comes Holiday season. Which has become more increasingly about the gift giving and less about the Christ Child. I like the notion of Jesus. As a man, that he would walk the earth doing good, and instilling good...what's not to like about that? And according to science, the act of prayer, meditation and the like, does have merit. That part of the brain that isolates us from the outside stimulation, does, in fact, help us to recharge.
Last year, I made my own Christmas cards. Here's what I put on them:
For no matter which faith you adhere to...
If one at all...
Perhaps it's just the changing of the season
that makes this season the one,
that reminds us all to be kinder to eachother,
And to witness the gifts that each person
receives from one another.
I do not know.
I do know that I am a better person for
having met you,
Which means that I will be a better person to
other.
Thank you for that.
And best wishes for the winter and the New Year.
Well, I did have some angry responses from that card. One person from work said that he was tired of all the non-Christians getting in on the season that didn't belong to them. He said that to me. My response was, that I didn't think the Christians even had the date right on the birth of Christ, and certainly not the color of his skin; therefore, they could not have the entire market on goodwill for the whole winter season. And further more, I asked him, if he was going to forego Santa Claus with his children and just market the gifts of frankincense, Myrrh and Gold, which were the traditions of not just Christians, but of pagan's, and Islam and many other religions for that time period. Was he? Santa Claus was a marketed entity, not part of any particular religion. Was he only going to tell his children only about the Christ Child, and be solely dedicated to his religion? Was he going to remember how baby Jesus was born, not in a palace or even a hospital, but a manger, and also, adhere to the celebration of poverty and not needing extravagance? Was he and his family to do that? How novel an idea that was to him. He stood there in anger, caught by his own lack of dedication to his faith.
I told him that regardless of how he felt towards me, the sentiment of the card was still the same, and if he liked, he could store this in his desk for a month or two, and then take it out and read it then, if that would make him more comfortable.
Do I secretly hope there is a God? Well, yes, I do. Even though I think that it may be a big silly scam...I do hope. Sometimes, I've even been caught praying. And I do not always pray for myself...sometimes I pray for other people. This past week, I prayed for someone at my office, who's father was dying. She was in so much pain and anger...she was distraught, in every since of the word. I prayed that she be protected, and that she have the time she needed for this, and the support that she needed for this lesson. I sent as many thoughts for her as I could. And I offered her my support in anything that she needed. Is that faith? No, not faith...hope...that's what it is...just plain hope.
In my own life, I have met less than ten people who I believe are Christians. Who make me want to believe. The rest have been hypocrites..full of the very things that the religion and the God speak against. Yes, I know that those things are the struggle that all must go through supposedly, in order to reach the Heavenly Gates. And I know that there must be something for forgiveness to stand for. I get all of that. However, much each struggle be soooo hard for some people? And exactly how much of it are the rest of us to have to put up with? (See previous post on people finding God in prison.) If there is a God, perhaps there should be more examples of the good things, and less of the struggles. (See Buddhists Monks.) For me, it is the religious people that have killed God, not science. At least with science we could still believe, but most religious people do not entice me to their ways.
And what of me? Where will I be this Christmas? Well, I will put up my tree, I will tell my child that there is a Santa Claus, I will also explain to him of the belief that some people hold for God and the Christ Child-he should make up his own mind. I like the holiday season, I like the good cheer, and the kind words, and all of it. I would prefer this was all year long, but, shit, I'll take what I can get on this stuff.
And on the actual night of Christmas, when all is dark and quiet, I will be up, as always, saying a prayer, and hoping that God is real and listening. Couldn't hurt.
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