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Jesus, Mary and Josephina(continued) "As for appearing in what you consider 'human form', same thing. I can be anyone or anything you like. Christians typically like me looking like their grandfather." Hmmm….right now I have a crush on Lena Heady and Emily Blunt… oh, and I love Cate Blanchett! "Good for you," it says impatiently. "Can we get back to the issue at hand?" "Sure," I mumble even though I have other questions, like how are my mom and dad, and are they in heaven or a tropical island…" "Heaven is a word, a state of mind, a way for humans to wrap their heads around something that can't be explained. It's everywhere and nowhere. It's a Western concept. Other religions have other ways of refering to it: nirvana, the afterlife, pure land, dreamtime, et cetera. Your parents from this lifetime are at peace. They're a ways off from their souls, entering new bodies; so they're kicking back. They say hi and want me to tell you they're happy. They didn't know about some of the things you've done with your life until now." Me, too. "Like I was saying…as a fearful child clings to its mother, in a complicated world, the anxious adhere to gospel truths. The Bible is a good book indeed, but one of many written by fallible humans. One book, one religion, out of hundreds of thousands of books and many religions. One book written a relatively short time ago brought to dominance during the Inquisition. After all, it was written in Leviticus that a man could beat his slave, burn a prostitute alive or impose the death penalty for a child who insulted his parents. Unless you're Bob Jones, it seems a little… outdated, no? "The Bible as the infallible word of God. Yet, how do we know it's the word of God? Because it says so. How do we know what it says is true? Because it's the word of God. And the wheels on the bus go round and round." I laughed out loud at that, my meditation coming to an end when my friend Jim pokes me in the side as a signal to pipe down. Every day the news reports additional suicide bombers with their twisted promise of nubile virgins waiting for them in heaven. Now, let's break this down. What virgin do you know thinks a guy who blows up innocent women and children is a real catch? You'd have to be pretty desperate. In a category of crazy all to himself, Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Gang rant at military funerals because of homosexuality: "Gods Hates Fags! Thank God for 9/11!" Boy, here's a guy that would be fun to have a beer with. This is a man who has serious sexual orientation issues. And suddenly it comes to me: religion may be hazardous to your health!
Like cigarettes and alcohol, religion should be required to come with
a warning label. "Danger: Religion is highly addictive. Too much
religion can lead to an irrational fear and loathing of anyone not like
you. Religion should be handled with care."
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