Now I've had quite a few conversations with the jehovah witness folk, Phillip and Claire (I think).
But this evening, I initiated conversation about 'faith'. I was telling Phil that I had had a great conversation with the mormons the other night and was telling Phil that I had been to the mormon temple in Utah and he was quite surprised (as you will recall the mormons were too) and asked me what I had thought of all that.
So I pointed over his shoulder and said that I had grown up going to that anglican church behind him and that I had an appreciation of the beauty of that Gothic style cathedral, inserting not that the mormon temple is any Gothic style church. And Phillip said, "I noticed you said, 'going to that church', you don't go anymore"...
And there it was, yes, I opened this by pointing out that I went to church but Phillip saw his way in, but I don't think he was prepared for what he got.
I told him, as I told the mormons, I had moved beyond 'god' or the need for a religious belief. I told him that all of the life questions I ever had had been answered and that 'spiritually', I was fulfilled with those answers and had no desire to bow down or placate any 'deity'. I brought up the virtual world theory and that out there there is some computer nerd who's programmed all this, and I also told him that I don't necessarily subscribe to that theory, but that IF, that was the case I didn't feel that this person needed me to ritualistically worship it.
And I said all this with a big friendly smile on my face, confident in what I was saying and sure of what I believe. I was no 'lost cause', someone searching for the meaning of life that only the jehovah style 'god' could answer.
Here I kinda changed gears and quickly threw at him, 'You don't vote do you?'
And I don't know if you know this or not, but the jehovah witness are forbidden to vote. It's in the bible, lol, trust me and Philip showed me just where (On his tablet, not an actual physical bible). Because I said I knew they didn't vote, but couldn't precisely recall why that exactly was.
So basically, it's under Matthew 22:21 jesus said "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to god the things that are god's." And as Phillip was showing me a passage close to that one by Matt, I said, "Render unto Caesar..." and he said precisely and then went on about how they have "already voted" and that their allegiance was to the "kingdom of god"...
So then Phillip said, in his South African accent, "Chris, have you read the bible?"... I had thought Phillip and Claire, when I first met the couple during the Summer, that they were maybe from Australia or New Zealand, I knew the accent wasn't any British accent....
I said, 'Yes, I've read the bible three times', he said, "Oh really" 'And I continued, 'and I've read the koran 3 times, the book of mormon, I've read the version of the bible you believe...'
Years ago, I read the bible, old and new testament, three times. The first run through was to get my eyes on it, begin to absorb the information, the second time through was to really try to absorb the information and to try to mentally book-note any 'crazy, violent or contradictory, bizarre or odd' entry's and verses. The third time through I took a highlighter and highlighted all of the bloody, death, bizarre, odd and crazy parts. I also did the same with the koran. I didn't read the other tomes as thoroughly at I did the two 'big ones' because the books of mormon, jehovah witness, scientology are fuking crazy from the get go!
In the end I came back to where I started and that was that I was a satisfied person. He kinda threw that 'ol christian vs/ the atheist (which I don't call myself an 'atheist', they have their own doctrine), "Well Chris, without 'god' there's no morality".
And I said, 'Look, I've had a great life, I've been very very lucky to have had the experiences I've had. Have I had some horrible times? Have I been good all my life? Do I have regrets, sure, but everyone does. There'd be very very few people who've had a completely great, no issues, nothing bad or untoward had ever happened life.
Have I had some horrible horrible times? Sure, but all around, I've got it really great. Great relationship with my family whom I love. The best friends that anyone could ever ask for, a roof over my head, good food in my stomach, good smoke, a hilarious pet(s- if you count the chipmunks), awesome neighbors, a fantastic landlady and live in a pretty decent clean, low crime city in a democratic, free from war country.
He asked me, "why then, when we know we have to drive on the right side of the road, that there's always someone who will challenge that?"
And I replied, 'Well Phillip, you're asking me why people do bad things' and I continued, 'I obviously don't subscribe to what you believe, nor what the muslims or any other christian sect believes, but huemahns are inherently flawed, it's in our genes, there will ALWAYS be someone who will want to get ahead of someone else, there will always be someone with a different opinion and outlook on life, it's just the way we are and if I believed in 'god', then I'd have to say IT was the one who made us that way'. That huemahn 'flaw' IT gave us and there will probably never ever be real global peace on this planet.
I went on to say, 'Look, not that I haven't ever done anything bad or even broken the law (jaywalking, spitting, not wearing a seat-belt), I've never been arrested or been in jail, I have no record... I'm maybe one of the only people in my family to have retained a lawyer to pursue someone and not have them defend me.
But I don't need 'god's laws' to live by. At this point and probably much earlier in my life I knew 'right from wrong', if I didn't, things might be a lot more different for me.'
At that point, I think Phillip may have had enough and I smiled and said, 'I'm not a lost cause'.
He then said to me, 'Well Chris, it was great to talk to you this evening...' and I said, 'Likewise' and he continued, 'Next time we can maybe take some time to talk about what you think 'god's' plan for you'...
Haha, I've heard that one before... But I said, 'Sure, have a great evening Phillip'... And Claire was there this evening too, but when I rolled up on Phillip, she and another witnesser were engaged trying to con over some young family... Actually for all I know, maybe they were fellow witnessers!
I can't remember the young woman's name that was with them, but she's usually there if Phillip is not. But I bid them a great evening as well and was on my way, a grin still on my face knowing full well that if anything, I showed Phillip I'm a 'force to be reckoned with' in conversation.
But this evening, I initiated conversation about 'faith'. I was telling Phil that I had had a great conversation with the mormons the other night and was telling Phil that I had been to the mormon temple in Utah and he was quite surprised (as you will recall the mormons were too) and asked me what I had thought of all that.
So I pointed over his shoulder and said that I had grown up going to that anglican church behind him and that I had an appreciation of the beauty of that Gothic style cathedral, inserting not that the mormon temple is any Gothic style church. And Phillip said, "I noticed you said, 'going to that church', you don't go anymore"...
And there it was, yes, I opened this by pointing out that I went to church but Phillip saw his way in, but I don't think he was prepared for what he got.
I told him, as I told the mormons, I had moved beyond 'god' or the need for a religious belief. I told him that all of the life questions I ever had had been answered and that 'spiritually', I was fulfilled with those answers and had no desire to bow down or placate any 'deity'. I brought up the virtual world theory and that out there there is some computer nerd who's programmed all this, and I also told him that I don't necessarily subscribe to that theory, but that IF, that was the case I didn't feel that this person needed me to ritualistically worship it.
And I said all this with a big friendly smile on my face, confident in what I was saying and sure of what I believe. I was no 'lost cause', someone searching for the meaning of life that only the jehovah style 'god' could answer.
Here I kinda changed gears and quickly threw at him, 'You don't vote do you?'
And I don't know if you know this or not, but the jehovah witness are forbidden to vote. It's in the bible, lol, trust me and Philip showed me just where (On his tablet, not an actual physical bible). Because I said I knew they didn't vote, but couldn't precisely recall why that exactly was.
So basically, it's under Matthew 22:21 jesus said "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to god the things that are god's." And as Phillip was showing me a passage close to that one by Matt, I said, "Render unto Caesar..." and he said precisely and then went on about how they have "already voted" and that their allegiance was to the "kingdom of god"...
So then Phillip said, in his South African accent, "Chris, have you read the bible?"... I had thought Phillip and Claire, when I first met the couple during the Summer, that they were maybe from Australia or New Zealand, I knew the accent wasn't any British accent....
I said, 'Yes, I've read the bible three times', he said, "Oh really" 'And I continued, 'and I've read the koran 3 times, the book of mormon, I've read the version of the bible you believe...'
Years ago, I read the bible, old and new testament, three times. The first run through was to get my eyes on it, begin to absorb the information, the second time through was to really try to absorb the information and to try to mentally book-note any 'crazy, violent or contradictory, bizarre or odd' entry's and verses. The third time through I took a highlighter and highlighted all of the bloody, death, bizarre, odd and crazy parts. I also did the same with the koran. I didn't read the other tomes as thoroughly at I did the two 'big ones' because the books of mormon, jehovah witness, scientology are fuking crazy from the get go!
In the end I came back to where I started and that was that I was a satisfied person. He kinda threw that 'ol christian vs/ the atheist (which I don't call myself an 'atheist', they have their own doctrine), "Well Chris, without 'god' there's no morality".
And I said, 'Look, I've had a great life, I've been very very lucky to have had the experiences I've had. Have I had some horrible times? Have I been good all my life? Do I have regrets, sure, but everyone does. There'd be very very few people who've had a completely great, no issues, nothing bad or untoward had ever happened life.
Have I had some horrible horrible times? Sure, but all around, I've got it really great. Great relationship with my family whom I love. The best friends that anyone could ever ask for, a roof over my head, good food in my stomach, good smoke, a hilarious pet(s- if you count the chipmunks), awesome neighbors, a fantastic landlady and live in a pretty decent clean, low crime city in a democratic, free from war country.
He asked me, "why then, when we know we have to drive on the right side of the road, that there's always someone who will challenge that?"
And I replied, 'Well Phillip, you're asking me why people do bad things' and I continued, 'I obviously don't subscribe to what you believe, nor what the muslims or any other christian sect believes, but huemahns are inherently flawed, it's in our genes, there will ALWAYS be someone who will want to get ahead of someone else, there will always be someone with a different opinion and outlook on life, it's just the way we are and if I believed in 'god', then I'd have to say IT was the one who made us that way'. That huemahn 'flaw' IT gave us and there will probably never ever be real global peace on this planet.
I went on to say, 'Look, not that I haven't ever done anything bad or even broken the law (jaywalking, spitting, not wearing a seat-belt), I've never been arrested or been in jail, I have no record... I'm maybe one of the only people in my family to have retained a lawyer to pursue someone and not have them defend me.
But I don't need 'god's laws' to live by. At this point and probably much earlier in my life I knew 'right from wrong', if I didn't, things might be a lot more different for me.'
At that point, I think Phillip may have had enough and I smiled and said, 'I'm not a lost cause'.
He then said to me, 'Well Chris, it was great to talk to you this evening...' and I said, 'Likewise' and he continued, 'Next time we can maybe take some time to talk about what you think 'god's' plan for you'...
Haha, I've heard that one before... But I said, 'Sure, have a great evening Phillip'... And Claire was there this evening too, but when I rolled up on Phillip, she and another witnesser were engaged trying to con over some young family... Actually for all I know, maybe they were fellow witnessers!
I can't remember the young woman's name that was with them, but she's usually there if Phillip is not. But I bid them a great evening as well and was on my way, a grin still on my face knowing full well that if anything, I showed Phillip I'm a 'force to be reckoned with' in conversation.
Someone to Believe
Bad Religion
Dark, frozen, hibernation held at bay
As your mind, left behind, lost another day
But finally there's someone to believe
Anti-social boredom is all the rage
But the time comes when you gotta turn the page
And then finally there's someone to believe
And now you walk with confidence and ease
And there's no call to sell your soul
Or confess or drop down to your knees
Who, what, or where made you change your mind?
Doesn't matter anymore 'cause you've seen a sign
And now finally there's someone to believe
Searching for the answer's a lonely quest
But the act is liable to bring out your best
And then finally there's someone to believe
And now you have a purpose to proceed
And you find out the baggage that you discarded,
You didn't even need
No one can deny a return to form
Irrespective of the morass, shame, and scorn
But then finally there's someone to believe
Ready to emerge and direct your fate
As the self-determination radiates
Because finally there's someone to believe
And now you walk with confidence and ease
And it feels like the spring equinox after a long winter's sleep
Finally, there's someone to believe
Songwriters: Brett W. Gurewitz / Greg Graffin
Someone to Believe lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
I believe, in short what this song is saying, and it's what I live by, Believe in yourself, have great wonder and intrigue about the world around you. Find your own answers, question everything and find out for yourself from multiple sources and just trust yourself, because if you can't, who can you trust?
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