When faced with the imminent prospect of Death, it seems that many a backsliding atheist somehow manages to crawl their way back to the folds of the Religion of Their Youth.
When my Mother died in August 2011 I spent time at the Chapel in the Hospice, asking/praying for a smooth passage as she slipped into unconsciousness a day or two before she finally succumbed to her cancer. I never knew if my efforts were heard or acknowledged. I was simply reaching to a higher power for help as the transition unfolded.
As I look upon my own potentially short future I find myself still somewhat distant from the idea that a "Higher Power" might control my destiny.
To me, Organized Religion has always represented corruption, abuse of power, greed and mistreatment. Walking through the many Holy landmarks of Europe has done little to modify this view. The Cathedrals of Spain boast treasuries of gold, silver and precious gems that were plundered from now extinct South and Central American cultures who's people were abused and killed in the "Name of the Lord."
A visit to Fatima, a site of Catholic Pilgrimage found me walking through an absolutely artificial concrete tribute to pomp and fundraising, a sterile landscape, totally removed from the alleged miracles that had taken place there some 100 years ago.
And yet, when I walked into small, non-descript native churches in South and Central America I often found myself in the presence of something "other-worldly" Something that seemed to be touching me emotionally, lifting my spirits and bringing me to a place of utter bliss and tranquility.
And sometimes I just felt that I was a stranger and that I should just move on.
Sounds 'F'd up I know but hey, that's life.
The plaque above the fireplace at my Aunty Annie's house pretty well nailed it:
"Don't take Life too seriously. You're not getting out alive anyhow!"
Honest Words to Live by!!!!
To be honest, my most serious blush with religion and faith comes from my introduction to the Bahai Faith in the early 2000's. I no longer consider myself a strict adherent but I still find that their covenants make significantly more sense in than the ancient teaching of Christianity and the Muslim Faith, from which many Bahai principals were adopted.
I am hoping that some time between treatments I can make my way to the North American Bahai House of Worship in Wilmette ( Evanston) Chicago, Il
The building itself, a 9 sided dome is the only House of Worship in North America. Construction commenced in 1922. It is the world's first House of Worship, erected in Wilmette on the cold western banks of Lake Michigan and dedicated in 1953. To describe the building as magnificent, beautiful or Holy displays a degree of my prejudices. Weather, in the form of freezing rain has not been kind to the limestone and marble, although ongoing restorative work shields much of the damage. Non denominational in it's acceptance of all faiths, the structure is, nevertheless a focal point in the life of many Bahai's. Without fixed places of worship- churches or cathedrals, Bahai's worship in followers homes, schools or public buildings that are available. Far better to spend that money on spreading the word of Bahaullah and on charitable deeds than in a fixed structure that is dormant and unused 85% of the time.
As I look upon my own potentially short future I find myself still somewhat distant from the idea that a "Higher Power" might control my destiny.
To me, Organized Religion has always represented corruption, abuse of power, greed and mistreatment. Walking through the many Holy landmarks of Europe has done little to modify this view. The Cathedrals of Spain boast treasuries of gold, silver and precious gems that were plundered from now extinct South and Central American cultures who's people were abused and killed in the "Name of the Lord."
A visit to Fatima, a site of Catholic Pilgrimage found me walking through an absolutely artificial concrete tribute to pomp and fundraising, a sterile landscape, totally removed from the alleged miracles that had taken place there some 100 years ago.
And yet, when I walked into small, non-descript native churches in South and Central America I often found myself in the presence of something "other-worldly" Something that seemed to be touching me emotionally, lifting my spirits and bringing me to a place of utter bliss and tranquility.
And sometimes I just felt that I was a stranger and that I should just move on.
Sounds 'F'd up I know but hey, that's life.
The plaque above the fireplace at my Aunty Annie's house pretty well nailed it:
"Don't take Life too seriously. You're not getting out alive anyhow!"
Honest Words to Live by!!!!
To be honest, my most serious blush with religion and faith comes from my introduction to the Bahai Faith in the early 2000's. I no longer consider myself a strict adherent but I still find that their covenants make significantly more sense in than the ancient teaching of Christianity and the Muslim Faith, from which many Bahai principals were adopted.
I am hoping that some time between treatments I can make my way to the North American Bahai House of Worship in Wilmette ( Evanston) Chicago, Il
The building itself, a 9 sided dome is the only House of Worship in North America. Construction commenced in 1922. It is the world's first House of Worship, erected in Wilmette on the cold western banks of Lake Michigan and dedicated in 1953. To describe the building as magnificent, beautiful or Holy displays a degree of my prejudices. Weather, in the form of freezing rain has not been kind to the limestone and marble, although ongoing restorative work shields much of the damage. Non denominational in it's acceptance of all faiths, the structure is, nevertheless a focal point in the life of many Bahai's. Without fixed places of worship- churches or cathedrals, Bahai's worship in followers homes, schools or public buildings that are available. Far better to spend that money on spreading the word of Bahaullah and on charitable deeds than in a fixed structure that is dormant and unused 85% of the time.
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