Woody Cavenaugh

I wouldn't have begun to blog on the topic but I was inspired by a guy who really does a pretty good job of it. He dives in unafraid and I really respect that. He knows what he likes and he sticks with it. I figured if he could do it regularly and well, then I should be able to at least take one crack at it. It isn't like there isn't enough material.

Its been on my mind for some time, I think the first time I remember thinking about it was in church as a child. We have this book that has caused more wars than anything else I can think of. It is really a collection of smaller books written over time and bound together under one title. It has been organized into two basic parts, one of them is older and one of them is newer. A fair few thousand years comes between the first words and the last ones. (Assuming the books are in order.) Some books have been lost to time, others have been omited by the choosing of whoever was in charge at the time. Few bloggers will discuss it because sooner or later someone comes along and announces that you are doomed for all of time to misery and pain for not only bringing it up, but daring to disagree with their interpretation.

So the real problem is that if one were to print the whole thing verse by verse on note cards and stuck them to the wall you would soon discover that there are inconsistencies. Nope, not a strong enough word. The word really is contradictions. One of the most obvious ones that we deal with in the news on a day to day basis is killing. Parts of the book support killing, parts forbid it. So we send soldiers to kill in foreign lands but we put killers at home in prison and then argue wether or not we should kill them back.

There have been a good many people who thought they had the whole thing figured out, the Catholic church, the Babtist church, the Southern Babtist Convention, (There seem to be more flavors of Babtist than you can shake a stick at.) the Mormons, the Quakers, Jim Jones, and the Branch Davidians just to take a swipe at the list. Some religions only use one half of the book either the old half or the new half. I can think of at least one who wrote a whole other book to go with the other two that they use. Walk into a christian bookstore and there are a whole bunch of these books, lots of different translations, lots of different interpretations. There's more flavors than Baskin Robbins. Most use just the old part and the new part.

So you have different versions of books bound together that were written, rewritten, and translated over the course of a couple of thousand years. Every word is word of the all mighty, and in that light the all mighty is depicted as fickle. In the old part he's vocal, angry and quick to smite. In the new part he works through his son, keeps a low profile, and teaches love and forgiveness.

No wonder there is so much strife in the world. Anyone who ever tried to live the book as written has surely gone insane. So we do what humans do so well. We adapt. We spread the book out like a big buffet and we eat the parts that work for us. This reminds me of the observation that the old part of the book has some rules about what to eat and what not to eat and pork is on the list of no-no's. Yet almost every weekend southern churches are holding BBQ fundraisers. No one worries about contradiction. Society, climate, history convenience, and availability have caused these people to forgo with the rules of food. These same folks are more likely to be for killing over seas and willing to kill to protect the unborn, yet they still fight amongst themselves over what to do with those who murder.

Now, I know it must sound like I am knocking the lifestyle. Far from it I support the lifestyle and often buy BBQ plates from church fund raisers. All people seem to have a few basic needs, they need to believe in something, and they need to belong. So like minded people will join together and be comforted by their similar beliefs. Even the anarchist and the non-conformist all come together as a group of likeminded people who believe in being different from everyone else. (The irony of that always makes me smile)

What sets my teeth on edge is when one group of likeminded people gaze condescendingly at another group and want to change or destroy them. Quick list to prove I am not making this up.
Christians VS Muslims
Christians VS Judaism
Christian VS Catholic
Muslim VS Judaism
Muslim VS Catholic
(ok, that could take a while)
Conservative VS Liberal
Republican VS Democrat (NOT the same as above btw)
People who are against gays
Pro life VS Pro Choice
Pepsi VS Coke
Walmart VS every mom and pop store in existance
Ford VS Chevy
Your Belief VS My Belief
Yankies VS Mets
Saber VS Epee (Foilist are general a tolerant bunch.)

I once had a man come to my door and ask me if I "feared god". I told him, "No, but I had a powerful respect and awe for him". The man told me I was a sinner and was going to go to hell if I didn't change my ways. Isn't my eternal life a private issue between me and the All Mighty??? I don't think anyone on this earth has the right to judge me on matters of my eternal soul. (Chances are we will both be wrong and burn together anyway.)

My beliefs, correct or incorrect are mine. They are not your business. My beliefs do not hurt anyone. It shouldn't matter to you if I am christian, muslim, jew, zen, or atheist. It shouldn't matter to you if I am pro life, pro choice, pro capital punishment, pro gay people being able to be legally linked for purposes of law, proton, or protein.

It is not your decision.
It is not your business.
It is not your life.

If you look around and you feel you no longer belong with the people around you, seek a new group, do not try to change your group back. Nothing good ever comes of that. Unless of course you like backlash, revenge, and revolution.

Wow. I feel better now. Thanks for letting me rant. Special thanks to Sara and Kimi who impatiently waited for me to finish ranting. Yes, we can go now.