This was an email sent to friends, but I was so entertained by it, I thought I'd share . . . with probably the same friends who occasionally read these entries.
So besides being completely unmotivated this afternoon, I was singing a song by the sadly-no-longer band The Darkness, as their lead singer, Justin something, declared he couldn’t live healthily (i.e., w/out drugs) and still be in a rock band. The world no longer gets songs titled “Love on the Rocks w/ No Ice” and “Get Your Hands Off My Woman, Motherf**ker!” or gets to see him perform in a leopard print unitard w/ a big cutout down to his navel to show off the lack of chest hair, like he’s an 80’s monster band performer. Sigh. I miss him so.
None of that is my point really – my point is I was singing aloud their song, “One Way Ticket to Hell . . . and Back” (insert long vent about work which I will not post online), and I just realized the “and back” lyric of the song doesn’t really make sense. One way tickets don’t let you go back . . . hmm. Who’d have thought the Darkness would ever be inaccurate, or worse, that it took me 2 years of singing that song to realize the error?
Is it 5 yet?
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Catholic Church is not for me
Over the past year or so, I've started going to church again. Going to Mass, actually, at St. Patricks. It's a quick, 30 minute service in a beautiful building with fabulous acoustics - I enjoy the atmosphere, light a candle, and then step back out into the real world.
Although my father's family is Portuguese Catholic, I was never raised as one, and rarely attended Catholic services besides funerals & weddings. In fact, I spent a lot of time in high school at the non-denominational church next door, and could wave to my cousins & extended family across the parking lot.
I started going to Mass at St. Patricks last year when I found out Mom was scheduled to have surgery (she's fine), and I needed . . . to be comforted, I guess. My friends love my statement "Religion is like comfort food", and how I often compare the big R to a plate of gooey mac n' cheese.
I've continued going once every couple weeks over the past year. I say the automatic responses, and ignore the service completely, instead using the time the priest is lecturing/providing communion, as my time - thinking things out, dividing & conquering conundrums in my head.
Until recently.
Last week, during the service I actually listened to the priest. The topic was the Virgin Mary, and how we need to pray through her to get Jesus' help & support. This is one of the many problems I have w/ Catholism (sp?) - why do we have to go through a person (a saint now) to get answers from Jesus? Why pray to saints? Kudos to them for doing the good deeds, or having the right connections, to become a saint, but really? I need to ask them to ask God for help? Cut out the middle man, people! I don't even know if I believe in God, but if he's there, I'm not about to sit on the side and ask his friends to put in a good word for me.
And this week, it got even worse. The priest was declaring how all Catholics need to be unified, to present one front to the secular world (for you non-religious folks, that's what we call you, and the world outside the church. It's like being called a Muggle). He was mad at some woman on TV who declared she was Catholic, but also believed in gay marriage. (Who knew priests watch TV?) Then he was mad at someone else on TV (clearly addicted to cable) who claimed to be Catholic, but was also pro-choice. He then yelled, "How can you be Catholic and PRO-DEATH?!" And, the congregation nodded, and agreed! I realized that by sitting there, in that beautiful church, I was associated with, and even supporting, these people with their black & white views of the world, and how they react to/judge situations in it.
So now I don't know what to do. Maybe stop by the church when there's no services, sit, light a candle, and go? I feel like I can't go any longer as I will not stand behind those view points, but the environment is incredibly comforting. Maybe a park instead? Find solace in the trees, and smile at the crazies talking to themselves? I don't know.
I do know that I am most certainly not Catholic. Darn priests for opening their mouths and ruining my calorie-free comfort food.
Although my father's family is Portuguese Catholic, I was never raised as one, and rarely attended Catholic services besides funerals & weddings. In fact, I spent a lot of time in high school at the non-denominational church next door, and could wave to my cousins & extended family across the parking lot.
I started going to Mass at St. Patricks last year when I found out Mom was scheduled to have surgery (she's fine), and I needed . . . to be comforted, I guess. My friends love my statement "Religion is like comfort food", and how I often compare the big R to a plate of gooey mac n' cheese.
I've continued going once every couple weeks over the past year. I say the automatic responses, and ignore the service completely, instead using the time the priest is lecturing/providing communion, as my time - thinking things out, dividing & conquering conundrums in my head.
Until recently.
Last week, during the service I actually listened to the priest. The topic was the Virgin Mary, and how we need to pray through her to get Jesus' help & support. This is one of the many problems I have w/ Catholism (sp?) - why do we have to go through a person (a saint now) to get answers from Jesus? Why pray to saints? Kudos to them for doing the good deeds, or having the right connections, to become a saint, but really? I need to ask them to ask God for help? Cut out the middle man, people! I don't even know if I believe in God, but if he's there, I'm not about to sit on the side and ask his friends to put in a good word for me.
And this week, it got even worse. The priest was declaring how all Catholics need to be unified, to present one front to the secular world (for you non-religious folks, that's what we call you, and the world outside the church. It's like being called a Muggle). He was mad at some woman on TV who declared she was Catholic, but also believed in gay marriage. (Who knew priests watch TV?) Then he was mad at someone else on TV (clearly addicted to cable) who claimed to be Catholic, but was also pro-choice. He then yelled, "How can you be Catholic and PRO-DEATH?!" And, the congregation nodded, and agreed! I realized that by sitting there, in that beautiful church, I was associated with, and even supporting, these people with their black & white views of the world, and how they react to/judge situations in it.
So now I don't know what to do. Maybe stop by the church when there's no services, sit, light a candle, and go? I feel like I can't go any longer as I will not stand behind those view points, but the environment is incredibly comforting. Maybe a park instead? Find solace in the trees, and smile at the crazies talking to themselves? I don't know.
I do know that I am most certainly not Catholic. Darn priests for opening their mouths and ruining my calorie-free comfort food.
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