In defence of Church.

You may have noticed my brand new toy. It is the Stimulated Boredom website and something I found while listening to live 365 at work. (because Internet radio is supposedly blocked :)

Let me preface this with while I do not agree with everything the illustrious Dana-jock says... I think he usually has an intelligent and well thought out position. and it makes my day a little less mind numbing to consider someone else's point of view... and counter it in my head.

It also spawned conversation with the Malty Milt Head who is, of his own admission, a dirty Catholic. It is odd that the evil capitalist is so superstitious and yet so Catholic. He goes to mass every Sunday and really lives the bit about giving and charity etc. etc. Not to say he gets it all right, but he tries and I contend that this is all any of us can do.

He has also said before that my faith (I am a Hindu) lends itself to a certain mysticism which is evident in my writing. (not like blogging but actual WRITING). The jury is out on this one.

But as I listen to an old set of debated... the existence of God parts I and II, I am intrigued, delighted and amused at the mere mortals self-importance of thinking their faith or lack there of affects anyone but themselves. and here we come to the meat of today's post...

I believe in God. I do. Being Hindu, while we have religious texts (I guess you can say they are akin to the Bible) there is the over-arching idea that they are the abstract ideas of God given as inspiration. The verbage, the actual writing is a human endeavor. God does not so much pick up his Mont Blanc and send memos to the masses.

So the debate on the existence of God is also that it is at odds with science. Does anyone remember the series of articles late last year by the Wall Street Journal on why more and more hard core scientists have come back to faith in God? It was quite good. But I digress.

The further challenge was Kirk Cameron (Mike Sever-Growing Pains) said he would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that God existed with out using the Bible. Brave I would say. Want to know what the basis of his argument was? The 10 Commandments. Needless to say, he was quickly picked apart like string cheese.

So I sit and sift through trust agreements and I think about this. Friday morning I was too lazy to park 3 blocks away and take the trek to work. Nor did I have change for a meter or a $5 to park somewhere else. Because I know I will not get a ticket, and no one gets towed from Church, I pulled into the back parking lot of a beautiful cathedral. The people that work there are super cool. If they are having a function during the day- they put out a sign and we all respect it.

But that got me thinking about the things I have benefited from by means of Church in recent memory:

1. You can not get towed from Church
2. They provide food for homeless people. Especially downtown where there are lots of Churches, there is no reason that someone with no job is not getting fat off of 3 meals a day!
3. They provide classes and programs for all of the little kids around that area, who don't have much adult involvement.
4. When studying for something, the best place to go is Christ the King off of Campus. Even is no one is there, there is nun who opens the study rooms and brings you free coffee if you want it. It is air conditioned, heated, and most importantly QUIET
5. Then there is the whole community and fellowship aspect of it. Kudos to them.

That's what I got so far. I'm sure I will have more but this is what it is now. and looking at that, it occurs to me, whether or not you are Christian, whether or not you believe 110%, You have to acknowledge that we are better off as an aggregate whole to have this institution somewhere near us. Because it is so voluntary and requires nothing of you. You give out of respect, yes... even I ante up when Tourettes drags me to Church.

She whispers "it's my church, you don't have to do that" but my take is... it is the house of God. The God. and I would do it anywhere else I saw or felt God.

Maybe the amusement comes from seeing people look for a literal God. And I reflect on Gibran's conception of being able to give charity with open hands and closed eyes... not needing the self serving bit of knowing where it goes or who knows you gave it... and having that be a reflection not of your good deed, but truly giving with the eyes of God. and I think that looking for the "universe creation factories" requires a lot of energy that a lot of people will regret when they come to know the purpose of their lives.

I do however fervently agree with Dana assertion that really questioning your faith does either strengthen it to something worth having. or settle you in a different way.

Jumping off my soap box know, before I look overly zealous and no one talks to me anymore :)

also...later post. The dream killer got mugged and beaten up in London on Friday. that's not funny, don't laugh.