On Death and Religion

I watched a video this morning on the life of a former business associate, Mark Nilo, who died of cancer at the age of 54.  I happened to just finish reading a book by a rather obscure French poet and novelist that I started about 2 weeks or so ago.  It was novel about death and was the first book by Jules Romains the founder of the French literary concept of Unanimism which has to do with collective conscienceness.  I remembered receiving an email with the link to this video and decided this was a good time to watch it, 2 days having elapsed since my father’s funeral.  It was a bit surreal.  I was struck by the randomness of death.

I saw the movie “Lincoln” last night with my wife Jan and my 2nd sister Donna.  There was a scene in the movie when Lincoln asks a question of a Lt. and an engineer.  There were operating the newly invented telegraph which played a big part the war.  He asked them if they thought we were born to meet our specific times…or words to that effect.  The Lt. said he wasn’t sure about himself but thought Lincoln was.  The engineer’s answer was  and  I paraphrase, “I’m an engineer, I believe the machine has been designed then operates on its own”, a very Deist observation, probably a reference to questions about Lincoln's own religiosity.

In the book by Romains entitled “The Death of a Nobody”, a young man who had attended the funeral of Jacques Godard (the “nobody”) a year earlier is thinking about the dead man whom he had never met and is contemplating death, life and eventually his own death and makes a poignant observation, “The beyond, better world, spirit, ghost – all those vulgar catchwords annoy me.  I must drive them away.  Otherwise, they will end by becoming an obsession, and I shall not be able to see anything anymore.”  This can be extrapolated to mean religious obsession or obsession with any idea or ideal can blind you.

This reminds me of a quote Jan and I heard recently….I can’t remember where.  It goes something like this, “Trust in people who seek the truth but not those who claim to have found it.”

The Election Part 1

There’s much that can be said about this election.  It could be said that Romney, a Northeast, I’ll be generous and say moderate, was a bad candidate to deliver the message of fiscal restraint and smaller government. True enough.  He never really believed it and therefore didn’t come across very genuine.

There are already calls from mainstream Republicans that Romney didn’t pivot to the middle soon enough to capture those independents.  And if that is the correct analysis then the underlying reason is really quite simple, while American’s poll their support for smaller government, it’s not true.  America has become an entitlement minded country.  It was foisted on us by F.D.R. and embraced by Republicans and Democrats  ever since.  It has taken 70 years to create this mindset and the demographics are not helping.  Until Americans relearn that government can’t bring security, eschew both of these parties and embrace new ideas our slide into oblivion will continue. 

So, on that happy note….Congratulate your Democratic friends and stock up on food, ammunition and buy a generator.

God endorses Barack Obama

For God so loved the United States he killed 80 people and caused $20B in damage that whoever believes in Barack Obama shall not want but have everlasting entitlements.   Hang in, the blasphemy has just begun….

Hurricane Sandy is the ultimate October surprise.  There’s a reason these things are called Acts of God.  For fundamentalists of all Abrahamic traditions God controls all things.  So, what’s a religious Republican to think?  Has God chosen a side?  Which side has he chosen?  There’s no way one can deduce that this event helps Romney.  He who wants to cut the Federal government and according to the Democratics, gasp, FEMA too.  This storm doesn’t let Romney look presidential.  He AIN’T the president!! It lets President Obama look presidential!! And what does that mean?  Four more Years!!  God help us or continue hurting us??....whatever.

We all know that God is not going to just descend from the heavens and announce to the world his preference for Barack Obama, I mean, this isn’t 1041 BC uh, E?  I mean, ever since the New Testament He’s been more nuanced than that.  And anyway, Barack isn’t exactly the second coming of King David, so God may be putting some distance between His choice and Himself just so He doesn’t get all the blame when things don’t work out.  Hey, wait a minute, God KNOWS what’s going to happen.  What is he trying to pull with this mind manipulating preemptive ballot stuffing con?  Could it be he wants to PUNISH the United States for all its SINS, like legalized abortion and for not allowing the state to endorse religion?  If that’s what’s pissing Him off, go fuck with Europe, Oh wait most of them HAVE state sponsored religion…they’re just not religious.

Well, the irony just doesn’t quit.  If one has to assume that the events of the last few days supports the theory that God has endorsed Barack Obama then all those good religious Republicans have to rethink this election and do what God is obviously signaling to them.  Re-elect Obama to fulfill God’s plan, YOUR plan for America!!!

The writers at “The Daily Show” should wrote this, not me…I’m just saying…