esrosedotblog

STILL PUSHING IT

When I was elected Moderator for the Town of Plymouth (MA) Town Meeting, the first thing that I did was eliminate the invocation from each session.

It was surprising that no one said anything about it.

For years, they had some sky pilot come in and try to cover the crowd with his brand of crop dust.

Ecumenicalism was a big deal at that time. So were churches, much more than today. Remember that? Every one did their thing, or not, in their own way in their own place. No one prevented a congregation from devoting a Sunday worship to meditation on participatory government.

But anyone could see that it was not an appropriate mingling of the sacred with the profane. First of all, there is nothing sacred about some guy lording it over other people as though he knows something they do not. Or has a pipeline to god.

And second, there is nothing profane about people coming together to solve local problems in an orderly way.

God, as people understand their higher power, is welcome to participate for each of them, in their own way. I figured that they could say their own prayers which would be much more meaningful than if it was led by some pious professional. Professional piety.

I had sat through sessions in which the preacher had gone on well beyond the prescribed purpose and time of the Meeting. And I was having none of it.

And, not a peep from anyone. Some amused grins but not one protest.

Now look at this.

Omitting Clergy at 9/11 Ceremony Prompts Protest

They just don't fucking get it. Most people do not want to have it shoved down their throats. The sermon, the mealy mouthed devotions, the sanctimonious superiority, the blatant hypocrisy.

I have actually enjoyed the company of a few preachers in my time. But they were the exception. Rare was it to find one of them that wasn't on a power trip.

In this day and age, the culture wars are on again. The religionists want to have their say in everything. They don't see that most (this is true, most) of us don't want it. Or need it either.

There is enough bloviation about 9-11 anyway. We are so not over it. The memorials, the ceremonies, the reliving of old wounds. The goddam christians against the muslims all the rest of it.

Three cheers for Bloomberg, a blatant secularist, who has had enough as well. The best approach to this is to do nothing as anything they do will lead to the next level of bullshit, namely the arguments among the religionists themselves. Muslims, jews, christians, I have had about enough of that too.

Labels: christist watch, religion