Happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for this great atheist message from John.

It's the Thanksgiving holiday today in the United States. We're going to have dinner with some friends in a few hours. My contribution is a Trader Joes vegan Breaded Turkey-Less Stuffed Roast With Gravy. Took me a whole five minutes to prepare before I put it in the oven.

Luckily I'd bought extra last year and put some in the freezer, because I was shocked to learn that Trader Joes isn't offering it this year because it didn't sell well. Damn capitalism! My wife and I have tried every vegetarian alternative to turkey and the Trader Joes offering was the best. Oh, well, life is full of disappointments. Maybe it will return next year.

On a positive note, wanted to say how thankful I am for everybody who visits this Church of the Churchless blog, including those who leave comments on the posts. In some ways we're a family of sorts -- understanding that family gatherings are typically a mixture of pleasant interactions and irritating conversation.

Meaning, while everyone enjoys getting together, there's Uncle Joe who won't stop talking about his current conspiracy theory; Cousin Elaine who is determined to get her relatives to try her new cure-all for whatever ails you; Grandma Mabel who's telling the same stories from her childhood that she relates every year; and indeed, just about everyone has some strange quirks that some family members find appealing and others can't stand.

Just like us on the Church of the Churchless! We're all uniquely strange, and that's a good thing. Life would be boring if we were all the same, if we all believed the same things, if we all had the same reactions to topics that arise on this blog.

As the host, so to speak, I do my best to strike a balance between allowing free expression of views, and making the blog a pleasant place for people to share their views in comments. I don't always succeed in this balancing act. Just wanted to let you know that I try to follow the adage of my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Marshall: Do your best, angels can do no better.

Here's a comment that John left a few days ago which I liked so much, I'm sharing in a blog post so it gets more attention. I fixed a few typos and added paragraph breaks. Nicely said, John.

Hi all, I'm a long time follower of Brian's blog, but I've never posted on an open thread. But I thought I would do so on this one.

I grew up as a Christian (originally Presbyterian) with the last 20 plus years of that belief being in the evangelical/charismatic flavor. I've been an agnostic atheist for about 6 years now. My wife is still a very devout Christian and doesn't know the full extent of my deconversion. Maybe someday.

But because of her still being a believer, I hear plenty of sermons per weak and lots of really shitty Christian music. Speaking of, is all religious music as bad as Christian music? Just curious. Anyway, the further I get from my religious roots, the more I think how weird religion seems to me now. I can only imagine how weird religion in general seems to someone who was never part of any of it.

People have an imaginary friend who they talk to and hope to somehow hear back from. This imaginary friend is super powerful and created everything and has things that they want you to do, and things they don't want you to do.

Often there is a book that their imaginary friend wrote, or at least had a hand in writing. And the people who believe in this imaginary friend live their lives (or profess to do so) according to the book he wrote. Oh yes, the imaginary friend is always a he. Isn't that interesting? More often than not, this imaginary male friend is a loving being.

Unless, of course, you don't believe in him. Then he will almost always condemn you to some kind of suffering or torture after you die. Forever. As though living life here isn't suffering enough! And isn't is interesting that where you are born and raised has almost 100% to do with which imaginary friend you believe in?

Many wars have been fought over, my imaginary friend is real and yours isn't. Or something similar to that. Maybe my imaginary friend is offended by something you did or didn't do and I have to fight you on his behalf.

And then there is the whole money thing. At least in the flavor of Christianity I came out of. This imaginary friend always needs more money! At least 10% of your gross, not net, income. And if you give more than that, he will do some special favors for you. Yep. He's just cool like that. But I do think it's interesting that since I quit giving 10% plus to my imaginary friend, I've been able to get out of, and stay out of debt. Something I never could do when I was giving all that money to him.

And then there is the whole prayer thing. Prayers are basically asking your imaginary friend for favors. Things like, please heal my cat. Please help me get a promotion at work. Please make my kids believe in you so they don't get tortured forever. Please let my football team win this weekend. Please keep it from raining the weekend of our church picnic. While the farmer is asking for rain on that same weekend so he doesn't lose his farm.

How does that work? But I do get it to some degree. Just like when kids have an imaginary friend. This friend is someone they trust and can talk to without fear of judgment. And as "adults", we are only a few years away from being children. 50 years seems like a long time, but wouldn't we all feel a little better if we still had our stuffed animals? Or is it just me?

So if we want to still have our imaginary friend, that's cool. But I shouldn't be trying to convince you that my imaginary friend is real, and is the only imaginary friend you should believe is real. And promise you rewards if you believe it, and punishment if you don't. Yep. The further I get from religion, the more weird it seems.

Comments

[Sant64]

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments about contemporary Christian music. I have tried to see what others see in it, but at heart, I too feel it's shitty. Then again, I feel all the music produced in the last 40 years has been pretty awful. Is it the music or is it me?

Cynically as they are framed, I also agree with some of the criticisms made here about religion. Then again, if I substitute the references to "religion" and "friend" with the words "government" or "wife," possibly also apt. Try it. Money, rewards, punishment, security, love, and death, these are not just issues confined to churches. And overarching all, meaning.

To exist as a human being without a real sense of meaning is quite impossible. Abjuring a sect doesn't make the problem of meaning go away.

[umami]

Here's song from 1980 that's oddly germane. Heard in the supermarket this morning...
https://youtu.be/DnkHf069fvA?si=t0aOZuqwa7DgjCXE

[John]

Thanks for sharing this, Brian!
John