garrisonjj Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 This used to freak me out. Go to church to have ashes smeared on my head reminding me that I'm going to fuckin die! No shit! The implicit message is to be cowered by religion! I used to hate this ritual. Now I go and have a big roast beef sandwich that day and watch all the crrazy fuckers with ashes on their heads screwing around or fucking their neighbors while being the good xtian! Remember man thou art dust! Well this won't intimidate me anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
currentchristian Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 This used to freak me out. Go to church to have ashes smeared on my head reminding me that I'm going to fuckin die! No shit! The implicit message is to be cowered by religion! I used to hate this ritual. Now I go and have a big roast beef sandwich that day and watch all the crrazy fuckers with ashes on their heads screwing around or fucking their neighbors while being the good xtian!Remember man thou art dust! Well this won't intimidate me anymore. I wonder how much of what we like and don't like, religiously speaking, has to do with upbringing and not being given free will as children to explore our own spirituality or religiosity, or lack of both, and acting accordingly? I never heard of the Ash Wednesday ritual until I was in my mid-20's and a colleague had ashes on his head one day. We were in the faculty room at the high school, so I thought he had smudged ink on his forehead from the copy machine! The more I learned of the ritual, the more I liked it, although I have never actually participated in it. Methinks we do need a reminder now and then that we are heading to the boneyard or we're gonna get cremated. Keeps us open to the more important things in life, seems to me. Helps us get rid of the unncessary clutter. (Before anyone says it, religion is not unnecessary clutter, IMO... ) -CC in MA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 I was raised Catholic. Ever since my deconversion, I've celebrated every single Ash Wednesday by getting laid... I now call it, Ass Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 I wonder how much of what we like and don't like, religiously speaking, has to do with upbringing and not being given free will as children to explore our own spirituality or religiosity, or lack of both, and acting accordingly? Oh, sure, if we all had happy clappy shiny lives, most of us would probably have never doubted at all. The point of religion is to keep people believing through the bad times, but the vast majority of people do not have as many bad times as they like to think. Most people were not abused as children. Most people did not grow up in fundy churches where they had to at least pretend they literally believed in everything in order to fit in. Most people actually do fit in with their church, or at least appear to, and most people are also intellectually dishonest. Now, I have had good religious experiences too. It was actually during the last good experience that I realized it was all a bunch of lies to make people feel more comfortable about death. Yeah, I can understand why people want the security blanket of an afterlife, but there's no evidence of one and wanting something to be true does NOT make that thing true. That is a hard lesson to learn. Most people don't learn it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrisonjj Posted February 16, 2007 Author Share Posted February 16, 2007 I was raised Catholic. Ever since my deconversion, I've celebrated every single Ash Wednesday by getting laid... I now call it, Ass Wednesday. I love it! See, you eat meat on Ash Wednesday just like me! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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