Maggie's Farm

I don't see him. I feel him when I see kindness.

I'm of the mind that we're not supposed to visualize him. How like a human to try to make him a thing. He's the force that is the best in us that brings out the best in others.

That article was verbose and boring.

I quit the religion aspect of belief when I finished eight years of being head of my youth group in the Presbyterian church in Canton. I loved it because much of our work was helping the elderly. We also waited on any group that chose to use our huge hall for banquets. One evening two hundred old men came in for dinner and a meeting. They all wore hats - regular old-timey hats - and they put them on the hat racks in the foyer and hung their overcoats up. We did the serving and had to wait around for the meeting to end to clean up. It took hours and we got bored hanging around in the foyer. I went over and picked one hat and exchanged it for a hat on the other side of the room. Within minutes we had all 200 hats moved. Then we had the unmitgated gall to stand around and watch the chaos. It was all we could do not to bust out laughing as one man put on 'his' hat and it dropped down over his ears and another put on 'his' hat where it perched high atop his head. We ran to clean up as soon as the men started getting cranky. :)

I don't like church when the preacher tells me I have to fear the Lord. I don't believe God wants believers who believe out of fear. Just like he probably has little use for those who engage in Pascal's Wager. God is in me when I do the right thing. I don't need religion or church for that. The majesty of Gospel singing is another thing. Some of my students got me to attend their small church.... I was the only white person and wow....I was hugged to death. The singing made God sing as far as I'm concerned. The fire and brimstone preacher probably bored Him.

And no doubt the community of a nice church is a haven for people. I saw that at my mom's funeral in the little island church my great, great grandfather built. It was extraordinary and it made me think I should join a church. But I won't. The people in my town are too snotty and I can't stand the preaching of fear.
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Thanks, Buddy. I'll check it out. I read the reviews and may fast-forward to the singing. :)

I was too young to understand the machinations of the Presbyterian church at the time I left it. I just left church. I did not join another. But when I understood the concept of predestination and how Presbyterian was the religion of the planters, I declared I was an atheist. What a perfect religion for slave holders. It made me sick. Not slavery - I understood that. What I despised was using religion to make slavery acceptable.

And yes, the church's current politics are terrible. But I don't pay attention anymore. Too many Christian sects and none are pure. My mind is my church.

Here's something snarky: We are not allowed in a Mormon tabernacle. Can you accept the idea that we might have a president whose church we non-Mormons are not allowed to befoul by our ungodly presence?
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