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View Full Version : The story of the persecuted hat and other religious metaphors



Crazy Louie
2nd September 2013, 03:56
Once I had a job that was low keyed. I was the only one who liked wearing a nice shirt and tie. I also liked wearing a baseball cap - various kinds - all rather new and nice and mostly clean. There was another fellow working there who would wear the same hat everyday - he owned some mules and in order to keep them he had a deal with a horse stable that he could keep his mules there - if he mucked stalls for them and did the dirty work - wearing the same hat he wore to my workplace.

So yes eventually people complained about this fellows hat - and a decree/proclamation was issue that outlawed hat wearing. The deal was they did not want to single this fellow out with his stinky stall mucking hat because the union might get beefy about something like that - so they just outlawed all hats.

So we have some people who follow a religion and take heart as to what the reality of that religion might be - now then I am not talking about enlightened people or spiritual people - I am talking about decent trying to be morally good and accept religion at face value and just like going to church and trying to do what the person in charge says to do. For some that is the best they can do. -- Meanwhile sometimes within the same religion or church you have someone wearing the stall mucking hat - this person goes around like "THEY KNOW THE MIND OF GOD" because they have read the bible and they have interpreted the letter of law it contains and thats the dungeon they live in.

A few years back I was heading to church because a woman wanted me to go - and I passed another church and some of the westboro baptist people were out front of the church with signs saying "god hates *aggots" -- I looked and drove by until it registered and then I felt sick. Not going into much detail but two men who loved each other were having some sort of deal at that church - not a marriage but something else - now then I don't mind the mind of god regarding such things - I know what is written but we also know some people are born in the wrong bodies - some people are not me - or you - and what ever they do its between them and god in the end - it does not concern me - the real truth is I felt sick that supposed christians would stand out side with signs so full of hate.

And in so doing and calling themselves christians how bigoted can you be, how pompus can you demonstrate that you are? How ugly is your hat? -- so heres the deal - instead of just seeing with common sense that the one fellow with the crappy hat should have been talked to - no they didn't want to do that so everyone lost the opportunity to wear a hat - likewise - instead of other people - society in general having the ability to say to themselves - this one church is a real stinker ( you are aware of their antics - and such I am sure) - most people who don't know better just lump all christians in the same boat -- and the same goes for other religions.

I have done all the tradition in many religions - I find it hard to call myself a christian because there are so many chuckleheads that call themselves christians and god forgive me I want nothing to do with their brand of christian thinking -- when people ask me what religion I am I say none but I once was a svetambara jainist who prayed only to Jesus - usually they ask no more questions.

I write this thinking about predictions for the end times regarding christian being persecuted - and I am left thinking they will be persecuted because of so many churches being pompus and generally just hissing people off with their smug I am saved attitudes -- and the thing is the people who will come for them are just as smug and pompus that they know what a christian is.

I just wanted to wear my nice clean hat and be left alone. Read that as: they will lump you together and because of what others have done and do they will come for your solitude and other stuff.

Now me - I generally have accepted the idea that I am not special and if I die because of all the chuckleheads in the world and their clownesque ideations - it will in some vague way be amusing and totally appropriate since I think if life has been so insane and full of so much stupid - why would I expect a death from it to be any different. thanks.

Nothingness
2nd September 2013, 04:48
Well thank you for that humor Owl--still laughing. I appreciate your points. I don't think I'd like to work for a place that approaches solutions in such a way. I would probably first try talking to those who made the decision and be willing to personally talk to Mr. Stinky Hat myself in a good way. Mr. Stinky Hat will eventually be plain 'ole Mr. Stinky because he has poor hygiene habits, and the problem won't be solved. The truth is a good thing if done in a loving way--beating around the bush isn't.

Just my opinion. I believe in karma. Everything we do comes forward into the next life for rectification. Karma can bounce around for thousands of years and accumulate big time when we are not conscious. Even if there wasn't karmic payback, just having wasted a whole life in hating others is pretty nasty in itself. Haters or mistakers (me included) will have even an eternity of lives more to get things right, but even a saint will tell you that life is no picnic and repeating just one more life in karmic payback is not preferred.

Life always involves suffering because it involves ending the karma. We need to, painfully in most cases, sit there and experience everything we've accumulated as karma and let it payback (come to us as we have dished it out to others) and repeat in our lives, and accept it humbly and with gratitude in clear consciousness until it is done--and maybe receive some sort of grace or help from those who are deeply enlightened along with it.

If we piss and whine, we accumulate karma again, too. We are each responsible for ourselves. We have the free choice to add karma or remove it.

It's definitely hard to be allied with any religion these days, and you definitely make that point very nicely and humorously. I like your Christian humor and temperament--I suspect that Jesus probably was hilarious at times. Many blessings to you. I believe in God, too, even though others find it offensive, but you know what? I'll be whatever God wants me to be, and God has never asked me to be Mr./Mrs. Hater ever, but He/She/It does ask me to love everyone as She/It/He does. Not saying it is an easy task, and some days and moments I fail, but its not like something else is more important in my life.

Hazel
2nd September 2013, 10:55
Nice rant Owl... to-wit... so many of us can relate...

no need to feign or fear re an ordinary death because when all said and done 'clean hat' or 'grubby hat' politic of the correct scenario's don't factor in, as life is so much more than the sum of its parts..

No cliche' intended or tongue in cheek intended
just a wry grin and a tip of my cap in the face of it all

H.