Ok, let's back track to discuss the ousted Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore.  He was the judge who had a 5,300 lb monument of the ten commandments installed at the capitol.  The US District Court Judge Thompson had ordered the monument be removed, and then later expelled Moore from his office after he refused to obey the Federal Court order.  So, it cost $7,000 just to have the monument moved.  Who paid for the monument?  Who paid for it to be moved?  The Alabama tax payers, of course.  

No one had a problem with his personal spiritual&n bsp;beliefs.  He was free to put up the ten commandments in his personal office.  But no, that wasn't enough for him.  He wanted to become a martyr so that he could gain popularity and riches from his behavior.  It wasn't about his spiritual beliefs, it was about his public religion and public image.  No one told him how to behavior on his personal time, they just told him he couldn't force his personal religious beliefs in government.  Isn't that what Christians would want if we had a judge who was a Buddhist?  Wouldn't they want him to leave his religious practices in his/her personal time and treat everyone without reference to religion?  To not force his/her beliefs on everyone else?  To respect the faith of others? 

Now, the former Judge was also been forgiven the legal fees to fight this case for all this time.  The bill came to over $500,000, that's half a million dollars folks!  Who paid his bill?  The Alabama tax payers, of course.  Even though a Federal Court determined Moore to be wrong in this case, the tax payers will pay the price for his personal agenda.  And what happened to Moore?  He wrote a book about his experiences and may even run for Alabama governor next term, or he may shoot for the Presidency.  And with all the idiots out there blindly folllowing this fool, he may just get it.

So much for the separation of the church and state.  Do you think for one moment that if his religious beliefs lay elsewhere he would be able to put a religious monument up at the capitol building?  Do you think he could put up a big fat Buddha at the Capitol and have the taxpayers pay for it?  Would the public be so willing to speak up for him then?  Would religious freedom seem a little different in that light to those now speaking so powerfully on the freedom of speech and freedom of religion (all in the name of Jesus)?  Think about it.    These people aren't for freedom of religion or freedom of speech, they are for the freedom for them to force their beliefs on everyone else, not to mention forcing us to foot their bill while preaching their personal beliefs to the world.  I'm so sick of these self righteous pigs sucking up all the air and dipping their greasy hands into my pocket to do it.  It's amazing how blind people can be to these types of people.  He's laughing all the way to the bank and may laugh himself into office again.  Wake up, America! 

male chavinistic pigs

females who support sexism

drivers who pull out in front of you and then immediately turn left

coconut

people who won't just do their fucking job

racist people

people making assumptions about me when they don't know me

dusting

possums

my cluttered office

office politics and getting sucked into them whether you like it or not

artificial sweetners

the struggle it takes to just be yourself, why is it such a struggle?

white chocolate -just ain't the same

mice/rats/anything that looks like them

bad body odor

backbiters

the past creeping up and catching you off guard

diarrhea

kidney stones

assholes- (not the body part, just the people)

pink skin

public speaking

meetings without meaning

being stuck in a rut

going without sex for any length of time

sour cream and ranch dressing and anything resembling them

close minded people

people who complain about the same things but never do anything about it

snakes

having to hear, for the 599,999 time, about every freaking woman's diet in the office

the color pink

my brother in law

trying to give up colas

getting out of bed

legalistic religions that kill spirits

arguing

balancing my checkbook

unruly kids

borderline personality disorders

people who talk out of both sides of their mouth

mornings

drama of any kind

I was recently reading an article by James B. Twitchell in the Mother Jones (March-April 2005 issue) and read an article I found to be interesting about the megachurches of today. The article focused on one particular such megachurch in Illinois called Willow Creek that was led by a pastor named Bill Hybels. The church lies on 155 acres, has a five acre "reflecting pond", has parking attendents assisting by radio headsets, has shuttle buses and offers entertainment and all sorts of social services to the community. They've replaced the old school church atmosphere for a more informal setting. Sermons have become "messages" and Sunday's Best has turned into casual come-as-you-are. The Little Brown Church in the Vale has become the MegaMart for Jesus.

You've seen the megachurches of your community, they resemble a shopping mall....lots of pavement/parking, large buildings, lights, etc... and they have been selling something to the American public, and doing quite well. It offers an opportunity to become a part of something bigger, but isn't so threatening as church was back in my day. Having them draw out yet another verse of the most dredging song in the songbook while you stand gripping the wooden pew, sweating from the Hell, Fire and Damnation sermon the sweaty preacher just delivered. No, they now tend to go the less threatening route, which is very smart to me. I never understood why people wanted to scare people into becoming a Christian. What is the point of that? Fear shouldn't be the motivation to have a relationship with God, in my humble opinion. Anyway, these new megachurches are offering sports, music, community, teaching, transportation, a social life, travel, .....all that and a ticket to heaven too!

This particular fellow, Hybel, had done his research. He had wondered why so many people didn't attend church when they claimed to be believers. So, he did his homework. He and a group of his friends went door to door asking the questions. They discovered that the answer was plain and simple, the barrier that kept families out of church was MEN. Their questioning found that men don't like being religious in public, they don't want to be told what to do, especially in the presence of women, and they don't like losing control. So, they figured if they could get men to come to church, much like the anthem in "Field of Dreams", "if we built it, they will come", then they could get the women and children to follow. And it worked. They have catered to the sensitive needs of men and churches like the Willow Creek megachurch is now one of the nation's largest congregations: 18,000 people attend services any given weekend.

Now, that's impressive. But, I'm left wondering what does that mean to the individual? I remember moving to a bigger church and enjoying the anonymity of blending into the crowd. I could be separate but a part of it all at the same time.  But I was there to focus on my own spiritual life and it was just what I needed at the time.  At the megachurch,  I saw alot of lonely people there just searching for someone to pay attention to them, someone to love them. They came to find a mate, they came to have a place to fit in, they came to find a date, they came there to find a friend, and they came to do what they are supposed to do as a Christian. And I saw alot of empty people still seeking something and looking pretty miserable. Fake smiles and lonely hearts. But, there were the ones who were obviously there to have a relationship with God. It just seemed they were few and far between. And that was very sad to witness.

It doesn't matter if it's the little brown church, or the megachurch, you can't substitute church for a relationship. I think everyone has to find out what their place of worship is. For some, a megachurch suits their needs. For others, it might be a walk in nature, or writing, or reading, or helping others, or working for a good cause. There are so many things that need to be be done out there and obviously the church doesn't meet the needs of everyone. So, why do they often act as if they can? We have many talents and many passions and I feel that we have been given those things for a reason. And I hope that people find what those things are and go with it. I hope for those that are seeking, that they will not let anyone stand in their way of finding their way, not even the church. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I've been around enough to know what some of the answers [i]aren't. [/i] And I'm wise enough to know that God doesn't reveal secret plans for my goodwill to others so they can tell me about it and enlighten me. I have a personal relationship with God and I don't need an interpreter or mediator. I can learn from others, but I don't have to depend on another human being to direct my path. And until God tells me differently, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.