Category: religion

Dalai Lama follow-up

May 11, 2007 / / 2 Comments

I went to see the Dalai Lama last Friday.

Well, how was it, Marc?

It was actually sort of disappointing, thanks for asking. I made the mistake of assuming that he would be speaking about things that everyone would find accessible. Unfortunately, it turns out I’d bought a ticket for the fourth in a series of four Buddhist teachings.

His Holiness would read a few paragraphs from a Buddhist text in Tibetan, then expound upon them at length… in Tibetan. His translator would then repeat what he had said in English, sans the animated enthusiasm. Virtually all of what was taught went over my head.

He spoke briefly in English at the end of the session, but the combination of the atrocious acoustics in the coliseum and his thick accent made him all but incomprehensible.

I had plenty of time to look around at the audience while HH spoke, and I was a little surprised by what I saw. This being Wisconsin, it was primarily white people. However, there were a number of men and women wearing traditional Tibetan garb–exquisitely embroidered silk tunics and pants in bright, cheerful colors. Of more interest, however, were two women wearing headscarves two rows ahead of me.

Despite the disappointment, I’m glad that I went. Had I not gone, I’d have regretted it. It was an interesting experience, and at least I can say I’ve seen the Dalai Lama speak… even if I have no idea what he said.

Friday

May 3, 2007 / / 4 Comments

I’m going to go see his HH Dalai Lama teach Friday morning. I’m very excited.

I was an idiot and didn’t get a ticket back in February when they were $25, so I ended up paying $130. I’d like to say all of that goes to a good cause, but the ticket price was only $95. The rest went to ticket vendor fees, plus overnight shipping to make sure the ticket got here on time. And I’m sure that $95 is further divided to pay for the venue, transportation costs, etc.

My mom suggested trying to call in a favor for a ticket from the monastery in Oregon because I built their network and donated all the necessary equipment… but that didn’t seem kosher. It’s ceases to be a charitable act if I ask for something in return. (And I can’t help but be proud that the Dalai Lama’s entourage is using the network I designed.)

:D

Jesus Camp

March 2, 2007 / / 0 Comments

I’m watching a documentary called Jesus Camp. It’s focused on the radical indoctrination of children into far right-wing Evangelical Christianity, and it’s deeply offensive to me.

In between vignettes, facts are shown onscreen. One of these is “43% of Evangelical Christians become “born-again” before the age of 13.”

I don’t believe that anyone is capable of making that decision at that age. I came to my religious beliefs after years of search, study, and learning. I believe as I do because I carefully examined myself and how I perceive the world. I didn’t become a Buddhist until I was in my twenties. Children simply do not have the capacity for depth of thought necessary to make these sorts of decisions. This is brainwashing, pure and simple.

I firmly believe that the unexamined life is not worth living. There’s none of that in this style of agressively, belligerantly ignorant Christianity. Prior to opening the camp, the pastor, Becky Fischer, prays over the equipment:

“Father, we pray over the electrical systems, we pray over the electricity, that it will not go out, in Jesus’ name… We speak over the Powerpoint presentations, all of the video projectors, and we’ll say devil, we know what you love to do in meetings like this. And we say you will not in Jesus’ name, you will not prevent this message from going out. No microphone problems, in Jesus’s name. In the name of Jesus, we speak that.”

And then SHE BEGINS TO SPEAK IN FUCKING TONGUES.

That’s clearly not rational thought. These people don’t want religious inspiration. They want a supernatural security blanket that will solve all their problems. I have a real problem with anyone who believes without question or examination. That isn’t faith. That’s abandoning the capacity for rational thought in favor of blind, stupid obedience.

The opinions and lack of intelligence expressed would actually be hilarious (“Had it been in the old testament, Harry Potter would have been put to death!” “Creationism is really the only way to explain everything.”), if not for the fact that these people can vote, hold public office, and purchase handguns.