The Oldest Religion?
“Humbility”: the ability to be humble with humility
My friend Heather made this up once and it still works fine. Good mix of humus, humor and humanity. I like it.
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George Carlin said that he tried to believe in God. “I really, really tried,” he said. But he looked around at the world and saw that “something is wrong. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger. . .poverty. . .Something is definitely wrong.” Then he really cuts into the pie of piety: “If this is the best God can do, I’m not impressed. Results like these do not belong on the resume of a supreme being. This is the kind of stuff you’d expect from an office temp with a bad attitude. In any well-managed universe, this guy would’ve been out on his all-powerful ass a long time ago.”
Carlin was lewd, crude and rude. . .I even find some of his stuff rather disgusting and nasty. Yet, a brilliant mind. Maybe a little like that other real nasty and offensive artist from a century back, Walt Whitman. Pushing the limits of free speech isn’t all that bad. In fact, essential. A rude and disturbing wake up to those who want the rest of us to live by their intransigent nonsense of “decency” and “respectability.”
Carlin said he found something to worship. The Sun. “Every day I can see the sun as it gives me everything I need: heat, light, food, flowers in the park, reflections on the lake. An occasional skin cancer, but, hey! At least there are no crucifixions. And we sun worshippers don’t go around killing other people simply because they don’t agree with us.
Sun worship is fairly simple. There’s no mystery, no miracles, no pageantry, no one asks for money, there are no songs to learn, and we don’t have a special building where we all gather once a week to compare clothing. And the best thing about the sun. . .it never tells me I’m unworthy. It doesn’t tell me I’m a bad person who needs to be saved. Hasn’t said an unkind word. Treats me fine.
So I worship the sun. But I don’t pray to the sun. You know why? Because I wouldn’t presume on our friendship. It’s not polite.”
{excerpt from Napalm and Silly Putty, 2001}
Oh George, the Modern Man, you are missed.
And Stuff can include Mental and Spiritual Stuff.
Beyond God 