me and religion II

   It must be that I was born with a healthy scepticism regarding religion, because as far back as I can remember there is no awe, no delight, no revelation and no joy in any activity involving church. All you got was boredom, with slight amusement folded in by way of the incredulous testimonials about super-natural actors and  events. I must admit that for about two years as a toddler, a part of the Christian faith had my full attention.  Of course, I did not then know that Santa was part of church though I did know that his annual visit came the night before Christmas, and that was of course, Jesus's birthday but it was some time later before I made the connection. It was when I learned that all of the Christian children in the world expected Santa (or if not him., the local equivalent of him) that I realized (no longer just suspected) he was really just a little bite of Christian mythology for the kiddies. As an adult  everything I heard or read about Jesus impressed me. If he never actually existed; he should have. And if he was invented, his author had a great understanding of how man should be treated by his fellow man. Even when I was still attending church functions, I used to think to myself that what was said to be jesus's way, was sure a lot more people-oriented, let's say people-sympathetic than "His Church".  He loved; the church tells you how to live, what to believe, when to squat and has ways to persuade you to adjust your path to the well-defined straight-and-narrow. See"Spanish Inquisition,the"."OnwardChristianSoldiers",you know?

     I don't know if it was on a bumper-sticker or if it was in a magazine, but some years ago, I saw this: "It wasn't the Jews that killed Jesus, it was Santa Claus". And if you think about it, in many ways Santa and Jesus are in opposition. Overall Santa is there for materialism, Jesus, for our salvation. Jesus ran the money-changers out of the temple, Santa (knows if you've been  bad or good) helps parents pressure their kid to behave near Christmastime. The gifting component of Christmas was, of course about the  Three kings' gifts to the Christchild, but now we see and hear in organized Christendome television and radio shows preaching the "Prosperity Gospel", in which they invite their audiences to send in as much money as can be gathered as soon as possible. They're told that God favors those who give to "His" church and might very well play a hand in their soon-to-be-had good fortune:."..Mrs.Ginny Frautwell of Mantepika L.I. sent us the proceeds of 2 piggybanks, the currency in the big envelope in her bedroom dresser, and her savings box in the kitchen which she had planned to spend on a new cream seperator, with a grand total of $318.74. And while she's broke today, we have faith that the Lord will reward her generosity by tenfold, a hundredfold, yes even a thosandfold! Halelujah! no really, I've seen as much already. So folks, start the "surplus cash collection" in your home today. Remember, as little as a hundred dollar gift could bring you a colossal windfall". Ok,that's not verbatim, but I've just compressed it a little. It does convey the overall idea and approach.

     I mentioned earlier that I grew up in the home of the world's greatest imaginable step-dad. My natural parents seperated before I was a year old. They did not stay in touch. My New Year Resolution for the year I would become twenty-one, was to find my natural father. It took me longer than I expected but in early December of that year while visiting one of my mom's sisters I picked up information that pointed to a small, Bay Area city and  by calling 411 for that city and with the help of a 411 operator who  was personally aquainted with my father's wife, we actually got together that same day. At that time my father was 45, his wife (my stepmom) was 32 and I was 21. They had a son, aged 5. We all got along, from the start, like we were close friends who had been apart a week or two. I was offered to stay with them for a while as I went about getting a job and a place. In the following years we remained close family, though my work often cut into time that I might have spent with them. My father lived another 29 years after we met and I have many, many happy memories of our times together, but I don't remember one time when the subject of our talk turned to religion. The Lord's name may have come up, but not in a prayer: He was not the type to be conscious of a higher power with whom some might share their trials and tribulations as though that power were ever present. No, he struck me as

one, completely in charge of his life and confident that the help of a higher power would not be necessary. It seemed to me that he had held that state of mind so long that he had forgotten about higher powers altogether. When his illness was pronounced terminal he went into denial and swore he would beat it and, unlike most in his fix, he was still in denial on the day he died. Still KNEW he would beat it and, so far as I know, never called on a higher power to intercede on his behalf.
     Owing to being exposed to Judaism to some extent through Jewish friends, I'm somewhat familiar with Yiddish. In the time I spent with my natural father, I often heard him use words that sounded like Yiddish that had passed through a filter two or three generations deep. They would be like the same word, but with key vowels replaced by others. All this has led me to think that  my father's grandfather (or maybe back one or two more generations than that) left the synagogue and apparently found it unnecessary to affiliate with any religion. A few years ago I put my name in a genealogical search engine and learned that "Gideon" is a name associated with Sephardic Jews. They are the ones native to the Iberian Peninsula. And, in an un-related study, it was alledged that Sephardics are the least highly-regarded Jewish sect by Jews of other sects. Wouldn't  those held in disfavor by other members/sects of their religion be likely to prefer another faith (or none) than to be reviled in their own?  That's what  I think happened. And long enough in the past that he had no knowledge of any of it. I remember wondering about some of this stuff while he was still alive, but I never got around to forming the questions then, let alone asking them. So, they'll have to go un-answered. But, the more I learn the more convinced I am that my irreligious bent is a natural part of me. It puzzles me that with so little personal interest in religion I'm so fascinated  by others' interest in it. I do find considerable pleasure in the investigation, though.      end of me and religion II