10 September 2006

More, more and more

When I was a kid, I liked this really dumb band called "Audio Adrenaline." They were all about helping the kids grow closer to Jesus, through hip, relevant music. One of their songs about God went something like this,
"Buddha was a fat man
(so what?!)
Mohammad thought he had a plan
(I guess not!)
A Hindu god is an
Old cow!
You could be a god if you
knew how.
My god died on the cross (3x)
But he lived!"
I thought, yeah, those dumb people worshipping their dumb cow. They got nothing on Jesus.

You read enough Evangelical leader blogs and you'll get a sense of how consumer-driven faith is in America. The newest techniques, the newest technology, the newest music and the newest leaders, bringing in all the newest, hippest unbelievers. You listen to a good Evangelical pastor and you're gonna get geared up and ready to go do something purpose-driven. I'm beginning to wonder why I should go to church to get the same thing Steve Jobs gives me.

Related? I was sitting here typing the other day when these JW's came up to the house. The light was on and I was clearly at home as you could see me from the street, but when they rang the doorbell, I didn't answer. They hung out for a while, it was weird, but I didn't go to the door. Just sat here.

The following are things I've been kicking around. Not necessarily from, you know, the Buddha's mouth or whatever, but a start. I put these out there because I want Tom to tell me I'm wrong and for everyone else to have a little bit of cultivated reflection (see number one).
  1. Cultivation over advancement.
  2. Everything evens out in 1000 years.
  3. Gaining more just means you have more to worry about.
  4. Owning less means you have less to worry about and more time to cultivate.
  5. Your things are probably causing you some amount of suffering.
  6. You're better off doing good to someone than telling them what you believe.
  7. What you believe isn't so important as what you do.
  8. All the practices of all the main religions boil down to doing good and avoiding evil.
  9. Take enough steps back all religions are the same.
  10. Take enough steps forward and all religions are different.
  11. The mind is a drunken monkey.