This is what greets me this morning on my computer, Milan Cathedral square. A glorious over the top elaborate wedding cake of a cathedral shining white against a blue sky. A beautiful example of what humans can build. Yet today we remember all the Israeli young killed on the 7th October in a brutal butchery by the Hamas group. Andy Burnham made a statement last night here.
Is that cathedral a pointless reminder that religion is just a waste of space in any bodies mind. Well that is a pointless question because the answer is all around us. And in this country, churches are slowly slipping away from religious teaching whilst other religions gather their war like forces to fight. We seem to have made gods since time began.
Many would argue as I do myself that religion is all to do with power play. Keeping a social order through the offices of religion, royalty and government.
Yet I love my gods and goddesses. Captured for eternity in Greek and Roman statues. Conveniently silenced by the marble they are made of. Celtic gods more crudely made, but given names and their own land, cleverly merged by the Romans with their own gods.
We imagine these gods into our physical world and give them names and duties to perform. So that the old Germanic thunder god Thor still gets mentioned 2000 years later. They travel with us through time.
An interesting biblical quote came into my head as I wrote the above, 'am I my brother's keeper? A question asked by Cain after murdering Abel. How much must we as humans take responsibility for the fate of the people around us?
And now for something lighter (no not really) we discussed last night what our fortnight of spare food would be like that the government is asking us to set aside. Are we talking about WW3 here, or a very violent El Nino. Andrew said that the amount of water needed to be kept each day for each person would be colossal. I suggested we did have a sort of well in the basement, I think it is the ground water level, the builders had dug a hole to see what foundations these terrace houses sit on.
Apart from that we are in the middle of party conferences, the Conservatives today. John Crace is so wicked over Kemi Badenoch, their leader that he restores my faith in the human race.
Interesting that Zac Polanski did not vote on the Zionism is racist motion of the Green Party but was out canvassing for another Green seat, voting of which takes place tomorrow I believe. But then 4 of the 5 Green MPs did not vote either.
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| Thor, the Norse God of thunder |
Celtic Gods
If faiths other Christianity are excluded, western countries are becoming very irreligious, but we continue to follow the ten commandments regardless. Ten commandments has become a moral code for behaviour. I conclude that society won't break without religion and will probably be better without religion, with religious differences causing so much grief.
ReplyDeleteA secular world would seem the better answer, at least we would not be fighting over religion. But I can't see that happening somehow Andrew.
DeleteI just read the piece by John Crace. Very droll. There are even fewer people at The Tory Conference than are currently being seen at Donald Trump's political rallies ahead of the US mid-terms. I think Kemi Badenoch would make an excellent matron in a Surrey prep school or perhaps a bossy flight attendant on Ryanair.
ReplyDeleteBadenoch certainly gives her best and in true Conservative manner. pulls out of the hat, not a rabbit..... but an essay in similar vein to Margaret Thatcher. I wonder if Thatcher will become the goddess of wisdom?
DeleteHas politics everywhere gotten as crazy as politics here in the US? I just can't follow it all and am saddened to see the rise of hate spreading all over. Or maybe it was already there and I was just not aware?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that there is the possibility of disruption to food distribution or worse still water shortages in the near future. Either by severe weather or failure (by overloading or malign interference) of technology. I've taken the precaution of stocking up to last for 2 weeks, buying a Kelly kettle and filling empty sparkling spring water bottles (it helps me stay hydrated) with tap water. We have water butts and the sea to flush the toilet so we can survive for a while at least. Not so much a 'prepper' but someone taking precautions.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit worrying Ruta. I suppose we should be prepared, the water of course is a greater worry, though we have the river and canal for loo flushing. Those Kelly kettle are expensive, apparently we have gas camping cookers from all the camping family does and a gas Aga. Round here of course it is flooding that worries folk most as the water comes off the moors.
DeleteNo I don't think so Ellen, we are just more aware of it. The internet is just a many headed serpent. Yesterday I saw three videos(all different) of young girls chanting a monologue of hate against the immigrants. Completely believable but it was all made-up AI junk, they didn't exist.
ReplyDeleteI have a pretty dim view of religion overall, even though I was raised in a church and think it benefitted me in a humanistic way -- to learn about kindness and morals. I'm bewildered about these instructions to keep two weeks of supplies on hand. I think we probably have them -- minus the water -- but by the end I might be reduced to eating dog food and green olives!
ReplyDeleteWell get a decent brand of dog food Steve! Our Andrew put down tins of custard on the list much to daughter's amusement. I didn't even know 'Bird's Eye' custard still existed. A two week supply of food is a bit ridiculous because whatever the emergency we don't really know how much time anything is going to take.
ReplyDeleteThe world is gradually transforming into something else. I wonder where this country will be in 50 years?
ReplyDeleteI know where I won't be in 50 years, but I so want to leave a good world for our grandchildren.
DeleteMulti-faceted definitely but hopefully we will not be overtaken by the computers!
ReplyDelete