Yeah, speaking of the cross, i've decided my first post will be about the recently concluded Holy Week. A little disclaimer: I'm a Roman Catholic, born and raised. I'm not religious in the traditional sense though. I'm (was?) a member of Youth For Christ so you get the idea. Reason for the explanation is that i firmly believe I'll be chastised by devout Christians after this post....
Coz of all the Catholic practices, Holy Week is up there with the I-just-don't-get-it type of things for me. You are made to remember Christ's death for a week (days? how long is it anyway?really?) eat anything but meat during the observance (what's with meat anyway?is fish 'meat' different?) and you get all sorts of reminders like: "Don't take a bath," "Don't go to the beach," (yeah, goodluck with that one.) Summarized, it's actually, "Don't be happy, Christ is dead."
I don't know about that last one, but i'll be damn scared if it was true. I mean, imagine even A DAY without Christ. Yeah, i thought so.
And really, if I were Christ, I'd dread the day the whole world mourns because I died. I mean, wasn't that the point of His resurrection, for us to remember that He's ALWAYS around?
Speaking of being Christ, I'd have a lot of questions--no, inquiries to be politically correct-- about certain traditions of which I'm supposed to be the center of. So let's pretend for the time being, blasphemy as it is,that I'm Christ (Okay Bro, you can hit me with lightning anytime now.) I'm supposed to be God's Son, almighty and stuff, but He decided humans are assholes in need of some saving so I was born in a manger instead of a cloudy, airy golden crib with angels hanging in my playpen singing You Raise Me Up. I grow up, preach and become one with the people: I live with them, eat with them, and get persecuted with them. 'Coz that's my goal--to be one and the same with humans. Right? I was the perfect picture of simplicity, selflessness and dignity.
So I die, rise from the grave and the rest is Bible history. Then people start building churches to, uhm, pray to me. First they were simple places of worship that transformed into--mansions. If one were to measure them, modern-day churches would probably own 80% of gold, gold paint, and gold-plated things in the world. Nothing wrong with that, really. I mean, if one wants to pray, it's best to pray in somewhere nice. Really nice.
One thing though, if I (Christ) wanted to be one with the people, plain clothes and all, then why are people celebrating me (Christ) and my miracles in a house of gold? It is also customary, required in earlier times actually, to dress up and wear something 'nice' when going to church. Didn't I (Christ) preached rocking a shepherd's getup?
No lightnings yet. Enough with this being Christ thing.
As i said, I'm Catholic and I believe in whatever good the Catholic Church teaches. What i don't get is the implementation of these beliefs (I say that in a very democratic, I-don't-want-to-get-crucified kind of way.) One should pray every 3pm and/or 6pm. One should go to church every sunday. Can't one pray while alone in his room on a Friday before going to a party? Or while in an MRT station waiting for a train? Of course one can, the church would say. But if you don't follow our rules, they would also say, you commit a sin. Amen?
And also, what ever happened to the supposedly greatest gift of God to man, you know, free will?.......
These are but one my many musings about the many things in this wonderfully twisted world of ours (I hope there'll be another time when i have absolutely nothing to do so i can put into words other ideas, though I doubt you'd want that.) If anyone can shed light unto them, good for you.
