We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ – The Neptunes Remix
I suppose it wouldn’t be a playlist for the pagan pulpit without some reference to something controversial – like having sympathy for the devil.
Poem:
This is hard for me. The truth of this little poem; as much as it hurts, is still the truth.
Meditation:
Song of Preparation: “Safety Dance” – Men Without Hats
Hats and a maypole for Beltane. Easy call here.
Text:
“You Need to Use Your Head for Something Besides a Hat Rack” – The Book of Rabyd 3:1
Sermon:
Chapter three of the Book of Rabyd represents some of the sayings and ‘-isms’ that have dominated the Raby Family for years. They are not necessarily principles or wisdom but just stuff that is around our family that we just say as part of our particular family collective. This one is from my father and I have no idea how many times he said it to me. “You Need to Use Your Head for Something Besides a Hat Rack” was on his lips every single time I did something stupid. It was a polite way of him telling me I should use my head to think rather than just have it occupy space and hold up my hat.
My father was not an educated man. He was dyslexic or at least we think so. He was a blue-collar man who had a gift for manufacturing. He learned machinery and grinding early in his factory work days and knew math very well. He just could never read very well. These days, he might have been diagnosed early and he might have learned to read much better. He was, however, a math genius in his own way and he believed highly in learning and common sense.
I don’t actually use this expression of his much myself. I, however, hear it all the time in my head. I always hear it when I am about to do something stupid or have not thought things through before I am about to act on them. Most people don’t wear hats these days so I wonder if somebody would get it, but I certainly do.
This expression being 3:1 in the Book of Rabyd is more about my love for my Father than anything else. I want the expression preserved for my kids and grandkids and all the rest. I think it is a very polite and creative way to tell someone to start thinking and using your head. I know he was proud of me when I graduated college but he did not live to see me get my master’s but I could not have made either without this expression rolling around in my head. Thanks, Dad, I still miss you.
Closing Song: “Walpurgisnacht” – FAUN
English lyrics version:
In honor of this past week being Beltane, I include this song. The song is definitely a Celtic flavor I love. Included the English translation version second if you are interested in the words. Truly pagan for the pagan pulpit on this one.
Parting Thought:
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
In my Christian blogging day I made quite a name for myself among nudists, naturists, and people of like nature when it came to the subject of nudity and sex. My view back then was nudity being sinful in and of itself was false. I have a few online friends who are my friends precisely because of this view and they maintain a Christian nudist lifestyle. My most famous work from that blog is probably The Bible and Nakedness which you can still view by clicking on the link above.
In addition, I had some controversial views on marriage and sexuality. Most notably that the bible never condemns polygamy of either form. That adultery and homosexuality are the same levels of ‘sin’. I proposed that line marriage as proposed by Robert Heinlein is still well within the realms of Christianity, etc. Mostly I simply separated that which is cultural from that which was the bible and discovered that most of what Christians believe about nudity and sexuality was based more on culture than the Bible.
So what has changed now that I follow a more deistic, humanistic and paganistic path? Honestly, once you take out sin and the appeal to authority; and as I reflect back to the holiday discussion last week, I have the following observations:
Nudity being wrong in some way is pure Grade A opinion and based on cultural mores, not rational thought. In truth, there is no basis for morality laws regarding nudity or modesty as they are simply one ethical viewpoint imposing itself on everyone else. There is simply no way to prove a man or woman walking down the street naked is harmful to anyone using reason.
Sexuality has many biological factors and I don’t really support the notion of gender neutrality or fluidity because of genetic and biological reality. There are two genetic and biological genders and it is rare for anyone to be born with none or both. Most of us are either female or male biologically and those differences are biologically and psychologically observable right from birth. That’s science, not culture talking. The video below is well researched and linked and points out these are real differences, not culture.
I would say the real problem is not gender identification but rather a lack of personal gender acceptance. It is part of accepting yourself to accept your biological gender. Sorry, most of us either have a penis or a vagina and we need to accept that part of us as part of who we are, not fight it.
That said, I think a lot of role expectations are culturally based, and given my views of liberty, I think gender roles beyond what is biologically natural are often just societal and religious coercion. How a woman wants to view her role in society is her own business and the same for a man. If a woman wants to be female and do what her culture traditionally thinks is the role of a man, she is perfectly free to do so and she should be allowed to do it.
Of course, the real question looking at it from a pagan point of view is how nudity and sexuality express themselves on the spiritual front. This reflects more of my pagan opinion than my deism or humanism but they both chime in on this discussion.
Time to Look Through the Eye:
Faith:
I have faith that there is male and female and we can observe that both of these are real, different and beautiful in their naked expressions. For me, the faith question here is that I think the human body has inspired my spirituality far more than made me feel guilty or ‘sinful’. What made me feel sinful about the whole thing was the fact that people told me I should be and if I didn’t there was something wrong with me. In cultures where nudity is common and prevalent, you never hear of this guilt about nakedness to being male or female. Faith tells me that being male, female or naked is nothing to be ashamed of at all. The real problem is not our maleness, femaleness or nakedness, it’s people who want to use those things to promote an agenda.
Religion:
In the area of defining gender roles and demonizing nudity, religion takes center stage. The Abrahamic religions being the most notorious for the definition of traditional male and female roles according to an ethic that is thousands of years old based on a patriarchal, male superiority mindset. The question I have always wrestled with is why women put up with this but I think ultimately it is the appeal to authority and not wanting to displease ‘god’ that drives it, but then again I have watched as those roles get redefined all the time to reflect reality. If the various scriptures that are the claims for God’s authority are discredited as simply concoctions of men, then women should be free to follow their own personal sovereignty.
Religion and nudity go way back and some religions are pagan enough in scope that they don’t have a problem with it. Those that do often use their holy books to justify it. The one problem I developed was that on the one hand, I knew what the religious folks said about nudity being wrong, but my own biblical studies concluded the opposite. When that happens you start to realize that most of the concerns about the human naked form are based on personal preference and culture, not honest biblical studies. Religion simply seeks to control people by taking those personal preferences and forcing them on others.
Theology:
My theology these days is based in large part on what is the reality of the world that is. I don’t engage in fanciful notions about the divine. I believe in the divine more than I don’t because of notions like love and beauty being something more than biology and physics. That is based on observation from my point of view so take them for that. When it comes to sexuality I find there is a great design in having two sexes and their need to cooperate as fellow human beings. Treating each other as justly as possible while respecting differences starts in accepting ourselves as men and women and accepting our differences because of sex. Glorying in those differences not condemning each other because of them.
Because I don’t believe in sin anymore and dismiss it as a human made up concept, I simply do not see anything inherently wrong with the nude human form. I kind of laugh at our responses to this as we seem to have a greater amount of problems with sex and nudity than violence where people are actually raped and murdered. It’s a sad thing really that something as beautiful and wonderful as sex and the human body has been demonized so that both are considered evil and sinful based on opinions designed to control others. I don’t have that anymore and my attitude toward both is pretty much based on George R R Martin’s below. To me, sex and the beauty of nude human form have given me as much joy as a good painting, book or any other art form and it is a crying shame that most religion and theology rob us of that.
Spirituality:
I draw a lot of spirituality these days from this freedom. I posted this picture on the pagan pulpit this last Sun’s Day:
For me, it reflects a lot of my changed attitude toward these subjects. I think the look on the man’s face says it all. The topless woman hasn’t caused him to be a lustful pervert, but she has brightened his day a little by being topless. She isn’t a slut for doing so either, Just a woman taking a walk who is comfortable in her skin. Males and females being themselves and doing what they do without coercing each other to do something they don’t want to do. No sexual pressure, but there is a sexual expression that is being enjoyed by the man as he sees it and the woman as she does it.
Personally, I find that my liberation from ‘sin’ has been wonderful in both these areas. I can appreciate good art and writings were the questions fo sexuality and nudity are seriously discussed and beautifully presented. No appeal to authority jumps in to ruin it. I now very freely accept that I am a man and I’m heterosexual and enjoy both of those parts of who I am. So I enjoy the female form and there is nothing wrong with it. While there are certain biological factors in being a man, I don’t accept any societal roles about being a man that is forced on me. I embrace those I wish to and nothing more.
I feel comfortable in my skin as much as in any clothes I wear. The questions of nudity for me are more about how to avoid being arrested for being freer than others accept, not calling down judgment on others for not sharing mine. My paganism treats my nudity and that of others as a natural thing not abnormal. Naked is our natural form and represents who we are in truth. Everything else is an add on.
I draw a lot of spiritual insight and strength from accepting these things and living in these freedoms.
Conclusion:
I doubt society will change with a wave of our hands. Religion will continue to ruin and pervert sexuality through the forcing of gender roles. It will continue to demonize the beautiful and seek to cover it over to hide it. Control is the objective of religion through defining roles and social mores. All of it is bullshit, but it is bullshit we have to live with because of laws that threaten, coerce and engage in fraud to control others.
The best we pagans can do most of the time is to live our lifestyle expressing the truths of real sexuality and nudism when we can. On the nudism side, some (like myself) find their answer in practicing nudism secretly, while others carve out places in the world to practice it freely without society’s prying eyes. In any case, being the man or woman you want to be is possible without secrecy in the western world at least. Just be prepared for the backlash of not fitting in with your specific expression of your gender either male or female.
Continuing to Walk the Path,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Defining justice is not easy especially when you have realized a couple things. 1) That there is no such thing as fair. 2) There may not be an afterlife or a supreme being to balance the scales after this life is over.
The first means that justice is not based on fairness so much as equitable treatment of each person as much as possible. No matter what might seem fair, it isn’t always going to happen. Something you can either accept which will give you a lot more peace, or fight which will lead to personal strife. Hopefully, the price of that strife is worth it, so the peace that follows more than makes up for it.
The second notion is a little harder to accept and one of the reasons I think belief in the afterlife with a supreme being that balances all the scales of justice is a common concept among many religions. It might just be wishful thinking to a childish hope. It might well be that you may be the victim of a crime or an injustice and there will never be any resolution to it in this life or the next. What do you do about that?
For me, I have decided that it is more important to act justly than receive recompense as my personal definition of justice. I may never see justice done to certain people that I think deserve it, but I can treat people with just dealings that fit a certain definition of justice. I can behave justly, so perhaps this definition works best:
Justice: Just behavior or treatment of others, a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people.
To the Wolves and Ravens:
Needs (Geri):
I need this sense of justice in my life as I deal with others. I don’t always like the people that I deal with, but there is still a need to be respectful of others’ humanity regardless of personal feelings. Being respectful has its own rewards. People also know when that respect is genuine or not. That means there is a need for this definition to be more than lip service but a genuine lifestyle.
Wants (Freki):
If you want to be treated justly, you need to treat others with justice. Even though you may not receive it at times, you will never receive justice if you are a person who never gives it. If you play favorites, don’t be surprised if people do the same back. If you do treat people equally, then you have a better chance of receiving the same in return. Personally, this is why my definition of continues to be about respect for everyone’s humanity.
Reason (Huginn):
Reason address the subject of mercy verses rightness. I have pretty much abandoned the notion that forgiveness should just be given. I find a whole lot of injustice goes on and it basically white-washed in the name of forgiveness. A lot of injustice takes place and is glossed over in the name of ‘God will fix it later’ or ‘it’s better for you to forgive’. Reason tells me that those two statements might not be true. Sometimes when you receive justice in this world for wrongs, that’s when you find peace. It is also more responsible to act like we are the only instruments of justice and not believe blindly that others will do it for you later, even a supreme being.
Wisdom (Muninn):
The wisdom issue is when to forgive and when to demand justice. I forgive a lot as most things are just not worth crying or expending the emotional energy to achieve in regards to justice. Life isn’t fair, so many things are just a reflection of that and you can spend your life bitter if you don’t let a lot of them go. There are a few things and they center around I know that I won’t be at peace until I see the scales balance. It is identifying these issues and how to approach them knowing that I might never receive justice. Patience again is key but also knowing the fine line between vengeance and justice.
Conclusion:
I have about three things in my life right now that I struggle with concerning justice, the rest is just noise and things I forgive most of the time. These things haunt my dreams and thoughts almost every day.
1) I struggle to still respect the humanity of certain people, it is hard being equitable at times when you see douchebags get away with shit in how they treat others.
2) I still struggle with how people perceive me as more responsible for my affair than the young woman with whom I was involved. The only thing I hold against her is that she really hasn’t or I haven’t heard of her doing much to correct this notion. I would give it as much thought as the rest of the issues in our relationship – chalk it up to love lost and ‘that’s the way some relationships go’ except for this one thing. Hurts, but I can live with most of it. I wish her well for the most part. The favoritism toward her, which is unmerited in my opinion, and she doesn’t seem to have ever done anything to correct herself that bothers me.
3) The man who handled things ‘for me’ in front of the church claiming to be my friend. Yeah, my hope would be to see poetic justice done where his lifestyle of lies is revealed for what it is. He is as phony as a three dollar bill, but some people think he is a good man. I know better now. He dumps anyone who is no longer of use to him, as evidenced by the people he has broken faith with who are in a long line of broken relationships behind him. When they no longer serve his purpose or are an advantage to him, he dumps them often deceiving them in the process. It is a pretty clear pattern going back quite a way. If I saw poetic justice done to him, I would clap. If I had the chance to be a part of it – yep, no hesitation to pull that trigger. I just patiently wait to see if it will ever happen or I will be given the opportunity, as I know it would give me a great deal of peace to see it or help it along.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: “Wash It All Away” – Five Finger Death Punch
This song is on my playlist but for multiple reasons. After my series with the Book of Rabyd, I will be doing a series on spiritual concepts that are universal and one of them is going to be ‘baptism’. This song inspired that idea although it goes back to an idea that someone else suggested to me before I left the ministry. Five Finger Death Punch is a new band for me in many ways, but I like the energy of this song. The bridge is also very expressive of my emotional state at times:
“I won’t change for you
and I can’t take the pain
There is nothing you can do
and nothing you can say”
Poem: “I Speak to a Ghost” by The Ruined Man
Don’t have a poem of my own this week so The Ruined Man will speak for me this time.
Meditation:
Song of Preparation: ‘Shut Up and Dance With Me’ – Walk the Moon
Just a feel-good song, we are talking about happiness after all.
Text:
“No One’s Happiness but My Own is in My Power to Achieve or to Destroy” – The Book of Rabyd 2:4
Sermon:
Originally this Quote by Ayn Rand was The Book of Rabyd 2:10; but with my desire to remove duplicate quotes as far as quotes from the same people, she jumps to 2:4. This also presents a problem of the fact I have eliminated about six verses at this point so some new people to quote from will be necessary to get the other points. I may jump ahead to chapter three and then drop those verses from chapter 2 in when they come to me. The Book of Rabyd is after all not a closed canon of scripture like some.
This statement is more complicated the more you meditate on it. But let’s break it down.
The first concept is that you cannot make people happy. I think this is the most enlightening thing as I have watched people give their all trying to make others happy and then get frustrated that 1) They fail or 2) They are not happy themselves. There is a lot of energy saved emotionally and mentally when you figure this out.
You can make yourself happy, in fact, your own happiness is the only happiness that you can really strive to achieve. You also are the only person who can destroy your own happiness. That is not to say that others can’t affect your happiness or life and general, but how you perceive, interpret and/or act about those things that determine your happiness and those are all in your power to do.
That’s not to say your emotions cannot be entwined with another. I think Heinlein’s definition of love is applicable here. The notion of love being where someone else’s happiness is essential to your own and vice versa. In the case of love, even here through the choices and who has the power over your happiness is still you.
In my own life, this principle has been difficult, even though the truth of it resonates with my soul. Being an empathic person kind of causes people’s emotions to affect you at times, like it or not. That said it is still my choice of whether or not to let that affect my happiness in general. I find also that memory can be a difficult thing to deal with at times. I have choices to make about each and every time I remember things because my memories are highly emotional which of course causes me to relive them like they were yesterday.
All in all, though, the principle is true. it is just you might have to make a lot of decisions and fight a lot of battles to stand on that mountain top of happiness. It is, however, your power to achieve or destroy.
Closing Song: “Don’t Stop Believing” – Journey:
Just the lyrics so you can sing along.
Parting Thought:
Yes, they do. When it comes to happiness you never know who or what will come along to brighten your day. You do have to be in the right frame of mind to be on the lookout for it.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
No Service today. I saw someone taking the day off for Good Friday and said to myself “Great idea – a day off for a holiday”, so I am taking my first Easter off pontificating in probably twenty years. Peace. Enjoy the chocolate eggs and sugar rabbits. If you want to know more about the real deeper stuff behind Easter and this time of year, stay tuned this week for Odin’s Eye on Thor’s Day.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves, and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never see a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: “No Rest for the Wicked” – Godsmack
No real official video for this song, but here is the lyric one so you can sing along.
Poem: “Salt in My Wounds” by Edward W, Raby, Sr. – Written April 13, 2019
Once you were the spice of my life,
You kept me from spoiling
You were the flavor I needed
You made life less plain
Then you left me
laying in a pool of my own blood.
Leaving a wound
a void from your knife
Now memories of you are salty
Burning as they are applied to the scar
Salt in my wound
Preserving the pain.
-Ed Raby – April 13, 2019-
Without a doubt this was the easiest poem I have ever written. At least as far as time and feeling are concerned. Took me literally just five minutes. It’s still rough, but I suspect it will be Grey Wayfarer canonized very soon.
Miss Salty, as I called her, helped me through a lot. She is definitely wiser and smarter than her years would say. But this whole thing in reflection was a doomed voyage like the Titanic. Right now memories of this whole thing are bitter-sweet. Salty like she was. They hurt and yet I hope they bring about some cleansing like salt removing infection.
Meditation:
Yep, which is why I don’t trust either party. The Wall for the right and Rich Wall Street on the left are not real threat in my opinion. Mostly fear mongering using a supposed noble cause to seize power.
Song of Preparation: “Cult of Personality” – Living Colour
I once heard these guys live via radio. The guy who was announcing made the remark that they were the loudest band he ever heard in concert. Good intro.
Text:
“Whenever You Find Yourself on the Side of the Majority, it is Time to Pause and Reflect.” – The Book Of Rabyd 2:3
Sermon:
This time through The Book of Rabyd, I am trying to quote as many different people as I can. Mark Twain was pretty much destined to be on this list and it was only a matter of time. This is my favorite quote from him and is truly a principle of wisdom.
Tribalism is inherent in the human species. Survival trait. We band together to take on common threats and deal with common problems. The issue is that it can also lead to a mob mentality. It can lead to just bowing down to the culture, group think or what everyone’s opinion is.
This quote is a regular reminder to all of us who prefer reason to mindless pandering. The issue is to take action on what makes sense and is most reasonable and this quote reminds us there is nothing inherently reasonable about the majority. The only quality they have is more numbers. The majority is not proof of truth or rightness.
For me there is a reminder here that I am both a free citizen and a responsible citizen. Free because on thing that can enslave is tribalism and cults of personality. Responsible, because from time to time you need to be the thinking one that calls into question the actions of the mob.
There are institutions that thrive on this tribalism but they can, in my humble opinion be boiled down to two things – government and religion. Both of these tap into people’s passions rather than their reason and thus are manipulative by nature. They tap into people’s inherent tribalism and mob mentality to get actions people think are the right thing but are actually the desires of those who would seek power either through politics or faith.
The lesson then is never let your loyalty to the group outweigh your loyalty to yourself and your principles. Something I hope gets carried on by those who I call my family is the ability to question anything and everything, even if the majority thinks it is the best course. I would rather have my descendents known for being rebels and original thinkers that people who just went along with the crowd and the mob. That they would be people of Courage, Self-Reliance and Truth
Closing Song: “Of Wolf and Man” – Metallica
I am thinking of making this my personal theme song. A lesser known work of Metallica but still one of their best.
Parting Thought:
Stay strong pagans. Keep going.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Humanists as a general rule, dismiss the need for religion to be moral. Humanists for the most part simply see that anyone can act ethically and morality if they simply tap into their humanity. That is act on their better nature as human beings. I concur with this.
There is some thoughts that to be a humanist you have to be atheist, but I reject that as well. I think in large part those we call founding fathers were also humanists of a deist variety and I am as well. I don’t dismiss the idea of creator or creators, I just don’t think that, whomever they may be, has any vested interest in policing our morals. That’s up to us to define as the creators, if they exist, have left questions of morality and ethics to us.
Time to Look Through the Eye:
Faith:
Faith never cured me of being a dick. Not once did my faith in Christ lead to a better morality. That choice was always my own. I would say also that I have seen the concept of ‘faith’ used for great evil as old ladies send parts of their social security checks to preachers on television who promise prosperity through giving. All the while the prosperity comes to them at the old ladies’ expense. Greed justified through ‘faith’ is an old story, and one of the great proofs that religion is no guarantee of morality. Far from it. You can also add people wracked with guilt because they were sick and that was because they didn’t have enough ‘faith’.
Religion:
I have watched in my own ministry as religion has been used to justify unethical and immoral things:
Because of the Christian notion of submission of wives to husbands, I saw sexual, physical, emotional and mental abuse perpetrated by men toward their wives.
Because of the notion of ‘seed faith’ I saw greed justified as people would plant their seed but the preacher would harvest.
I saw harsh religious judgment as people would literally throw off good friends and even family members simply because they did not believe as they did or left the faith. This one I have recently personally experienced. I used to have 370 or so Facebook friends. I cut myself off from a mere 80 or so but now I have 205. That’s 85 people who simply dropped me after I announced I wasn’t a Christian anymore. Nice.
I have watched people who, believing the end of the world was coming, ran up their credit cards and quit good jobs to be come reclusive only to find themselves in serious trouble afterwards. This is the best example I can come up with of stupid behavior caused by religion, but I could list so many I might have the content for a book in and of itself.
That’s just my experience, historically speaking Christianity has the one problem every religion has, a creation of an ‘us’ verses ‘them’ mentality that leads to taking actions against them to justify exaltation of us. It gets worse when you consider some theologies.
Theology:
Historically speaking Christianity has not had a good moral track record.
The Catholics killed, raped, tortured, etc. people who left the faith. They branded anyone different who did not hold their faith and punished them accordingly. The repressed any genuine scientific and philosophical pursuit if it contradicted the teachings of the church. The Spanish Inquisition wasn’t an anomaly, it was normal operating procedure for the Catholic church.
The Protestant Church was no better. I would say that the Western expansion into Native American territory and the genocide of indigenous population in the United States was largely due to the Calvinist religious belief held highly at the time of manifest destiny encouraged by the notion of Predestination. You don’t have to treat people as equals or human, if you view them as predestined for hell.
Regardless of stripe, the moral codes of Christianity are probably responsible for more emotional, mental and other forms of abuse. Shame and guilt due to imaginary problems that force human beings to act against their nature lead to depression and low self-esteem which preachers exploit. In some cases, people have committed suicide rather than face the fact they can’t live up to the code placed upon them.
Cultist behavior is present in Christianity and all religions. I love it when Christians try to differentiate themselves from what they perceive to be cults. Mostly they will say they don’t try to control people’s sexuality or money. So what then of this sins of sexuality list and the doctrine of tithing? Religions all have cult behavior. All of them.
Spirituality:
For me I think I live by two notions: 1) I don’t need religion to be spiritual and 2) I don’t need religion to be moral. Spirituality and ethics are found in ourselves, in our humanity. Religions tap into that, but they twist it to their own purpose. They find ways to interpret the rules to slide through a side door into greed, lust and all the other seven deadly ‘sins’. It’s a game of moral “I am better than you.” – not spirituality.
Conclusion:
“Do no harm” and “Treat others as you would want to be treated” in some form appear in every religion. The problem is I can say both of these and not be religious. It is the strongest indicator that Christopher Hitchens was right, that morality comes from simply being human, but religions steal that notion and then add their own so that certain groups of people gain and others lose. There is nothing moral about that and to pretend there is, well, that is just indoctrination talking. Sorry, spent too much time as a religious person to not know that is true.
Continuing to Walk the Path,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
“I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for what I do. I am free no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for what I do.” – The Book Of Rabyd 2:2
Thoughts and Exposition:
I am diverging from the original Book of Rabyd at this point. Much of the old one was the same author and while I respect that author, there are many other true points of wisdom quotes that deserve a place at the table. I could quote Robert Heinlein all day too and he may get one or two but there other author’s whose wisdom I find top-notch and so they will also be included.
There are all sorts of schools of thought about why people do what they do. About ethics and morality in general. The most common I have heard is that we do things out of respect or fear. God, the law or basically some authority in general. I would now maintain is not a very high sense of ethics or morality that you have if you only do things out of some outward focus, or because some outward force compels you to be ethical or moral. It basically is an admission that you are not very ethical or moral and you need someone or something to make you so.
This quote cuts through that bullshit, and drives home the point that the only real thing that is responsible for our choices is us. We alone bear the moral responsibility for our actions. Not our fear of the divine (whom ever they may be), respect or fear of the law, or just plain fear. At the end of the day, it is each one of us that is morally responsible for our actions. We alone bear the responsibility for our choices.
Part of this quote is more truth than choice. We tolerate the rules we find tolerable and we break the rules we find obnoxious. I saw this all the time in Christianity. I would laugh inside when people would decry people with tattoos because of an old testament passage about it, knowing full well that same passage had rules like no blended fabrics and other such rules. If those same people were forced to engage all the rules that would have made them upset. No matter how much a person claims to live fully their code, they make exceptions. Then most of them lie that they don’t. Neither Heinlein or myself will do that any more. Rules either are tolerable to my freedom of choice or they are obnoxious to the point of being worthy of being broken. I simply state and live that reality while others will deny it.
I think people play this game of fear and respect because it allows them to look down on someone morally and be in their ivory tower. To think of themselves as better because they ‘follow’ some moral code and others don’t or do it imperfectly. The problem with such codes, is when you get right down to it people follow the parts they like or make them feel morally superior, and ignore the parts they don’t and try to hide it so their moral judgment doesn’t come back on their own head.Quite frankly I am sick of this fear/respect dichotomy. In my mind it just leads to more ‘evil’.
Heinlein and the Book of Rabyd offer you an alternative. Better is to live like this – I am free because I am completely responsible for my own actions. No one else, nothing else compels me to be ethical or moral – only myself. I live free and take full responsibility. Period. Stop. Nothing else.
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves, and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never see a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: “Heaven Knows” – Pretty Reckless
I don’t know if it is the theme of this song that fits the pagan pulpit so well or the simple line – “Don’t do a goddamn thing they say!” Maybe both.
Poem: “If You Could Only Feel” – The Ruined Man
Meditation:
Song of Preparation: “Bark at the Moon” – Ozzy Osbourne
I include Ozzy to introduce this weeks sermon for a lot of reasons. Robert Heinlein was probably one of the great fiction writers responsible for inspiring people to believe we could go to the moon. We went from barking at the moon to actually landing on it surface as human race and a lot of it was due to Heinlein.
Text:
“I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for what I do. I am free no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for what I do.” – The Book Of Rabyd 2:2
Sermon:
I am doing a major rewrite of Part 2 of the Book of Rabyd. I suppose it was only a matter of time before Robert Heinlein got into the Book of Rabyd and this is one of my favorite quotes by him.
There are all sorts of schools of thought about why people do what they do. About ethics and morality in general. The most common I have heard is that we do things out of respect or fear. God, the law or basically some authority in general. I would now maintain is not a very high sense of ethics or morality that you have if you only do things out of some outward focus or because some outward force compels you to be ethical or moral. It basically is an admission that you are not very ethical or moral and you need someone or something to make you so.
This quote cuts through that bullshit, and drives home the point that the only real thing that is responsible for our choices is us. We alone bear the moral responsibility for our actions. Not our fear of the divine (whom ever they may be), respect or fear of the law, or just plain fear. At the end of the day, it is each one of us that is morally responsible for our actions. We alone bear the responsibility for our choices.
Part of this quote is more truth than choice. We tolerate the rules we find tolerable and we break the rules we find obnoxious. I saw this all the time in Christianity. I would laugh inside when people would decry people with tattoos because of an old testament passage about it, knowing full well that same passage had rules like no blended fabrics and other such rules. If those same people were forced to engage those would have become very upset. No matter how much a person claims to live fully their code, they make exceptions. Then most of them lie that they don’t. Neither Heinlein or myself will do that any more. Rules either are tolerable to my freedom of choice or they are obnoxious to the point of being worthy of being broken. I simply state and live that reality while others will deny it.
I think people play this game of fear and respect because it allows them to look down on someone morally and be in their ivory tower. To think of themselves as better because they ‘follow’ some moral code and others don’t or do it imperfectly. The problem with such codes, is when you get right down to it people follow the parts they like or make them feel morally superior, and ignore the parts they don’t and try to hide it so their moral judgment doesn’t come back on their own head.Quite frankly I am sick of this fear/respect dichotomy. In my mind it just leads to more ‘evil’.
Heinlein and the Book of Rabyd offer you an alternative. Better is to live like this – I am free because I am completely responsible for my own actions. No one else, nothing else compels me to be ethical or moral – only myself. I live free and take full responsibility. Period. Stop. Nothing else.
Closing Song: “Inside the Fire” – Disturbed
This closing song has a very serious message. Live your life. Be free and live. Death comes for us quickly enough.
Parting Thought:
Little celebration of getting back into lifting weights this week. One of my favorite quotes about lifting and why personally I find it an oasis in the middle of all the shit of my life at times.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
If one wants to point to the main difference between Eastern and Western Philosophy it is Collectivism vs. Individualism. This is overly generalized on my part, and I would say there are elements of individualism in Eastern philosophy and Collectivism in Western. It is just the results ultimately lead down these paths overall.
We could argue all day which is superior, but there is one element that I personally take to heart because of where it leads. The focus on the individual over the centuries has led to an understanding of individual rights. The people have certain rights like life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and ownership of property that no collective group can take away is something very Western. In Eastern Philosophy you get more of a rights of the group mentality. This can be detrimental to the individual. I suppose this debate will continue until the bitter end. I am going to side with the individual and the below cartoon illustrates how collectivism or majority rule can lead to evil.
That said there is something to be said for Eastern Philosophy in other areas. I just get real rights conscious for the individual from Western philosophy and in this regard I think it is superior to Eastern. I am not going to go into the philosophy where our rights come from at this time. That will probably be the subject of a Of Wolves and Ravens down the line.
To the Wolves and Ravens:
Needs (Geri):
The need for an understanding of individual rights is paramount to treating each other like human beings. If you don’t think humans have rights then it is very easy to see them as non-human. I think it is a basic test of humanity to see what a person’s feelings about the rights of other humans are or may be. If you find they give rights to themselves and people they like but not to others, I think they fail that test. This discussion of rights fills to needs – a) tests your own humanity and b) litmus test for others being human by how they treat other humans.
Wants (Freki):
For myself I would rather have this rights issues than the collectivist one. If the thought that you could be killed for the benefit of the ‘greater good’ bothers you, you understand why you want individual rights. They give you the power to live your life ad protect you from those who would try to take that away from you.
Reason (Huginn):
Of course reason gets us to the point that we realize that rights only have value if they are defended and stood up for. This is another matter for the ‘where do rights come from?’ issue. But for now, it is simply noted that the basic rights require other rights to defend them. One thing leads to another when it comes to rights and the right to defend one’s rights stems from calling those basic rights rationally essential.
Wisdom (Muninn):
A wise world would promote individual rights. It allows one to be both for the individual but also if everyone collectively is given the same individual rights – all benefit collectively from having those rights.
Conclusion:
I would love to think balance between the collective whole and individual rights can be achieved, but I know people are inherently tribal and eventually they submit the rights of the individual to the fear or desires for power. There is always going to be that element in society that thinks they can come up with a better plan or system for you than you can and it seems inevitably they want you to hand over your rights to them or take them from you. This needs to be resisted because if they can do it to you, they can do it to everyone. Individual Rights have to be defended against the mob.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Spirituality:
The Grey Wayfarer 