rock and roll musings by Tim Byrnes

If There Is a God, She's An Idiot

     Greetings, poetry lovers. Those by this point I think that means Simmons, the mad propheteer Jim and my lovely cousin Cathy w/a C from the mother country. Anyway, there has been precious little time lately for me to come to this page and now when I do I find Muglia spewing his crap in the name of Christian love. I've also come tothe conclusion that I like Fergie's music way too much to consider myself even a wannabe rock critic anymore. I mean do we really need another adjective filled lionization of Iggy and the Sttoges? Not that I'd give 'em one anyway, I mean have you heard the new record? Sorry Neblung, it's all crap.

     Now usually I welcome the chance to abuse Jim but the conversations getting old and truly folks, how does one reason w/someone who comes to yr own blog, calls you a sissy for not believing in his god and then talks about 'rules of engagement'? How does someone reason w/someone - anyone - who believes they have access to all true knowledge? Pathetic.

     Work's been great. I'm busy and productive and honestly about as happy as I've ever been so why ruin it w/these worthless typefests that repeat ad nauseum the only fact herein: Spiritually speaking Jim and I cancel each other out. End of story. So, I'm gonna lay low for a while, maybe work on the novel I've been outlining for the last 3 years (and living for the last 52) and just enjoy the life and meager respectability I've earned at this stage of the journey. But, as a parting gift............)

     This weekend 500 billion people witnessed the Live Earth concerts for global warming awareness. I was not one of them. I had to work and did so gladly. I rushed home from work at 11pm MST and, after walking Buster and feeding the cats, Ii channell surfed my ass off looking for a broadcast of the show.

     Nothing.

     Sunday morning. Meet the Press is on at 6am while I'm still sleeping to accomodate Wimbledon. After walking Buster and feeding the cats I again channel surf, looking for coverage of this huge event. Again, nothing. I get to work at 2 pm and read the Denver Post and Pueblo Chieftain. The Chieftain had nothing while the Denver Post had a half page article on page 19. OK, I think. Late press run. Sure.

     I just checked the papers at my store an hour ago (11 am MST) and agin, no coverage. So my question is: What exactly did Al Gore do to warrant such a wave of ignorance from the American press? Besides actually being elected President, I mean.

               *****************************************************************************

     Pope Benedict has decreed that the Mass can be said in Latin again if that's what the parishoners want. Far be it from me to deny those who want their fables read to them in a foreign language but it does point to this particular Pontiff's perdiliction for dragging his people kicking and screaming into the 17th century. I reiterate: when someone claims to have powers given from 'above' and purports to enact those powers as a guide to living in a modern world by eating cookines and making signs in the air w/their hands that's freakin' voodoo!!!!!

     Believe what you want, it's a free country (HAH!) but don't ask me to believe it more than once, OK? Missionaries who can't/won't take NO for an answer are no better than a pushy vacuum cleaner salesman. And nature abhors a vacuum cleaner salesman.

  Oh, and Jim, by way of goodbye. If yr the best god could come up with to save me then she's an idiot.

See y'all in a while.

Or not.

tim

Posted by: timbyrnes at 18:22 | link | comments (24)

Comments:

#1  09 July 2007 - 19:48

 

yeah -- amazing the denial of global warming in this country. so much so that it is as if the concerts didn't even happen -- Al Gore out there trying to save the world. couldn't believe it myself, actually -- this utter lack of coverage. in this country that is -- if you search for it on line it was fairly big news in the rest of the world. heard some stuff on npr. lots of articles from the UK, Australia, etc. just everybody here seemed to pretend it didn't even exist. buried in the back pages. guess we shouldn't be surprised, really.

limine

#2  10 July 2007 - 19:44

 

If Live Earth was a great success earning lots of media attention, guess who would get all the credit and the attention? Al Gore.

And if Al Gore was getting all of the praise and attention, guess who he would be overshadowing in presidential politics?

Are you starting to see the pattern now, Tim? First Imus was in her way, and now he's gone. Now Gore has a chance to gain some glory, and he's ignored.

I might be wrong, but with Hillary ascending to power, I predict that more and more of these "curious" things will be happening.

Just take a deep breath, and really think about it.

Jim

Anonymous

#3  18 July 2007 - 16:43

 

"I might be wrong..."

We have a breakthrough!!!! Think about THAT, you moron.

Anonymous

#4  18 July 2007 - 19:45

 

Thank you for your humble consideration of my theory.

Jim

Anonymous

#5  19 July 2007 - 01:43

 

BTW, regarding the title of your thread "If There Is a God, She's An Idiot", I don't think that Hillary and several of your fellow Hillary supporters would appreciate that sentiment.

Jim

Anonymous

#6  20 July 2007 - 17:24

 

"BTW, regarding the title of your thread "If There Is a God, She's An Idiot", I don't think that Hillary and several of your fellow Hillary supporters would appreciate that sentiment."

I really don't care if you, Hillary, her supporters or the ghost of Jackie Robinson appreciate my sentiment or not. I don't write, or think for that matter, for anyone's approval. I yam what I am and, in the words of Lou Reed "If you don't like it you can leave".

And in yr case, Jim, please do.
tb

Anonymous

#7  21 July 2007 - 03:55

 

"I really don't care if you, Hillary, her supporters or the ghost of Jackie Robinson appreciate my sentiment or not."

What aobut the ghost of Eleanor Roosevelt? You know, the ghost that Hillary once said comes to her?

Jim

Anonymous

#8  21 July 2007 - 04:42

 

Hey Tim, since you refuse to believe in the "invisible man" Who came in the person of Jesus and made Himself so visible and so tangible and so reachable that it makes my heart explode with joy, and Who gives us so much love it isn't even funny - see Randy Newman's "He Gives Us All His Love".

Anyhow, since you choose to regard the clear revelation of God's Son, as no more credible than the UFO sitings on The Brady Bunch episode, and have no need for church, I got to wondering what the top religious experiences in your life might be:

10) Hearing "Father Son Holy Ghost took the last train for the coast" in American Pie.

9) Watching "The Breakfast Club" for the umpteenth time.

8) Hearing the national anthem sung at baseball games.

7) Hearing David Lee Roth say "Oh my God" at the end of "Hot for Teacher".

6) Hearing "Jesus loves you more than you will know" in Mrs. Robinson.

5) Hearing "Jesus is Just
Alright" by The doobie brothers.

4) hearing "Jesus Just Left Chicago" by ZZ Top.

3) Watching "Jesus Christ Superstar".

2) Hearing "In My
Time of Dying" by Zep.

1) Being greeted at the front door by Jehovah's Witnesses.

I mean, what does an unchurched person do for a religious experience?

Its bad enough that Protestant church's did away with all of the sacraments, but what about someone like yourself who is completely unchurched?

Jim

Anonymous

#9  21 July 2007 - 04:47

 

Anyhow, God bless, I won't harass you for a week or so.

By the way I figure God must know what He's doing somehow.

I don't know why I keep coming back somewhere that I am not wanted, any more than you know.

for some reason He must want us to torture eachother, I don't know; I just trust,based on past experience.

Jim

Anonymous

#10  27 July 2007 - 18:45

 

I don't have religious experiences, I live life. I enjoy the random happy/sad/good/evil of day to day. I have been known to use the term 'near-religious experience' to describe a particularly impressive (to me) work of art; say Patti Smith burning down 'Rock & Roll Nigger' on national tv or, say, Bernini's 'The Rapture of St. Theresa' but it's used as a metaphor. Like the Bible.

And, speaking of rature, I'm all for anything that'll suck all you spiritual know it alls up into the sky. Maybe de debbil will be able to get the trains to run on time, no.


Once again, go away.
tb

Anonymous

#11  29 July 2007 - 00:29

 

"I enjoy the random happy/sad/good/evil of day to day. "

That's all? Religious people see God in all of day to day events and in nature, etc. ; but then there is so much more.

Geez, no church on Sunday. What a strange guy.

Man, you must have one improtant life, not needing to go to church on Sunday.

Sid Barret is immaculate.

Signing off as "Peace In Bono", or whatever it is.

I have a strange theory that we should let Jesus The Messiah be Jesus The Messiah, ...

and likewise...

Michael Jackson the pop star should be Michael Jackson the pop star, Sid Barret the rock star should be Sid Barret the rock star, Bono from U2 should be Bono from U2, etc.

Let everybody be who they are; why make messiahs out of people who never claimed to be messiahs?

All music is, is a bunch of words and rhythms. That's really all it is. Why should we know Pink Floyd lyrics better than we know scripture?

I'll bet you, Tim, that you can quote "Being for the Beneift of Mr. Kite" verbatim; but you can't quote the 23rd Psalm. Am I right?

But that's not singling you out, I can quote a lot of my favorite songs better than scripture as well.

But what did people do before the sixties, when they didn't worship at the altar of their stereo?

Its very possible we're letting life pass us by with all of this music stuff.

Maybe I/we should take a braek from CDs for six months just to see how our lives would be different.

Well, it sure is great to be able to express these thoughts here on my very own blog. :-D

Jim

Anonymous

#12  29 July 2007 - 04:20

 

"And, speaking of rapture, I'm all for anything that'll suck all you spiritual know it alls up into the sky."

Now hold on a second. I believe what I believe becuase it makes sense. You are totally free to challenge my logic.

But if you're not willing to throw your beliefs on the table and sift the meat from the bones, which you are not, then don't go telling me that I'm a know it all.

I'm sitting here at the table like a man discrimanating, praying, and being honest, while you're sitting on the sidelines with a stick up your ass.

You're like a drunk who sits on the curb all day and calls the people going to work conformists.

Until you have the guts to come to the table with an open mind and folded hands, you're going to exist in the prison cult of relativity for the rest or your life, and miss out on all of the best things it has in the process.

Jesus for your Brother and Savior, Mary for your mother, St. Joseph for your foster-father, and a banquet constantly before you. Is it true. Well, how are you going to find out?

You really believe that if you sought with all sincerity and honesty that God would not show you anything?

Jim

Anonymous

#13  02 August 2007 - 19:22

 

.... and until you realize that yr beliefs are not evryone elses and that this isn't neccessarily a bad thing, we're just gonna keep going around in this circle jerk of a 'conversation'. Take yr god and shove it, Jim yr not winning any converts here and are actually proving my thesis that at the bottom of all religious belief lies idiocy.

"Let Syd Barrett be Syd Barrett" indeed!

Anonymous

#14  03 August 2007 - 01:38

 

" ...and until you realize that yr beliefs are not evryone elses and that this isn't neccessarily a bad thing, we're just gonna keep going around in this circle jerk of a 'conversation'. "

The false premise there is that diversity is more important than truth.

"Take yr god and shove it, Jim yr not winning any converts here and are actually proving my thesis that at the bottom of all religious belief lies idiocy."

The false premise there is that to have strong convictions, and to ask someone to sincerely analyze their beliefs, constitutes idiocy.

" 'Let Syd Barrett be Syd Barrett' indeed! "

And kidding around aside, yes, Syd Barret is no more than Syd Barret, but he is also no less than Syd Barret. Catholicism holds that all individuals are unique and special.

Jim

Anonymous

#15  09 August 2007 - 18:56

 

"The false premise there is that diversity is more important than truth. "

Actually I see the false premise to be A) that there is a 'Truth" and B) that you are in possession of it.

"The false premise there is that to have strong convictions, and to ask someone to sincerely analyze their beliefs, constitutes idiocy. "

Again, I see a different 'false premise' and that's yr assumption of knowledge as to how the universe began and what's gonna happen to us when we die. Catholicism presumes such knowledge and to that I can only say, belief isn't knowledge, conviction not 'Truth' (which I don't think exists at all) so if yr bellief makes you happy, great. I never said there is no god, just that I don't believe in it and that the godconcept and the believers who wield it like a club are in such a hurry to prove themselves 'right' that they'll blow up the infidel in god's name. And if there is a god I can't imagine this is what she'd want.


And idf this is what she wants, well, then fuck her!
tb

Anonymous

#16  10 August 2007 - 03:27

 

[quote]I never said there is no god, just that I don't believe in it and that the godconcept and the believers who wield it like a club are in such a hurry to prove themselves 'right' that they'll blow up the infidel in god's name. And if there is a god I can't imagine this is what she'd want.[/quote]

That is ridiculous. you are comparing the Taliban mindset to all Muslims and all Christians. Where is the basis for that? I don't know of even one Christian who thinks we should kill Muslims. I know of plenty who believe that we need to stop terrorism.

Come on Tim, you seem like a pretty reasonable guy. Don't you think that you might going overboard on all of this "they want to blow eachother to smithereens" stuff. I mean, give me a break, we're commanded to love our enemies and turn the other cheek.

Another thing, Bush is probably one of the most devoted Christians we've had in the White House, like him or not. If there is one guy who would try to wipe out the Muslim religion, it would be him. To the contrary though, he does not even seem to mind that the Iraq government does not allow Christians in it.

So, maybe just take a deep breath and try to cool it with on this "blow eachother to smithereens" theory. Take one sect and one individual at a time, and cool it on the hasty generalizations.

You know what, my life is winding down. I'm 39 and wishing I can lose a ton of weight. I don't want to waste my time making angry caricatures of people anymore, if its really not true.

What is your aim? What do you want out of life in your last years?

Jim

Anonymous

#17  10 August 2007 - 03:40

 

Hey, I have a question, by the way.

It seems like the strongest agnostics have trouble with God, because of the "Father" idea. Like, growing up with their father was a very negative experience.

So, when they hear "God The Father", they have a very ngative reaction to that.

Do you think that there is some truth to that dynamic, and if so, how can it be overcome, so that one can be objective about it?

Serioulsy here, what are your thoughts on that?

Jim

Anonymous

#18  10 August 2007 - 03:46

 

I bring that question up, because I recall you saying that you had some very traumatic experiences growing up. So, I'm interested in your persepctive on that.

Jim

Anonymous

#19  10 August 2007 - 17:54

 

Actually, Jim, yr not interested in anyone's perspective except yr own, because as we all know, yr perspective on everything is the Truth, right? I don't compare my father to god because my father existed and please don't pretend to know anything about my suppossed trauma, OK? And what I want from my last years is for you to lose so much weight you disappear completely.

Of course not all Christians are terrorists; neither are all Muslims. My contention is that religion with it's fantasy-based assumptions to Supreme Knowledge of God's Will can and will most likely end badly as one Theocracy or another pushes one button or another resulting in a self-fullfilling 'endtimes' prophecy that kills believer and non-believer alike.

I'm sorry but I find that scenario more likely and believable than, say, a minor, ineffectual revolutionary rising from the dead over 2,000 years ago. I'm even sorrier that you, and yr ilk, do not.

tb

Anonymous

#20  12 August 2007 - 23:39

 

"Actually, Jim, yr not interested in anyone's perspective except yr own, because as we all know, yr perspective on everything is the Truth, right?"

Wrong, I am man enough to bring what I believe ot the table to analyze if its the truth. I'm a man.
Name me a Jehovah Witness or a Muslim who is willing to do that? It is certainly an established fact that you are not willing to.

"I don't compare my father to god because my father existed..."

The false premise there is that if someone exists, their attributes cannot be compared to a deity's quailities. In fact, one guy I know said that Syd Barret in concert was "immaculate", as if it pointed him to some deity beyond the singer.

"...and please don't pretend to know anything about my suppossed trauma, OK?"

You had mentioned that you lived through the foxhole of a lot of trauma, and that is all I am referring to; it was a simple yes or no question, regarding if the memory of your father makes you cringe or not when you hear the phrase "God The Father". If it does, I encourage you to think of "Pa Ingalls" the father, and look at the deity question more objectivley.

"And what I want from my last years is for you to lose so much weight you disappear completely."

And if I do, will the questions disappear?


"Of course not all Christians are terrorists; neither are all Muslims. My contention is that religion with it's fantasy-based assumptions to Supreme Knowledge of God's Will can and will most likely end badly as one Theocracy or another pushes one button or another resulting in a self-fullfilling 'endtimes' prophecy that kills believer and non-believer alike."

I don't get it, The Catholic scenario is that one day all human beings will be ressurected from their graves and then God will tell the redeemed to come with Him, and tell the others to depart from Him. I don't see a nuclear holocasut in any of that.

"I'm sorry but I find that scenario more likely and believable than, say, a minor, ineffectual revolutionary rising from the dead over 2,000 years ago."

Let me complete the phrase:

a minor ineffectual revolutionary rising from the dead over 2,000 years ago, conquering The Roman Empire through nothing but peace, charity, and being martyred, ...

"I'm even sorrier that you, and yr ilk, do not."

If people of good will, which are most people, keep the kook-fringe types out of power, then we should be alright. That's why we need to encourage democracy all over the world.

Jim

Anonymous

#21  03 October 2007 - 18:14

 

I love all this talk of democracy. If America were a democracy then Al Gore would have been elected president in 2000. And besides, the great American Experiment was founded on a lie. Must Ii remind you the phrase 'All men are created equal' was written by a slaveowner.

Talk about yr false premises.

Glad you 'liked' Berlin, the Velvet Underground's a lot like it except replace the orchestrations w/tinny loud radios tunes between stations.
tb

timbyrnes

#22  13 October 2007 - 05:22

 

So if America is so bad, what country would you rather be living in?

If the Jackson Brownes, Mellencamps, Springsteens, and even Canadians like Cockburn are free to get on stage and rip on our president and country, and there is no military retaliation, then we live in one great country.

You gotta admit, we're blessed to be here. Here's a toast to freedom and free speech.

And regarding the electoral vote, that was just so that one highly-populated state could not dominate the whole country with their vote. I think it was a pretty reasonable idea.

Plus, Gore didn't get cheated. He knew the electoral map and which states were key.

Jim

Anonymous

#23  15 October 2007 - 03:50

 

And kudos to George W. Bush, whose troop surge in Iraq worked, and is still working.

http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2007/10/iraq-death-tolls-dropping-significantly.html

Truly one of the greatest presidents, if not THEE greatest president ever.

Jim

Anonymous

#24  29 October 2007 - 18:20

 

I agree that America is still the greatest country in the world to live, but I also think that says more about the world than America. Anyway, what defines 'best'? Highest standard of living? Most opportunity? Freedom of Speech?Countries are like life; they're what you make it. Freedom of speech is all well and good but talk is talk and talk is cheap. The fact that you consider W to be the greatest president ever and I consider him a punkass warcriminal shows the ridiculous divide in this country today. And while you and I are obviously extreme (and harmless, bloviating) examples of this divide, it's a question that has to be answered.
How to reconcile humanity? I'm pretty sure we can come up with something better than 'let's all believe in an invisible man' and that's how ALL religions start.
Mix in greed, an overblown sense of entitlement, a fixed and crooked governing system (Dems and Gops alike) and the stunning level of uncaring and incompetence displayed by yr W and it's a recipe for totalitarianism

Bring the Holy Roman Empire home, one dead body at a time.
tb

timbyrnes

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