AUTHENTIC LENT
Saturday, May 25, 2024
"The Voices of Lent that spoke to me"
Friday, March 29, 2024
Day 45: "Who are you, what have you sacrificed?"
I just finished watching and listening to the 2012 Arena performance of Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Jesus Christ Superstar". This is how I started my birthday today. My husband was still sleeping and I watched it in my office on my computer with head phones. What's the saying?... "I still have goosebumps." Wow. What an incredible performance and the amazing vocals of Tim Minchin are what inspired me to add this to my birthday celebration.
I am a big Tim Minchin fan... and he knocked this one out of the park. He is joined by an amazing cast and amazing performances by Ben Forster as Jesus and Melanie C. as Mary Magdalene.
I'm not a big opera fan, but I just added this to my collection of movie favourites.
This is now my favourite Jesus movie. Why? Because the show ends and they don't bring him back to life. There is no resurrection of Jesus... but Judas came back to life... or did he? Very artistic and poetic justice. This wouldn't do good in the marketing department of Christianity. But this is art at it's best.
A lot of lines stick out for me, but this one sticks out the most. "Who are you, what have you sacrificed?" Profound question. Some would say not much... Matt Dillahunty commented that Jesus "had a bad weekend". Was that really a sacrifice? I guess we'll never really know. We are all two thousand years past the story.
* * *
I wanted to conclude Authentic Lent with Tim, because of my planned watching of JSC... but also because I wanted to end it with music. The deep dive into all the incredible minds has been great, but I need to let my mind rest and allow my body to move with the music. I will conclude with some of my favourite Tim Minchin songs. He has been an incredible influence both with music and with his intellect. I think I will be watching JSC at least one more time today if not twice.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Day 44: Atheism for Lent: Going somewhere deeper together
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Day 43: Humanize Me
Humanize me: Bart interviews Peter Rollins
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Day 42: The Graceful Atheist
I was nervous on the morning of my "Graceful Atheist" podcast interview. About two years ago, I decided to tell my story on the podcast... (or the parts of the story that would seem tellable at the time. ) I had never been on a podcast before. There was enough encouragement from the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook community that it would be alright.
I went to my mom's farm for the interview and was thankful that she had somewhere else to be that morning. I had notes that I could follow, but somehow understood that I would probably veer off track quite easily. I think I made a list of the stories I didn't want to tell, more than the stories I wanted to share.
David made it easy for me to vomit my life. He was the first person to offer me a space to share my story. There was no judgement, no concern... only encouragement, understanding and time. He took the time to hear what I had to say. I can't say it was at all a polished interview on my part.. but for my first attempt it was okay. (Some of those stories that I didn't want to tell... came out anyway)
Ruby Gets Real Graceful Atheist Interview. June 19, 2022
Two years ago, I was still up in the air about labelling myself an atheist. I was okay with agnostic, but the atheist label was still a challenge for me to accept. As I read through my Authentic Lent 2022 posts, I can see the struggle to let go of my theist roots. But as 2023 comes around, the struggle seemed to dissipate.
David was so encouraging to help me understand that where I was... was okay. After the interview, and while listening to other interviews, I got the peace that I just need to be who I am where I am and when I am. David is the "Graceful Atheist"... and now I am the "Grateful Atheist". I am grateful for the opportunity to share what I could of some of my journey, and I am grateful for the community that came along with the podcast.
For more of David's story, here is a podcast that he did on Harmonic Atheist.
"Christianity kept falling apart and eventually it was 'game over'". David Ames
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The Deconversion Anonymous Facebook group has been an oasis for me. I still feel alone in my own community. The known"atheist" friends I have, I can count on one hand. I shared my interview with two people... and one was a pastor friend of mine that I went to school with.
The podcast is currently taking a break from producing episodes, but there is a wealth of interviews for anyone's listening encouragement and inspiration. Here are some past episodes that I found particularly helpful and inspiring.
Darrel Ray: Recovering From Religion
Daniel: Psychology of Apologetics
Rachel Hunt: Recovering from Religion
I would recommend both "The Graceful Atheist" podcast and the Facebook community "Deconversion Anonymous" to anyone who needs a safe place to come to through deconstruction and after deconversion. Sometimes it just takes one story to remind you that you are not alone.
Monday, March 25, 2024
Day 41: Secular Spirituality with Sam Harris
"Dear Reader—
I have been waiting for more than a decade to write Waking Up. Long before I saw any reason to criticize religion (The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation), or to connect moral and scientific truths (The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying), I was interested in the nature of human consciousness and the possibility of “spiritual” experience. In Waking Up, I do my best to show that a certain form of spirituality is integral to understanding the nature of our minds.
There is no discrete self or ego living like a minotaur in the labyrinth of the brain. And the feeling that there is—the sense of being perched somewhere behind your eyes, looking out at a world that is separate from yourself—can be altered or entirely extinguished. Although such experiences of “self-transcendence” are generally thought about in religious terms, there is nothing, in principle, irrational about them. From both a scientific and a philosophical point of view, they represent a clearer understanding of the way things are.
My hope is that Waking Up will help readers see the nature of their own minds in a new light. A rational approach to spirituality seems to be what is missing from secularism and from the lives of most of the people I meet. The purpose of this book is to offer readers a clear view of the problem, along with some tools to help them solve it for themselves.
I sincerely hope you find it useful."
Sam Harris
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It's Monday morning and I am having a hard time waking up... so it's not a big surprise that Sam's book sparked my attention this morning when I went into my Books on my Mac to see if I could download it. I think my Apple "Books" is having a hard time waking up too. I can't get the book downloaded even on my Iphone. Oh well. I am still in the middle of reading Abby Hafer and Neil DeGrasse Tyson's books. I guess Sam will have to wait.
I get to confess this morning that I haven't read a single book from any of the Four Horseman... Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett and Sam Harris. I have no excuses to present at this time... but maybe I can eventually get around to getting a book from Sam on my read (as in past tense) list. Out of those four, Sam Harris has been the most inspirational for me. The whole idea of spirituality still intrigues me. I don't want to toss that baby out with the religious bathwater. I like the idea of still being able to connect with the universe... maybe not in a ritualistic way, but in a thoughtful meditative way.
I just had some bacon and eggs and feel a little more rejuvenated. I pulled out a spring inspired puzzle and am separating the pieces. I just listened to Sam Harris talk about secular spirituality and mindfulness. I think I am ready to take on the day!
"Consciousness is the one thing in this universe, including the universe, that cannot be an illusion." Sam Harris
Day 41: 2023 - "Finding Figment"
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Day 40: Blucky
Day 40: 2022 - "Poplar Sunday"
Day 40: 2023 - "The Holy Hole"
Two years ago, I renamed today "Poplar Sunday. As I explain in my 2022 post, I was looking for something more fitting my time and place on this planet.
This morning I was out in the hot tub trying to figure out what my last Sunday post of Advent would be. When I got out, I saw the sunrise peaking through the poplar trees on the other side of the highway. I went inside to get my camera and record the moment for my blog.
There are still no leaves on the trees, but the morning sun breaking through adds life to the otherwise lifeless looking trees. I guess that is all I can hope for at this time of year.
I have five more days after today to share inspiring voices that have helped me along my journey. I have saved the best for the last. These are the pivotal people and their communities that have been the core inspiration and guidance for me for the last few years. The bulk of my gratitude lies with these five people... but not just people... some are so much more than just their individual contributions. Three of the five offered communities where I could find an oasis from a confusing world and it's demands on my certainty. I am more indebted to the communities than to the individuals, but thankful for the individuals for leading me to the communities.
On line communities are much like those poplar trees across from my house. Sometimes I hope for something closer to me with more life, so the hugs could be felt instead of just interpreted through emojis. They are there, but not in the fullness of what could be. I am so grateful for the on line connections, but honestly... they still leave an emptiness in me. Most are people far away that I will never see in my life time. They may think a lot like me, but they won't see my tears when my world collapses.
So I am left to find that space with those who wonder if I am okay. I am left to hug and share my tears with Christians. But I am thankful that most of the Christians in my life are still there to offer hugs and share tears with no requirement that I conform to their belief systems.
I am truly "blucky"... a new word for me... a combination of blessed and lucky. It brings together the religious "blessed" and the secular "lucky". I figure I need something in between those two worlds to define how I feel.
blessed: bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune