This one goes out to all my ex- Catholic friends, Ex-Christian friends, liberally minded humor loving Christian friends, and all those that have embraced Science like she is the Harlot riding the Beast. I grew up Catholic, while this doesn’t give me any carte-blanche license to mock it in any way I see fit, understand that humor is what I personally use to overcome a lot of the royally screwed up things that happened in my childhood regarding religion and the obsession of it. If you still find yourself wishing me into utter damnation, well that is your prerogative and I respect that but I want you to remember this moment the next time you mock a Muslim because they dislike an image of Mohammed being produced (or any other person’s religion for that matter).
Truth be told, I have little use for any religious belief in my life, I’ve claimed to be a Zen Buddhist in recent years but if I am really one than I am terrible at it. The reality is that I have come to accept Science as a pretty good dispenser of knowledge and advice. Science can be cold and heartless but it’s fair; in fact it really isn’t out to judge at all, it just is. You don’t think we evolved from apes? Science isn’t going to send you to some make-believe place to be punished, it will let you have that belief and then keep on doing its thing.
If you still think I’m a piece of shit, well, I also think the Beatles were way over rated…
Something true (e.g. science) will continue to be true whether you believe it or not. It doesn’t care whether anyone believes in it. This makes it a lot more mature and sensible than most alleged deities…
And I think the Beatles were overrated too. So is lobster.
I agree on all accounts.
Also, have you ever read Terry Pratchett’s book “Small Gods”? It explains that religions gradually become self-sustaining, until what people are believing in is the religion (the system) rather than its teachings. (The Inquisition are much more visible and definitely exist…)
At one point in the book, a priest does actually attempt to kill their (useless) god, who is trapped in tortoise form, so that he can be crowned the next prophet (instead of the rather dim novice monk who is the last true believer hence the only one who can hear the god’s telepathic voice – which mostly whines for more melon and lettuce and promises to smite people once he’s back to his old self) – fortunately he throws the wrong tortoise into the open for an eagle to grab.
The only Pratchett I have read was “Good Omens” (with Neil Gaimen) but “Small Gods” sounds like a hoot! I will have to look for a copy at work tonight. It has to be better than the last book I read “the Ruins” by Scott Smith (hot needles to the eye are more welcoming than re-reading that ever again).
Toast and mirrors are very handy items when dealing with the super natural.
The Witch Hunters of old always carried a few of each.
Indeed – vampires eat toast (so you can distract them with it) and don’t reflect in mirrors (so you can check your diagnosis before staking them)
lmao! I just love the way you phrased that.
The Beatles didn’t write one bad song. Not one. Out of hundreds. The nearest they came, was Maxwell’s Silver hammer, which was gross.
I would agree with you that they were a talented group but my personal opinion of them is that I find them boring to listen to. My wife is a big fan where I only like a handful of songs. I really don’t “hear” what is so special about them. I would much rather listen to George Harrison’s solo work than 95% of the Beatles catalogue. To each their own though.
I like the comic just fine, but seriously Tim, why drag the Beatles into this? I just went off on about four soapboxes that I just deleted, because I don’t know what to say.
Ooh, I can tell you one time during junior high I tried to jump across the lunch table to scratch some guy who said the Beatles sucked! Heh, I was an angry kid. Also, in retrospect, I think he may have been hitting on me.
Because much like Jesus there are those that blindly love the Beatles. It seems that in Western Culture you are sure to elicit an almost Pavlovian response if you insult either the Big J or the Beatles; I find that, in general, frantically interesting and highly amusing. Did you ever think that maybe you were such an angry kid because you listened to the Beatles? Hmm?
I loved every moment of this. Jesus being trapped in a piece of toast and sharing his vast vacuum of nothingness with Zod is the kind of wonderful mixture of delightful strangeness that only you would come up with.
I have no idea who Zod even is, and it’s still funny.
Superman 2 movie reference.