"Here’s a truck stop instead of St. Peters"…REM

SRSR, where people with inquiring minds are invited to come in and check their coats at the door... not their brains - another words, there's nothing wrong with thinking instead of "agreeing!"

Our opening greeting (come in and check your coat at the door, not your brains), immediately opens us to criticism by those that say you have to have faith and not let your brain be an obstacle to your believing in the "truth."

SRSR agrees that faith is a wonderful thing, SRSR also believes that any universal truth should be able to stand up to a little scrutiny. SRSR was not conceived by intellectuals, it was started instead with the premise that people with normal inquiring minds, have the right if not the responsibility to study spirituality with their minds, their eyes and all their senses wide open.

A SERVICE OF SONG.

SOME keep the Sabbath going to church;
I keep it staying at home,
With a bobolink for a chorister,
And an orchard for a dome.

Some keep the Sabbath in surplice;
I just wear my wings,
And instead of tolling the bell for church,
Our little sexton sings.

God preaches,-- a noted clergyman, --
And the sermon is never long;
So instead of getting to heaven at last,
I'm going all along!

...Emily Dickinson

Emily, I think you were so right!  

This morning my family left for church, arguing about who's fault is was that they would be late, the door loudly slamming a goodbye.  Although this is not typcical, it is not unusual either.

I took about half an hour to vacuum the downstairs, fold some laundry, put on a load that my wife had started (she does most of this chore), put some  dishes in the dishwasher - started it and headed outside.

As they sat in their sanctuary of drywall and bricks, I sought refuge in the peaceful surrounds of my backyard.  We had six inches of March snow yesterday and as I climbed into the hot tub, I could only marvel at the natural beauty the creator has made.   The tall evergreen bushes  were majestically capped with the late winter snow and our little goldfish pond was covered with ice - except for where it's little fountain bubbled up like a mountain spring.

The pews in my watery church were empty except for me, since my family seeks God among   like-minded folk. I seek the creator's face like you said Emily, where the bobolink is the  chorister.  I play a tape of old time gospel, middle eastern or other favorite and have my own joyful, thought provoking worship service. 

Although the music's message is at times a little alien to me, the inspiration is divine and I sprawled across my little hot tub, a smile on my face, staring at the infinite arches of the peaceful blue cathedral that's been provided  free of tithes, menacing messages and divisiveness.

Yes, Emily I think you were right!

kgw

Listening to and enjoying an old gospel song today I got to thinking about it's message. 

The words go something like, "we are living, yes we're living in the days they wrote about.."

Some people say we are living at the end time, others say such scriptures apply to all times, since there is always a "dark age" going on somewhere. 

The song made me think that as long as we have enemies, then it's words will ring true and as long as we espouse that only our religion is true, we will always have enemies.   So until the end of time, or until a time of reconciliation, we will be caught in this vicious cycle.

Current Essays

The Society for the Rational Study of Religion's primary objective, is to provide balanced, rational, historically accurate information about the major religions of the world. This is intended to help spread understanding of humanity's common spiritual roots, universal motivations for religion and the widely held belief in a higher power.

SRSR's methodology includes; dissemination of information, discussion and debate of information on the connections between religions and analysis of the claims and possible contradictions and inconsistencies of major religions.