On the bus this morning.

[karadan]

The weather was horrible this morning so instead of cycling I decided to get the bus to work. Sat near to me were two people (an English girl and a Canadian guy) deep in chat. I couldn't help but overhear some of their conversation. At one point, the girl started talking about her deep depression issues which had been very much compounded by the death of her music tutor a few months back. Apparently he or she had died from a brain aneurism. The girl mentioned her tutor hadn't been a christian and alluded to the fact this had helped deepen her depression issues. It was obvious to me she was racked with guilt because in her mind, she knew her tutor was currently burning for eternity in the fiery pits of hell.

It made me angry. I was angry because an extra dimension of despair had been automatically added to an already tragic event in this girls life which was so great, it had seemingly impeded her sanity. How evil is that? It is bad enough to feel the grief from having lost someone you care about, but to have that grief multiplied through the implication that the deceased are now screaming in agony simply because they didn't subscribe to a specific brand of religion when they were alive is an indescribably horrible facet of religious belief.

I really wanted to say something to comfort her but coming from a stranger, would be considered a rude gesture. Besides, there's probably nothing I'd be able to say to assuage her grief either way. It is possible, had she not been a christian, that the death of her tutor would have had an equal negative impact on her life, but in situations like that, time heals. Unfortunately, the knowledge that her tutor is in hell will stay with her for the rest of her life. That cannot be good for the mind.

It was just another conformation to me that religion (especially the three abrahamic ones) is a debilitating disease of the mind which deserves nothing short of the continuous and prolonged exertion of contempt, derision and resentment from everyone.

I consider myself lucky I'm not bound by the automatic guilt forced upon the religious, but it is still upsetting to know that many ordinary, nice people out there aren't as fortunate as me because they are (for the most part) born into bondage and literally have no choice in the matter.

That's my rant for the month.

[The Magic Pudding]

Well you could have reassured her, he may have made a death bed conversion.
That's my plan, but the list of deities is long, so much homage to be paid.
It is tricky getting the order right, do you disregard the Watermelon Magi?
Time is likely to be limited, these things need to be sorted.