I don't really have much to write today. I got up this morning and took a yoga class. Then I met a friend to go to what I thought was a play about the seperation of church and state, but it wasn't. Instead it was a forum being sponsored by a local theatre to have conversation about the seperation of church and state for the benefit of a playwright who is writing a play on the topic. Then my friend and I had a little snack and then I'm back home to work a little, a very little, then off to play poker with my some friends at my friend Lee's house. (Lee's parents are visiting so this will also be an opportunity to meet them.)
At the forum today there was a man in a kilt. He was not Scottish. Now this is not particularly uncommon in San Francisco. But he actually made some comment during the forum about men who wore kilts. Apparently he read some blog that said that all men who wore kilts were gay. Now here is the thing(s) (1) he pointed out the absurdity of this statement but (2) his comment about the blog and the men who wore kilts just didn't make any sense as to how it connected with the conversation at hand. He also talked way too much--clearly liked hearing the sound of his own voice. I was one of the youngest people in the room. There was an atheist who was probably in her fifties and then everyone else was at least over 60, many over 70. The atheist I mention because she clearly wanted us to know that she was an atheist. And that she really wanted there to be an atheist in this play that the person was writing. She also seemed to want to engage us in a conversation about how flawed a belief in God or the Bible was. No one really engaged her, thank goodness. I've never really met an evangelical atheist, but I think she might have been one.
I also had a conversation with my friend afterwards about the place of witnesses at national religious gatherings to the inclusion of lgbt folks. I'm not sure tha tis really something that I want to be a part of. I don't really see a reason for it. My thought is if you don't want me at the table I'm not interested in trying to convince you to let me. Or to convince you of how much you shouldn't be afraid of me. I have all the welcome I need, I dont' have to ask someone for it. His response was that was a pretty advanced state of thought and tha tfor many people who feel isolated and hurt by the church they really do need to see public witness of welcome and solidarity. i don't know. I do know though I am really not at all passionate about singing outside of national gatherings or holding banners, etc. I wonder if that is (a) internalized homophobia, some shame or embarrasment about who I am or (3) just general laziness. Don't know but worth pondering.
Alright, I'm heading out for a little poker. I'm all in.
2 comments:
But did you poker game include cool prizes like a Bible girl action figure or wash-away-your-sins wet wipes?
Good point, Ellen! I heard on the news this weekend about a Catholic priest who is going to require that all members who have family attending the Catholic school is going to require that they attend the church 70% of the time (and I think something was also said about money.) Anyway, I share this because I feel that any time people are REQUIRED to be a part of something, it loses its value. If people are REQUIRED to be witnesses, where is the beauty of the gift of their presence? If someone is REQUIRED to attend church, where is the beauty of their choice. I would much rather have a congregation of 12 who come because they want to be there than a congregation of 300 who come because they are required to be there and it's been demanded of them. Isn't that where we ran into a few wars in Europe when kings required church allegiance? Hmmm . . .
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