right here here now

Logged in to MSN this morning and I saw an unfamiliar nick "crying in desperation" and it wasn't from any of the frivolous people I knew who had attention grabbing nicks. It was my long time primary school friend. That means I've known her for 22 years (gasp!).

So I buzzed her.

'what's wrong? what's with the nick'

her reply

"crying in desperation for God to save this generation"

Oh

"Something went wrong in school?" (She's a teacher)

"No.. nothing wrong"

"Then what's the saving for?"

"To save them from hell"

O-oo-kaay

I used to be religious too, and I totally understand what she means. But now that I've taken a step back and become more sanguine about life and religon. Its easy to see how some people can turned off by religion and Christians in particular. Especially those who go around saving souls from eternal hell and damnation, by scaring them with fire and brimstone talk. Some Christians end up smearing a bad name for the rest.

Like I've heard people who survived the Tsunami in Phuket say "Thank God. He was looking out for me. His Divine Intervention saw to it that I was saved." What the fuck is that? Does that mean that God doesn't love or look out for those who died? God turned his back on them? Just crowing on and on about it or giving testaments in Church about this 'miracle' is shameful.

Anyway, me thinks that this generation is doing alright. There're bigger things out there that deserve our attention. Worldly things that require our cries of desperation more. Abject poverty, AIDS, hunger, war and socio economic problems. Not something that you don't even know will happen for sure.

Like the Blackadder once said.

"You see, the thing about heaven is that heaven is for people who like the sort of things that go on in heaven. Like, well, singing, talking to God, watering pot plants."

At least I'll be in good company down under.