Religion - In my opinion

So yes, again I say it – I am a staunch catholic, but i ain’t stupid either. Some things really do not make sense. What do we know about our existence? Why do we worry so much about keepin up appearances and impressing our peers and having everyone commend us for “doing the right thing” – “being religious”?

What’s most important is to live right as a person. Respect should come first, because every religion places importance on some form of respect..so therefore we cannot go wrong. If we respect the next person, there is no treating them bad, no judging them, no murder, theft, deceit, slander…u know the whole deal. Respect and honour – I personally think a respecting person is better than the liar who go to “church” every single Sunday/Saturday or whatever day it is.

I was having a conversation with a colleague earlier and they mentioned something that interested me “Why are Christians so quick to send someone to hell”

How do you know that this person is going to hell for whatever, for not “going to church” or for believing in Muhammad. I say focus more on your relationship with God, and not be so quick to judge others seeing as it ain’t none of your business, and you have no idea what their relationship with God.

I couldn't care less what the rest of the world thinks of me. Long as I know that at the end of the day, my relationship with God is as strong as it can be. Because regardless of what – it boils down to that, right – the reason I pray is not so my peers can commend my acts, but so that my relationship with my maker is stronger, my faith is stronger, and I can live life as a complete human being – respectfully and honourably.

See, what you do every other day reveals the kind of person you are. Your actions, thoughts, dress code, presentation – your body is a temple – treat it and present it accordingly – instead of worrying whether the rest of the world seen that i been in church and have said a prayer once a week.

Personally i respect more Muslims than I do some Christians – and I highly recommend reading on Confucianism for a lot of my fellow Christians. Hell, even the mafia had better code than most of us Christians. I ain't trying to play holy or nothing – i’m a sinner like everyone else. Just saying what i think.

I have been ridiculed and attacked for supposedly “worshipping Mary”, worshipping “The Pope”, “not reading the Bible” – all by people who do not get it. They see things from the outside and have no real understanding of what lies beneath. If i was to google something – what would probably come up first is wikipedia, or some huffington post blog, or some perez hilton view – that don’t mean that is right or that is all there there is to know. what about the link on page 15 of the search…check that one out. Maybe we can learn something or else we’d rather shut up about things we do not understand.

I do not know much about Buddhism, so i do not say much – i say what i know about Islam (which ain't much either), Confucianism, Taoism, Rastafarian movement - as i read and learn. That does not change me from my Catholic beliefs (which i will defend to the death) – it opens my eyes and helps me understand my God and His ways and tools of making us live better lives. I can boldly say a lifestyle based on Taoism is at the moment better than what we most Christians are living – especially excuses we come up with for starting new churches so as to explain and defend our everyday living. It’s sad but true – Christianity is not as it was – it is no longer what it was meant to be. The Bible has been edited so many times, a Harry Potter novel is easier to understand.

I'll quote Talib Kweli on this one :

“Every Sunday dressing up, catching gossip at its worst

Couldn't see the difference in the Baptist and the Catholic Church

Caught up in the rapture of the first chapter and second verse

If we all God’s children then what’s the word of the reverend worth

Taught early that faith is blind like justice when you facing time

If we all made in God’s image then that means his face is mine

Wait or it’s that blasphemy it’s logical it has to be

If I don’t look like my father then the way I live is bastardy

Naturally that’s confusion to a young’n trying to follow Christ

Taught that if you don’t know Jesus then you lead a hollow life

Never question the fact that Jesus was Jewish not a Christian

Or that Christianity was law according to politicians

Who was King James?

And why did he think it was so vital to remove chapters and make his own version of the Bible

They say Hell is underground and Heaven is in the sky

And they say that’s where you go when you die but how they know”

They say the Quran teach killing of the infidels. My understanding and that of a few preachers and leaders I’ve read on is that the message is to fight those that attack you until you have driven them away so they are not in a position to attack you anymore – things that many murderers get away with according to the new world’s constitution – self defence. So the word is misquoted, to justify attacking a group who clearly have a better and more religious lifestyle than ours – who show a better appreciation for their culture and religion than us.

I am not a nice person. I am not a righteous person. But in all I do – in all the nastiness and unrighteousness of my deeds – my goal is to bring an ounce of righteousness to this world.

If by the time I die I have managed to make at least one person understand respect and honour as more important than “mass opinion” –I’m content.

2seconds 30minutes later, keep the smile on :) Life's beautiful.

All alone in a plastic environment

We all know someone in this situation. Its time to stand by the ones we care for.

All alone in a plastic environment sometimes it feels as if the world is closing in. Nothing makes sense, nothing comes together. It seems as if all the forces are conspiring to bring a whole bunch of negative aspects and the harder the struggle seems to be, the longer it seems to last. When you think you've reached rock bottom, the ground collapses, and next thing its quicksand all round.

Don't even feel like smiling, inside you feel like dying. Deep down you feel like giving up, because this world don't make no sense.

A nonchalant approach to every situation because there's no hope for a tomorrow - let alone a brighter one. Live just to live, survive just to survive.

No-one knows your pain. No-one understands. They all say "its ok", and you wonder "Do i look retarded? Don't patronize me." Everyone pretending they understand, because they knew a cousin who had a sister who had a best friend whose brother's dog's former owner's brother's best friend went through the same. Was it really similar? Do they really understand. Do they really know whats going. Do they really care????

Sometimes living in a world like this is really hard if you don't comply. Really bad if you don't conform. Especially if you trying to make a difference. They say stand there and don't complain. Gotta take it that's what it is.

No matter what you take on, no mater what you do, no matter how hard you try, change seems impossible. The forces are against you. No-one believes in you. No-one?

Hold on. Look around - there's always a reason.
My heart's been broke for a while. Yours is the only one keeping me alive.

Get off your bottom and work.

Read this interesting post from Julien over at InOverYourHead. Yes it is an old post - but how oh so relevant.

The time spent procrastinating is overwhelming. Instead of working, there is always this "analysis" period with most. "How to be more effective.", "How to be more successful at what task.".."How to get results."..so much that at the end of the day we'll all be expert analysts, but average (at best) at implementing.

One way one can never go wrong is through trial and error. Reasonably so. There is no point in pursuing an impossible task and implementing worthless methods, when it's clear from the onset that the result if failure. Instead of finding out when its "best to publish", how about publishing and then find out when its best to advertise/spread the word.

So if you get more readers on Monday than Saturday, how about you publish your work on Thursday, find out later that its better to post on Monday, and then just re-share on Monday when there is a larger audience.

Some things are just so simple. This ain't rocket science folk. Get off your bottom and get some work done. That's the only way you can make a difference - not by analysing and investigating ways of making a difference.

A New year - Time to Change The World

Yuup, its my birthday again. My new year starts today, not on the usual Jan1 like most. Due to the constantly changing stories behind the calender, I feel I shouldn't be following someone else's set standard on when its time for a "new beginning" - so I chose my birthday, makes more sense that way I think.

Time for reflection. Well, I cant honestly put all my dirty laundry on the web lol but to sum it all up - I'm glad the year is over. Hasn't been an easy one. Mostly disappointments, thought there were a lot of positives and life changing experiences/encounters (positively). Most things weren't in my control really - so guess maybe it was in the stars that I was going to have a not so epic year. Which brings a thought...

At the risk of being labelled a hippie - positive vs negative energy? I know. But think about it. Maybe i started the year in such a low note, all positive energy was sucked out and I ended up attracting negative energy. (cliché??) Thus meaning so long as it was that year, I would subconsciously move myself toward the negative aspect of anything - even if there was a chance of the positive.

Or was it just a shitty yea??

None-the-more, the years done and its a new one. New beginnings, resolutions..blah blah - the usual bureaucratic Jan 1 statements. But no long-term resolutions for me. Have decided to take it one day at a time. And a man with no resolutions might as well walk about with no purpose and head for whatever.

Its about short-term (daily/weekly/pushing it - monthly) resolutions. And let the next one be as a result of the previous one. Taking it not just one day at a time, but one resolution at a time. That way the year wont end, and on Dec 31 (or day before your birthday or whatever day you make your resolutions) we sat thinking - look how I failed at achieving that. if only i had noticed that 11 months back I could have done something about it.

The simplest element that's always taken for granted is how unpredictable life is. Life does not follow our plans. sure enough, we can try and do a lot towards turning it our way - but at the end of the day there are so many things we cannot control, and therefore meaning we have to alter and adjust our existence to life. Not life set-standards (by general people), but events which no-one can control. Death, birth, rain, snow, tax (that's a bit debatable but well)..the inevitable so to speak.

So starting with the first resolution - I"ll make it a weekly one. Nope - I ain't saying lol..but hopefully with time the results will show clearly on here.

Just had an epiphany. A lotta things need to be changed. The problem with plenty folk is they do not understand. So its always a case of explanation after explanation - and I know no1 is worth it - if they don't see it - they don't, but my God, do I love to prove people wrong lol. I know- "how modest" - well, maybe folk shouldn't be so quick to judge. :)

Taking it one resolution at a time, adjusting to situations, staying positive and giving the best, its time to change the world.

Yuup - I said that. Lets change the world (and no I ain't no hippie :) ) And lets try and get that paper while we're at it yea?

Twitter : @timonjr