"I Went to Alabama..."

Doubt

One of my favorite radio shows these days is "Speaking of Faith" on NPR. The other week the theme was Doubt. I love this subject on the subject of spirituality. Especially since we will never be able to empirically prove anything relating to faith. Though there is a scientific argument that says Einstein's Theory of Relativity supports the concept of reincarnation. I haven't read this entire story, but a friend at my meditation class was telling me about it after we had a long talk on a street corner about how we are supposed to distinguish reality from illusion in Buddhism, which led us to the thought that some aspects of Buddhism [for example, karma] only working if you have faith in reincarnation, which led us to how can you prove something like that, at which point Rickie gently pointed out that he'd read that the 3rd Theory of Relativity supports it. Interesting. I love Sundays.

Anyway, Doubt. It has a long history in faith. I mean, what good is untested faith? This is a subject I've been thinking a lot about lately. But the fact that this agnostic poet wrote an entire book about it -- across the board, covering Christianity, Islam, Buddhism (if you can truly call Buddhism faith, another subject that came up on the street corner. It's more like philosophy. Philosophy that takes your spiritual and psychological life into account. Holistic philosophy, if you will.).

Anyway, check out what Jennifer Michael Hecht has to say about the doubters throughout history and in a number of faiths. Truly interesting.

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/doubt/index.shtml

All Is Lost at St. Agnes Academy

A Post in Two Parts
1.
A friend at work said her boyfriend wanted to be worshipped in statuette form. Preferably golden. I said his religion should be called Patrolicism, since his name is Patrick. As payment for coining the term, I get bi-annual rites dedicated to me. These rites would be celebrated much like the equinox, twice a year. They'd be like St. Lucy's Feast celebrations. In the spring, look ahead to what your activities and fruitfulness bring. In the winter, celebrate clarity and light--on my birthday, four days before St. Lucy's Feast Day.

This celebration will be called Candulation.

2.
This picture makes me think of a disaster about to happen at an all-girls school. One girl (let's call her Mathilda) has a crush on her female teacher (named Claire) and is going to surprise Ms. Claire by bringing tea to the teacher's room wearing a candle wreath around her head. To her shock, Lady Claire is frolicking under the sheets with the gardener (Jorge)! Horrors! Mathilda convulses in teenage agony. The wreath tips from her head and ignites the velvet drapes, and all is lost at St. Agnes Academy! Save yourselves, girls! Save yourselves! But Mathilda stays where she is. Her heart has already been broken. What else is there to live for now? All of 15, she lets the flames lick her body: her first, last and only lover.

Silly Book Poll

I'm always looking for things to put on my reading list. If any of y'all answer even one of these questions, I will be overjoyed. I'm going to answer some right now, and some later.

1. One book that you would recommend be read by everyone? Being There by Jerzy Kosinski
2. One book you have read more than once? The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
3. One book you would want on a desert island? The Quiet American by Graham Greene
4. One book that made you laugh?
5. One book that made you cry? Neon Vernacular by Yusef Komunyakaa
6. One book you could not finish? Woman in the Dunes
7. One book you loved as a child? Whistle for Willie
8. One book you are currently reading? The White Album by Joan Didion and The End by Fannie Howe
9. One book you have been meaning to read? Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle