Let’s begin the day with a flat out lie. Barely a moment goes by when I am not thinking of Pope Francis, God’s senior vicar on Earth, who is critically ill with pneumonia in both lungs. Jorge, who goes by the pseudonym Francis for reasons best known to the Catholic church, is believed by said Catholics to be the direct successor of St. Peter and a direct line back to Jesus. Well, okay. Each to their own and all that, but while I regard the Pope’s beliefs as stuff and nonsense, I am not so heartless that I wish ill on him. I wish I could feel as empathetic to some of the other wingnuts around the world who spout utter nonsense for a living.
I was drawn to some articles about the concept of sin, not least as explained by theists who say that not only are we sinners, we were born sinners, too. According to a religious website called The Standard, the writer Nigel Maine (nor me) says that it all kicked off when God created Adam and Eve when Lucifer – played by Tom Ellis, perhaps? – turned up in the form of a serpent and persuaded Eve to eat fruit from the tree of life, whatever that is, whereupon she persuaded Adam to do the same. Then, things totally to rat shit as Satan invented things like typhoons, tornados, avalanches. That explains everything and why hundreds of people attend our local church on a Sunday. But it gets better.
Mr Maine explains that because Adam ate some undefined fruit, we are all sinners. Not only that, we have sin ingrained in our DNA. He adds: “Sin is acted out in our actions and words and manifests itself in our feelings, like guilt, fear, anger, hatred, theft, covetousness and the list goes on.” Wow. Given that DNA wasn’t even discovered until 1869 and it took until 1943 before scientists realised that DNA was the genetic material in cells, and that it contained a code for life. God must have known all this DNA malarkey but somehow none of the team of writers who compiled the Old and New Testaments referred to it. Maybe God just forgot to tell them? Anyway – sin.
I do sometimes feel guilt for things, although I have a long fuse I do get angry, I do hate some people like Donald Trump, Margaret Thatcher and Rupert Murdoch, I have stolen the odd idea for use in this blog and there was a time when I felt a degree of covetousness. But in general terms, I’d like to think I am a good person. Sure I have done some bad and stupid things, made some poor judgement calls and so on, yet this makes me a sinner? Worst of all, I was already a sinner when I was floating around in my mum’s womb. For some reason, I have no recollection of those days but it appears God has an opinion. Satan “screwed things up” according to Nigel Maine and I’m stuck with the sinner label forever. Sod that.
I wouldn’t say this religious gobbledegook made me angry because frankly I have more important things with which to concern myself, like real life. But I do resent the idea that snooty religious types, quoting from texts written at a time when no one knew what was going on, should have the brass neck to call me, and everyone else, a wrong ‘un.
I am promised eternal life if I read a long, rambling prayer, repent my sins and get baptised “as it separates true beleivers (sic) from wannabe Christians.” Well, I am not a “true beleiver” nor a “wannabe Christian”. I support your right to believe in whichever God you like, whether as a true believer or a wannabe Christian. But please don’t call me a sinner because as well as sticks and stones breaking my bones, names could conceivably do so, if I get out of bed on the wrong side.
As I would with anyone of “faith” and those of none, I wish Pope Francis a full and swift recovery and I am sure millions of Catholics around the world are praying for him. If his God doesn’t come to his aid at a time like this, what hope for the rest of us, sinners that he thinks we all are?
