So, a secular humanist goes to Midnight Mass and the holy water basin doesn’t burst into flames. Yeah, Catholics are weird. Also, someone changed all the words, came up with really odd “Carols” and apparently Michigan Catholics are really quick on the sacraments. But I enjoyed myself. Lots of up and down. Some genuflecting, which I skipped out on. Also, a lot of fear. I reflected during midnight mass and this is what I came up with: original sin created a context of inescapable failure. We’re never good enough or ever without sin, because of this pesky sentience thing we’ve got, so in a way, since there is only fail, being rotten is kind of expected. We’re wretched and hopeless, because we’re always bad and there is never any chance to win. At all.
With the game rigged in this fashion, no amount of love, forgiveness, or (and this is the best part) mercy will ever be well spent on the awfulness that is humanity. Or at least, that’s what’s being packaged up and sold.
What if humanity was good from the get go? What if we judged ourselves when we died? What if God is in every single thing, the good and the bad. The grace and the sin. What if sin is meaningless? What if we don’t have to always be losing out? Always afraid, needing to commit blood sacrifices or cannibalism in order to assuage our guilty consciences?
Then again, that’s picking a fight with Genesis. Perhaps it’s the best thing, the most adaptive thing to leave all of this mess for the Catholics and Christians to figure out and I can go back to feeling better about myself as a secular humanist. I don’t need God. I like Jesus, think he’s a fine fellow and a knackers teacher, but that’s as far as I’m gonna go with that. I don’t have sin. Sin is stupid.
Ta-dah! I feel better already. Knackers! 🙂 Merry Christmas. 😉
