Religulous

Well, yesterday after taking time to recuperate from my Madonna escapade, I met up with a friend to go see Bill Maher's documentary about religion, Religulous....It was great! Whether you're a fan or not, Bill Maher is genius and his talent for cynicsm, sarcasm and challenging long-known "truths" is remarkable! The basic premise is that religion and the blind faith associated with the big 3--Christianity, Judaism and Islam (not Ford, Chrysler and GM for those of you stuck on the auto industry mess)--is what sits at the root of most human conflict, and has done so for quite some time...um, let's say the past 2-3, 000 years?! The movie is comical, but most of the time I sat in disbelief and disgust at the people with whom Bill Maher talked....complete and utter idiots for the most part....the only saving grace was a veteran Vatican priest who recognized the whole scam that religion runs on people....great moment in the film!
Now, I don't mind people with faith---belief in a higher power or force that guides the actions of the universe! I respect them and their ability to choose and support their beliefs, in the hopes that they in turn respect me and my beliefs (even though my cynical side tells me that they probably pray for my soul's salvation--guess it can't hurt!). I even find myself jealous at times of those with blind faith because life is MUCH easier for them to deal with...much easier to keep blinders on than to see what the light brings in...ever hear of Plato and his cave theory? I actually did graduate work in this area and still refer to it frequently...those who live in a cave are generally happier, because they know no other reality...yet as soon as that light seeps in and their reality begins to change, they are no longer content with their existence in the cave...sort of how I feel..."The more I live the more I learn...the more I learn the more I realize the less I know!(Barbara in Yentl) Makes sense, right? Life offers me a bevy of experiences on a daily basis that inspire me to explore even more points of views, venues, cultures, etc. I can't live with the blinders on, or in the cave....good luck to those of you that choose to!
This is why I find myself, with every day that passes, more and more open, some would say liberal, some crazy! But I would not want it any other way! Aren't we here on this earth together...shouldn't we learn how to co-exist instead of how to dominate one another? Shouldn't we be offering more freedoms and equalities for all instead of limiting them with ridiculous political, economic and social policies?
I'm glad I have this blog because I can't express myself this way with most people in my life without causing major strife....So be it; this is after all JUST ME!