Religion

On my automobile's radio FM-1 99.5 on certain days I listen to religion palaver. It soothes me. As a retired actor I'm fascinated by the voices of sundry preachers wrestlng with 'selling' the Christian Bible. They aren't anywhere near as virulent as the Sunniis vs the 'whatever' sect they share horrendous murders with in Iraq, but nevertheless they do assiduously defend their territory.

One gruff-golden voiced older preacher, Hank Hannagraaff pilots a telephone call-in program in which he separates the wheat from the chaff. He was asked by a trembling-voiced indignant woman what he thought of "Landmark Education." Oh dear, that just happens to be an organization about which I know a thing or two. Hank quickly established that Landmark is not true to Scripture, and that the woman's soul was in imminent danger. Landmark has only good things to say about religions and always, without exception, avoids entanglements Scriptural: Religion is not their territory: keeping your word, doing what you said you were going to do, not making people wrong, learning that serving is not servitude, making a difference, those are just a few of Landmark's interests. It sprang from an organization which was invited to Soviet Russia, a State that abjured religions, with the hope that it might help make a difference with that State's extreme troubles with alcoholism.

So, I've gotta write a letter to ol' Hank. This journal entry is my warmup for that task. I have his address, or one of them, a radio station in Glendale a 'suburb' of Los Angeles largely Armenian by accidents of history; so help me its citizens look and act Soviet-style. Men and woman, for example, seem indistinguishable. Yet, groups of men sitting around a table in a small mall look as it they were conducting a rehearsal for an episode of The Sopranos. But that's just superficial apprearance: all actually law abiding, solid USA citizens. Reminds me, that tiny glimpse into the exterior of former Soviet Armenia, of the Russian rush to Church when the Soviet State collapsed. Banning religion was the single most stupid act of the Soviets. Putting their capitalist chandeliers in the subway was okay, but banning Picasso from their museums was deplorably stupid.

Fighting over religion: heavens,  that's a heavy sin.

As a Catholic (fearfully errant) I deeply admire Pope John's accepting an invitation to visit the Wailing Wall  in Jerusalem. John did what the others did and left a small written note with the stones. Same God! Same God reads all! Fighting over religion has gotta stop. Or else.......

Barry