Islam & Christianity: Familiarity Breeds Contempt

If your life has been far too happy lately and you really need some depression in order to balance things out, there's nothing like reading a chapter of a book on Chrisitanity and then a chapter of a book on Islam and then comparing the two.

In case you're wondering, I've done just that. I read Catholicism For Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam. (Yes, I know, Catholicism is only a branch of Chrisitanity, but a hell of a big one).

The depressiong part is not only that anyone still is dim-witted enough to participate in organized religion, but that these particular two religions are so full of similarities that you really can't help but wonder what all the arguments are about. People and animals have actually died over this crap.

The similarities include:

* Belief in angels and a Judement Day
* Belief in that whole one God thing
* Belief that Christians will go to Heaven
* Belief that somehow people are better than animals
* Thou shalt not lie, commit adultery, murder or steal stuff that ain't yours
* Robes -- lots and lots of robes

So if these religions are so similar, then why to the adherents hate each other so much? It could be because they are so similar. Think about who really gets on your tits. It's usually not complete strangers, but your family or your lover. This is because they know you so well that they know precisely how to wind you up.

Really, we all need to watch "Monty Python's Life of Brian" and get on with our lives.

10th Anniversary of Being a Witch

It was ten years ago today that I stopped dilly-dallying and decided I was a Witch. I did a little self-initiation ceremony in the bathtub. I wanted wisdom. I wanted positive change. And I also wanted a blue-eyed lover. Sadly, I got all three, although the blue-eyed lover (Peter Gabriel) is now only met in dreams.

I've gone through a hell of a lot in ten years. Some highlights:

* Ran away to England
* Had to return to America when my hand-made home in England was burnt down
* Fell in love with a blue-eyed homeless busker, Mitch
* He was the guy who burnt my home down
* I became homeless in the south of England for 5 years
* Inside of my home was an 800 page manuscript about witchcraft
* Was attacked by Mitch, so I defended myself and he had me arrested for assault so I spent a lovely night as a guest of Bath police department. Charges were dropped
* I nearly got run over by Eric Clapton in his Lambourghini during the brief time I lived in Cranliegh in Surrey
* Met Patrick Stewart
* Got an autograph from Patrick, but it burned in the fire
* However, I sent a photocopy of the autograph to my Mom who saved it
* Although homeless, managed to get enough money together to travel to Birmingham and see a Peter Gabriel concert on 1 June 2004
* Was too ashamed of myself to go visit Peter Gabriel, even though his studio was only several miles only from my home in the woods. I did see PG walk about a few times during my years in England, but I never approached him.
* Got my first dog, Rusty, but he died about six months later. He'd been abandoned when he was an estimated 16 years old when he came to be mine
* Got my current dog, Pony. (Doing well, thank you)
* Got two tanks worth of fish while back in America
* Discovered that my Mom had saved some of my belongings I'd left behind over five years previously because she somehow knew I'd be back
* Finally got help for my engenous recurring depression while I was homeless in England because I couldn't afford to do it while I was employed in America
* Finally got help for my migraines
* Started my own business as a freelance writer in October of 2006 and it's doing very well, thank you

So, what have I learned from all of this? Wells, there is an old saying by Albert Einstein that goes "God does not play dice." However, not only does God play dice, the bastard cheats.