Tag Archives: religion

The Devil’s Darning Needle

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I had another acceptance yesterday morning, and am feeling slightly fraudulent. The three acceptances I have had recently come to 80, 15 and 6 words respectively.  I can just about make out a case for thinking of 80 words as a submission, but when you get down to the shorter poems I begin to wonder. Be honest – what sort of poem is six words long?

Damselfly at Wilford

I know that’s the format, but it sometimes seems like haiku are just a con trick. A good one is like a flash of lightning, but most of them aren’t that good.  Even worse, if you read a translation of an old classic, they are often dull and pointless. Of course, most of mine are rejected, so that puts me firmly in my place – I can’t even write an acceptable example of a short, and often tedious, form.

I’m not sure whether this makes me an original thinker or a philistine. Or possibly a heretic.

Meanwhile, we have had woodpeckers in the garden again. We also had a sparrow, which is unusual for us. It’s a little brown bird, which used to be common but is now very patchy in its distribution. This is the first one we have had in the garden at this house.

While I was waiting for a car to take me to the garage to pick my repaired car up (that noise you may have heard earlier was my heart breaking as I opened up my wallet to pay for the new clutch) I noticed three damsel flies flitting around the front garden. I’m sure they were Common Blue Damselflies. One female, two males. Or one female and one male twice. It could be either. The males are blue. A lot of damselflies are blue. It’s very confusing.

Damsel Fly – Wilford

I like the name devil’s darning needle. I don’t use it because damselfly is shorter and I’m lazy. I’m also concerned that using the name devil will endanger my status as an atheist. I don’t generally discuss religion because, like politics, nobody is going to change their on the subject, but when I see some of the things that are happening around the world, and see religion being used as an  excuse, I would like to distance myself from them.

It may be that when I die, I will find I am wrong and will have trouble explaining myself, but I feel it is unlikely. However, if there is an afterlife and all that goes with it, people who have been murdering babies in the name of religion will, I hope, have an equally hard time.

Dragonfly

Too Much Time to Think

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Snowy Detail

I have had plenty of time to let my mind freewheel over Christmas and my thoughts, when not connected to food, TV or being a gracious host, have turned to founding a new religion.

It’s quite clear that a lot of the old ones have not quite lived up to their initial promise, and the newest religion in the UK, which appears to be Jedi, has been lifted from a film franchise and probably has copyright issues. It has also been turned down for charitable status in the UK.

I’m not quite sure what the main thrust of our doctrine will be. I grew up in a world where Protestants and Catholics were killing each other and have “progressed” to a world where Jews, Muslims and Christians are still fighting.  It’s not good and we really should stop.

So, Rule Number One – stop killing people. Or if you want it slightly more Biblical – thou shalt not blow up they neighbour’s house. Particularly if it’s in a different country.

Robin at Clumber, Nottinghamshire

There will probably be more as time goes on, but if we get that one right we won’t be doing too badly. It will involve a bit of rewriting, taking all the best bits from other religions, probably lighten up on the oxen coveting, but come down heavily of reality TV. We can do without it.

My church, my rules.

Then there is the question of prayer wheels. I think we should have them. I also think they should be turned by hamsters. Obviously, if we attend any multi-faith events we will have to watch out for Americans with snakes, but apart from that it should be no problem, and the Youth Wing will love them.

Our main Festival will be on a weekend in summer, making it easier to shop and cutting down on the necessity to stock up. If there’s no Christmas rush and no shutting of shops., you can just nip out and  buy anything you have forgotten.

Pom-pom Christmas Wreath

 

 

 

Irony

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Places of worship in England will be able to open from Saturday 13th June for acts of private prayer. People can pray in household groups as long as they distance themselves from other praying groups. However, acts of organised worship are still not allowed. I am, I admit, mystified by the difference between a room of socially-distanced people engaged in individual prayer and the same people, in the same room, at the same distance, engaging in an act of worship. Apart from a priest and a little more exhalation I don’t see any difference.

My Dad’s funeral took place on the 12th June. He had worshipped on and off for 50 years in the village church (admittedly more off than on – like Churchill he was more a flying buttress than a pillar of the church, supporting it from the outside), but he could not have his funeral service in the church. If he’d died a few weeks later this would have been OK. That’s irksome, but not ironic. The irony is that they announced the reopening on the day of his funeral.

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Stained Glass – Ely

Stained Glass for Easter

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Angel with Spear, 1860s. By N H J Westlake or J M Allen. St Michael’s and All Angels, Derby
St Mary Magdalene and Jesus after the resurrection by John Hardman Powell c 1852, from St James’s Church, Clifton, Oxfordshire
Octofoil window – Angel by John Hungerford Pollen 1863 Our Lady of the Assumption, Rhyl, Denbighshire

A few more pictures from the stained glass museum at Ely. I thought it was an appropriate time to show a few more. After a struggle with my connection, which turned out to be a problem with my WordPress account, I’m short of time, so will add detail later. (I have now added details to the photographs, in case you want to know more about the glass – not sure if they show on the featured photo but they are the same as the one below from Essex Unitarian Church.)

St Joseph and the Angel c 1920 by Wilhelmina Geddes.
Henry Holiday 1907 Essex Unitarian Church Notting Hill, London