Raggytash sez: When we get a new boat the crew want it to be blessed. I suspect that is more than a tad based in superstition.

True, but isn't the christening a pretty good excuse for a party?

And aren't churches pretty good places for marking the events of life, the births and deaths and marriages? Certainly, there are other ways of marking these events, but I like the way we celebrate these things in churches. I went to a Catholic funeral yesterday, and it was a wonderful celebration of the life of a remarkable woman. And the music was terrific.

I have never said that being religious is better than not being religious, although that accusation has been hurled at me dozens of times here at Mudcat. It's just one of a number of ways of doing things - and it works for me.

I think it is inappropriate for anyone who does not practice religion, to expect to be able to use church facilities or clergy to celebrate life events. I see people who want to use our church for a wedding because it's pretty. And there was the group who didn't want a funeral service, but they wanted the free funeral luncheon prepared by the ladies of the parish. And it really grates me when people want to have their child baptized into the Church because it's a family tradition, but they don't want to attend the preparation classes and don't want to promise to bring the child to church regularly after the baptism.

Our Irish-born pastor wisely stretches the restrictions and will celebrate a funeral or wedding or whatnot if he thinks the religious service will do the people good - but he draws the line when he feels he's just being rented as part of the performance.

I think there's something primal in human beings that makes us want to join together in times of joy and sorrow, when we want to express things that words cannot express. I think that religion fills this need very well - and it adds a wonderful aspect of tradition and ties to our ancestors that doesn't come as naturally in most other settings.

Raggytash says: My personal experience, and that of others, has led me to believe that we don't actually need any religion in any form. Shimrod agrees, and I'd agree too. But that's not the point - religion should be something that people choose to do because they want to, not because they need to.

-Joe-