Thought of the Day

I heard this on Radio 4 yesterday on my way to Chelmsford to dismantle the Scout Jamboree Camp, it made me think of my journey and thought I would add it here:

My flatmate at Oxford was a gentleman, who only lost his cool after I caught religion. 'I can take your lows Lionel' he said 'and even your highs when you dance on tables- but I can't take pious hypocrisy. Get another flatmate - I'm leaving!'
I sympathised- when you first catch religion a bit of you goes ahead of you and it takes years before the rest of you catches up. Its isn't hypocrisy just inconsistency because you're trying to live on two levels at once. A little religious knowledge can be as dangerous as politicised, or uncritical religion. The news from the worlds trouble spots is the evidence, the Holy Land is one example. And even in Britain pious people seem to listen less these days because complexity is worrying, and dismissing other points of view is easier than understanding them.
Why does religion go so wrong? I've pondered this each year, on my August summer holidays when I start to prepare for the Jewish new year. Religion goes wrong because of simple but basic avoidances. You grow up but your childhood religion doesn't so your religion dwindles into a fairy tale. Also as God is within you, to know him better you need to know yourself better too. But home truths are painful, so making God in your image and not you in his seems the easier option.
And religions can become neurotic just like you. Take megalomania when you know all the answers just like God and its just bad luck they don't work! 'You' of course includes 'me' for I've fallen into the same traps.
Now this is sad stuff but humour and humility are as effective as hours of penitence and kneework. Here's a story which deflates me when I get too big for my spiritual boots. A young clergyman, asks his teacher how to wow his congregation with his sermons. 'Drop into my services' said his teacher 'and you'll see.' Which the young clergyman does. 'For many years' announced his teacher from the pulpit 'I slept cuddling a woman who wasn't my wife.' There was a startled silence. 'It was my mother' shouted his teacher and his relieved congregation fell about with laughter. The next Sabbath the young clergyman retells the story to his congregation. 'For many years' he said dramatically 'I slept cuddling a woman who wasn't my wife.' There's a hush! The young clergyman pauses puzzled. 'Now I wonder who she was' he whispered weakly.
Well, there's a little laugh for you. What with foot and mouth, flooding, the falling stock exchange and my sad strictures I thought you'd need some to show you religion doesn't necessarily mean 'God bless misery!'
Rabbi Lionel Blue