Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, etc.

While I NO LONGER make any claims to be “religious,” practice any religious faith, or have anything to do with any kind of religion, faith, or the practice thereof, there are some things that, it seems to me, if there was a god/dess, such a being would be unlike us in practically every way… at least most of us.

Such a “god/goddess” or supreme being, would be concerned with our lives, the lives of humans on Earth, and with practically, or actually, every picayune thing associated with life here on this planet.

The relationship of humans to one another, to each other, the relationship of humans to the planet upon which they live, and upon which they rely as the very source of life itself, for food, for water, for clothing, for housing, for EVERYTHING — EVERY LITTLE THING — that pertains to life, including every minuscule joy, or momentary and passing pleasure, happiness, the taste of food, of smell, perfumes, aromas, all kinds of love, including sexual pleasures… ALL THAT would be a concern of a supreme/divine being, simply because that being loves those who live upon, and from, the Earth.

There is no god/goddess/supreme/diving being like that. At least there is none like that preached from most pulpits in churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other houses of worship. And so, therefore, by virtue of that lack, that absence, I am led to conclude, that substantial lack, that fundamental absence of such a being — that again, being a being which is so full of love, and wisdom, that it cannot help but give, for giving is its very nature — that there is not such a one. There is no god/goddess/creator/divine being.

Yet, as a scientist, I must admit that we do not yet know, nor can prove, and so therefore, it is reasonable and rational to suppose that the possibility might exist, however small, that there might be such an one. But again, the likelihood is so minuscule, so microscopic, that its practically (for all practical purposes) non-existent. If it, the possibility, were but one grain of sand on the Earth, it would be so substantial, so life-changing. But those who have changed their lives have done so themselves, some with help of others, while others have done it alone. Jesus of Nazareth is even reputed to have told the renown parable story known widely as “The Prodigal Son” who “came to himself,” or as some versions put it, “finally came to his senses.” There is no indication that the son had any help in the matter.

But, it’s nice to think about the possibilities that a “supernatural,” even divine being exists, because again, if it were so, it would be a global game-changer. But, it’s also nice to think about eating all the ice cream, cake, pie, and other sweet treats that one could possibly want, without having any adverse side effect, like weight gain.

And so, this creature, this divine/supreme being… I think about a song which became popular some years ago

Shed Some Light On The World

Saint John Chrysostom (349-407), the archbishop of Constantinople from 398 to his death in 407, often reminded his subjects to offer prayers universally—that is, to pray for everybody in the whole world. “For [Jesus Christ] did not say ‘thy will be done in me or in us,’ but ‘on earth,’ the whole earth,” he wrote. Because of

Hard Prayers

The highest commandments for those who follow Jesus tell us to love God and one another. To love others with a Christian love means to seek their good, even when we do not feel like it or “others” are behaving in a way that makes it very difficult to wish anything good for them. Even more shocking, Jesus calls us to

A Prayer For One And All

Saturdays are not only the traditional day to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary but also the day of the week to pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, the preeminent “Marian” prayer. In prayerfully meditating on the events of the Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary, the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, the Birth of Jesus, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, we “weave our intentions, thoughts, imagination, emotions, and desire for

The Practical Side to Commitment for Husbands & Wives

Periodically, in this blog I have shared tips for spouses – husbands & wives – to improve the quality of their marriage. Typically, those entries have been from other reputable sources, not merely my opinion, nor something from a popular consumer magazine that presents the relationship “flavor of the day.”

Love, it has been said, is a commitment – it is neither exclusively, nor merely a good feeling based upon a mutual attraction, sexual or otherwise. Because love is a commitment, there are certain things that one should do to honor and demonstrate the commitment. Oftentimes as well, those commitments have been unspoken – although they may occupy significant real estate silently in our imaginations. It is precisely those times that the unspoken should be spoken.

With an eye toward speaking the unspoken, I share with you the following.

List of 20 Absolute Face-to-Face Commitments

 By Paul D. Refior

Copyright 1994, 1998 and 2005

You will certainly agree that marriage is infinitely more than a list of do’s and don’ts.

Yet one of the problems these days is that so many couples fail or refuse to acknowledge important do’s and don’ts, and these couples do not make or fulfill important commitments and promises.

A garland of Roses on Valentine’s Day

Good morning, sports fans!

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine? Won’t you be mine? Won’t you please, won’t you please… please won’t you be — my neighbor?

Hello, neighbor!

Who could forget Fred Rogers, the host of PBS’s “Mister Rogers Neighborhood“? A generation of children grew up watching that dear, late gentleman. Even as an adult,

A Bonus Item!

On this Friday, I certainly hope you had a few good laughs from the weekday series Ten Great Tips for 2011.

No doubt, by now, you’ve either heard about, or read

God… with a big I and my Rose

Sometimes, things aren’t always what they seem. Some call it ‘the irony of life,’ though it may be known by other names. It is indeed fascinating to note that what we see is often not what it is – or the true nature of a thing. There are reams and volumes galore of books written upon such the subject, which touches upon art, science, philosophy and religion.

Recently, having been blessed by reading an old prayer that indeed succinctly expressed the irony of life through faith, I had decided to share it with a dear friend.

Following is his response, then the prayer:

I think I first encountered this prayer while

In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, in the name of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This lit candle represents my prayer, and those of others whom will also pray, for the special needs of a dear friend’s friend, whose 22-
month old infant son recently suffered an

“The Gauntlet” – Praying the Rosary outside a Huntsville, AL abortion clinic

Photo by Jamie Moffet, Huntsville, AL

“The Gauntlet” on Flickr – Photo Sharing!

I made the following comment on this photo:

Thank you for posting this photo.

I’m a Registered Nurse. While in school doing my clinical rotations, I witnessed an abortion. I wrote about it on my blog, in an entry entitled simply, “My Abortion Story“.

To provide a bit of background for your photo, I received notice of this in my e-mail. The message follows:

Goin’ Postal… Alabama Style

Too weird to be true – nut it… er, but it is.

Click here to see the actual story in the newspaper that reported it – The Huntsvile… er, Huntsville Times.

However… a word to “the wise”: It ain’t worth it – neither death will resolve or solve anything. Tomorrow’s another day, and things will change. Just reach out and ask for help. You are loved more than you know.

Nothing is impossible with God, even help when you’re at your wit’s end.

Here is a prayer, especially for you:

Oh glorious apostle St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor who delivered thy beloved Master into the hands of His enemies has caused thee to be forgotten by many, but the Church honors and invokes thee universally as the patron of hopeless cases–of things despaired of. Pray for me who am so miserable; make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded thee of bringing visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolations and succor of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly ( -here mention your request- ), and that I may bless God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity. I promise thee, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor thee as my special and powerful patron, and to do all in my power to encourage devotion to thee. Amen

The Mute, Poignant Ironies of a Life Well Lived

Ironies are rarely mute.

It’s just that they choose to speak afterward.

They’re kinda’ like God.

It’s sometimes said that, “Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.” Or, as a dear friend of mine once put it, “I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe in God-incidence.”

Thanks be to God, I’ve recently accepted an offer of employment in my field, and will shortly be relocating to be more near that job. For me, that means an out-of-state move. I am thankful… IMMENSELY thankful, for the opportunity, in so many different ways.

As part of my expression of thanks, I had written a note of thanks to one of my Flickr contacts recently, and wanted to share the essence of that letter with you all.

So, with little editing, what follows below represents the gist of the idea I shared in the message.

And before you read further, be aware that this note contains very poignant irony.

Enjoy!

You idiots! How long do I have to put up with your stupid shit?!

Behold the words of the Anointed One: “Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and corrupt generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!“” (GWT)

The modern vernacular might be: “You bunch of idiots! How long do I have to put up with your stupid shit? Bring him here!”

I get a kick out of watching the variety of “Jesus” movies. You’ve probably seen ’em just as I have. They appear in their various forms on TBN and other religious channels on satellite teevee. Frequently, Jesus is heard speaking with a British accent. Blow me down, limeys! God save the queen!

It’s hilarious to watch the actors portraying the Son of God and walk around like He’s