I was out of my drug of choice not long ago. Being out doesn’t really mean you’re out. There is quite a surprising amount of scrounging that goes on. This morning, I found enough for a surprisingly pleasant boost. The Jewish people talk about Hanukkah at this time of year. It is a story about making one day’s worth of lamp oil last eight days.

I’m sure that’s an oversimplification based on hearsay knowledge. I have a few Jewish friends but none that are deeply into their heritage. They knew enough about Judaism to explain it in simple terms. That and the movie by Adam Sandler.

In any case, it’s what I’m using in my analogy because today is officially day nine and I have made one day’s worth of oil last. It’s kind of my own holiday miracle at a time when I really felt the need for one.

This has made me rethink the idea of starting a church. Apparently, it isn’t as tough as one might think. I’ve thought about creating a church for years, just as a daydream since it was far too much effort for a person like me, or at least that is my excuse for not attempting anything that requires follow-through.

There were lots of reasons to not do it. I’ve always excelled at the negative talk that convinces me not to do things. Starting a church goes up against some pretty well-established competition in the market, with centuries of ways to throw obstacles in your way. First of all, any new church gets labelled as a cult right away. It’s the slur that is used to discredit any new ideas. Churches know that competition could seriously start people thinking about choice, and that is dangerous. Even a small church could make people think, and that is not allowed in most religions even today. Power and money have a lot of ways to ensure the power and the money is not shared.

In truth, I think it would be amazing if people were allowed to start their own churches. I truly believe in the power of community and the good that a church does. I love almost everything about the concept of local churches. The only part that is not good, is the religion. I think it is absolutely ridiculous the way religion is being handled everywhere on Earth. The outrageous that the origin story chosen centuries ago is the word of your God and must be absolute and unchanging. The flaws in logic and common sense are so obviously contradictions. The idea that your belief is the only correct one is not only absurd, but it is dangerous. The leaders know this but are either unwilling or unable to change. Power and Money are very hard to give up once you’ve got them. Even good people want more, not less if there is an option.

Religion started using absolute answers for the origin story because it made sense. People looked to profits and wise men to provide answers to questions they didn’t know they needed to know. While some con men were trying to sell water as a miracle cure, others told stories and answered the questions of the universe. This worked out well for them I imagine, especially once they discovered people were willing to pay quite a bit of money to belong and be a part of a community that promised a better life.

I imagine not everyone was pleased when the church came into town. The story creatively told its stories as absolute truth, so anyone who wasn’t first lost out on the power and riches, at least until they figured out a way to tell a variation of the same stories and collected their own following. I can imagine the start of propaganda almost from the start. Our religion allows you to wear a condom. Our religion lets you eat less dry and boring foods and so on.

If only they had based the entire concept on non-absolute stories, confessing that nobody knew the actual origins of the universe our world would have evolved very differently in some ways, but the con men knew that only an absolute and correct story of God had the power to hold on to hope and the ridiculous concept of faith was invented.

Nobody wants to feel foolish or look like an idiot. People don’t like to be called out for believing in lies. This allows followers to decide their own truth. They turn away from anything and everything that might crack their precious belief structure. They don’t want to hear facts. The church does good work behind this, and many followers understand the benefits. They are willing to go along with the contradictions and lies because of the benefits they gain from the community. They’ll shake your hand, swear on a book that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Saviour and enter the church for the bake sale.

The biggest problem is that need to be right and avoid the truth as long as you can. While this may have been reasonably easy in small communities, once travel became more popular, and the community over the hill had a whole different set of absolute truths, one had to be wrong. We know how impossible it is to change a core belief you’re committed to, so those who would not yield, shake hands and state the lie had to be killed. In God’s name. For the most part, churches have calmed down on their need to convince everyone or be killed in the world we live in, but we can clearly see other areas of the world are not so forgiving. Fighting continues with more vengeful deaths and violence than was ever experienced in mere land grabs or Kingdom expansion. Religious murders had to be spectacles.

We still see ridiculous ignorant violence and hatred under the guise of religion regularly, especially over manufactured causes like women’s rights. People may believe less about God’s truth but the leaders sure know how to cause hate and anger using the silliest tactics. One important lesson. If you’ve chosen a side and committed to the story, you’re usually all-in on everything you’re told to be against. No thinking.

In my church, we would worship the concept of stories. Not an absolute truth that can not be verified. Nothing stated as fact that isn’t. The world runs on stories already. Everything in my universe is the story of something that either happened or a good story as an analogy or lesson. Entertaining and educational stories. Would welcome ideas and opinions. Sermons could be about pop culture more openly. There would be nothing wrong with recognizing that a good Star Trek episode actually explains some things better than a 2000-year-old out-of-touch book filled with rape and violence and inequality from an evil murdering God.

Our Sunday gatherings would remain similar to a good church. Your community attends, but the speaker could be anyone from a celebrity guest to the butcher or baker from the community. Anyone with a good story that we may benefit from. They would serve the original noble purpose of educating the community on how to treat one another without fear of retribution or a reward after death. No hatred towards others who choose a different path or come from a different culture, because nobody is fighting to prove their stories, are the only true stories. And of course, the bake sales. The community support. A visibly shared wealth with those in need and the community at large. We could meet in the school, and build a theatre or a sports arena instead of a multi-billion dollar church. Or build a practical church with multi-use for the community seven days a week. People would learn in a generation or less to be nice again. A community without an us vs them attitude can do far more good all around. 

People online are trying to make a difference. Trying to convince the opposition that they are wrong and no good will come from it, but their conviction is deaf and their hate is automatic even in the face of absurd contradictions and factually proven lies. They picked Donald Trump and don’t care to hear logic. Like trying to convince an 80-year-old Roman Catholic the bible might be wrong about some things, and attempting to explain why one party is wrong is nearly impossible. They have been trained that you are telling lies. There can be only one God, and it is currently Donald Trump.

Soon, I predict the killing will begin, much like it did with religion. Convert, wear the red hat, or be killed in some glorious ceremony. Even if Trump starts the killing, it is righteous. It is scary to watch from across a border. He has already warned us his army of MAGA is ready and willing to try to overthrow. Red hats for every Canadian. Well… different red hats.

I believe this might be the perfect time for a new church. The world could use a new community you don’t have to wink and lie to join.  A community gathering without guilt or prejudice. No judgement, no punishment, no killing outsiders, even if they want an abortion. A place where anyone can sit and listen to stories that relate and teach without pointing fingers. Stories are told with the understanding that they are stories. Not from a book with some stories you don’t mention and others you treat as “gospel” even when they contradict each other. A place with bake sales and community support. A place that doesn’t have a secret handshake or a code phrase to join. A place that doesn’t ask you to lie to yourself and claim to believe one origin story over another. 

However, I suspect that if I tried to create such a new community, it might result in death threats or worse. Even atheists are recipients of hate these days. People may not understand or care. For those who have picked the pony they’re sticking within religion or politics, some intentionally stay away from the choice. Religion has a bad rap for good reason so convincing people my church is the only true good one… Sounds too familiar.

I believe in the power of community, kindness and being nice. Most drug users are nicer people than drunks. Less angry. More forgiving. My bake sales will be baked sales. Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. The church of Plur.