the feed

I’m always fascinated with the infinite ways in which religion is intertwined into pretty well any aspect of life — and indeed, afterlife. Recently, I stumbled across this curious Web site called, Comic Book Religion.  Over 25,000 comic book characters and their religious affiliation are available to browse.

I have to admit, that I know little about comics; however, I do surround myself with geeks, freaks and assorted fan boys/girls.  I’ve been exposed to comic books through one channel or another for my entire life.  Yet, I’d never really given thought to whether any of the heroes or villains I’d heard about had anything at all to do with anything remotely religious.

Now, with just a few clicks, I can find out that Spider-Man was Protestant; The Thing, Jewish; and Green Arrow an agnostic.  And now you can, too!

http://comicbookreligion.com/

M. xo

If you’ve yet to view the 30 minute video called KONY 2012, then you’re perhaps one of the few.  In just 72 hours, this video by the charity group Invisible Children has gone viral and introduced to millions of people the name Joseph Kony.  The film is riveting and eye-opening.  It also speaks to the power of technology and social media in particular.

I for one, intend to support the cause – because I believe that we are part of a global community and that in order to make this world a better place we have to care about what happens not just in our backyards, but in the backyards of our fellow human beings on the other side of the planet too.

This campaign is innovative, bold and may just prove to millions of people that when we work together we can make the world a better place.

Interested in learning more about Invisible Children and KONY 2012?  Visit the Web site.

And watch the video:

I had the opportunity to watch a 2008 documentary called, Cure for Love.  It was such an interesting film, hence why I’m posting about it here.  The synopsis reads, “Cure for Love is a full-length documentary about a controversial evangelical movement that purports to convert gay people into heterosexuals. The film brings us inside this unusual Christian subculture and follows the lives of several young people whose homosexuality is at odds with their religious beliefs.”

Of course, I wasn’t surprised that the types of ministries featured in this doc actually existed – and let’s be clear, I am clearly at odds with the mission of these ministries, particularly those such as Exodus.  For me, the most intriguing part of the film was hearing the stories of those who live in tension with their faiths and how they have come to reconcile that dissonance.  These are powerful stories of people seemingly struggling with similar issues, yet each has taken a different path in finding a resolution to their conflict.

As a voyeur into their lives, I found myself at times doubtful that some of the folks featured in the film actually had found a way to make peace with the tension between their faith and their sexuality; however I am mindful that I don’t live their lives and really can’t relate to their struggle – seeing as how I am neither a Christian nor a homosexual.  This film did reinforce, yet again, the powerful influence that religion has over people’s lives (a concept I cannot personally relate too – but one that fascinates me).

If you, like me, are intrigued by the power faith has in the lives of so many people, then this film is worth checking out.  It’s a well-balanced documentary that does shed some light on (IMO) questionable dogma, but even more than that, it is a film that speaks of the power of love.  For some that is the love of their Saviour, Jesus Christ; for others that is the love they find in their same sex partners.

Run time: 59 mins

Source: National Film Board of Canada

Halloween is my favourite time of year.  At no other time of the year can you completely alter your ego, and be encouraged to do so.  In addition to the identity shifting fun that can be had by kids and adults alike, the natural world is also shifting.  Gone are the hot humid days of summer- replaced by the slow fall into winter’s slumber.  We watch as the landscape transforms in dramatic ways – sometimes from a cornucopia of colour to a stark white overnight.  Visually, at least in my part of the world, it’s the season of dramatic transformation.  As if nature is making a grand statement before the long sleep of winter – lest we forget her majesty.  It seems rather appropriate that we engage in this rite of transformation called Halloween.  Why exactly do we shift our identities and parade door to door looking for sweet treats?  The History Channel’s “Haunted History of Halloween” has your primer for this ghoulish night of transformation.  The video is approximately 45 minutes long, so bookmark this page and put it on while you’re handing out treats to the ghostly revelers.  Happy Halloween!

It’s the start of the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada.  What makes Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday differ from the American holiday of the same name?  Aside from falling on different dates, the historical underpinnings of this celebrated occasion is markedly different too. Here’s a primer for you on the origins and rites of a Canadian Thanksgiving.  My fellow Canucks, enjoy your holiday weekend.  May it be filled with laughter, great food and warm company.  Cheers, eh! M. xo

Social media is here to stay and as such it’s little wonder that sites are cropping up with inventive new angles to this trend.  A site I’ve been pecking through lately is an interesting and dark twist on the social media craze.  Mysendoff.com is a “social media site that will help you create and document your own final wishes for your own personal funeral sendoff”.  That’s right, now you can digitally document your final wishes and send them to six of your chosen family or friends so that when the time comes they’ll have all the details of your last hurrah.

Additionally, the site offers intriguing – albeit dark and a bit morbid – posts of stories and photos of the funerary variety.  There’s the post about the mourning photography museum , which offers visitors a visual pictorial of mourning and funeral rites of the late 1800′s and early 1900′s.  Another post discusses the Scottish legend about a dog who sat loyally beside his master’s grave for over a decade.  The site also offers more practical information, such as funeral terminology and funeral products.

If you’ve got questions about the business of death, wish to document your final wishes using the latest trend, or are just darkly curious – then perch yourself on over at mysendoff.com .

Some of the most beautiful & entertaining sounds I’ve ever heard are songs of the faithful.  It’s as though the sound truly does emanate from their souls.  There’s no embarrassment, or anxiety about how one sounds – just pure joy of song and music.

I thought I’d share some random videos of song, prayer and music from various religious/cultural points of view.  A special note to The Funky fresh Sr Choir (a group of senior citizens) for their interpretations of various hip-hop and pop songs for their congregation.  Also, if you’ve never heard of Matisyahu then you’re missing out on some pretty cool and amazing tunes.  Lucky for you – you’re reading this blog.   Enjoy!

No doubt this time of year is celebrated by the vast majority of us, Christian or otherwise. While many who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ will be celebrating something sacred during the season, others will be indulging in a more commercial spin to this holy holiday.

I’m referring to the popular Easter egg hunts and giving of chocolate bunnies and spring themed gifts. So, what the heck does a giant bunny have to do with the death of a revered prophet? The below video courtesy of the History Channel does an adequate job of explaining the origins of Easter.

Clearly, whatever you call this week, a common theme is present. This time of year represents new life, rebirth, and fertility. From the resurrection of Jesus to images of bunnies (known for their high fertility) to baby chicks to eggs – it’s clear that we’re all celebrating life. One doesn’t need a book or ancient myths to realize the significance of the season. Merely taking a walk outside and observing the natural world in its splendour is evidence enough of the perfection of this time of year. That is all the reason I need to celebrate the season.

Happy Big-Easter-Bunny-Egg Day to you and yours! M. xo

I’ve always said that if I had to be reincarnated as an animal that I’d want to come back as one of my cats.  Why?  Mostly because I think my cats rock, but also because they are spoiled rotten (which I’m sure has something to do with the fact that we don’t have children and they’ve been relegated to our “fur babies”).

People love their pets and businesses know how to tap into that adoration.  Recently, while spending some time in the pet aisle at our grocery store (because I do spend a lot of time and money in that aisle) I stumbled across this tantalizing tidbit for my felines:

Needless to say I was quite amused, and immediately had to buy the treat for our kitties.  Seems despite having a background in marketing and psychology that I, too, succumb to the messages that my pet deserves the absolute best.

While I agree that we may spoil our kitties, we haven’t gotten to the point of investing in cat spas that boast chauffeur service, private verandas and bird watching or cat cottage retreats offering private suites, adjoining suites for multiple cat families, “extreme bird watching”, and organic catnip.  Maybe our cats do live a bit more of a humble existence than some with wealthier “pet parents”.  Certainly, they live more humbly than those cats and dogs who have the title of being Pet Millionaires.

Pets have steadily become a windfall for businesses capitalizing on our love for our furry family members.  It’s little wonder that in our consumer-driven society that even our pets are keeping up with the the furry Joneses next door.

I’d love to hear what the most extravagant gift was that you ever bought your pet.  Incidentally, ours was a 9 foot cat perch made from bamboo and rattan.  Quite impressive, and quite loved by our three kitties.

A kitty by any other name is still just as cute… cheers to our kitty families!

Osiris aka “Wusser-Si” aka “The Cat from Hell”

Buddy aka “Monkey Boy” aka “Boo Boy” RIP

Bijoux aka “Fluffernut”

Kalifornia aka “Kali” aka “Monkey-Bits”

KatStevens aka “Brat Cat”

Yums aka “Yum Yums” aka “Yummies” RIP

Miss Missy aka “The Real Miss Missy”

Valentine aka “Val” – honourary cat, and because she’s a jealous doggie…

I struggled with whether to share this video via my blog because frankly I don’t think ignorance like this should be acknowledged; however, this is exactly the kind of cancerous commentary I have been blogging about that is infecting religious and spiritual dialogue.  Make no mistake, tamtampamela is clearly not representative of the majority of Christians.  She’s in the same category as the Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells of our society.  In my opinion (and I’m sure many others would agree), these apocalyptic doomsayers have perverted and distorted an ideology that for all intents and purposes was founded on love, compassion and community spirit.  I hardly think that Jesus had this kind of message in mind when he was prophesying  to his disciples.  Further, I find it unfathomable that any G-d, or creator, would destroy and cause the suffering of thousands of innocent souls merely to prove some sort of divine point, despite what might be written into many religious myths/legends.  Clearly, the woman has a pretty skewed vision of God – made all the more dangerous by a self-righteous ideology that has little to do with love, compassion or community spirit.

I realize that attempting any type of dialogue with this breed of religious fundamentalist is pointless, but this kind of fanaticism is exactly what is fueling the poisonous discussions that perpetuate ignorance and misunderstanding among different religious/non-religious adherents.  These discussions often escalate into verbal assaults and in some cases violent attacks on the “other” group.

And one final comment – let’s not start labeling this as a problem with the religion itself.  This kind of hatred isn’t indicative of the religion, but rather of an ignorant human being who clearly has a distorted view of what it actually means to be human.   It certainly ruffles my feathers when I come across this kind of unenlightened discourse, but more than anything it makes me very sad that one person can be so callous toward the plight of fellow human beings in a time of great tragedy.  Using the events in Japan as propaganda for a holy war is just inhumane…

Source: YouTube