Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Mind, Body, Spirit, and other Horseshit

Okay...guess I creeped a few old pals out with my "faith-based" post. Better explain, before I get another "Did You Get Sucked into a Religious Cult, Dude?" E-mail.

No, I'm not a religious nut; just a spiritual person. Its a part of me. If there's one thing that pisses me off more, its this perception out there that anyone who is even slightly spiritual is some right-wing American Taliban nutjob, a la James Dobson and his Sponge Bob outing goons in Focus on the Family. I despise the fact that having faith in this country has become synonymous with being a gun-toting, paleo-conservative.

That sucks, frankly, gigantic monkey turds. I consider myself not only "faith-based," but spiritual in the tradition of not only Christendom but also the Age of Enlightenment. The inspiration of men like Jefferson, Thoreau, Newton, Franklin, Madison...all equally important in making "The Jason System of Belief."

I study religion...for fun and enjoyment. I enjoy intense, educated debates about the differences between faith groups, the reconciliation of science and religious thought (as evident by my early participation in discussions at LSU), doctrinal practice, and reading the likes of Marcus Aurelius, St. John of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, and the Gnostic scriptures from Nag Hammadi.

And yes, I listen to a lot of loud punk and hip-hop music. I'm an Indie Rock snob. I chainsmoke like a chimney and drink like a frat boy. I dress like a punk/cholo/Weezer fan at work - most times actually. I live for long drives to nowhere in particular. And yes, one of the nicest people I've ever met is a pornstar. And I think the Dropkick Murphys' version of Amazing Grace is one of the most beautiful medleys of the piece of all time.

I like God. God likes me. And I'm a rugged, tree-hugging, organic-eating populist librarian with an ego AND insecurity issues.

I'm just me. Promise. And I like my independence.

JWJ

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the e-mail. Panicked a bit. Thought you'd become Pat Robertson or something...LOL...sorry about the Danielle crack, too. I figured you were deeper than that...just checking, sweetie!

I like the sound of the Church of Jason. Can I attend sometime?

OMG! You do dress lke a Weezer Cholo...that's fucking hilarious! But you drink like a soccer mom, hon.

Thank you for the compliment.

J

Smurf said...

That was very well said Jason Wayne. I find it sad that people hear words or titles and then automatically ASSUME they know who you are and your life story. Not many people in life really know who we are. We are all searching. It puts up this wall when people assume they understand you without taking the time to really listen and understand.

Unknown said...

Ms Jen is my new hero. Finally someone who doesn't put up with your shit