I would like to expand on the topic of exegesis because this is what I'm doing when creating my life lessons. Exegesis is just a really fancy word for interpretation in a religious context. It usually involves the act of pulling a passage out of a larger work and applying a specific meaning without any regard for the original context. Paul's letters in the Bible are rife with this form of interpretation as his Pharisaic background gave him intimate knowledge of Hebrew scripture and prophecies which could be dissected and applied to Jesus. This is what the priest/preacher is doing on Sundays. They read a selection from the Bible and then explain it to the congregation. The major Christianities had to hold councils to create standard interpretations because everyone was reading the Bible differently. Now there are books dedicated to common interpretations for would-be preachers but there are still newer Christian sects in which the preacher selects passages and does his own exegesis before presenting to the faithful. This is what I'm doing. I'm taking these books, movies, and songs and trying to figure out how they apply to my life. What can I learn from them? How can they lead me to become a better human being?
Nothing in this world has any meaning until we apply meaning to it. There was a discussion at my workplace about purchasing items that totaled $6.66 and everyone said they always buy something else to change the price. I flabbergasted everyone when I said I didn't care because it's just a sequence of three numbers and I place no authority in the Bible so it holds no devilish connotations for me. People still couldn't understand how I wasn't frightened so I posed the question to a Hindi lady I work with. "$6.66? So what?" She didn't have a problem with it either because she and I did not apply the same meaning as our Christian colleagues. It's just a sequence of numbers.
Now, I'm not saying that because it has no meaning for me that it has no meaning for anyone else, quite the contrary. Our minds are the most powerful machines in existence. If a person takes an idea into their head, the meaning they apply affects every other aspect of their life. Coming into contact with 666 can definitely ruin the day of a Christian. If anything bad happens after the contact it's easy to say "See, the Devil's after me!" At another workplace, I was visiting a bookstore with a coworker who was a devout Christian. We came to the section with Tarot cards and he wouldn't touch them because it was witchcraft. I showed him that I could easily handle them without negative consequences but he was unmoved. I truly believe that if he had touched them something bad would have happened. His mind would make it happen because it already "knows" that contact with "evil" things leads to something bad happening. The way our minds receive and interpret information constructs our reality so our reality is based on how we apply meaning to the information bombarding our senses. We all may exist in the same reality but we are not living in the same reality. Our cultural and social backgrounds lay the foundation for how we apply the meanings that create our individual realities.
Exegesis can be easy and fun if you know your material and can apply a little creativity. Here's an example of the application of exegesis on a Rush lyric by Neil Peart. I chose an example that is not especially helpful to my life but it reveals how human beings can interpret things any way we want. The song is called Out of the Cradle. As a whole, I think that the song is a reference to the band being born to be musicians and that they will continue to play until they die. But here's a snippet from the opening that I could do some exegesis on:
"It's not an act
It's attraction
It's not a style
It's an action
It's a dream for the waking
It's a flower touched by flame
It's a gift for the giving
It's the power with a hundred names"
Neil Peart
Out of the Cradle, 2002
This is obviously praising the power of marijuana.
"It's not an act
It's attraction"
You can't just pretend to be a smoker, you must truly love it.
"It's not a style
It's an action"
You can't just talk about it, wear hemp clothes, and have 420 stickers on your car, you must actually smoke and contemplate the world.
"It's a dream for the waking"
Have you ever been high? Perception is shifted to a relaxing dreamlike state.
"It's a flower touched by flame"
Here's the real key, this line says it all. The buds of the marijuana that are smoked are the flowers of the plant that are obviously touched by flame during the smoking process.
"It's a gift for the giving"
Marijuana is a very communal drug and should be shared.
"It's the power with a hundred names"
How many slang names exist for marijuana?
See how easy it is? It may not be the "real" meaning but I can support my interpretation so can it be denied? All it takes is the ability to ask "what does this mean?". I do that every minute of every day of my life.
Now that I've bored you all with lengthy introductions and intentions, I hope to make the postings a little more free form. Now I feel I can start presenting the interpretations of the quotes and scenes that influence my life as well as continuing with the story of how my philosophical outlook developed.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Pop Culture Prophet
My musical tastes are quite varied. I came into contact with the music of the 1980s because this was all over the radio and unavoidable when I was young. In the car, my mom was always playing Oldies stations with music from the 50s and 60s. When I was able to make a conscious decision to seek out music, my oldest brother led us on a fantastic journey of discovery of the entire Beatles catalog. This led to a fascination with all of the "hippy" music of the 1960s. These rebels partly inspired my own rebellion when I discovered the punk rock of the late 70s and 80s as a teen. The speed and agression of this music made for an easy transition to Heavy Metal bands of the day such as Metallica, Slayer, and Iron Maiden. Experimentation with marijuana introduced Reggae sounds to my world and by the end of the 80s I had explored most rock music except for the dreaded Disco era of the 1970s.
During my time of musical discovery, my cousin played me some music from rock bands of the 70s that his dad enjoyed. Styx, Queen, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, and Rush. I soon discovered that these guys were not dancing fools. Their heavy sounds were a reaction to the folksy influence of the 60s music and they created new musical genres with Heavy Metal and Prog (progressive) Rock. I enjoy great tunes but, as a wordsmith, I am way more interested in the words of a song, and, as a storyteller, I am very impressed when a song tells a story. I already had a love of sci-fi/fantasy and it wasn't long before the music of Rush took control of my listening time. Luckily, these guys are very prolific and I had 15 years worth of music to catch up on.
The lyricist for Rush is a man named Neil Peart. The band couldn't have asked for a better writer because Peart reads a lot (as noted in interviews and biographies). I discovered years later when doing readings for college that his songs had been referencing many of the philosophical/religious material that I was reading. This meant that he had sought these works out on his own so the lyrics to Rush songs are very intellectual. The long story songs of the early albums captured my attention but I also loved how the songwriting turned to perfectly constructed phrases on later releases. The songs definitely have specific themes but the little turns of phrase within each song allow for wonderful exegesis (religious interpretation --- more on this next time). I was immediately attracted to the fact that Peart was able to write songs that addressed philosophical questions without declaring that he had the answers. I also loved the fact that he did not say God was the answer as most songwriters do. The message always seemed to be "I don't know for sure." I always felt that this was extremely refreshing.
We live in such a Christianized society that everyone just assumes everyone else believes in God unless they show some other outward form of religious identity. I am very offended by this assumption (but seldom voice it as it leads to long debates with people that have no impact on my life so why waste my breath). I like to relate this to the assumption that "Americans" should speak English. I understand how foreign language speakers are offended by the high and mighty "just be like us because we're right" attitude. I am comforted by the fact that someone is still out there voicing my opinion that "You don't know for sure." Peart's been that voice for over 30 years and always seems to write something profound just when I need it. Faithless on the 2007 album, Snakes and Arrows, perfectly describes my current state of mind.
"Pop culture prophets playing in my ears"
Neil Peart
Totem, 1996
During my time of musical discovery, my cousin played me some music from rock bands of the 70s that his dad enjoyed. Styx, Queen, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, and Rush. I soon discovered that these guys were not dancing fools. Their heavy sounds were a reaction to the folksy influence of the 60s music and they created new musical genres with Heavy Metal and Prog (progressive) Rock. I enjoy great tunes but, as a wordsmith, I am way more interested in the words of a song, and, as a storyteller, I am very impressed when a song tells a story. I already had a love of sci-fi/fantasy and it wasn't long before the music of Rush took control of my listening time. Luckily, these guys are very prolific and I had 15 years worth of music to catch up on.
The lyricist for Rush is a man named Neil Peart. The band couldn't have asked for a better writer because Peart reads a lot (as noted in interviews and biographies). I discovered years later when doing readings for college that his songs had been referencing many of the philosophical/religious material that I was reading. This meant that he had sought these works out on his own so the lyrics to Rush songs are very intellectual. The long story songs of the early albums captured my attention but I also loved how the songwriting turned to perfectly constructed phrases on later releases. The songs definitely have specific themes but the little turns of phrase within each song allow for wonderful exegesis (religious interpretation --- more on this next time). I was immediately attracted to the fact that Peart was able to write songs that addressed philosophical questions without declaring that he had the answers. I also loved the fact that he did not say God was the answer as most songwriters do. The message always seemed to be "I don't know for sure." I always felt that this was extremely refreshing.
We live in such a Christianized society that everyone just assumes everyone else believes in God unless they show some other outward form of religious identity. I am very offended by this assumption (but seldom voice it as it leads to long debates with people that have no impact on my life so why waste my breath). I like to relate this to the assumption that "Americans" should speak English. I understand how foreign language speakers are offended by the high and mighty "just be like us because we're right" attitude. I am comforted by the fact that someone is still out there voicing my opinion that "You don't know for sure." Peart's been that voice for over 30 years and always seems to write something profound just when I need it. Faithless on the 2007 album, Snakes and Arrows, perfectly describes my current state of mind.
"Pop culture prophets playing in my ears"
Neil Peart
Totem, 1996
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Holy Scripture
I'm not sure where my fascination with sword and sorcery tales comes from. I do remember seeing the old Ralph Bakshi animated Lord of the Rings (far superior to the recent live action production in respect to the creator) when I was young and this lead me to read the books. I remember feeling such a sense of accomplishment when I finished all three. I loved that story. The world the characters traveled through was so well described and realistic that it felt like you had journeyed to Mount Doom and back. My first read was before 6th grade and after that I returned every now again to refresh my memory. In my twenties, I read Chrisotpher Tolkien's The History of Middle-Earth series which is a twelve volume work collecting everything that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about his imaginary universe. This can get repetitive in some places but reading it truly lead me to an understanding of what the writer was attempting, the creation of a new mythology. Every turn of phrase, every word had to be just perfect. And it is. These books are my holy Scripture.
People turn to the Bible in their time of need. They commit Bible passages to memory in order to get through tough times and reading the words of the Bible leads to unbridled emotion. All of these actions apply to me and my experience of interacting with the Lord of the Rings. The words are so beautiful and inspiring that I have memorized many passages and am often driven to tears while reading or reciting even when it's something I've heard a hundred times. Sometimes I am suddenly compelled to pick up the first book and start reading without any provocation. This happened just recently and I found myself discovering a new passage that had never spoken to me before. I always ask myself "Why am I reading it THIS time?" which allows me to read it with new eyes (as many do with the Bible). If my religion had a written text it would be the Lord of the Rings and I always keep my well-worn copy close at hand.
People turn to the Bible in their time of need. They commit Bible passages to memory in order to get through tough times and reading the words of the Bible leads to unbridled emotion. All of these actions apply to me and my experience of interacting with the Lord of the Rings. The words are so beautiful and inspiring that I have memorized many passages and am often driven to tears while reading or reciting even when it's something I've heard a hundred times. Sometimes I am suddenly compelled to pick up the first book and start reading without any provocation. This happened just recently and I found myself discovering a new passage that had never spoken to me before. I always ask myself "Why am I reading it THIS time?" which allows me to read it with new eyes (as many do with the Bible). If my religion had a written text it would be the Lord of the Rings and I always keep my well-worn copy close at hand.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Those Crazy Star Wars
I was born in the summer of 1974. When I was three, in 1977, my mother decided that I was old enough to have my first walk-in movie experience. The movie? Star Wars. The experience? Unforgettable. (Actually I have no recall of this but that sounded cool.) My mom put me on the end of an aisle where I sat unmoving for two hours with my chin cupped in my hand. No bathroom breaks, no snacks. That's how she tells it, and in the intervening years it has grown in the telling. I have very distinct memories of going to see The Empire Strikes Back that include watching the line grow behind the theater as the sun set and showtime approached (this tidbit even jarred my brother's memory of the event). On Tuesday, May 25, 1983, my mother kept me and my brothers out of school so we could watch Return of the Jedi. Second showing. Opening day.
Star Wars has been a major part of my life since my earliest childhood memories. I wouldn't say I'm obsessed in the since of collecting every scrap of memorabilia (although I have a lot) or dressing up in homemade costumes (although my kids are tending that way because my wife is so creative). I've always been obsessed with the mythology of Star Wars. With a story set in a larger universe. A universe that suggests the possibility of many stories. The straightforward Luke Skywalker quest was instantly accessible but I was also enamoured with the idea of noble Jedi Knights hiding from a ruthless Empire, all the while wielding strange weapons and fantastic powers. Powers that could be learned if one took the time to listen. I wanted to be a Jedi more than anything in the world.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has always been my favorite character, I even used to joke that I would name my first born son Obi-Wan and call him Ben. Maybe it was because he was the first person I ever saw use a lightsaber. Maybe I was just looking for a father figure. But there was something about that kindly old man. Yoda was a great Jedi Master, but it is the voice of Obi-Wan that soothes my mind with his words of wisdom. I saw the films multiple times in the theaters and with the advent of the VCR I could control the action. This was the church I attended any chance I got. The dialogue drilled into my head like Sunday School prayers. And over the course of many years, a foundation was laid.
All three of the Star Wars films offer meaningful life lessons and figure heavily into the religious structure I will describe.
(Many will note that I only spoke of three Star Wars movies. I was young enough for the original movies, Episodes 4, 5, and 6, to leave a lasting impact on my life. The new films were amusing at best.)
Star Wars has been a major part of my life since my earliest childhood memories. I wouldn't say I'm obsessed in the since of collecting every scrap of memorabilia (although I have a lot) or dressing up in homemade costumes (although my kids are tending that way because my wife is so creative). I've always been obsessed with the mythology of Star Wars. With a story set in a larger universe. A universe that suggests the possibility of many stories. The straightforward Luke Skywalker quest was instantly accessible but I was also enamoured with the idea of noble Jedi Knights hiding from a ruthless Empire, all the while wielding strange weapons and fantastic powers. Powers that could be learned if one took the time to listen. I wanted to be a Jedi more than anything in the world.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has always been my favorite character, I even used to joke that I would name my first born son Obi-Wan and call him Ben. Maybe it was because he was the first person I ever saw use a lightsaber. Maybe I was just looking for a father figure. But there was something about that kindly old man. Yoda was a great Jedi Master, but it is the voice of Obi-Wan that soothes my mind with his words of wisdom. I saw the films multiple times in the theaters and with the advent of the VCR I could control the action. This was the church I attended any chance I got. The dialogue drilled into my head like Sunday School prayers. And over the course of many years, a foundation was laid.
All three of the Star Wars films offer meaningful life lessons and figure heavily into the religious structure I will describe.
(Many will note that I only spoke of three Star Wars movies. I was young enough for the original movies, Episodes 4, 5, and 6, to leave a lasting impact on my life. The new films were amusing at best.)
Monday, August 20, 2007
Religion is Easy!
Before I continue with my story I'd like to offer some background for why I would pursue such a venture. I'm not some yahoo proclaiming a new religion just to make a buck off of some already existing properties like some modern day preacher. The stories I tell are true and the meditations that direct my life have been established over many years.
I am a high school graduate (1992) but it took a long time before I went back to school for higher education. These in-between years were when I spent most of my time just cataloging experiences: work, travel, human interaction. I never pursued any religion but was open to any that presented itself. I never had the desire to seek hard answers to any of the philosophical questions I had. I led (and still lead) a very go-with-the-flow type existence.
When I was 24 I decided to return to college with the sole intention of learning what I wanted to learn. I enjoyed the Humanities and World History. I took the Study of Religion as my major which was an historical/sociological study of how religion affects individuals, social structures, and history. Instead of learning about a specific religion, I learned what religion was and its place in the human mind. I learned the basic characteristics of what constitutes a "religion" and the basic needs it satisfies in a human being. This was when I realized that my basic needs were being met but not by the means of any conventional religion. My prophets were not Isaiah, Jesus, or Paul --- they were Obi-Wan, Tolkien, and Peart. Maybe this religion thing isn't so difficult after all. Maybe it doesn't have to come from someone who died thousands of years ago. Maybe religion is easier than I thought.
I am a high school graduate (1992) but it took a long time before I went back to school for higher education. These in-between years were when I spent most of my time just cataloging experiences: work, travel, human interaction. I never pursued any religion but was open to any that presented itself. I never had the desire to seek hard answers to any of the philosophical questions I had. I led (and still lead) a very go-with-the-flow type existence.
When I was 24 I decided to return to college with the sole intention of learning what I wanted to learn. I enjoyed the Humanities and World History. I took the Study of Religion as my major which was an historical/sociological study of how religion affects individuals, social structures, and history. Instead of learning about a specific religion, I learned what religion was and its place in the human mind. I learned the basic characteristics of what constitutes a "religion" and the basic needs it satisfies in a human being. This was when I realized that my basic needs were being met but not by the means of any conventional religion. My prophets were not Isaiah, Jesus, or Paul --- they were Obi-Wan, Tolkien, and Peart. Maybe this religion thing isn't so difficult after all. Maybe it doesn't have to come from someone who died thousands of years ago. Maybe religion is easier than I thought.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
In the Beginning...
Do you know what the wind is?
It's the angels giving God a blowjob.
I made that joke up when I was nine years old. Nobody laughed. I don't think I even knew what a blowjob was, I realize now that the concept of angels and God were just as meaningless as I was able to craft such an offensive remark without the least bit remorse. I remember my cousin telling me I was going to go to Hell for saying that but the spreading dread in my heart was not fear of total damnation but the loss of my friend's favor. I was upset because the joke flopped. It was at this point that I realized how serious other people were about religion, a subject on which I was totally indifferent. Should I feel bad? I didn't. Should I be scared? I wasn't. The moment passed and I dedicated the next four years to fun and play without ever considering it again.
In my teenage years, I began my search for my own identity. I was a clean slate able to select morals and attitudes that felt right in my heart. I was raised by my mother along with two older brothers, dad left before I was born. I'm sure she considered herself a Christian and we did attend preschool at a local church but we were not inundated with the typical God, Jesus, Heaven, and Hell rhetoric and we definitely did not go to church. My mother taught me to be a good person by treating others as I would want to be treated, respecting everyone, and rooting for the underdog. All Christian concepts but not reinforced with "because God or Jesus says so." I never had some higher entity to answer to, only myself and Mom if I got into trouble. I lied, stole, and did drugs but it was all on my own terms. At this very early age I was forced to create a life philosophy without any religious/philosophical foundation. Over the past 20 years I have developed and refined my life philosophy as I passed through the different stages of life.
My goal with this blog is to describe how I have created my own religion that guides and sustains me mostly by using the pop culture that has influenced me: Tolkien, Star Wars, Rush (among many others). I hope to provide further background details on my life as well as including lessons gleaned from pop culture icons. I hope you enjoy the ride.
By the way, I still like my joke. That's damn clever for a nine year old.
It's the angels giving God a blowjob.
I made that joke up when I was nine years old. Nobody laughed. I don't think I even knew what a blowjob was, I realize now that the concept of angels and God were just as meaningless as I was able to craft such an offensive remark without the least bit remorse. I remember my cousin telling me I was going to go to Hell for saying that but the spreading dread in my heart was not fear of total damnation but the loss of my friend's favor. I was upset because the joke flopped. It was at this point that I realized how serious other people were about religion, a subject on which I was totally indifferent. Should I feel bad? I didn't. Should I be scared? I wasn't. The moment passed and I dedicated the next four years to fun and play without ever considering it again.
In my teenage years, I began my search for my own identity. I was a clean slate able to select morals and attitudes that felt right in my heart. I was raised by my mother along with two older brothers, dad left before I was born. I'm sure she considered herself a Christian and we did attend preschool at a local church but we were not inundated with the typical God, Jesus, Heaven, and Hell rhetoric and we definitely did not go to church. My mother taught me to be a good person by treating others as I would want to be treated, respecting everyone, and rooting for the underdog. All Christian concepts but not reinforced with "because God or Jesus says so." I never had some higher entity to answer to, only myself and Mom if I got into trouble. I lied, stole, and did drugs but it was all on my own terms. At this very early age I was forced to create a life philosophy without any religious/philosophical foundation. Over the past 20 years I have developed and refined my life philosophy as I passed through the different stages of life.
My goal with this blog is to describe how I have created my own religion that guides and sustains me mostly by using the pop culture that has influenced me: Tolkien, Star Wars, Rush (among many others). I hope to provide further background details on my life as well as including lessons gleaned from pop culture icons. I hope you enjoy the ride.
By the way, I still like my joke. That's damn clever for a nine year old.
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