easymanstan

Heaven - a pointless quest for the grail

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:52:24 +0100

Here's a fun game - try asking a Christian what it's like in heaven. More than likely you'll get some vague answer about eternal bliss, oneness with God. But then try probing a bit deeper. Here's some questions to try out:

* My cat's just died, but unfortunately being a cat he didn't know Jesus. Will he go to heaven?

* Do you think it's unfair that all the people who died before Jesus was born, didn't get the opportunuty to know him and therefore won't go to heaven?

* If I'm a bastard all my life, but then accept Jesus into my heart on my death bed, will I go to heaven then?

* On judgement day, if I'm 49.9% good but 50.1% bad, will I have to spend eternity in hell? (the key emphasis is on eternity here because this means forever - like in a thousand billion years you'll still be there). Follow up question - Don't you think this is a bit harsh?

I've never received a satisfactory explaination about what it will really be like. I'm not content with "oh it will all be explained when you get there".

Are you floating around in space or do you have a body? In either case, what do you do to occupy your time? Can you chat to other people? If so, can you take the piss out of someone or is that banned? Seriously, how long do you think you could hold out in that goody two-shoes environment before you want to cause a riot?

Aaaaagh!!! And then they try to make heaven on earth and what to we get; an over protective, self-righteous nanny state!

The idea of heaven and enlightenment is a modern concept. The old religions never preached such pointless idealistic crap. Nature's not like that, take the rough with the smooth - that's the full experience, that's everything, denied nothing.

Lugh was a wright, a smith, a champion, a swordsman, a harpist, a hero, a poet and historian, a sorcerer, and a craftsman. He'd as soon slay you as sing you a saga. A full rounded god, not some limited half-being.

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All you need is love?

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:12:02 +0100

All you need is love?

Sounds good doesn’t it? Love is all there is. There is only love. This is a typical religious quote about love I found on the web:

Our Creator brought us into this world carrying only Love, True unconditional Love. This is what we are all made of, and this never changes. It is years of false beliefs taught to us by others who cling to those same false beliefs that make us forget our True Identities.

People are so ready to blindly accept this stuff because it sounds good, but the problem is that when you stop to think about, it’s so obviously not true.

Babies only know love?

If we are brought into this world carrying only love, how come babies and toddlers can only think about fulfilling their own needs? They cry because they are hungry, or because they need a new nappy, or because they don’t get their own way, whatever. Their not thinking ‘I won’t cry right now because my mom’s a bit stressed’. That comes later. Only when people start to mature do they then learn to empathise with others.

Love is all there is?

If love is all there is, what about other emotions such as anger, sadness, excitement, lust, greed etc? Are you going to tell me that these don’t really exist because they are false and what it all really boils down to is love? Bullshit! They do exist, they are very real, and everyone knows it.

‘Ah, but if you meditate on it, clear your mind, enter into a higher plane and become a more spiritual person you will eventually see that these things really are false and the true nature of everything really is love.’

No man, bullshit again! I know sadness, I’ve felt it, I’ve touched it. I know anger I’ve felt that too. I know joy – I’m telling you man, their real!

If there was only love, the world would be a better place?

‘Ohh, is that a paper cut on your thumb? Oh you poor boy!’

First person: ‘Please after you’
Second person: ‘No, after you please’
First person: ‘No, no. Please I insist’
Second person: ‘Oh no, I couldn’t possibly. After you please’

This is another assumption that people make without really thinking about it. But what would it really be like? I mean really? Everybody being nice to everyone else the whole time. Well it might make a refreshing change for a while, but what about after a year or two when they’re still being nice. What about when you swear at them and they just forgive you. What about when you punch them in the face and they just turn the other cheek. Aaaaagh! How annoying is that? Are we living in Noddy land?

I joke, but the point is real. We have a need to express our full range of feelings and emotions. To only express love is to stifle oneself, to only be a small part of who you REALLY are.

Cuchulain

The battle-fury of Cuchulain blazed so great that he bound the severed head of Foill to his chariot-rim, and seeing a flock of wild swans, brought down sixteen alive with his sling and tied them to the chariot.

On returning to Emain Macha, king Conor sent out a troop of naked maidens that they should soften his mood, and on bowing his head in shame, the king’s men instantly seized him and plunged him into a vat of cold water.

The water boiled around him and the staves and hoops of the vat burst asunder. They plunged him again and again, until only at last did his fury leave him and his natural form and aspect were restored.

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My first van

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:03:26 +0100

My first van

This is my first van which I brought around 1992 at a vehicle auction in Merthyr Tydfil for £550. It was old and I couldn't even drive it away from the auction without first doing some repairs, but eventually managed to coax it back to Bristol.

We named it 'Ni-Nor' and I spent around £350 on materials to fit it out, doing all the work myself. I made a stove out of an old gas cylinder, getting a garage to weld a metal pipe to the top for a flue. It was wide enough to sleep across (over 6') so I built a full size double bed against the back doors which doubled up as two bench seats during the day with storage underneath. It also had a full size sink, cupboards, shelves and a wardrobe.

Ni-Nor hits the road

One of our first trips was up to Blackpool to see some friends. The starter motor had packed up so I had to park on a hill wherever we went so that I could bump start it on the way down.

This is Cheddar Gorge. I painted a hippy pattern on the window and put curtains around the cab for more privacy.

Glastonbury Tor.

Festivals

Back in the early nineties everybody had a van, caravan, hippy bus, truck, gipsy caravan or something. Do you remember the hippy convoys and free festivals? This was a free festival at Chipping Sodbury, it was the only place the convoy could find to rest up for a while without getting harrassed by the police.

As an avid van enthusiast, I was naturally in my element! Here's some pics of some fantastic vans that were there:

Here's a bus with a van welded up top as a upper deck.

This live-in vehicle has it's own porch built on to the back. Exellent place to kindly wipe your muddy boots before going inside - it's all good housekeeping.

This pic just so doesn't do the van justice. The paint job must have been a labour of love.

Remember the school bus? Those bastard travellers kids never did learn anything, certainly not any manners.

That's because they were too busy playing truant and trashing police cars. These brats above nicked my hat but were too quick for me to catch and smack their heads together. In the end we had to bribe them with half a can of larger for an exchange.

End of an era

Trouble is that every time we went to drive anywhere, she nearly always broke down. I'd replace or repaired so many parts, radiator, carb, petrol tank, starter motor...we were still sad to see her go though. She'd carted our stall around so many festivals, we had fond memories. My tips is though, if you're going to go to all the trouble of converting a van, make sure she's not an old banger!

This is Daves van - ex post office Leyland DAF. It's still going strong now, must be getting on for 10 years now. He's had it sprayed since this pic, it's now dark green and burgundy. Inside it's all tongue and groove and it's small enough to park in narrow city streets.

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