Comments on: Laughing, in a Spiritual Way

By: Misery Marketing

Misery Marketing — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:22:00 +0000

Rebelious Catholic School Girls, Rock and Roll Groupies, Office Nymphos, and Bhudda. Strange combo but somehow it works for me. Could be a good start to a Chuck Palahniuk book.

By: Stagnant Artist

Stagnant Artist — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:13:00 +0000

Can i just say that i LOVED this post. It was beautiful. I am going to have to post something to send people to this. So great. This is why we all love you lady!

By: bella

bella — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:56:00 +0000

I'm feeling at a loss for words. but there was something in this post, your way of writing, that evoked such strong emotions in me.
Such a different life, different history, and yet your words feel so familiar, as if you walked inside my own mind.
Which, of course, makes me laugh.

By: indistinct

indistinct — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:04:00 +0000

Amazingly funny, serious, post. Glad I dropped by to visit!

By: Strumpfkunst.de

Strumpfkunst.de — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:35:00 +0000

If my house burned down today, I would save two things - my ferrets and my huge, original Buddha painting. Which I love not because of the religion behind it, but because of that serene happiness.

Doing whatever makes you truly happy is the only way to live. Finding out what that is is the real challenge. Read Barbara Sher for some hinters - it's like psychotherapy in a book!

But I rather find out myself than be led by religious rules...

There is only one rule I truly live by - I don't do things that I wouldn't want others to do. Some laws I therefore ignore - and I don't mind if others do as well, But if I had found your $25, I would have handed them over to the cashier... that's my rule, my decency.

By: Casdok

Casdok — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:21:00 +0000

Great post. Laughter is certainly a wonderful thing.

Take care xx

By: Maeve

Maeve — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:43:00 +0000

I'm not sure about the "all spirituality leads to the same place" thing--but regardless, I liked this post. And I had something else to say. What was it.... Curse this cold.

Oh yes! I remember when I was first telling friends about why I was leaving my Ex, and how often I would use humour to deflect the pain of the situation. He's a sex addict. It's all my fault. Men have needs, you know! And we'd all have a good laugh.

Laughter makes us seem strong, I think; and sometimes that's good, and sometimes not. The trick is striking the balance.

By: CHATTI PATTI

CHATTI PATTI — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:33:00 +0000

MPJ, find compassion, forgiveness, understanding, joy, and love any way you want to. You are right in saying that spirituality leads to the same place. I've been Catholic and Protestant and back to Catholic for tradition sake. It's all the same purpose with different settings. I prefer the Catholic setting even though I prefer to worship the Protestant way. Seek and you shall find.

By: Mary P Jones (MPJ)

Mary P Jones (MPJ) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:11:00 +0000

MomVee, totally understood. I just knew someone was going to call me on that!

There's this scene in this Will Smith movie Hitch where his girlfriend is breaking up with him and he says bangs on the car window screaming, "What did I do?" And the answer is, "You're doing it now!" (My husband and I use that line all the time.)

I tend to be a little glib with my handling of Catholicism. You are right, the particular way it was presented in my church didn't work for me -- it was very much about what you couldn't do (curse, have premarital sex, read forbidden books). I can give it a hard time because I know it best.

My personal belief is that all spirituality leads to the same place: compassion, forgiveness, understanding, joy, love. But some beliefs and traditions resonate better with some people's personalities and experiences than others. And all (including Buddhism) seem to run the risk of the same problem I ran into with Christianity -- losing sight of the forest (the overarching message) for the trees (the rules, the dogma, the minutiae).

By: MomVee

MomVee — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:07:00 +0000

I hope you know that I'm not prosletyzing--I respect your spiritual path--but I would feel remiss if I didn't say that I think this is more a problem with the way Catholicism was presented to you, than with Catholicism itself. There is a saint for every mood, including St. John Bosco and St. Phillip Neri, who were all about laughing; and lots of really funny and far-from-saintly authors like Waugh and Greene who were devoted Catholics. And sometimes, when I listen to the gospels, the things Jesus said to his disciples start to sound like the sarcasm of exasperation. I feel like he had a sense of humor, as much as a lot of people have tried to downplay it.

Sorry to hijack comments!