This was previously posted on www.anton-wahlman.com on or before 2005-04-24:
I was watching Meet The Press today, and it was a disaster. Tim Russert's guests for the full hour (!) were some Catholic folks, like a nun, a Cardinal-type, and some other highly religious dude. The occasion was of course the aftermath of selecting a new Pope. The discussion quickly entered such subjects as what God really meant when he created mankind, and the meaning of "communion." To begin with, that's too big a word for me, but the fundamental problem is of course that these were seemingly grown-up adults, educated and all, discussing a bunch of complete fairy tales as if they actually meant something in the realm of reality.
When I was about 5 years old, I developed a great love for Christmas Eve. For this there were three reasons. First, grandma made some fantastic food. Second, my parents gave me all sorts of presents. Third, at 3pm on Christmas Eve, Swedish government television (the only one in existence there at the time) showed a 90 minute Disney cartoon compilation "Christmas with Donald Duck."
At that time, at age 5, I already understood perfectly well that Donald Duck, just like Santa Claus, was nothing but pure fantasy. A pleasant fantasy, but nevertheless nothing that a person of average intelligence would confuse with reality.
Same thing with organized religion. I am amazed every time when people argue about religion, specifically in the context of there somehow being a god who somehow has opinions on what’s right and what’s wrong. This includes wearing certain clothing, eating certain food, or behaving in a certain way. Talk about loony tunes!
As for any form of priesthood, of any religion, it seems like a club of old men incapable of getting laid. Looking like Ku Klux Klan in their pointy hats and robes, they run around with smoke generators and gold chains like the best of rappers, asking 11 year old boys to kneel in front of them and open their mouths and stick out their tongue so that they can… what? Either way, god is all powerful, but the church needs money. Those pointy hats and robes don't come cheap, especially not when combined with all of that rapper bling.
Surely there are many nice and well-meaning priests and the like floating around in every religion, but I never cease to be amazed that grown up adults of at least average intelligence actually take the religious fairy tales seriously. Hundreds millions of people have died as a result. It is a shame.
Moral of the story: I got it already at age 5. Billions of people live for decades and believe in this crap until they die. I must be really smart.
