The things that make me think....

I love it when I come in contact with things that challenge my faith and challenge my belief, and make me think about where it is my fundamental beliefs come from. Why do I accept the truths that guide my decisions every day, and what exactly are those truths?

Here are a few I've been thinking about today:

* Slate.com has published excerpts from Christopher Hitchens' new book God is not Great: Religion Poisons Everything. The arguments are well-written, challenging and thought-provoking.

* I've recently read Go in Peace. It's a discussion of the sacrament of confession intended for Catholics. But it's been a fun and intriguing read for me, because it necessarily addresses a number of tenets of the Catholic faith I've wondered about. I read it cover-to-cover in one sitting, and found myself unable to put it down. There were many things that conform very closely to what I believe, but also many things to which I had a strong, visceral reaction; not really that much about which I felt neutral. Food for thought.

* Last night I saw "The Ninth Day", a Volker Schlöndorff production. It was incredibly well done, and explores the life a priest who is released from Dachau for nine days. The movie asks us to consider what beliefs we hold so dear, we would be willing to die, even if escape were offered to us. If you watch it, check out the interview with Schlöndorff on the DVD. The main character is portrayed by the same actor, Ulrich Matthes, who so disturbingly and convincingly portrayed Joseph Goebbels in the 2004 film about Hitler's last days, "Downfall".

Not sure what it means, but Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" came on while I was writing this entry, so I will include the lyrics here for you:

You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage,
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage,
You may be a business man or some high degree thief,
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk,
You may be the head of some big TV network,
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,
You may be living in another country under another name

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home,
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome,
You might own guns and you might even own tanks,
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk,
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk,
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread,
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy,
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy,
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray,
You may call me anything but no matter what you say

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Copyright © 1979 Special Rider Music