The Voice of A Non-Believer June 26, 2013

I am a devout non-believer.

For me it’s simple: I don’t need a god and I don’t need a religion. Please do not send someone to my house to convert me. I promise I will not knock on your door in an attempt to un-convert you.

I am not selling anything. I think there is all too much of that going on in America already. Religion is big business. Tax exempt business. Many of our televangelists are very rich and powerful people in America.

What is a belief anyway? Isn’t it something that is not true? I mean, if it were true would in not then be a fact?

There are many religions. Many Gods. And every believer believes his God- his religious belief- is the one true God, the true beliefs. Every other God and every other religion is false. Please note: these ancient structures are all patriarchal. God is a he-even when packaged in a three-cornered wrap.

True believers seem to be constantly at each other’s throats. The Christians, the Muslims and the Jews have been duking it out for years. Still are.

While some 78% of Americans believe in God, we are not a theocracy. That is, no one in this country is forced to believe in God. Attend church. Man’s laws prevail in our courts. Here in Hawaii, in a courtroom, we say,” I declare under penalty of perjury in this court and the state of Hawaii my statements are true.”

The number of Americans who have no religious affiliation is strong and growing. 1 in 4 Americans, ages 18 to 29 are not currently affiliated.

For years it seems, far too many years, the only thing all believers agreed on was all atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, devout non-believers would spend all eternity burning in the fires of hell.

Sin, guilt, fear, hell and damnation are cloaked, sold and practiced. All three of the major religions-Christian, Muslim and Jew- play these card, as non-believers stand outside the game and shake their heads.

We are constantly harassed, bombarded with religious hype. Obey us. Don’t do this, don’t do that. Do this or else. Do that and die. The list of do’s and don’ts is endless.

It’s true that most non-believers know the New Testament and the Old Testament better than most Christian or Jewish laymen who have a habit of cherry picking. Bad stuff when it’s time to kick ass. Good stuff on Saturday and Sunday.

And, of course, all their Gods are coming back. Soon. Better look out.

Well, this I dare to say, she says, looking for a place to hide-“…if their Gods come back to be tried in a court of American law, they’ll all end up on death row.”

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FOLLOW YOUR BLISS June 16, 2013

Joseph Campbell said that and it’s good advice.

It’s wonderful if you could have followed your bliss all your life, but you can start anytime. You’re never too old.

I think it’s another positive part of the aging process, out with the old, in with the new. If you’ve always wanted to write. Write. If you’ve always wanted to paint. Paint. Learning to do something new is healthy for mind and body and spirit, if you’re into that.

Confession: I always hated to cook. Used to warn my friends, “If I ever invite you to dinner and you know I’m cooking, head immediately for Nome.”

All ‘ugly Americans’ have a cook in the kitchen. For all my years as an expat I stayed as far away from a stove and oven as possibly. I remember one occasion when I discovered-suddenly, in the middle of the night when welcome guests hinted for a snack- that I didn’t know how to turn the lights on in the kitchen.

Today, at a ripe old, I’m learning to be a creative cook. 2013 style. Microwaves are fun. But the greatest latest cooking device in the place where I keep the refrigerator is the Vitamix. I’m not selling them, I don’t hold any stock, and I don’t expect anything for the mention, but that is the greatest culinary discovery since deviled eggs. The greatest cooking device since the campfire coffee pot.

Soups- soups, soups, beautiful soups -are an art form I’m learning to master and there’s one thing I know-other than I’m not Julia Child- everything I put in that little wonder is as nutritious as the stuff I toss in. No nourishment gets lost in the shuffle. Whatever you put in comes out in the wash.

I haven’t learned the fancy lingo but- boy oh boy- do I love the whirr of this hard-working cooker. I love to toss in unexpected flavors, a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of dry white wine, an experimental herb. Color. It’s a work of art. Tomatoes are red. Potatoes are white- with a brownish tinge if you toss in some mushrooms. The aroma when you take off the lid- don’t forget to turn it off first- lets a hot healthy smell fly up your nose.

I’ve got to stop, my taste buds are screaming, “Feed me. Feed me.”

I don’t know how I lived to be 82 without it.

Quick share. Make chicken broth or vegetable broth. Or buy it in a jar an add water. Bake a potato in the micro. Saute onions, artichoke hearts in oil, garlic, green peppers, carrots, bite size bits of chicken -whatever-in the microwave.

Toss it all in Vita dear-don’t forget the magic stuff, Brewer’s Yeast and Wheat germ-flip three switches-whirr, whizz, sing. Open. Pour. Enjoy.

Delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A treat for a welcome guest who’s yearning for a snack.

I even ordered an 11 inch  chef’s cap.