muzby saunters onto the field for the dragons, grins at the cheerleaders and takes aim.
750 words title to end, according the OWC.
My Religion
Politics and religion. A duo of topics that can turn a polite conversation into an argument; dinner party conversation into a food fight and even turn friends against one another.
My limited knowledge of politics was highlighted when a friend pointed out that contrary to my belief, Karl Marx was not one of the Marx brothers.
So thankfully this article will avoid anything to do with politics.
Religion, on the other hand, was something that was forced upon me through my family as I was raised in a religious house.
Every Sunday, my mother would wake me up and make me get dressed in my safari suit, something considered dressy in the eighties (or at least that was what I was told). We would all leave the house in the same clothes every week, and head to a giant place of worship - the church.
There I noticed a huge group of people all singing; all chanting; together as one in support and worship of God. I thought this strange, but went along with it, as it was all I had known.
To support my weekend religious activities, I was provided a Catholic education through some of the nicer schools in my local town. As well as learning about all things Jesus, I started to learn about rugby (both league and union) both of which would form key parts of my adolescence through my playing and supporting of both codes.
Part of my education was to learn about all other religions in the world (and despite the supposed unbiased approach by my teacher, why ours was the best).
As well as learning the difference between Buddha and Vishnu, I make a core observation. Despite their differences, the majority of religions around the world share similar traits & qualities:
- The worship of a common higher being
- A key moral code to treat those of the same faith with the same level of respect to which you want to be treated
- Acceptance of those of the same faith, regardless of race, code or creed
- Rejection or ridicule of those around you who share a different faith.
During my final years of school, thanks to various events that had happened in my life I had turned away from my religious teachings. I found that I lived each week for football - both playing it and passionate support of my team.
Now that I was growing older and wiser (the latter trait may still be a point of contention, but we wont argue that fact today), I started to review the behaviours and traits of the religious teachings that I had been raised with, and compared them to my ever growing love for rugby league. In particular I noticed how the four points above were as applicable to football fans as much as religion.
I noted now how every week I would still get dressed in the same clothes, and head to a giant place of worship every Sunday. Except now I had graduated from a safari suit to my team colours, and my giant place of worship was no longer a church, but was now a football stadium.
When there, I was around those who shared a similar belief and desire - to see our team win. We would sing and chant together as one in support and worship of our team.
I would pray. Not for my sins or for eternal life, but pray for a premiership. To me a premiership was my Utopia. My Nirvana.
Even when I moved away from my place of worship, I still made sure that every week I would put the time aside and find a place to support my team, just as those of the Islam faith will turn and pray to Mecca.
I was welcomed by a new group of friends, who themselves were brought together by only the shared worship of a team. A group of us who welcome anyone of a similar belief into our flock, regardless of race, colour or creed.
And just like at church, no matter what has happened during the week, everything is forgotten when we meet for the game.
To sing.
To chant.
To worship.
As one.
Winning the premiership last year gave us all that shared sense of Nirvana that none of us will forget.
And when my first born child entered the world earlier on this year, she didnt receive a Christening, she received a club membership. And a jersey.
Make no mistake -
this is my religion.
but then again why not? ... I understand the problem and am happy to go with whoever you put up.
