The Creed

My pastor shared this poem with us on sunday. It's written by a British journalist named Steve Turner and I believe it highlights the attitude of many in this world:

“Creed” by Steve Turner
This is the creed I have written on behalf of all us.

We believe in Marx freud and darwin
We believe everything is OK
as long as you don’t hurt anyone,
to the best of your definition of hurt,
and to the best of your knowledge.

We believe in sex before, during, and after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
We believe that sodomy is OK.
We believe that taboos are taboo.

We believe that everything is getting better
despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated
And you can prove anything with evidence.

We believe there’s something in
horoscopes, UFO’s and bent spoons;
Jesus was a good man
just like Buddha, Mohammed, and ourselves.
He was a good moral teacher
although we think His good morals were bad.

We believe that all religions are basically the same–
at least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of
creation, sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.

We believe that after death comes the Nothing
Because when you ask the dead what happens they say nothing.
If death is not the end, if the dead have lied,
then it’s compulsory heaven for all
excepting perhaps Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Khan.

We believe in Masters and Johnson.

What's selected is average.

What's average is normal.

What's normal is good.

We believe in total disarmament.
We believe there are direct links between warfare and bloodshed.
Americans should beat their guns into tractors
and the Russians would be sure to follow.

We believe that man is essentially good.
It’s only his behavior that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.

We believe that each man must find the truth that is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly.
The universe will readjust.
History will alter.
We believe that there is no absolute truth
excepting the truth that there is no absolute truth.

We believe in the rejection of creeds,
and the flowering of individual thought.

If chance be the Father of all flesh,
disaster is his rainbow in the sky,
and when you hear

State of Emergency!
Sniper Kills Ten!
Troops on Rampage!
Whites go Looting!
Bomb Blasts School!

It is but the sound of man worshiping his maker.

Amber and Turkey

This is me and Amber on Thanksgiving. We made this Turkey all by ourselves. It's it pretty? Amber is one of my very best friends out here in CA. The best way to describe her is that she keeps me real. Whenever we chat, she's bound to ask the question "So, how's your heart?" She's a truth teller and usually says to me "Lisa, you can't hide those lying eyes."

Only in DC...

I find new things frequently that I realize I miss about life in the District of Columbia. I thought I'd share this little tid-bit with you all...

Headline: Man risks arrest, pneumonia to jog naked near White House

A man created a scene -- and a Secret Service scare -- near the White House during rush hour Wednesday evening when he stripped to the buff and took off running, leaving his bag of clothes unattended on the Ellipse.

The man shed his clothes near 15th and E streets, at the northwest corner of the Ellipse, about 5 p.m. Wednesday, then began running up and down E Street, apparently not dissuaded by the 25-degree windchill factor as the sun set, Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley said.

"He wasn't yelling or protesting. Just going for a jog," Wiley said.

Secret Service and D.C. police officers chased the man after he refused to stop.

"He was apprehended, naked though he was," Wiley said.

But the man's jog created another problem: The bag into which he packed his clothes before setting off on his run had been left unattended, meaning it had to be classified as a suspicious package. The Secret Service cordoned off the area and investigated the bag, and, after determining it contained only the man's cast-off garments, cleared the scene.

The man is in Secret Service custody but has not been charged, Wiley said.

And what can be learned from this? If you're gonna go running naked in DC, leave the house naked, the white house doesn't like it when you use their lawn as a locker room. Next time they might blow up your undies to be sure your gym bag isn't a bomb. As long as you do this, you can run naked to your hearts content!

Ghost Bike and Bike Life

Just as flowers and ribbons are placed at the site of an auto crash, there is a tradition/habit amongst cyclists to do the same. Usually what is left in the place is a lone bicycle painted entirely white. These "ghost bikes" as they have been called are left as a reminder to all who pass that bicycle safety is a huge issue in most urban areas.

Even as I ride in designated bike lanes throughout Pasadena, I am still pressured to move to the side by vehicles desiring to travel much faster than I. In LA, the bicycle v. vehicle discussion is ever growing and full of much tension. Several years ago, two cyclists were nearly killed by a driver who cut them off and slammed on his brakes causing the riders to fly head first through his back windshield. The doctor who caused the accident has been charged with a felony of reckless driving to cause injury and and battery. As unfortunate as this incident is, it has brought much awareness to this issue, especially in a city that is so vehicle focused.

People tend to think that is is impossible to live in LA without a car. I would agree that this statement is mostly true when someone lives and works in two different parts of the city that are not easily accessible by public transportation. Fortunately, the intentionality of living and going to school in Pasadena has allowed me to ride my bike nearly every day. I mostly only drive my car on weekends to/from church (which we carpool to in Hollywood so I usually only drive it there every few weeks) and only purchase $10 of gas a week. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not at a place to give up my car entirely but i'd love one day to get there.