The Smell of Coffee in the Morning

It's the wee hours of Wednesday morning and I'm drinking coffee while watching an interview with Cornel West. It's my first exposure to him aside from his visage in The Matrix flicks. I don't know what to make of him. To be sure, I nod in agreement as he opines on issues such as race and corporate power but demur when he brings up religion. I dig his pastiche of "black" patois and academic drawl. However, when it turns to Xtianity, I get worried. It's hard to explain because he isn't approaching anything akin to preaching. I cringe when he claims that the "Christian gospel is really the most powerful source of insight of what it means to be human". Not that the New Testament doesn't have a lot going for it - Jesus was a peacenik, after all, but I must take the role of objicient. I've got this gut feeling that whether you view the Bible as an epic piece of fiction or as a work of a deity bears upon its value as a source of insight on humanity. Either way it furthers our understanding but it seems that a sincere belief that Jesus could really walk on water dilutes the messages. Having the lessons being given to us from on high from some fairy tale figure puts blinders on us and keeps us from looking at the taproot of our humanity - other human beings. Still, I shall have to pick up a book of his.

I spent some time at Mother Fool's tonight watching Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. Before that I was at Ground Zero to meet with other atheists. Most of the anticipated frauleins were no-shows, much to my dismay. Still, I enjoyed the company of those who were there. I got there a bit early and listened to a radio drama until the appointed meeting time. On the adjacent couch sat a pulchritudinous chickie doing her Latin homework. Be still my heart! I was too timid to actually say something to her but she started her shift at 7. And so, as I was leaving, I got a refill for the road and struck up a conversation with her. She must have been bored as she was very attentive to my ramblings.

Alrighty - sleep beckons.