i love the Java Jive and IT loves me

I drink a lot of coffee. I love coffee; AND I love going for coffee. The president of Starbucks when asked what his vision for his company was, said that he saw it as the "third place". In other words: home, office, and Starbucks. Now, some might see that as a scary proposition and from a certain perspective it is (anti-trust, monopolization, corporate cannibalism, etc.). However, when I thought about his statement, it does ring true for me a bit. I have read literally hundreds of books, created a website, done taxes, created my business, kept in touch with friends, transcribed hundreds of songs, and drank TONS of coffee at my Starbucks.

I have also learned a lot about people.

I am (obviously) considered a "regular" and there are others of me. My brother is also a regular at my coffee shop although we hold different hours (the staff was floored to learn that we were brothers after serving both of us daily for years). Throughout the years, I've had the opportunity to eaves drop on many conversations.

Right now, I'm sitting beside a bible study group here at the coffee shop. Sorry this is not the coffee blog, it's the religion blog disguised as the coffee blog. Anyone easily offended should either tune in or tune out immediately. I've taken in many religious conversations in fact at my coffee shop. Some intriguing and some annoying. One annoying cliche is this one:

I'm spiritual but not religious.

(Oh Science, I hate that one)

Or the bumper sticker version:

Spiritual people enlighten me, Religious people frighten me.

(Jerome Iginla, that pisses me off!!!)

When I was young I began with the notion that there is no God and being a student of truth, I then searched for evidence. Well, I am now past the searching. I have accepted that there is no God and have quit the search altogether. This is in fact liberating. I've discovered that the world is enough for me. I don't need a heaven. I'm blown away by all of the things around me here on earth that I don't need to think beyond it. In fact, I'm more thoughtful of it. Also, I can't be forgiven by any higher power; I have to be forgiven for my wrong doings by the people around me, which makes me want to do the right thing right away. If this is the only life that there is, then I want to make the most of it and get it right. I have to develop a code of behaviour that is right, not because this book or that book says, but because it IS right. It also helps me to see everyone as equal, not us and them or the saved and heathens.

Although not everyone is like me. Some people need religion and a prescribed code of ethics and people to be around.

I once had a student, let's call him Mike. He had a very tough life. He got into drugs, crime, the underworld.....all while he was a police officer. He is now a born again Christian and he's doing great! He's got his life together and he's doing "good" things. I think there are people in organized religion that have had similar difficulties whether it be drugs or abuse and act out and religion was a way out. Like AA. Perhaps that's why sometimes we see the good church going individual be the sex offender or drug addict or the serial killer. Only 5% of people in AA actually quit drinking.

Now spiritual people. I guess this means that they believe that there is a God but don't want to associated with an organized religion. Does this mean that they believe in creationism? What about life after death? One God or many? Is there a code of ethics in spiritualism? What are the consequences of disobeying those codes? Hell? Heaven? Did Jesus exist? Was he the son of God? How about Buddha? Muhammed? I guess that would be getting to close to an organized religion to start answering those questions and chances are, if you ARE spiritual but not religious, you have never bothered to answer them anyways even though they are crucial to the idea of God.

Religious people frighten me.....so do spiritual people.....as does Steven Seagal.