Most religions attempt to take the huge, intricate, beautiful and sometimes horrifying universe we live in and convert it into a simplistic and often hypocritical instruction manual for human beings. It is like taking the awesome immensity of the Pacific Ocean, emptying it of almost everything that gives it energy and life, reducing it to the grandeur of a suburban swimming pool. Many people prefer to swim in a pool. It is convenient. It feels safe. It is easy to keep out things you don’t like. I understand the appeal, but I have always felt drawn to the ocean.
