Ponder Post: Not the Religious blog

Hmm, she says pondering....


I had an email today.


I get rather a few, what with having 3 email addresses. 


There is my Family Panel one.


There is my Freecycle one.


And there's my, erm, other personal stuff and Online shopping one. The one comments for this blog go to.


In my Family Panel one, which is by far the busiest (and fullest- I have like 500 odd emails sitting idle, I started well with little folders with sections depending on what the email was about. And then I just forgot. I need an email equivalent of a hoover).


I get sent emails about all sorts. Invites to events for new socks. Or new snacks.


I get offers of stuff to review- which I open and then designate to you lot who jump in on Twitter. 


*In fact that'll be growing shortly and my blog may not be so frequently updated- cold is playing havoc with my arthritis in the joints of my fingers, as I type this my two little fingers are splayed out to the side and rigid.  So typing is pretty much not the most fun at the moment.


I also get Press Releases disguised as "Feature Ideas" which, put politely, is people who write a bit about a product or website or safety thing (which then tells why we must have this new product), and then "suggest" you may like to re-jig about 3 words and plonk it on your site, thus giving them something (eg advertising) effectively for nothing.


I know a lot of bloggers, new and old, get these, and some don't know how to reply. Some ignore them. A few, myself included, reply with our advertising rates and then hear nothing back. 


But today I got one from a Scientologist website.


Scientologist's for those who don't know, are a religious group, who have amongst their number Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. 


The late L Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) founded the religion in 1952 as a successor to the Dianetics, and according to Wikipedia: 


"Scientology teaches that people are immortal spiritual beings who have forgotten their true nature"


Now, thats all well and good. If thats what you believe in then more power to you. 


Religion escapes me. 


Yes I spent however many years at school learning about the major and some of the minor religions that the world has to offer. About the theory of Darwinism over Creationism. But religion has not touched my life. Yet.


I say yet because I'm open to learning about it all- after all religion pretty much shapes the world we find ourselves occupying.


But, I wasn't sure what the point of the exercise was to ask me, who has never once to my knowledge mentioned anything to do with religion here, to write about it.


My knowledge of Scientology is very lax. I heard about it when Katie Holmes was meant to give birth in silence as it was mocked from here to the ends of every chat show the Western World over. I have learnt more from Wiki this evening. Such was my poor knowledge I thought it had something to do with those red bits of wool Madonna was wearing a few years back, which put me in mind of when my 3rd year teacher used to tie a piece of string to my wrist if I had to remember something, but apparently that's something else entirely.


So, its hard to know how to reply.


They are a religion, so its not appropriate in my self appointed blog guidelines to reply with my rates. And would I want to write about it if I was being paid? Well, no.


The problem is that if one was to start writing about religion, well, one would have to write about them all, for fear of upsetting everyone. For the worry I may offend by not writing about every single one. Or alienate some readers.


I have got opinions of religion, but I don't believe a blog, unless you are a blogger who writes with the tag of "(Insert religion here) Blogger", which I have only as yet seen US bloggers do, is perhaps the right place for those opinions.


Religion by its very nature has many sides- some people are objective, like myself and think that there is something there for us- like when we offer a prayer up when the other half finds out how much stuff we have bought off of Ebay, or how many toys we have hidden round the house. (Quite a lot and quite a few in my house respectively). Or those who go to their religious centre quite a bit, or every week without fail. To some it offers great comfort, at all or sometimes. And that in itself is why religion, whatever thing you chose to believe in, is "good", if in times of hardship or suffering you have that little thing that spark that keeps you feeling warmth or comfort or safe. Then that's good right?


But to ask me to write about it. Half of me wants to email and ask why I was asked to write about it, and the other bit thinks its one for the delete folder.


What do you think? Did you get this email? What would YOU do?