If you follow this blog regularly, you’ll remember that on Thursday, I told you that I was going to post a question about religion over at Yahoo Answers. It was a sort of follow-up to this post, but with a slightly bigger, more sensitive topic.

I asked:

What is religion? A choice, a calling, or something else?

Is religion is a choice, in the same way that other beliefs are choices? For example, if I chose to subscribe to the moral belief that removing one’s clothes was wrong, I wouldn’t expect the Chippendales to make any special dispensation for me should I choose to work for them. Similarly, if religion is a choice, I wouldn’t expect any special dispensation for wearing religious icons which do not conform to a company’s uniform policy. I either have to give up my religion of choice, or work somewhere else.

Or is religion is more of a psychological and visceral calling? If, for example, I was blind, I would expect employers to do everything in their power to adapt to me. I could not stop being blind. Is religion more similar to this – You can’t ‘physically’ stop believing?

Or is it the latter, but still fine to discriminate, just I would be discriminated against if I had an unshakeable belief that all women were evil?

Or is it something else altogether?

Well, I asked, and you answered. In your droves. In fact, not only did you answer in your droves on the Yahoo site, when the post was picked up by Pickled Politics (an excellent blog, by the way) you answered there, too. And even though I closed the comments on the original post, you even went to the trouble of emailing me directly with your answers. I’ve read over 80 comments on the subject in less than a week – and I thank everyone for contributing.

It’s not practical for me to reproduce everybody’s comments on the subject here on the blog, but I’ve selected some of the answers and comments that stood out for me:

Religion is the coward’s version of hope.

– Kismet Hardy on Pickled Politics

Unless one is thoroughly brainwashed in a particular religion, they choose their belief. If it were not a choice, why would there be a need for so many different religions? They choose the one that makes them feel the most important, often at the expense of their fellow humans.

– jaycubb on Yahoo Answers

I’m interested by this comparison with other types of choice. When I come to pnder this political position or that one, there is usually one that is, to my mind, more persuasive than another. I don’t feel I am “choosing” a political belief or position, in the same way that I choose whether to eat a banana or an apple. My conscience dicates only one option. The political position “chooses” me, just like the answer to 2 + 2 finds its way to me too.

Of course, politics is much harder, and the answer less obvious, than mathematics. New writing from new sources might weaken and eventually reverse that choice. Part of religion – at least the fundamentalist brand – seems to be the deliberate ignoring of new perspectives.

Either way, if ‘finding’ a political position can happen, I imagine it is even more likely to happen with religion. Although you can change your religion, I would be very surprised at people who say that it was a definite choice, not a calling. Indeed, when we see celebrities such as Madonna changing their religion like it is a diet fad, we criticise them for it!

– Robert on Pickled Politics

In the case of Christianity, it is a gift. A gift of grace, pure unmerited favor from God. Even the faith we have is a gift of God.

– Father K on Yahoo Answers

If choice is defined broadly, then I guess religion defined narrowly is a choice.

– Arif on Pickled Politics

A mental illness.

– Gazoo on Yahoo Answers

Religion is, amongst other things, a way of programming(re-programming if you’re a convert) your head in order to experience reality in a different way, and as such adherence to a fixed set of rules and rituals is essential.

– Anas on Pickled Politics

Religions is a man-made placebo for humans.

– Alan on Yahoo Answers

Religion, like sexuality, is a constrained choice. Everyone has options, but that doesn’t mean everyone has the same options.

– Soru on Pickled Politics

All of the above.

For many it is a psychological need to believe in something bigger than oneself. It helps to make sense of things and to give one a sense of peace and ease.

It can also be a calling. If you are not brainwashed into believing a certain way and have formed your own opinion and beliefs…and one day you discover a path which has already been laid out, but follows the same beliefs that you already had….that’s a calling. To choose to continue to follow that path or to follow a path that is not the same as the one you were raise with, is a choice.

Some form an opinion all their own which has nothing to do with the religion they were raised with and just go from there. It is based on reasoning, deduction and an open mind.

– OranjTulip on Yahoo Answers

Religion SHOULD be a individual’s OWN personal choice – but unfortunately all too often it is something that is “chosen for them” by members of their family or community – often through intimidation.

For example, how many so called followers of Islam are there who aren’t “genuine” believers? (i.e, they would be prepared to sneak down to the pub for a quick pint if they thought they wouldn’t get found out).

I bet there is a fair few such people – who claim to subscribe to a certain religion because “that is what is expected of them” rather than because that is what they genuinely believe.

A most unfortunate state of affairs, I think.

– Gibs on Pickled Politics

Religion is an expression of a deep yearning for a certainty which can never exist in the real Universe.

– Los on Yahoo Answers

Religion is a man-made comforter, imperfectly describing what we are learning about the universe.

Religion is all about intimidation and power and Hollywood.

Go to any Spanish country for Good Friday and watch the street theatre with the sinners doing penance, walking the streets by torchlight, behind statues of Jesus and Mary, dressed in Klu-Klux-Klan outfits, bare-foot, the chains around their ankles dragging across the cobblestones, and you will see the frightening symbolism religion must have had in the days before Hollywood.

Religious symbolism is amateur dramatics and Hollywood.

Mix this up with our imperfect understanding of how our brains work – and that we are not well taught to question our perceptions – and we can see why we end up believing in fairytales and monsters rather than in the solidity of earth and the open space of the skies. In the west we live too much in our heads.

Inside our heads, depending on our mood at the time, we ricochet between our lower ancient reptilian brain (where we get fears of monsters from) and our more evolved, expansive, kinder, generous, socially-aware higher brain (heaven, angels, light, “enlightenment”, our good side, our better nature).

Religious stories are a useful metaphorical soap opera to motivate us to do the real work of disciplining ourselves to be more socially aware and responsible for each other.

Greed and competitiveness puts the old defensive reptilian brain in charge.

Altruism brings the more evolved “other side” to come to the fore.

Metaphorical “stories” can sometimes help us to keep going.

But let the user beware. Here be dragons! Keep your feet on the ground.

– Susanna via Email

I feel I should add a note at this point to say that if you’re unhappy with your answer being featured here, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll remove it.

For the sake of completeness, I guess I have to include the definitive answer to the question, as voted for by the Yahoo Answers community:

Religion is a choice. Your job is a calling. And you are something else.

– Fish on Yahoo Answers

Please please go ahead and read all of the comments that have been made on this subject. You can read all of the Yahoo Answers comments here, and the debate is still rumbling over at Pickled Politics. If you want to leave your own thoughts, feel free to do so using the comments facility right here on sjhoward.co.uk.

So now I’ve received all of these answers to my question, you are perhaps wondering if I’ve managed to form my own opinion on the subject. I’m sorry to report that I’m just as confused as I was when I posed the question.

The exercise has shown, clear as day, that few agree on the nature of religion. How can we hope to have a sensible debate on religion, religious laws, and religious extremist if we can’t even agree on the nature of religion itself?

For once, I’m not going to claim to have even an idea of the answer. For today at least, I’m happy to be the one posing the questions, in the hope that it will spark some consideration. I hope it has for you.

This is just a quick ‘heads-up’ to say that I have posted a comprehensive question over at Yahoo Answers about religion, which may or may not interest some of my readers and may or may not form the basis of a future post. If you think you might be interested, head on over there.

My new(ish) Toshiba laptop developed a Hard Drive fault last week. This was more than a little annoying, given that the notebook is quite new – but the world isn’t perfect, and these things sometimes go wrong, especially when new.

So I phoned their 24/7 Global Support Line on a Sunday evening. My call was answered immediately, without queueing. The lovely technical support guy agreed with me in less than five minutes that the HD needed replacing, and organised for it to be done. I was called and emailed on Monday morning to explain the process, and to give me a pick-up slot. Communication throughout was helpful, apologetic, and impeccably polite.

The laptop was packed up and picked up by the courier exactly on time, and was back with me within three days, working perfectly and with a helpful report explaining the exact action that had been taken.

I didn’t think anyone could ask for much more from Toshiba customer support given that they fixed the laptop very efficiently at absolutely no cost to myself. But Toshiba now offer a full refund if a laptop develops a fault during the first year of operation. The company has acted absolutely impeccably.

It’s something certain companies could learn from – and something that would certainly make me buy from them again.

For those who have ever wondered how cocaine is made, here’s the answer… And it’s grim.

Update: The original video is no longer available, but there’s a full report inspired by it over on the Newsnight website.

In yesterday’s Guardian, Linda Grant had a fantastic piece called Panic Stations. It’s one of those absolutely absorbing, but utterly inconsequential pieces that only the Guardian can really do. Brilliant.

…but probably not in the way you’re thinking.

As promised… Happy Birthday Coire! Hope you have a really good day!

And, in other news, apologies for the fact that the site ‘went a bit weird’ for the last twelve hours or so. I’d love to say it was someone else’s fault, but it wasn’t. It was mine. Entirely. Wrong button you see.

I always told you people like me shouldn’t have their finger on the button. Any button. Oops.

I know I claim that this is a topical blog, and the biggest (and most predictable) story of the year has just broken… Apparently, some very ill and frail (some say moribund) 69 year-old pensioner is to be hanged in a country that is claimed to be free, fair, and modern.

But, meh, it’s my blog and I’ll post crap if I want to… And anyway, it’s not like it’s the first time this guy has been sentenced to death – and it didn’t seem to do much in the 1950s. Everyone complains that ‘life’ doesn’t mean ‘life’ – it seems ‘death’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘death’, either. 😉

The release of a top-ten chart of funeral music requests got me thinking morbid thoughts a few weeks ago. The top ten, for those who missed it, were:

1. Goodbye My Lover – James Blunt
2. Angels – Robbie Williams
3. I’ve Had the Time of My Life – Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley
4. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
5. Pie Jesu – Requiem
6. Candle in the Wind – Elton John
7. With or Without You – U2
8. Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
9. Every Breath You Take – The Police
10. Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers

There’s not a one on that list that I’d want at my funeral. And it seems I’m not the only one. The blogging world has been abuzz with suggestions, from Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien and Always Look On The Bright Side of Life to Where Eagles Have Been and See You in the Next One.

But what would I want? Well, I’ve come up with a list of three. I know that’s pushing it a bit, but hey, it’s my funeral… It’s not as if I’m going to be too bothered if it drags on…

Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah:
[audio:Hallelujah2.mp3]
It’s the defining death scene song of a generation – anybody who’s anybody in anything dies to this song, to the point where it’s almost a meaningless cliché. But it’s a nice song, and kinda sets the mood for a funeral, I think.

My Chemical Romance’s Welcome to the Black Parade:
[audio:Parade2.mp3]
Pushing the boundaries of acceptable funeral music… It’s a new release, so a new one to add onto the list (bumping Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars off, I think). It says everything I’d want to say I my own funeral – remember me for who I was and what I did in life, not for how I died – however that might be! And ‘carry on’ without me.

Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now:
[audio:Stop2.mp3]
It seems so appropriate… I think I’ve wanted this ever since Jonny Kennedy had it at his funeral, so I guess it’s a tribute to him in a way. It would serve as a reflection on a happy life I’d enjoyed living. And it’s kinda upbeat, which would be nice for the end of a funeral, I think. Leave people celebrating life, not dreading death.

So there you go. That’s a cheery thought and a half. Hopefully, I’ll have an awful lot of time to be rethinking and rejigging this list in the future…!

Oh, and I’ve probably broken a gazillion copyright laws in this post, so if any record company wants anything removed, feel free to get in touch. And then I’ll write to the Daily Mail and tell them that the big bad corporation wouldn’t even let me tell people what music I wanted at my funeral. Or maybe not.