I'm not religious, let me state that up front.  I do not believe in religion.  I have my reasons and my reasons are based on my life experiences and the proof that has passed before my eyes.

I do understand the role that religion can plan in the lives of some people and this can be positive.  Overall, I do not believe that religion plays a positive role overall as religions are inherently exclusive of other religions and even the very few that are not, are excluded by the rest.  So despite the potential for social good, its my view that religions do more harm than good.

Disclaimer aside I do study and pay attention to religions.  I ran across an interesting article today talking about preachers that are turning to the internet to download sermons.  Now, this seems rather practical as people turn to the internet to download wisdom and knowledge and insights all the time.  A sermon seems like a natural fit.  Its not like a college student downloading a term paper, we're talking about a sermon that is going to be spoken.  Sure its possible that someone may copyright their sermon, but how many people are going to show up at church on Sunday, listen to a sermon, recognize it as copyrighted material and turn their preacher into the Christian equivalent of the RIAA?

That doesn't seem likely to me.  But I am a writer among other things.  I was struck with the notion that I could probably write sermons.  Yes me a non-believer.  I've studied many many different religions and read many of the teachings of these religions.

I could probably write a very rousing sermon and hawk the thing on the internet.  I wouldn't even really have to sell it, just make it available for easy copying on a website and run a bunch of Adsense ads on it and monetize the sermon.  Now, I know there are lots of preachers and evangelists out there that rob their flock blind morning, noon, day and night and 8 ways to Sunday.  They're believers apparently making a fast buck on religion.  Is it any different for a non-believer to do the same thing without actually stealing anything from the flock itself?  Just passing along a moral message.  I mean lets face it, there are a lot of sick twisted and morally repugnant religious leaders out there.

Would the flock be better served by some sick twisted meth amphetamine, gay bashing preacher that's having a drug induced love affair with a gay prostitute or a normal sober guy from Suburbia with a wife and kids that has studied extensively and knows a thing or two about writing?

Maybe I need to ask myself, "What would Jesus do?"

Maybe I need to ask myself, "Is this what Jesus did?"  maybe this is how Jesus started out and before you know it a dozen or so sick twisted lotus flower eating gay bashing disciples involved in affairs with gay prostitutes started making a buck off of him and robbing the flock of all their fish?