looking for a particular lecture
there used to be a video on youtube, I believe it was titled “religion is not supposed to be taken seriously”, or at least this was the main sentiment expressed. I cannot find it for the life of me, nor can I find the name of the lecture it was originally from. All I remember from it was that he said something to the effect of:
“buy a bead, buy some incense, but for god’s sake don’t take any of it seriously.”
I think it might also have been the one where he tells a story about a woman whose kids were messing around in church, and she defends this on the grounds that they should be allowed to play in their father’s house.
Does anyone know what I’m talking about?
I found some information that aligns with what you're describing. The sentiment of not taking religion too seriously appears in the talk "Do You Do It Or Does It Do You? - How to Let the Universe Meditate You," where Alan Watts says: "On the other hand if you go into one of these temples along with all the faithful followers and have a ball, buy a bead, buy a candle, buy some incense... but don't take it seriously" 1.
The story about children playing in church is from a different lecture, "Humor in Religion [Early Radio Talks]," where Watts tells a story about an Italian mother in a church who responds to someone shocked by her children's noisy play by saying: "but it's their father's house can't they play here" 16.
These might be the elements from the lecture you remember.
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