The scene around Burt's bed was the only one that made me truly uncomfortable, because it went so expressly against Kurt's wishes and as insensitive as high schoolers can be, that was a bit beyond the pale, especially since it seemed to be pointing towards this having been Mercedes' brainchild, perhaps with Carol's permission.

(BTW, I do find it plausible that something like Kurt's atheism might not have come up and yet there would still be a fair measure of closeness-- unless Burt or Carol were big church-goers and Kurt refused to go, thereby giving a legitimate excuse for the discussion/revelation to have taken place, then I don't think it's something that's going to necessarily come up as a point of conversation.)

Anyhow, from a storytelling/writing standpoint, I see why the writers did it and frankly, it was lazy as hell-- that scene served two purposes: for Rachel to sing a song with some sort of distinctive faith background for her and bring everyone around Burt's bed (inappropriate, much?) and perhaps, more importantly, to show both the viewers & his classmates that Kurt's not simply a non-believer, but that he's willing to explore outside the bounds of conventional Western religion for help and comfort (since he referred to the acupuncturist as his sikh and anyone who knows better, please correct me if I'm wrong), but the definition of a sikh is: "any human being who faithfully believes in One Immortal Being; ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Sri Guru Gobind Singh; Sri Guru Granth Sahib; the teachings of the ten Gurus and the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru; and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion"

So, from that standpoint, Kurt choosing to rely on the sikh for assistance is really no less selfish, in its way, than Finn praying to Grilled Cheesus.

I get that the writers were trying have Kurt say "I don't believe in YOUR definition of religion," and they did to a certain extent, but rather than have him declare himself a non-believer of all religion so vociferously at the beginning, and then turn to a religious practitioner later on because it was convenient (whether the acupuncture has anything to do with the religion, I have no idea, but I'm going with how the writers referred to the acupuncturist) was just stupid lazy.

Seriously, that was the one scene that raised my hackles but more for the execution than anything else.

So, from that standpoint, Kurt choosing to rely on the sikh for assistance is really no less selfish, in its way, than Finn praying to Grilled Cheesus.

I'm not sure I agree with "selfish." Spiritual, or relying on a higher power, yes. But while Kurt had very good personal reasons for wanting his father to recover (and let's face it, he is dependent on Burt), I can't see "help my father" being as selfish as "let me touch Rachel's boobs."

But the sikh was there to do acupuncture, not to pray. I'm in agreement that it was a weird element though.

I'm not sure I agree with "selfish." Spiritual, or relying on a higher power, yes.

Yeah, selfish was perhaps not the right word, but coffee hasn't kicked in yet and I couldn't quite think of what I wanted to use. There were parallels, although of course, Kurt's reasons are grounded in a more profound need sort of way, since he does need Burt and Finn doesn't exactly need to have touched Rachel's boobs.

As an aside, it's Rachel who's beginning to really get on my nerves. The charming self-absorption has devolved into a raging megalomania that's gone from funny to painful.

But the sikh was there to do acupuncture, not to pray.

But again, not knowing anything about the connection, if there is any, between the two, does the application of the medical technique have anything to do with the spiritual?

I think perhaps because it was grounded in something concrete—the actual physical act of doing something to "help" Burt, was one reason that Kurt was more willing to look to the sikh.

I don't know. I mean, I know I'm overanalyzing it to death, but it's the one thing that consistently gets me about the show-- when they do things well, they do them so very well, with nuance and subtlety, but then they too often go and blow it by taking a lazy way out. It's like the writers who put a hot and heavy sex scene when the protags are in the middle of a jungle, running away from bad guys with guns. Because really, that's the best time to have sex up against a tree.

What did Creed say after, "Be cool, Michael?.."

It sounded like, "The song was about killing a bunch of people."

But again, not knowing anything about the connection, if there is any, between the two, does the application of the medical technique have anything to do with the spiritual?

There isn't a connection. The acupuncturist happened to be a sikh.

I mean, I know I'm overanalyzing it to death

It's the Buffista way.

There isn't a connection. The acupuncturist happened to be a sikh.

I think that was deliberate, to make people/characters wonder if there was an "alternate" spiritual connection.

There isn't a connection. The acupuncturist happened to be a sikh.

And as I continue to overanalyze it to death, wouldn't he have just referred to her as his acupuncturist? Because he did clearly refer to her as his sikh later on in the episode.

Which, nitpicker that I am, was a way for Kurt to say, "I don't reject all religion, I just reject your ideas of religion because they rejected me first."

Which is fine and totally valid and rock on, Kurt, but that then doesn't make him a non-believer in the way that the writers first set out to portray him at the episode's outset.

Okay, I should just leave this alone and accept that the writers manipulated the story in the manner in which they wanted to tell it and I shouldn't worry about it making sense, because this is GLEE and it's not often with the sense-making and more importantly, it's going to drive me bananas.

And as I continue to overanalyze it to death, wouldn't he have just referred to her as his acupuncturist? Because he did clearly refer to her as his sikh later on in the episode.

Actually, she or he said she was a sikh because the prayer circle said "Muslim?" (Which happens with sikhs all the time-so I thought the joke was about assumptions).

Which, nitpicker that I am, was a way for Kurt to say, "I don't reject all religion, I just reject your ideas of religion because they rejected me first."

No, he's an atheist. It's not about rejecting something you feel left out of. It's not believing period.