I tell people it's my schedule, fact is that's a half truth, which means it's a lie. So I apologize to everyone at my church for saying it. Here is the truth, I was mad at a sermon. This may seem petty and shallow, but after having to comfort my sobbing child after what she heard in a sermon, I just couldn't listen anymore.
It was a few months ago, I had been going pretty regularly (this is before I had my job, my schedule really does prevent most church attendance). The preacher was preaching on families. He said a few words about equal marriage rights, I thought, I don't agree, but hey, he is allowed his opinion, I don't have to agree. Then he went on, he started talking about what a family should be. I prayed right then, please take a different path, please just SHUT-UP. I thought, why don't we have a children's church... because I knew where he was going.
See, most people in my church are Christians, married to other Christians, who home school their wonderful Christian kids. They are right wing, they are in the middle class, they are the social norm in our church. Not to say anything negative, I love the people there, they are some of the nicest people I have ever met. I feel safe among them. Some of them are my friends on Face Book, they know my stance on things. Have I ever gotten one disparaging remark, no, they are the best of the Christian community, and have cemented my love of Christ, I can't say enough good things about them.
They aren't like me in one important way though, our upbringings, our families are very different. Yes, I am unequally yoked to an Atheist, yes I am liberal in my social issues. I don't home school, we are poor, and both me and my husband come from a shady past. On this Sunday the pastor said that a home should be two Christian parents. My daughter perked up, she knows Stephen isn't Christian. He said some more on the subject, I watched her. He said non-believers went to Hell, I watched as her face fell, and tears sprang to her eyes. He said the best home is one with a Christian mother and father. She whispered something to Grandma... and that was it for me, I was angry.
So what if it's true, does my 6 year old need to hear that her Father is going to Hell, or that her parents made a mistake in getting married. Anything else the pastor had said was now washed away by my daughter's tears, and all I could hear was this sermon.
We discussed it later. So I read to her out of Corinthians
1Corinthians 7:12-14
To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
She had a ton of questions, we talked for a long time, at the end of it she wasn't much better. I understand that adults can deal with things like that, but she is all but a baby, why couldn't the man have just left that part out. I'm not sure how people will feel after they read this, but the fact is, until my daughter is old enough to deal with such painful things, I can not let her hear things that will wreck her. Things that teach her fear instead of love, hurt instead of hope. We should rejoice in faith, not be sad.
I hope in the future I get up enough courage to say all this to my pastor. I feel he is a kind man, and will try to be understanding, but part of me thinks he will laugh at me... Silly heretic, of course your daughter needs to hear her Daddy is going to Hell. I really miss my church friends, and hope I can get over this fear soon. I still wouldn't be able to make it every Sunday, but at least I wouldn't be scared to go.
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Something Wiccan this way comes.
I guess we are going to start on a sort of series on paganism. Since I grew up in the Baptist church I was taught that witchcraft is possible one of the worst sins you could commit, that scared me away from Wicca, and other 'magic' practicing belief structures. This is all new to me, so bear with me. Allie has more experience in this area, so hopefully she can fill me in.
I guess we will start with Wicca since it's the most common. Let me start by saying that Wiccans aren't Satanists, as if this needs to be said anymore, but just to be sure (and Satanists don't worship Satan). Wiccans honor the Earth, and everything on it, their Holy days are in-line with nature. Wiccans do, however, practice a form of magic. The creation of Wicca is fairly new, the various branches of Wicca can be traced back to Gardnerian Witchcraft which was founded in the U.K. in the 1940's. Here are some basic beliefs.
Everyone has the divine (or goddess) within.
One should develop natural gifts for divination or occult magic (often spelled 'magick' by occultists.)
Divine forces or nature spirits are invoked in rituals.
The Goddess, as either a symbol or a real entity, is the focus of worship.
Nature and the earth are sacred manifestations of the Goddess.
Everyone has his or her own spiritual path to follow.
Rituals and celebrations are linked to the seasons and moon phases.
Meditation, visualization, invocation (calling on forces or gods/goddesses), chanting, burning candles and special rituals trigger a sense of the mystical, thus reinforcing the core belief system.
These seem to be accurate, but my research was done on the Internet, so I'm sure it is flawed :). There are many forms of Wicca, some choose to believe in one God/Goddess, both, or they can be polytheistic. Wicca can also be Atheistic, as in they believe that the Gods/Goddesses are symbolic of nature. As I see it one of the most misunderstood things about Wicca is the Pentagram symbol. When I was a child I noticed that it is was also the symbol for the Eastern Star portion of Masonry (I will study this further, but I just wanted to point it out). However in that form the star is upside down. I remember my childhood friends being terrified of this symbol. At a young age I read a book my Dad had on religion and realized that it was a symbol of blessing, when I tried to convince my Christian friends that it was not evil, they got angry at me. The Pentagram or Pentacle is also a symbol of protection, and can be carried much like Christian would carry a cross or rosary.
One of the issues with Paganism as a whole, and specifically Wicca, is that it was a 'flavor of the month' religion through much of the 90's. Teenage girls did it to piss of Daddy, people thought it made them enlightened or spiritual. When asked about their religion though, they had little knowledge. Me and Allie believe this belittled the religion as a whole, and it is still recovering from the image of being a passing craze.
One of the things we can all enjoy about Wiccans is their stance on the Golden Rule. http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/rede.htm here is a website for the full Wiccan Rede. It states that you should harm no one, live and let live, and give back what you take. These are great principles for anyone.
As opposed to other religons Wicca seems to be fairly innocuous, which is always a good thing. They celebrate gender equality. Some feel homosexuality is an affront to the God/Goddess, although many others disagree. They don't have a book that is like the Bible to them, they have a few instructional books, but no main doctrine. They don't have a unified view on the after life, generally they believe in an after life... reincarnation, a Heaven type plain called the Summerland. Before they can go to the Summerland however they go to a purgatory like place, where their Karmic slate is wiped clean, then they can choose to enter Heaven, or be reincarnated (the Celtic tradition of Wicca). They are generally left wing affiliated. Like most things in the Wiccan faith, Abortion is pretty up in the air. Their believes are so varied from one type to the other, that it is hard to have any definitive answers.
These are just the basics, there are many facets of this religion, and in one Blog page it would be impossible to describe them all accurately.
Here are a few links
http://paganmurmur.blogspot.com/2011/11/10-things-about-wicca-that-wiccans.html
http://www.controverscial.com/The%2013%20Principles%20of%20Wiccan%20Belief.htm
http://www.wiccanbookofshadows.50megs.com/
I guess we will start with Wicca since it's the most common. Let me start by saying that Wiccans aren't Satanists, as if this needs to be said anymore, but just to be sure (and Satanists don't worship Satan). Wiccans honor the Earth, and everything on it, their Holy days are in-line with nature. Wiccans do, however, practice a form of magic. The creation of Wicca is fairly new, the various branches of Wicca can be traced back to Gardnerian Witchcraft which was founded in the U.K. in the 1940's. Here are some basic beliefs.
Everyone has the divine (or goddess) within.
One should develop natural gifts for divination or occult magic (often spelled 'magick' by occultists.)
Divine forces or nature spirits are invoked in rituals.
The Goddess, as either a symbol or a real entity, is the focus of worship.
Nature and the earth are sacred manifestations of the Goddess.
Everyone has his or her own spiritual path to follow.
Rituals and celebrations are linked to the seasons and moon phases.
Meditation, visualization, invocation (calling on forces or gods/goddesses), chanting, burning candles and special rituals trigger a sense of the mystical, thus reinforcing the core belief system.
These seem to be accurate, but my research was done on the Internet, so I'm sure it is flawed :). There are many forms of Wicca, some choose to believe in one God/Goddess, both, or they can be polytheistic. Wicca can also be Atheistic, as in they believe that the Gods/Goddesses are symbolic of nature. As I see it one of the most misunderstood things about Wicca is the Pentagram symbol. When I was a child I noticed that it is was also the symbol for the Eastern Star portion of Masonry (I will study this further, but I just wanted to point it out). However in that form the star is upside down. I remember my childhood friends being terrified of this symbol. At a young age I read a book my Dad had on religion and realized that it was a symbol of blessing, when I tried to convince my Christian friends that it was not evil, they got angry at me. The Pentagram or Pentacle is also a symbol of protection, and can be carried much like Christian would carry a cross or rosary.
One of the issues with Paganism as a whole, and specifically Wicca, is that it was a 'flavor of the month' religion through much of the 90's. Teenage girls did it to piss of Daddy, people thought it made them enlightened or spiritual. When asked about their religion though, they had little knowledge. Me and Allie believe this belittled the religion as a whole, and it is still recovering from the image of being a passing craze.
One of the things we can all enjoy about Wiccans is their stance on the Golden Rule. http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/rede.htm here is a website for the full Wiccan Rede. It states that you should harm no one, live and let live, and give back what you take. These are great principles for anyone.
As opposed to other religons Wicca seems to be fairly innocuous, which is always a good thing. They celebrate gender equality. Some feel homosexuality is an affront to the God/Goddess, although many others disagree. They don't have a book that is like the Bible to them, they have a few instructional books, but no main doctrine. They don't have a unified view on the after life, generally they believe in an after life... reincarnation, a Heaven type plain called the Summerland. Before they can go to the Summerland however they go to a purgatory like place, where their Karmic slate is wiped clean, then they can choose to enter Heaven, or be reincarnated (the Celtic tradition of Wicca). They are generally left wing affiliated. Like most things in the Wiccan faith, Abortion is pretty up in the air. Their believes are so varied from one type to the other, that it is hard to have any definitive answers.
These are just the basics, there are many facets of this religion, and in one Blog page it would be impossible to describe them all accurately.
Here are a few links
http://paganmurmur.blogspot.com/2011/11/10-things-about-wicca-that-wiccans.html
http://www.controverscial.com/The%2013%20Principles%20of%20Wiccan%20Belief.htm
http://www.wiccanbookofshadows.50megs.com/
Saturday, December 24, 2011
An all inclusive Merry Christmas
I wanted to say Merry Christmas. I include everyone in this, Muslim, Jew, Atheist, Pagan, Agnostic, Atheist. I hope everyone has an excellent day tomorrow. I know it will be hard, it's a pretty stressful day for those of us who celebrate, and for those who don't, you are probably pretty tired of hearing about it.
For my fellow Christians I hope and pray that you will find yourself renewed after this holiday, it doesn't have to be a new year to start something new. I pray that everyone who believes how I do will proclaim that Jesus meant for us to love everyone, he excluded no one. If we all start acting in love, imagine the revival that could happen. If anything this holiday should remind us that gifts come in all sorts of ways. I have nothing to give others, monetarily, but I try and give my time and support. I hope that we can all give some sort of gift this year, something not in a wrapping. It sounds silly, but the most important gift we can give is to those who don't believe as us. We can give love and acceptance. We can practice what we preach. We can also show that our lives can be joyous through Jesus. We can accept the Atheist who lives next to us, or the Muslim who assures us that they want nothing but peace. I hope we can all change our ways.
To those who don't celebrate. I know some Pagan's do, but I include you in this. I am sorry for every Christian who has ever been rude, hurtful, forceful, or just mean. I pray that everyone around you accepts you for who you are. I pray that people learn all about you before they say anything negative. I pray that people can find peace with themselves so they can stop hating people because they are different. I hope that those around you can see that they can think you are wrong, while still showing the respect that all people deserve.
I pray for my best friend who is now Muslim, that everyone accepts you, and that I continue to see that new light you have. I know we don't believe the same, but what you have done is amazing. I pray for other friends of mine who have lost touch with the religion of your childhood. I am so sorry that people made you hate something that is meant to be a beautiful gift. I know in my heart that one day whoever jaded you against Jesus will have to answer for that. I also pray for them, sometimes people think they are doing what is right, even when they are making a tragic mistake.
I know some people may not like the idea that I am praying for them, but why not, I don't think it can hurt anything. I hope that even if you don't celebrate you get to spend a nice day with your families, or with whoever you choose to celebrate with. I hope that soon people can educate themselves before condemning those who choose to do something different on December 25th. I would also like to apologize to anyone who I have offended, I hope I can fix it.
Merry Christmas, I hope that doesn't offend you. :) Sara
For my fellow Christians I hope and pray that you will find yourself renewed after this holiday, it doesn't have to be a new year to start something new. I pray that everyone who believes how I do will proclaim that Jesus meant for us to love everyone, he excluded no one. If we all start acting in love, imagine the revival that could happen. If anything this holiday should remind us that gifts come in all sorts of ways. I have nothing to give others, monetarily, but I try and give my time and support. I hope that we can all give some sort of gift this year, something not in a wrapping. It sounds silly, but the most important gift we can give is to those who don't believe as us. We can give love and acceptance. We can practice what we preach. We can also show that our lives can be joyous through Jesus. We can accept the Atheist who lives next to us, or the Muslim who assures us that they want nothing but peace. I hope we can all change our ways.
To those who don't celebrate. I know some Pagan's do, but I include you in this. I am sorry for every Christian who has ever been rude, hurtful, forceful, or just mean. I pray that everyone around you accepts you for who you are. I pray that people learn all about you before they say anything negative. I pray that people can find peace with themselves so they can stop hating people because they are different. I hope that those around you can see that they can think you are wrong, while still showing the respect that all people deserve.
I pray for my best friend who is now Muslim, that everyone accepts you, and that I continue to see that new light you have. I know we don't believe the same, but what you have done is amazing. I pray for other friends of mine who have lost touch with the religion of your childhood. I am so sorry that people made you hate something that is meant to be a beautiful gift. I know in my heart that one day whoever jaded you against Jesus will have to answer for that. I also pray for them, sometimes people think they are doing what is right, even when they are making a tragic mistake.
I know some people may not like the idea that I am praying for them, but why not, I don't think it can hurt anything. I hope that even if you don't celebrate you get to spend a nice day with your families, or with whoever you choose to celebrate with. I hope that soon people can educate themselves before condemning those who choose to do something different on December 25th. I would also like to apologize to anyone who I have offended, I hope I can fix it.
Merry Christmas, I hope that doesn't offend you. :) Sara
Monday, December 19, 2011
Intolerant of Intolerance
Judgement is wrong... no matter who you worship. This is a solid belief I have developed over many years. As humans we judge on face value, it is pretty natural, although some people have disciplined themselves through the years to see past this. I have been in many conversations lately where the subject of ALL Muslims being one way, or ALL Christians being one way, has been brought up. The fact is that people who are religious are just as diverse as those who aren't. There are Christians who are militant loonies that hate everyone who doesn't believe in Jesus, there are Christians who don't really give a crap what you believe, and their are Christians who will fight for the respect of everyone, no matter the affiliation. The same can be said for people of any faith, or lack of.
I have in fact been judged on some of my Facebook posts, and this blog. People of my own faith say that I may be leading people astray. I didn't want to have to put at the end of every post a disclaimer that says *Hey, still believe in Jesus*. I didn't know my faith was in question. The point of this whole thing was to talk about me and my friends mutual dislike of religious intolerance. That said we dislike all intolerance, gay, black, Muslim... who cares. Why must people fight the same battle for equal rights over and over.
I am honestly interested in the points of view of most people. I enjoy stories about why people became Atheist, Jewish, and on and on. I like to learn about other peoples perspectives and ways of life. I however do not like people mocking me for mine. It is better to be respectful, offering comfort and support will win over more friendships than anything else. I once again bring up the Muslim community. It is wrong to assume that all Muslims hate everyone but people of their own religion. It's not fair to assume that when they say they are moderate they are always lying. Did you read the Quran, cause I did, I saw little hate, even towards the end. People assured me it was there, I must of missed it. How many Muslims do you personally know? Where they grinning gleefully on September 12th, 2001? Does Fox news tell us what to think now, do the members of the GOP. I think not, I have the ability to draw my own conclusions, and I conclude that most people treat others as they want to be treated. If I show enough respect, people will eventually begin to respect me. If people see a change in me because of my faith, they will eventually ask why if they care to know. I don't have to pop em in the head with the Bible every morning. It is hard to not show biased towards Christianity, it's part of who I am, but I want to show that some Christians can be moderate. For anyone from my family or church who reads this blog... *Hey I still believe in Jesus*. I won't condemn others though. I have never said that I believe other religions or correct, I just believe that they deserve respect and consideration.
I have in fact been judged on some of my Facebook posts, and this blog. People of my own faith say that I may be leading people astray. I didn't want to have to put at the end of every post a disclaimer that says *Hey, still believe in Jesus*. I didn't know my faith was in question. The point of this whole thing was to talk about me and my friends mutual dislike of religious intolerance. That said we dislike all intolerance, gay, black, Muslim... who cares. Why must people fight the same battle for equal rights over and over.
I am honestly interested in the points of view of most people. I enjoy stories about why people became Atheist, Jewish, and on and on. I like to learn about other peoples perspectives and ways of life. I however do not like people mocking me for mine. It is better to be respectful, offering comfort and support will win over more friendships than anything else. I once again bring up the Muslim community. It is wrong to assume that all Muslims hate everyone but people of their own religion. It's not fair to assume that when they say they are moderate they are always lying. Did you read the Quran, cause I did, I saw little hate, even towards the end. People assured me it was there, I must of missed it. How many Muslims do you personally know? Where they grinning gleefully on September 12th, 2001? Does Fox news tell us what to think now, do the members of the GOP. I think not, I have the ability to draw my own conclusions, and I conclude that most people treat others as they want to be treated. If I show enough respect, people will eventually begin to respect me. If people see a change in me because of my faith, they will eventually ask why if they care to know. I don't have to pop em in the head with the Bible every morning. It is hard to not show biased towards Christianity, it's part of who I am, but I want to show that some Christians can be moderate. For anyone from my family or church who reads this blog... *Hey I still believe in Jesus*. I won't condemn others though. I have never said that I believe other religions or correct, I just believe that they deserve respect and consideration.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The modern day disbeleiver
It has recently been brought to my attention that all Christians are arrogant about their faith... In response to this I will do a blog about Atheism, the facts as I know them, and the fact that I don't believe ALL Christians are arrogant.
Some Questions
What do Atheists believe in?
Do Atheists have a certain book they follow more than others?
Do any Atheists doubt their faith?
So where did we come from?
What if you are wrong?
Are Atheist moral, good people?
Don't you believe all faiths are valid?
Why, if it's not a religion, do some Atheists seem to feel the need to make me believe like them?
So Atheism is a nutshell, they don't believe that any Gods exist. When someone is healed, thank the doctor not God. This seems to be another principle that they believe in. I for one think that both need a thanks, that doctor did attend medical school, residency, and many other upkeep courses, Christian, Wicca, Atheist, the doctor should get his due. They generally believe that the death of their brain means that when they die they are just gone. They believe that if you live a fulfilling life this is no tragedy.
They obviously have no Holy book, but one of the top books seems to be The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. He intelligently defends evolution, and blames Religion for much of the troubles in our world.
Imagine, with John Lennon, a world with no religion. Imagine no suicide bombers, no 9/11, no 7/7, no Crusades, no witch-hunts, no Gunpowder Plot, no Indian partition, no Israeli/Palestinian wars, no Serb/Croat/Muslim massacres, no persecution of Jews as ‘Christ-killers’, no Northern Ireland ‘troubles’, no ‘honour killings’, no shiny-suited bouffant-haired televangelists fleecing gullible people of their money (‘God wants you to give till it hurts’). Imagine no Taliban to blow up ancient statues, no public {2} beheadings of blasphemers, no flogging of female skin for the crime of showing an inch of it. Incidentally, my colleague Desmond Morris informs me that John Lennon's magnificent song is sometimes performed in America with the phrase ‘and no religion too’ expurgated. One version even has the effrontery to change it to ‘and one religion too’
The author goes on to say that of course religion doesn't cause all violence and war. Many other factors can incite violence. I can agree with him on that. I read a good portion of the book, it is fairly interesting, but it didn't change my mind any.
Some Atheists believe that people are allowed to have their own point of view, they validate other beliefs. There are however Atheists who believe that any other view is stupid. They say that praying to God is equal to praying to a milk jug, it has the same odds of making something happen. I'm sure that some doubt their faith just like people of other religions do. A friend told me that they are probably inclined to doubt their faith in foxholes and on deathbeds. I say that if they are so convinced of their faith that they won't admit to any doubt, that they are either lying, or crazy.
Most Atheists seem to subscribe to the no one knows answer when asked about where we came from. This I feel is an honest answer, since no one really knows. Science has theory, so does religion, but it is impossible to prove. Most believe in some form of evolution. Atheist subscribe to science as a sort of belief structure and belief that religion is like science backwards. Science works from data to find an answer, religion starts at the Bible and works back to the building blocks. I believe that not all Christians are disbelievers (after all you can't really dispute some science) when it comes to science, they can be compatible on most points. Atheists reject all ideas of intelligent design.
I have heard it said that if an Atheist is wrong, they hope that whatever God happens to exist judges them on their merit and not lack of faith in said God. I think this is sort of circular logic since they don't believe in God. I guess that if they are wrong it just sucks to be them. However if they are right the people who are religious around the world still face no punishment, so I guess if they are right then we are still good.
Are Atheists moral? I guess the answer would obviously be, that depends. Like Judaism or Paganism there is the good and the bad. Stephen (Sara's husband) is moral, yet he has no book or belief structure telling him to be. He is a great father, and is helpful to those in need. If an Atheist is logical they will see that being kind to others has the best payoff. They also seem for the most part to follow the Golden Rule. Of course there are Atheist murderers, pedophiles, and bigots, but I figure the majority are just nice people who don't believe in God.
at least be kind to me. I can respect you without believing as you do, it is possible. Atheists who act as zealots are no better than any other zealot.
So Atheism isn't a religion? If its not, why do they have such a need to make me disbelieve in God. An Atheist zealot who says that all religious people are stupid is as bad as a Christian who calls Atheists names and attacks them. I understand that some religious people shove their belief on you, but not all of us are like that. I can hear you are Atheist once, and get it, you don't have to say it 20 times. You probably aren't going to change my mind, just like I'm not going to change yours. I am of the opinion that most Atheists have had some sort of falling out with religion.They may have grown up in a fire and brimstone household, and told their questions where dumb. In that case I can see where you are coming from, all questions of a child should be addressed with the most logical answer that they can understand. Some Atheists I'm sure just come to the logical (to them) answer that there is no God, others are raised that way.
I think the understanding is that most people have different opinions, and a fight is not the same as a debate.
de·bate (d-bt) f
v. de·bat·ed, de·bat·ing, de·bates
v.intr.
1. To consider something; deliberate.
2. To engage in argument by discussing opposing points.
3. To engage in a formal discussion or argument.
fight (f
t)
1. A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons.
2. A quarrel or conflict.
I do think Atheists are wrong, but I don't think that they are bad people, or that they should be talked down to. I believe that Jesus was God and that he came down to save me from sin. It may seem silly to some, but if it helps me through hard times and makes me happy, then how is it wrong. Also come judgement day I get to do an I was right dance <joke>. I do hope through this blog that I can maybe make people think, realize that everyone is a person, and maybe hate less. Some of the smartest people I know don't subscribe to a religion, but religious people are intelligent to. All points have validity and should be considered, bigotry is never the answer.
Some Questions
What do Atheists believe in?
Do Atheists have a certain book they follow more than others?
Do any Atheists doubt their faith?
So where did we come from?
What if you are wrong?
Are Atheist moral, good people?
Don't you believe all faiths are valid?
Why, if it's not a religion, do some Atheists seem to feel the need to make me believe like them?
So Atheism is a nutshell, they don't believe that any Gods exist. When someone is healed, thank the doctor not God. This seems to be another principle that they believe in. I for one think that both need a thanks, that doctor did attend medical school, residency, and many other upkeep courses, Christian, Wicca, Atheist, the doctor should get his due. They generally believe that the death of their brain means that when they die they are just gone. They believe that if you live a fulfilling life this is no tragedy.
They obviously have no Holy book, but one of the top books seems to be The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. He intelligently defends evolution, and blames Religion for much of the troubles in our world.
Imagine, with John Lennon, a world with no religion. Imagine no suicide bombers, no 9/11, no 7/7, no Crusades, no witch-hunts, no Gunpowder Plot, no Indian partition, no Israeli/Palestinian wars, no Serb/Croat/Muslim massacres, no persecution of Jews as ‘Christ-killers’, no Northern Ireland ‘troubles’, no ‘honour killings’, no shiny-suited bouffant-haired televangelists fleecing gullible people of their money (‘God wants you to give till it hurts’). Imagine no Taliban to blow up ancient statues, no public {2} beheadings of blasphemers, no flogging of female skin for the crime of showing an inch of it. Incidentally, my colleague Desmond Morris informs me that John Lennon's magnificent song is sometimes performed in America with the phrase ‘and no religion too’ expurgated. One version even has the effrontery to change it to ‘and one religion too’
The author goes on to say that of course religion doesn't cause all violence and war. Many other factors can incite violence. I can agree with him on that. I read a good portion of the book, it is fairly interesting, but it didn't change my mind any.
Some Atheists believe that people are allowed to have their own point of view, they validate other beliefs. There are however Atheists who believe that any other view is stupid. They say that praying to God is equal to praying to a milk jug, it has the same odds of making something happen. I'm sure that some doubt their faith just like people of other religions do. A friend told me that they are probably inclined to doubt their faith in foxholes and on deathbeds. I say that if they are so convinced of their faith that they won't admit to any doubt, that they are either lying, or crazy.
Most Atheists seem to subscribe to the no one knows answer when asked about where we came from. This I feel is an honest answer, since no one really knows. Science has theory, so does religion, but it is impossible to prove. Most believe in some form of evolution. Atheist subscribe to science as a sort of belief structure and belief that religion is like science backwards. Science works from data to find an answer, religion starts at the Bible and works back to the building blocks. I believe that not all Christians are disbelievers (after all you can't really dispute some science) when it comes to science, they can be compatible on most points. Atheists reject all ideas of intelligent design.
I have heard it said that if an Atheist is wrong, they hope that whatever God happens to exist judges them on their merit and not lack of faith in said God. I think this is sort of circular logic since they don't believe in God. I guess that if they are wrong it just sucks to be them. However if they are right the people who are religious around the world still face no punishment, so I guess if they are right then we are still good.
Are Atheists moral? I guess the answer would obviously be, that depends. Like Judaism or Paganism there is the good and the bad. Stephen (Sara's husband) is moral, yet he has no book or belief structure telling him to be. He is a great father, and is helpful to those in need. If an Atheist is logical they will see that being kind to others has the best payoff. They also seem for the most part to follow the Golden Rule. Of course there are Atheist murderers, pedophiles, and bigots, but I figure the majority are just nice people who don't believe in God.
at least be kind to me. I can respect you without believing as you do, it is possible. Atheists who act as zealots are no better than any other zealot.
So Atheism isn't a religion? If its not, why do they have such a need to make me disbelieve in God. An Atheist zealot who says that all religious people are stupid is as bad as a Christian who calls Atheists names and attacks them. I understand that some religious people shove their belief on you, but not all of us are like that. I can hear you are Atheist once, and get it, you don't have to say it 20 times. You probably aren't going to change my mind, just like I'm not going to change yours. I am of the opinion that most Atheists have had some sort of falling out with religion.They may have grown up in a fire and brimstone household, and told their questions where dumb. In that case I can see where you are coming from, all questions of a child should be addressed with the most logical answer that they can understand. Some Atheists I'm sure just come to the logical (to them) answer that there is no God, others are raised that way.
I think the understanding is that most people have different opinions, and a fight is not the same as a debate.
de·bate (d-bt) f
v. de·bat·ed, de·bat·ing, de·bates
v.intr.
1. To consider something; deliberate.
2. To engage in argument by discussing opposing points.
3. To engage in a formal discussion or argument.
fight (f
t) 1. A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons.
2. A quarrel or conflict.
I do think Atheists are wrong, but I don't think that they are bad people, or that they should be talked down to. I believe that Jesus was God and that he came down to save me from sin. It may seem silly to some, but if it helps me through hard times and makes me happy, then how is it wrong. Also come judgement day I get to do an I was right dance <joke>. I do hope through this blog that I can maybe make people think, realize that everyone is a person, and maybe hate less. Some of the smartest people I know don't subscribe to a religion, but religious people are intelligent to. All points have validity and should be considered, bigotry is never the answer.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
If you don't like it stop reading
At 6 am this morning I realized no sleep was coming to me. Andrew had been awake off and on with his awful cough (I can't believe he is almost a year old). Kaitlyn was asleep in our bed, constantly contorting into a position that allowed her to kick me in the head no matter how many times I righted her... and I got to thinking. Thinking about my kids, and the future of their world.
I read an essay today that really moved me, it is by a man named Qasim Rashid, a man who truly has my respect... please don't continue with my blog until you have read the link.
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/84654/
What I didn't know before I started this whole blog thing is that there are 4 types of Muslims, kind of like Catholic vs. Baptist vs. Church of Christ. There is the Sunni comprising somewhere around 80% of Muslims. The Shi'a... about 10% of Muslims. The Sufi, which are like a mystic movement in the Muslim community, like the Kabbalah and Judaism. There are also the Amadiyya Muslims, their motto seems to be Peace for All, Hate for None. Unfortunately they suffer great persecution because in their home of Pakistan they aren't considered 'real' Muslims. These are the basic basics as I understand them. I think it must sometimes be sad to be one of the Amadiyya Muslims though, persecuted in your home country, and in America where people lump you in with the terrorist set, especially if your skin happens to be brown.
When I grew up I was sheltered from most of the hate in the world, and I am thankful for this. It is hard however to go to sleep as a child in a accepting, hopeful, loving country, and to wake as an adult in the bigoted, hateful, scared place America has become. It hurts me because I love this country so much.
There is hope out there though, hope that our next set of leaders will be led by God, and not just use him as another stepping stone to get into office. Hope that more people like the man who wrote that essay are out there, writing, and praying, to whatever God they believe in, and in whatever way they believe they should. Praying that the pen really is mightier than the sword.
I hope my children wake up as adults in a world where the government doesn't make all our decisions for us, like who should be allowed to get married. Into a country where your skin color doesn't matter, after all how long have we been fighting that same battle. I'm scared that the return to extreme racism is right around the corner, the difference will be the skin pigmentation of the people drinking out of the 'colored' water fountain. A segregation of religion along with color may be coming.
I am no one, I never have been, I try to be a good person, but I don't even give that 100% of the time. It seems to me though that the meaning of having good morals has been lost, and that other Christians are reading a different Bible than I am, because we have been showing people our worst side. Why would people want to be Christian when we show them alcoholism, drug use, promiscuity, hatefulness, bigotry, pride, and a number of other sins.
In this country fear mongering has taken the place of kindness and hope. I don't want to sit in a drum circle and sing Kumbaya, but I'm worried that if this crap continues one day my kids will wake up in a place where people are having to hide behind bookcases in secret rooms like Anne Frank.
First they came for the communists,
I read an essay today that really moved me, it is by a man named Qasim Rashid, a man who truly has my respect... please don't continue with my blog until you have read the link.
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/84654/
What I didn't know before I started this whole blog thing is that there are 4 types of Muslims, kind of like Catholic vs. Baptist vs. Church of Christ. There is the Sunni comprising somewhere around 80% of Muslims. The Shi'a... about 10% of Muslims. The Sufi, which are like a mystic movement in the Muslim community, like the Kabbalah and Judaism. There are also the Amadiyya Muslims, their motto seems to be Peace for All, Hate for None. Unfortunately they suffer great persecution because in their home of Pakistan they aren't considered 'real' Muslims. These are the basic basics as I understand them. I think it must sometimes be sad to be one of the Amadiyya Muslims though, persecuted in your home country, and in America where people lump you in with the terrorist set, especially if your skin happens to be brown.
When I grew up I was sheltered from most of the hate in the world, and I am thankful for this. It is hard however to go to sleep as a child in a accepting, hopeful, loving country, and to wake as an adult in the bigoted, hateful, scared place America has become. It hurts me because I love this country so much.
There is hope out there though, hope that our next set of leaders will be led by God, and not just use him as another stepping stone to get into office. Hope that more people like the man who wrote that essay are out there, writing, and praying, to whatever God they believe in, and in whatever way they believe they should. Praying that the pen really is mightier than the sword.
I hope my children wake up as adults in a world where the government doesn't make all our decisions for us, like who should be allowed to get married. Into a country where your skin color doesn't matter, after all how long have we been fighting that same battle. I'm scared that the return to extreme racism is right around the corner, the difference will be the skin pigmentation of the people drinking out of the 'colored' water fountain. A segregation of religion along with color may be coming.
I am no one, I never have been, I try to be a good person, but I don't even give that 100% of the time. It seems to me though that the meaning of having good morals has been lost, and that other Christians are reading a different Bible than I am, because we have been showing people our worst side. Why would people want to be Christian when we show them alcoholism, drug use, promiscuity, hatefulness, bigotry, pride, and a number of other sins.
In this country fear mongering has taken the place of kindness and hope. I don't want to sit in a drum circle and sing Kumbaya, but I'm worried that if this crap continues one day my kids will wake up in a place where people are having to hide behind bookcases in secret rooms like Anne Frank.
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
This is a famous statement made during the Nazi rise to power, and it still speaks volumes. Christian persecution (even by other Christians) is just a blink away, and if we don't stand up for others, then why would they ever stand up for us...
Sara
Sara
Monday, December 5, 2011
Law and Order... Bump Bump
Sharia Law (meaning path in Arabic)
These words seem to have become synonymous with evil in our society. What people don't understand is that other religions, and cultures on American soil sometimes have their own laws and courts. Oklahoma recently ran into some trouble by banning Sharia Law, what they didn't realize is that this new rule prevented sovereign Indian reservations from operating their system of law. What confuses me is why people are so fearful of Sharia Law, yet they know nothing of Canon Law or Halakha Law, if you are going to fear one, you should really fear all three.
Sharia Law is the system of law and punishment meant to govern the Islamic religion. It is not only for middle easterners, but also the many Muslims of other nationalities, including the many white American Muslims on our own soil. It has been mutilated and made into something sickening by regional laws, such as that of the Taliban, but the actual rules aren't any worse than something strait out of the Bible. Don't let the zealots from the middle east confuse you, the actual rules of Sharia are a lot like Mosaic law. In many Muslim countries, and here, Sharia is only for inter community disputes. In the Quran it says that there should always be a separation of church and state, and also no compulsion in religion (I have personally read the Quran, so don't tell to go read it).
The laws govern worship, contracts, morals, manners, beliefs, and punishments. A lot of Sharia Law is basically about the necessity of pilgrimage and prayer, it also goes in depth about inheritances and marital dowry's. Marriage is also a big section of Sharia, most of the rules are like that of the Bible, no adultery, no sex outside of marriage, you are supposed to marry someone of your own religion (these things are also stated in the New Testament of the Bible). A lot of it is just common sense, basically, have good morals, treat others right, and so on.
Sharia Law empathises cleanliness, you are supposed to be physically clean when you pray, so that you can become spiritually clean. This is also part of Mosaic law in the Old Testament. Fasting is covered in the laws, like during the month of Ramadan, you fast from food, drink, and sex from dawn till dusk. (Pregnant women, nursing women, prepubescent children, and sick people don't have to fast).
Polygamy is allowed if there is more women than men in the area who need to be supported, but one of the laws in the Quran is to follow the law of the land you live in, so this isn't allowed in many areas. Divorce is allowed under certain circumstances, as is remarriage.
One of the things that westerners fear about Sharia is the punishments. Sharia law is very strict, and many things are punishable by death under this set of laws, but if you read the Bible you will find that punishments are usually swift and severe under Mosaic and New Testament law. The death sentence is used, and works pretty well as a deterrent.
From a link In sharia, there are categories of offenses: those that are prescribed a specific punishment in the Quran, known as hadd punishments, those that fall under a judge's discretion, and those resolved through a tit-for-tat measure (ie., blood money paid to the family of a murder victim). There are five hadd crimes: unlawful sexual intercourse (sex outside of marriage and adultery), false accusation of unlawful sexual intercourse, wine drinking (sometimes extended to include all alcohol drinking), theft, and highway robbery. Punishments for hadd offenses--flogging, stoning, amputation, exile, or execution--get a significant amount of media attention when they occur. These sentences are not often prescribed, however. "In reality, most Muslim countries do not use traditional classical Islamic punishments," says Ali Mazrui of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies in a Voice of America interview. These punishments remain on the books in some countries but lesser penalties are often considered sufficient
http://www.cfr.org/religion/islam-governing-under-sharia/p8034
However honor killings are against the holy law of the Quran. Also laws for sexual indiscretion are the same for male and female. It is purely the regional acts of countries like Pakistan and Jordan that have so thoroughly terrified Americans.
I understand that people tend to twist things the way they want them to be, Muslims do it and so do we. I am not saying that I think Sharia law should be allowed to govern our country, a separation of church and state is a must have. I'm saying that you should do more actual research before you look at a girl with a scarf on her head and feel pity for her, she has chosen her own way, at least she has in this country, of course we should pray for women in other countries who aren't allowed to make these decisions. I just hope that people can come to understand that you shouldn't believe everything you are told, it is almost impossible to find an actual FACT on the internet, don't hate just because people tell you to.
Halakha Law (the path that one walks in Hebrew)
The Torah (and some Rabbinical laws, also laws from the Mishna and Talmud) is the basis for Halakha law, it is based on God's covenant law. Jewish citizens are only bound to Halakha law by their own consent, this differs from Cannon and Sharia law. Currently in Israel certain areas are under the authority of Rabbinic law which is much the same of Halakha law. In the U.S. it is sometimes used to cover inter community disputes. Here in Texas we don't hear much about this, Judaism doesn't seem to be very popular in south, so we had to do a lot of research, I couldn't seem to find a real Jew to ask about this stuff.
Another difference between these 3 systems are that Canon and Sharia are only for the followers of their religion. Halakha law is actually meant to be universal, or for everyone who survived the flood (meaning a descendant of Noah). There is no central Halakhic authority, instead it is used on it's own in Jewish communities. This is especially true since for a millennium the Jews had no country. Sharia and Canon law had the benefit of a country to unite the people and standardize the rules.
Finding facts about this governing system was really hard. There are so many rules that it is insane, so we posted a link that shows them. They have rules on how to eat meat, how to diet, how to have sex.... pretty much everything. Due to the difficulty we had researching this we may have to add more about it when we start our study on Judaism. So this is quite a bit shorter than the others.If anyone reads this and can find a link, or knows a Jew, that would be really helpful. If you have any info please comment or email us.
Here is a link, because they have tons of laws.
http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm
Canon Law
Pope John Paul II said that canon law "is in no way intended as a substitute for faith, grace, charisms, and especially charity in the life of the Church and of the faithful. On the contrary, its purpose is rather to create such an order in the ecclesial society that, while assigning the primacy love, grace, and charisms, it at the same time renders their organic development easier in the life of both the ecclesial society and the individual persons who belong to it."
This is the body of laws that the catholic church follows. I find this law to be the worst of them, but that's mainly because when a priest commits a sexual crime they just shuttle them off to a new parish and forget about it. That is my own personal opinion about it, and it's probably just because it is so often in the media. Like Sharia, Canon law is not voluntary, all Catholics are subject to this system of laws.
Canon law began with rules known as "canons" adopted by the apostles at the council of Jerusalem in the first century. Since then it has developed into a highly complex legal system. Including not just the New Testament, but also elements of the Old Testament, Roman law, Visgothic ideals, Saxon, and Celtic legal traditions. In the early church the first canons where decreed by Bishops that had united in separate councils. Over time they became a united council and started meeting in Rome. Basically if people had problems with their laws the response was 'Rome has spoken so shove it'. Later the Canons where gathered into collections, some official (from Rome itself), and some unofficial (from different Diocese). The first truly systematic collection was assembled in the 11th century. By the 19th century this body of legislation included 10,000 different laws, which is difficult to follow due to constant changes in circumstances and in practice.
The problem with Canon law is that it is sometimes allowed to trump criminal laws in a lot of countries, ours being one of them. While everyone is pitching a hissy fit about Sharia, catholics who commit crimes are allowed to get off with almost no punishment. The courts of the Vatican have no DNA testing, no enforcement mechanisms, and no public hearings. The most severe punishment is excommunication, which really is not comparable to imprisonment or the death penalty. Those found guilty of child molestation have to undergo spiritual exercises, which really doesn't cut it at all in our opinion. Why our country continues to turn these people over to Canon law is a mystery to me.
Saints and Canon Law
The saints have to be canonized under this same set of laws. The catholic church investigates the persons life, then they send their information to a panel of theologians. If the panel approves then the pope proclaims that person venerable. Then comes beatification, for this it must be shown that the person has to have done a miracle, or been a martyr. After those (I really condensed these steps) steps, that person is then canonized and considered a saint.
On a side note
In Arizona there was actually a bill introduced to ban all of these laws, plus Karma law(how can you ban Karma?).
Here is the link, some of the comments are funny... http://gaveltogavel.us/site/2011/02/04/az-effort-to-ban-court-use-of-sharia-law-canon-law-halacha-and-karma-under-threat-of-impeachment-reintroduced/
To Sum it all up
Obviously Halakha law is nothing to be worried about, Sharia and Canon are the main concerns. The fact about Sharia law is that it is very misunderstood, and is frequently taken out of context and mixed with regional law. I don't understand why people are so concerned with Sharia, but we continue to turn disgusting child molesters over to the Vatican. We are so concerned with a problem that may exist in the future, that are ignoring the problem that is a reality in our present.
Really none of these systems should ever trump the law of the land, one of this great countries founding principles was separation of church and state. We were founded by people seeking religious freedom, not a purely Christian government. Pushing religion and politics together always creates an ugly mixture. You shouldn't base how you vote on a candidates religion, I don't even believe that they should be allowed to use it as a way to get people to vote for them. I personally don't want any politician using the God I believe in as a spring board for their campaign, because most politicians really aren't what I want people to think of my religion. If you believe in one all powerful God, then you also have to believe that he is stronger than any politician.
Some links
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/qasim-rashid/shariah-law-the-five-things-every-non-muslim_b_1068569.html
http://www.alislam.org/egazette/updates/demystifying-shariah/
These words seem to have become synonymous with evil in our society. What people don't understand is that other religions, and cultures on American soil sometimes have their own laws and courts. Oklahoma recently ran into some trouble by banning Sharia Law, what they didn't realize is that this new rule prevented sovereign Indian reservations from operating their system of law. What confuses me is why people are so fearful of Sharia Law, yet they know nothing of Canon Law or Halakha Law, if you are going to fear one, you should really fear all three.
Sharia Law is the system of law and punishment meant to govern the Islamic religion. It is not only for middle easterners, but also the many Muslims of other nationalities, including the many white American Muslims on our own soil. It has been mutilated and made into something sickening by regional laws, such as that of the Taliban, but the actual rules aren't any worse than something strait out of the Bible. Don't let the zealots from the middle east confuse you, the actual rules of Sharia are a lot like Mosaic law. In many Muslim countries, and here, Sharia is only for inter community disputes. In the Quran it says that there should always be a separation of church and state, and also no compulsion in religion (I have personally read the Quran, so don't tell to go read it).
The laws govern worship, contracts, morals, manners, beliefs, and punishments. A lot of Sharia Law is basically about the necessity of pilgrimage and prayer, it also goes in depth about inheritances and marital dowry's. Marriage is also a big section of Sharia, most of the rules are like that of the Bible, no adultery, no sex outside of marriage, you are supposed to marry someone of your own religion (these things are also stated in the New Testament of the Bible). A lot of it is just common sense, basically, have good morals, treat others right, and so on.
Sharia Law empathises cleanliness, you are supposed to be physically clean when you pray, so that you can become spiritually clean. This is also part of Mosaic law in the Old Testament. Fasting is covered in the laws, like during the month of Ramadan, you fast from food, drink, and sex from dawn till dusk. (Pregnant women, nursing women, prepubescent children, and sick people don't have to fast).
Polygamy is allowed if there is more women than men in the area who need to be supported, but one of the laws in the Quran is to follow the law of the land you live in, so this isn't allowed in many areas. Divorce is allowed under certain circumstances, as is remarriage.
One of the things that westerners fear about Sharia is the punishments. Sharia law is very strict, and many things are punishable by death under this set of laws, but if you read the Bible you will find that punishments are usually swift and severe under Mosaic and New Testament law. The death sentence is used, and works pretty well as a deterrent.
From a link In sharia, there are categories of offenses: those that are prescribed a specific punishment in the Quran, known as hadd punishments, those that fall under a judge's discretion, and those resolved through a tit-for-tat measure (ie., blood money paid to the family of a murder victim). There are five hadd crimes: unlawful sexual intercourse (sex outside of marriage and adultery), false accusation of unlawful sexual intercourse, wine drinking (sometimes extended to include all alcohol drinking), theft, and highway robbery. Punishments for hadd offenses--flogging, stoning, amputation, exile, or execution--get a significant amount of media attention when they occur. These sentences are not often prescribed, however. "In reality, most Muslim countries do not use traditional classical Islamic punishments," says Ali Mazrui of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies in a Voice of America interview. These punishments remain on the books in some countries but lesser penalties are often considered sufficient
http://www.cfr.org/religion/islam-governing-under-sharia/p8034
However honor killings are against the holy law of the Quran. Also laws for sexual indiscretion are the same for male and female. It is purely the regional acts of countries like Pakistan and Jordan that have so thoroughly terrified Americans.
I understand that people tend to twist things the way they want them to be, Muslims do it and so do we. I am not saying that I think Sharia law should be allowed to govern our country, a separation of church and state is a must have. I'm saying that you should do more actual research before you look at a girl with a scarf on her head and feel pity for her, she has chosen her own way, at least she has in this country, of course we should pray for women in other countries who aren't allowed to make these decisions. I just hope that people can come to understand that you shouldn't believe everything you are told, it is almost impossible to find an actual FACT on the internet, don't hate just because people tell you to.
Halakha Law (the path that one walks in Hebrew)
The Torah (and some Rabbinical laws, also laws from the Mishna and Talmud) is the basis for Halakha law, it is based on God's covenant law. Jewish citizens are only bound to Halakha law by their own consent, this differs from Cannon and Sharia law. Currently in Israel certain areas are under the authority of Rabbinic law which is much the same of Halakha law. In the U.S. it is sometimes used to cover inter community disputes. Here in Texas we don't hear much about this, Judaism doesn't seem to be very popular in south, so we had to do a lot of research, I couldn't seem to find a real Jew to ask about this stuff.
Another difference between these 3 systems are that Canon and Sharia are only for the followers of their religion. Halakha law is actually meant to be universal, or for everyone who survived the flood (meaning a descendant of Noah). There is no central Halakhic authority, instead it is used on it's own in Jewish communities. This is especially true since for a millennium the Jews had no country. Sharia and Canon law had the benefit of a country to unite the people and standardize the rules.
Finding facts about this governing system was really hard. There are so many rules that it is insane, so we posted a link that shows them. They have rules on how to eat meat, how to diet, how to have sex.... pretty much everything. Due to the difficulty we had researching this we may have to add more about it when we start our study on Judaism. So this is quite a bit shorter than the others.If anyone reads this and can find a link, or knows a Jew, that would be really helpful. If you have any info please comment or email us.
Here is a link, because they have tons of laws.
http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm
Canon Law
Pope John Paul II said that canon law "is in no way intended as a substitute for faith, grace, charisms, and especially charity in the life of the Church and of the faithful. On the contrary, its purpose is rather to create such an order in the ecclesial society that, while assigning the primacy love, grace, and charisms, it at the same time renders their organic development easier in the life of both the ecclesial society and the individual persons who belong to it."
This is the body of laws that the catholic church follows. I find this law to be the worst of them, but that's mainly because when a priest commits a sexual crime they just shuttle them off to a new parish and forget about it. That is my own personal opinion about it, and it's probably just because it is so often in the media. Like Sharia, Canon law is not voluntary, all Catholics are subject to this system of laws.
Canon law began with rules known as "canons" adopted by the apostles at the council of Jerusalem in the first century. Since then it has developed into a highly complex legal system. Including not just the New Testament, but also elements of the Old Testament, Roman law, Visgothic ideals, Saxon, and Celtic legal traditions. In the early church the first canons where decreed by Bishops that had united in separate councils. Over time they became a united council and started meeting in Rome. Basically if people had problems with their laws the response was 'Rome has spoken so shove it'. Later the Canons where gathered into collections, some official (from Rome itself), and some unofficial (from different Diocese). The first truly systematic collection was assembled in the 11th century. By the 19th century this body of legislation included 10,000 different laws, which is difficult to follow due to constant changes in circumstances and in practice.
The problem with Canon law is that it is sometimes allowed to trump criminal laws in a lot of countries, ours being one of them. While everyone is pitching a hissy fit about Sharia, catholics who commit crimes are allowed to get off with almost no punishment. The courts of the Vatican have no DNA testing, no enforcement mechanisms, and no public hearings. The most severe punishment is excommunication, which really is not comparable to imprisonment or the death penalty. Those found guilty of child molestation have to undergo spiritual exercises, which really doesn't cut it at all in our opinion. Why our country continues to turn these people over to Canon law is a mystery to me.
Saints and Canon Law
The saints have to be canonized under this same set of laws. The catholic church investigates the persons life, then they send their information to a panel of theologians. If the panel approves then the pope proclaims that person venerable. Then comes beatification, for this it must be shown that the person has to have done a miracle, or been a martyr. After those (I really condensed these steps) steps, that person is then canonized and considered a saint.
On a side note
In Arizona there was actually a bill introduced to ban all of these laws, plus Karma law(how can you ban Karma?).
Here is the link, some of the comments are funny... http://gaveltogavel.us/site/2011/02/04/az-effort-to-ban-court-use-of-sharia-law-canon-law-halacha-and-karma-under-threat-of-impeachment-reintroduced/
To Sum it all up
Obviously Halakha law is nothing to be worried about, Sharia and Canon are the main concerns. The fact about Sharia law is that it is very misunderstood, and is frequently taken out of context and mixed with regional law. I don't understand why people are so concerned with Sharia, but we continue to turn disgusting child molesters over to the Vatican. We are so concerned with a problem that may exist in the future, that are ignoring the problem that is a reality in our present.
Really none of these systems should ever trump the law of the land, one of this great countries founding principles was separation of church and state. We were founded by people seeking religious freedom, not a purely Christian government. Pushing religion and politics together always creates an ugly mixture. You shouldn't base how you vote on a candidates religion, I don't even believe that they should be allowed to use it as a way to get people to vote for them. I personally don't want any politician using the God I believe in as a spring board for their campaign, because most politicians really aren't what I want people to think of my religion. If you believe in one all powerful God, then you also have to believe that he is stronger than any politician.
Some links
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/qasim-rashid/shariah-law-the-five-things-every-non-muslim_b_1068569.html
http://www.alislam.org/egazette/updates/demystifying-shariah/
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Homeschooling, is it for me?
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Let us clarify that I don't look down on anyone who has decided to homeschool. Both homeschooling and public schools are imperfect, it is your right as a parent to choose. There are 2 main reasons to homeschool, but religious reasons are definitely the most common. In fact 75% of all homeschooling families do it because of religion. The state of our schools is the other main reason, poor teaching, bullying, and school shootings contribute to this trend. Some Islamic families do it to avoid persecution. Some families participate it something called unschooling, basically learning through life, no formal studies. About 2.1 million children are estimated to be homeschooled at any time in the U.S. You ask why this made it into our blog about religion, I think the stat on why most people homeschool show why it is here. Some people use homeschooling to indoctrinate their kids with outlandish religious beliefs. Most people I know have the best of intentions when they homeschool, but there are some real wackos out there.
You can't argue that it provides flexibility, and a better parent/child bond. It has the other side too, lack of socialization in the melting pot that is American school, lack of ability to handle some situations involving peers, and poor development of leadership skills when applied to a peer group. I personally know an adult who was homeschooled through most of his childhood, and he hated it. At the mere mention of homeschooling my kids he made me promise not to. I wouldn't anyway, I don't believe that my academic level (or patience level) is up to this task.
Me and my husband are going to work on this one together since Allie is working all weekend, keep in mind that I currently have a kidney stone and am on a bunch of pain pills, so let me know if some of this doesn't make sense.
Is it good?
Homeschooling is better in part because the education of the child can be tailored to suit their specific needs. This is something you can't get at either public or private schools due to the amount of students. Homeschooling can provide a more solid and fulfilling relationship between parent and child. They spend more time with the family, and their lack of time with a peer group means that most of life's questions have to be directed at a parent. There is also a lack of bullying and peer pressure, some would say that you also don't have to worry about fitting in, but some kids don't fit in with their family, so I guess in some cases it's a pro, and in others a con. Parent also don't have to worry about their children wanted to have name brand clothes or other expensive items just so they can fit in.
About 91% of homeschoolers that do it for religious reasons are evangelical Christians, and they do it to provide strong morals for their kids. They don't have to worry about their child being taught something that they don't believe they should know. Sex Ed, the theory of evolution, and other public school teachings, go against the morals of some Christians. The kids aren't spending 8 hours a day talking with people of other religions who could influence their beliefs.Some people who homeschool for religious reasons are pretty mellow, they just want their kid to get the best chance in life. Some use it to make sure their kid doesn't have
a chance to form their own opinions. Homeschooling allows for the incorporation of religion and bible knowledge into daily teachings. If you believe that boys and girls are meant to fulfill certain rolls this can be taught better in a homeschool environment. Girls can be taught home ec., household mathematics, and child care; boys can be taught leadership, household repair, and various academic skills they need for college. If you have very strong religious beliefs, and you think a public school environment doesn't cultivate these beliefs, then homeschooling may be for you.
Studies show that well rested children learn better. Homeschool can start whenever you want it to during the day, so you will most likely have a well rested and happy student. Another thing is that all schoolwork has a purpose, no busywork is thrown at the students just to keep them busy. Your child will never miss out on learning because one kid in the class just doesn't get it, and the teacher has to spend time catching them up. In general homeschooling is faster paced, the student learns more, and generally scores better on standardized testing.
Is it bad?
I guess the socialization thing is the biggest con on the homeschooling scene, parents that homeschool would argue that their kids go to church, spend time with a group of homeschoolers, and play sports in the community, but some think that this just isn't enough. When homeschooling you must go to great lengths to socialize your children, and even then the sports opportunities kind of dry up when they get to a certain age. We believe that kids need time, alone, with their peer group. Another thing homeschool lacks is the specialty classes that schools have. Without a hugely extensive network of homeschooling families the kids will miss out on band, choir, athletics, journalism, debate, auto shop, home ec., languages, photography, and other classes that students can take if they are so inclined.
As any married couple can tell you, being with someone 24 hours a day 7 days a week can be taxing. I love my kids but after constant contact the kids may get on my nerves a bit. Homeschooling can also be quite expensive. All books, field trips, and extra activities have to be paid for by the parent. One parent must also forgo a full time job so they can be at home teaching. So really unless you live comfortably in a single income home it may be difficult to home school your kids. Lastly you can't get a high school diploma if you are homeschooled. Some colleges make it very difficult on you if you don't have one. There are many
hoops you have to jump through to get enrolled in college and getting a grant to do so is also very difficult.
My biggest worry for homeschooled kids is the lack of a qualified teacher. Not to say that parents are dumb, but everyone has their strong suits. I can't learn math, so how could I teach my kid to do it, even with a book that simplifies everything. There is no federal regulation on how smart a parent needs to be, or what education level a parent has to have, to homeschool. So while some parents may be well rounded in academics, sometimes you get idiots trying to teach their kids.
Why we don't do it
We don't homeschool our children because we aren't teachers. Stephen can't teach anyone anything without getting mad, and as I've said I believe that knowledge base prevents me from teaching. We also believe that homeschooled children, at least in our personal experience, are more naive, and this isn't always a good thing. We want our kids to know that not everyone is a good person, and not everyone believes like you do. It also just wouldn't suit my daughter, I don't know about my son yet, but my daughter thrives on having a structured day with her peers, she just learns better that way. Before she started Kindergarten I sat down and tried to teach her some basic math and reading. To say the least it ended in disaster, and more than a few tears on both ends, yet in just a few months at her public school she has already mastered basic math, and is well on her way to reading. We always try to take opportunities to teach our daughter, at the store, at the park, and even at home, she learns a ton. I try to teach her something out of the Bible everyday, and answer any questions to the best of my ability, so some of the schooling is done at home.
To sum it up it can be good or bad based on the parent. If you are using homeschooling as a method for brainwashing your kids to believe strictly what you do it will probably turn out badly. On the other hand if you are using it to make sure your kid is intelligent and kind it will probably work out well. If you go to the lengths of making sure they are socialized they won't be missing out on much, except the diploma, I'm not sure what homeschooling parents do about this... Eventually, homeschooled or not, children will grow up and learn how the world works, whether you like it or not, and sometimes they may not turn out to have the religious beliefs as you. A daughter who you wanted to be a mother and homemaker may turn out to be a lawyer or doctor, the son you wanted to be a strong Christian may turn out to be an Atheist. The hope is that no matter what you will always love and support them, even though you may be praying every night for them to change.
Another bonus to homeschooling... whenever you want a hug, there is always someone around to give you one.
Let us clarify that I don't look down on anyone who has decided to homeschool. Both homeschooling and public schools are imperfect, it is your right as a parent to choose. There are 2 main reasons to homeschool, but religious reasons are definitely the most common. In fact 75% of all homeschooling families do it because of religion. The state of our schools is the other main reason, poor teaching, bullying, and school shootings contribute to this trend. Some Islamic families do it to avoid persecution. Some families participate it something called unschooling, basically learning through life, no formal studies. About 2.1 million children are estimated to be homeschooled at any time in the U.S. You ask why this made it into our blog about religion, I think the stat on why most people homeschool show why it is here. Some people use homeschooling to indoctrinate their kids with outlandish religious beliefs. Most people I know have the best of intentions when they homeschool, but there are some real wackos out there.
You can't argue that it provides flexibility, and a better parent/child bond. It has the other side too, lack of socialization in the melting pot that is American school, lack of ability to handle some situations involving peers, and poor development of leadership skills when applied to a peer group. I personally know an adult who was homeschooled through most of his childhood, and he hated it. At the mere mention of homeschooling my kids he made me promise not to. I wouldn't anyway, I don't believe that my academic level (or patience level) is up to this task.
Me and my husband are going to work on this one together since Allie is working all weekend, keep in mind that I currently have a kidney stone and am on a bunch of pain pills, so let me know if some of this doesn't make sense.
Is it good?
Homeschooling is better in part because the education of the child can be tailored to suit their specific needs. This is something you can't get at either public or private schools due to the amount of students. Homeschooling can provide a more solid and fulfilling relationship between parent and child. They spend more time with the family, and their lack of time with a peer group means that most of life's questions have to be directed at a parent. There is also a lack of bullying and peer pressure, some would say that you also don't have to worry about fitting in, but some kids don't fit in with their family, so I guess in some cases it's a pro, and in others a con. Parent also don't have to worry about their children wanted to have name brand clothes or other expensive items just so they can fit in.
About 91% of homeschoolers that do it for religious reasons are evangelical Christians, and they do it to provide strong morals for their kids. They don't have to worry about their child being taught something that they don't believe they should know. Sex Ed, the theory of evolution, and other public school teachings, go against the morals of some Christians. The kids aren't spending 8 hours a day talking with people of other religions who could influence their beliefs.Some people who homeschool for religious reasons are pretty mellow, they just want their kid to get the best chance in life. Some use it to make sure their kid doesn't have
a chance to form their own opinions. Homeschooling allows for the incorporation of religion and bible knowledge into daily teachings. If you believe that boys and girls are meant to fulfill certain rolls this can be taught better in a homeschool environment. Girls can be taught home ec., household mathematics, and child care; boys can be taught leadership, household repair, and various academic skills they need for college. If you have very strong religious beliefs, and you think a public school environment doesn't cultivate these beliefs, then homeschooling may be for you.
Studies show that well rested children learn better. Homeschool can start whenever you want it to during the day, so you will most likely have a well rested and happy student. Another thing is that all schoolwork has a purpose, no busywork is thrown at the students just to keep them busy. Your child will never miss out on learning because one kid in the class just doesn't get it, and the teacher has to spend time catching them up. In general homeschooling is faster paced, the student learns more, and generally scores better on standardized testing.
Is it bad?
I guess the socialization thing is the biggest con on the homeschooling scene, parents that homeschool would argue that their kids go to church, spend time with a group of homeschoolers, and play sports in the community, but some think that this just isn't enough. When homeschooling you must go to great lengths to socialize your children, and even then the sports opportunities kind of dry up when they get to a certain age. We believe that kids need time, alone, with their peer group. Another thing homeschool lacks is the specialty classes that schools have. Without a hugely extensive network of homeschooling families the kids will miss out on band, choir, athletics, journalism, debate, auto shop, home ec., languages, photography, and other classes that students can take if they are so inclined.
As any married couple can tell you, being with someone 24 hours a day 7 days a week can be taxing. I love my kids but after constant contact the kids may get on my nerves a bit. Homeschooling can also be quite expensive. All books, field trips, and extra activities have to be paid for by the parent. One parent must also forgo a full time job so they can be at home teaching. So really unless you live comfortably in a single income home it may be difficult to home school your kids. Lastly you can't get a high school diploma if you are homeschooled. Some colleges make it very difficult on you if you don't have one. There are many
hoops you have to jump through to get enrolled in college and getting a grant to do so is also very difficult.
My biggest worry for homeschooled kids is the lack of a qualified teacher. Not to say that parents are dumb, but everyone has their strong suits. I can't learn math, so how could I teach my kid to do it, even with a book that simplifies everything. There is no federal regulation on how smart a parent needs to be, or what education level a parent has to have, to homeschool. So while some parents may be well rounded in academics, sometimes you get idiots trying to teach their kids.
Why we don't do it
We don't homeschool our children because we aren't teachers. Stephen can't teach anyone anything without getting mad, and as I've said I believe that knowledge base prevents me from teaching. We also believe that homeschooled children, at least in our personal experience, are more naive, and this isn't always a good thing. We want our kids to know that not everyone is a good person, and not everyone believes like you do. It also just wouldn't suit my daughter, I don't know about my son yet, but my daughter thrives on having a structured day with her peers, she just learns better that way. Before she started Kindergarten I sat down and tried to teach her some basic math and reading. To say the least it ended in disaster, and more than a few tears on both ends, yet in just a few months at her public school she has already mastered basic math, and is well on her way to reading. We always try to take opportunities to teach our daughter, at the store, at the park, and even at home, she learns a ton. I try to teach her something out of the Bible everyday, and answer any questions to the best of my ability, so some of the schooling is done at home.
To sum it up it can be good or bad based on the parent. If you are using homeschooling as a method for brainwashing your kids to believe strictly what you do it will probably turn out badly. On the other hand if you are using it to make sure your kid is intelligent and kind it will probably work out well. If you go to the lengths of making sure they are socialized they won't be missing out on much, except the diploma, I'm not sure what homeschooling parents do about this... Eventually, homeschooled or not, children will grow up and learn how the world works, whether you like it or not, and sometimes they may not turn out to have the religious beliefs as you. A daughter who you wanted to be a mother and homemaker may turn out to be a lawyer or doctor, the son you wanted to be a strong Christian may turn out to be an Atheist. The hope is that no matter what you will always love and support them, even though you may be praying every night for them to change.
Another bonus to homeschooling... whenever you want a hug, there is always someone around to give you one.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Gender Roles of different Religions
The Apathist's corner
I have no real concept of gender roles, there where times in my life where my father stayed home and my mother worked. There where also times when my Dad worked and my Mom stayed home. Personally I would kind of like to stay home and have my wife work, i do not feel demeaned or emasculated by it. To be perfectly honest I truly feel like I have accomplished something when I fold 5 loads of laundry and clean the living room... Stacking a pallet of batteries in 110 degree heat doesn't give me that same feeling. My wife on the other hand feels the opposite.
No matter how you look at it, some things are clearly male, and some are clearly female. In my opinion these are things that are tied to our biology. I can't give birth, and even with modern technology I am not going to breastfeed. As far as anything else, it's completely up to personal preference.
I think the Religious rules where highly influenced by the time in which they where written. It was a very harsh and rough time, and the strenuous nature of existence back then dictated that the physically stronger sex did the outside work, leaving care of the hearth to the females.It doesn't take a lot of physical effort to do your average desk job, some women are even better at certain careers, i.e. anything that has to do with education, communication, or caregiving. I'm going to raise my daughter to do whatever she wants, from housewife, to construction worker, my real goal for her is to be happy. I'd like to add that I would prefer to not see her on the pole...
Religious Ideas on Gender Role
Judaism-In this religion women are equal but different, and women have held a position of respect since biblical times. the Talmud (Another Jewish Holy Book) also has many negative things to say about women. Some Rabbis have described women as lazy and jealous, and prone to occult activity. The rights of women in Judaism are greater than the rights of women in the west were just a century ago. They could buy, sell, own property, and sign contracts. Sex in marriage is the woman's right, not the man's. Rape is considered a great sin, and in their culture there is no such thing as the woman 'asking for it', as there is in modern American society. In the Synagogue men and women are separate during prayer, this is to keep everyone's mind on God, and to discourage any sexual pagan activity. Women's prayers do not count the same as a mans do, therefor they are not required to do the same things in synagogue
Islam-The Quran says that women are equal, but that is not reflected in most regional Muslim law. Muslims do not treat women as a commodity or property, they are people, allowed to enter into contracts, and hold jobs in the community. In Islam as in Christianity the woman is to be obedient to the man, but likewise the man must treat the woman with respect and love. Men and women are segregated in the Mosque, but in the home the family prays together. The man leads the prayers.
Being a mother is an honored position in Islam, they teach young children, and are respected for that. In different regions Muslims are seen as severely misogynistic, but this is not how the Quran intended it to be. Men are expected to be the main bread winner, but women can choose to stay home or work.
Christianity-In Christianity, like in Judaism, women are equal but different. Many sects of Christianity expect women to have their heads covered in the church, but men and women are not segregated for worship. In the bible a woman is revered for staying home and taking care of the house, while the man earns wages, and has the final say on big decisions. The modern church has mostly conformed with society, considering the current ideals on gender roles, and agreeing with them. Many sects of Christianity don't allow women to preach, but some do. In the Bible it says that men are supposed to treat their wives as God treats the church. It also adds that men should be respectful of their wives wishes and desires. Women are to submit, and the Bible says in a marriage you should want to submit out of love.
Hindu-In the texts of the Hindu religion women are considered inferior to men. The laws of Manu (A Hindu religious text) depicts women as being entirely subservient to men. Such as a girl is governed by her father, a married woman by her husband, and a widow by her sons. In some texts women are prohibited from hearing the Vedas (like the Hindu Bible), and from engaging in certain rituals, and holding positions or religious leadership. Some texts say that women of higher castes cannot be considered twice born, they must be reborn as men to make serious religious progress. Women are considered impure because the menstruate (this is a common theme in religion).
Pagan- Paganism endorses feminism, and they accept the fact that women now work and can be the bread winners of the household. They consider the sexes true equals, but understand the biologically we are different. Some groups of Paganism might limit their membership to one sex. Pagans celebrate the joyful ways in which both sexes can come together in friendship, love, and sexual union. While respecting that both sexes are equal they celebrate traditional roles, such as the strong male warrior, or the nurturing mother. Basically in Pagan society women can do anything a man can do, and this is celebrated, not condemned.
Here in an interesting link, about a very strong woman, who happened to be a pagan
http://www.unc.edu/celtic/catalogue/femdruids/boudica.html
I have no real concept of gender roles, there where times in my life where my father stayed home and my mother worked. There where also times when my Dad worked and my Mom stayed home. Personally I would kind of like to stay home and have my wife work, i do not feel demeaned or emasculated by it. To be perfectly honest I truly feel like I have accomplished something when I fold 5 loads of laundry and clean the living room... Stacking a pallet of batteries in 110 degree heat doesn't give me that same feeling. My wife on the other hand feels the opposite.
No matter how you look at it, some things are clearly male, and some are clearly female. In my opinion these are things that are tied to our biology. I can't give birth, and even with modern technology I am not going to breastfeed. As far as anything else, it's completely up to personal preference.
I think the Religious rules where highly influenced by the time in which they where written. It was a very harsh and rough time, and the strenuous nature of existence back then dictated that the physically stronger sex did the outside work, leaving care of the hearth to the females.It doesn't take a lot of physical effort to do your average desk job, some women are even better at certain careers, i.e. anything that has to do with education, communication, or caregiving. I'm going to raise my daughter to do whatever she wants, from housewife, to construction worker, my real goal for her is to be happy. I'd like to add that I would prefer to not see her on the pole...
Religious Ideas on Gender Role
Judaism-In this religion women are equal but different, and women have held a position of respect since biblical times. the Talmud (Another Jewish Holy Book) also has many negative things to say about women. Some Rabbis have described women as lazy and jealous, and prone to occult activity. The rights of women in Judaism are greater than the rights of women in the west were just a century ago. They could buy, sell, own property, and sign contracts. Sex in marriage is the woman's right, not the man's. Rape is considered a great sin, and in their culture there is no such thing as the woman 'asking for it', as there is in modern American society. In the Synagogue men and women are separate during prayer, this is to keep everyone's mind on God, and to discourage any sexual pagan activity. Women's prayers do not count the same as a mans do, therefor they are not required to do the same things in synagogue
Islam-The Quran says that women are equal, but that is not reflected in most regional Muslim law. Muslims do not treat women as a commodity or property, they are people, allowed to enter into contracts, and hold jobs in the community. In Islam as in Christianity the woman is to be obedient to the man, but likewise the man must treat the woman with respect and love. Men and women are segregated in the Mosque, but in the home the family prays together. The man leads the prayers.
Being a mother is an honored position in Islam, they teach young children, and are respected for that. In different regions Muslims are seen as severely misogynistic, but this is not how the Quran intended it to be. Men are expected to be the main bread winner, but women can choose to stay home or work.
Christianity-In Christianity, like in Judaism, women are equal but different. Many sects of Christianity expect women to have their heads covered in the church, but men and women are not segregated for worship. In the bible a woman is revered for staying home and taking care of the house, while the man earns wages, and has the final say on big decisions. The modern church has mostly conformed with society, considering the current ideals on gender roles, and agreeing with them. Many sects of Christianity don't allow women to preach, but some do. In the Bible it says that men are supposed to treat their wives as God treats the church. It also adds that men should be respectful of their wives wishes and desires. Women are to submit, and the Bible says in a marriage you should want to submit out of love.
Hindu-In the texts of the Hindu religion women are considered inferior to men. The laws of Manu (A Hindu religious text) depicts women as being entirely subservient to men. Such as a girl is governed by her father, a married woman by her husband, and a widow by her sons. In some texts women are prohibited from hearing the Vedas (like the Hindu Bible), and from engaging in certain rituals, and holding positions or religious leadership. Some texts say that women of higher castes cannot be considered twice born, they must be reborn as men to make serious religious progress. Women are considered impure because the menstruate (this is a common theme in religion).
Pagan- Paganism endorses feminism, and they accept the fact that women now work and can be the bread winners of the household. They consider the sexes true equals, but understand the biologically we are different. Some groups of Paganism might limit their membership to one sex. Pagans celebrate the joyful ways in which both sexes can come together in friendship, love, and sexual union. While respecting that both sexes are equal they celebrate traditional roles, such as the strong male warrior, or the nurturing mother. Basically in Pagan society women can do anything a man can do, and this is celebrated, not condemned.
Here in an interesting link, about a very strong woman, who happened to be a pagan
http://www.unc.edu/celtic/catalogue/femdruids/boudica.html
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
What Women Want?
Sara: We are probably going to have to do this one in two parts, as it is one of our favorite subjects, and one close to our hearts. I was born a girl, but if you had looked in on me when I was younger, you would have heard me say that all I wanted to be was a boy. And why not? Boys get to go out and work, they don't have to be pregnant, or cook, or clean. They get to jump ramps on their bikes and fish while I'm expected to play with dolls. Well I have always thought that dolls sucked, and I like to fish.
This is one of the most impeded upon rights I have, as my faith has pretty clear ideas on gender roles. To be honest I have always thought that those rules in the Bible where for a different time, when you were pretty much either a housewife or a whore. Some people seem to dislike that the women's rights movement even happened, and mostly they fall under the religious category as Christian. It upsets me because I am offended. I don't think God made all women to work at home, and trust me I know it's work. I have been a stay at home Mom with both my kids, save about 2 years of employment, and some scattered school. I love my kids, but it is not what I want to do with my whole life. It is a respectable career, but it's not for me.
You may say I'm willful, and ignoring what God has planned for me, but I say that isn't so. I think this is Gods way of helping me, this ability to go to school is. He made me, he knows that being at home isn't what I want to do. Obviously he thought it would be good to have me do this job for a few years, give me some perspective. Now I really know that my end goal is still the same as it always has been. I want to be a nurse, nothing crazy, not a rock star, but it's always been on my heart that that's what I need to do. Otherwise why would I love working in the ER so much, nothing says fun like a torn off limb, or a chest tube. I get super excited to be the first person on the scene of a wreck, and nothing rocked my world like the first time I preformed CPR. I hope to someday get to say that I saved some lives, and I would love to one day deliver a baby on my own.
Why would God give me these strong desires if he wanted me to squash them. I've never had any thoughts that I should Home school, guess he knows that would be a disaster. We will address this in another post, home schooling is a pretty intense topic. God has a different plan for everyone, and if I can be happy for you staying at home, why can't you just be happy for me too. Don't worry that my kids will be messed up because I had a job, it isn't your business, and it's none of mine how you raise your kids.
It does bug me a little when people raise their daughters to be everything stereotypically female. It's my problem that that bothers me, not yours, It's my own personal experience that makes me hate ideals like that.It hurts me to think that these little girls are going to grow up thinking that something is wrong with them. My opinion on the matter is that if you can do it, stay at home that is, you are a strong person, and I respect you, but it ain't for me...
Allie: So... imagine a little girl in a little pink sundress, big giant pink bow in her hair, covered in dirt and playing monster trucks on the playground. Some will see a cute little tomboy, while others see it as wrong because little girls shouldn't be dirty, and they certainly shouldn't play with 'boy' toys. That was me. I grew up being as girlie as possible on the outside, but in actions and mannerisms I really should have just been born a boy. I'm the girl climbing trees, burping the alphabet at the diner table, and dutch ovening any poor person who happens to share a blanket with me. Growing up my mother always seemed to worry about me because "this is not the way a lady should act."
What dictates what is feminine and what is not (besides the obvious)? Who decided that playing with a Barbie would make a boy gay, or that playing with trucks and farting would keep a girl from finding a husband? I have never quite understood this particular concept. Growing up I enjoyed playing with Barbies as well as matchbox cars. I also enjoyed playing baseball, and wearing make-up. Why can't girls have it both ways?
When I grew up people continued to try and put me in a box, either I was going to be totally feminine, or a butch lesbian. I have never been able to just be me, which often entails me giggling like a 12 year old boy every time I fart. I remember when I was 18 I was at my Dad's house, I had just come in from being out in the yard, I was wearing full make-up, but I was covered in dirt from head to toe. My Dad's girlfriend asked me why I couldn't act like a proper girl, stay inside, cook, clean; because acting the way I did would never attract a suitable husband. That kind of stuff really grinds my gears. I don't get why, this being the 21st century and all, it is still necessary for a woman to ready herself just to become a wife. (I'm not belittling people who choose this for their life.)
I don't think it is a woman's sole lot in life to just become a wife, and if I marry, I want my husband to accept me for who I am, boyish behavior and all. I can understand that's how it worked centuries ago when women had no career prospects out of the home, and almost no independence whatsoever. It's just not for me. I've always wanted to stand on my own feet before I can share my life with someone else, then and only then will I be ready to happily settle down. Unfortunately being 25, unmarried, and having no children, still makes you some sort of old maid. Sometimes I feel pressured by certain people to hurry up, find a man, and get knocked up as quickly as possible. It is as if my eggs are going to dry up tomorrow, and I will never get to fulfill my 'role' as a woman. Why is it so devastating that I may not ever want to have kids or get married, maybe I don't want that life at all. I've always shown respect for women who have children, and have gotten married, why can't people just respect that it's not for me right now, and I don't know if it will ever be right for me... Does this make me less of a woman?
This is one of the most impeded upon rights I have, as my faith has pretty clear ideas on gender roles. To be honest I have always thought that those rules in the Bible where for a different time, when you were pretty much either a housewife or a whore. Some people seem to dislike that the women's rights movement even happened, and mostly they fall under the religious category as Christian. It upsets me because I am offended. I don't think God made all women to work at home, and trust me I know it's work. I have been a stay at home Mom with both my kids, save about 2 years of employment, and some scattered school. I love my kids, but it is not what I want to do with my whole life. It is a respectable career, but it's not for me.
You may say I'm willful, and ignoring what God has planned for me, but I say that isn't so. I think this is Gods way of helping me, this ability to go to school is. He made me, he knows that being at home isn't what I want to do. Obviously he thought it would be good to have me do this job for a few years, give me some perspective. Now I really know that my end goal is still the same as it always has been. I want to be a nurse, nothing crazy, not a rock star, but it's always been on my heart that that's what I need to do. Otherwise why would I love working in the ER so much, nothing says fun like a torn off limb, or a chest tube. I get super excited to be the first person on the scene of a wreck, and nothing rocked my world like the first time I preformed CPR. I hope to someday get to say that I saved some lives, and I would love to one day deliver a baby on my own.
Why would God give me these strong desires if he wanted me to squash them. I've never had any thoughts that I should Home school, guess he knows that would be a disaster. We will address this in another post, home schooling is a pretty intense topic. God has a different plan for everyone, and if I can be happy for you staying at home, why can't you just be happy for me too. Don't worry that my kids will be messed up because I had a job, it isn't your business, and it's none of mine how you raise your kids.
It does bug me a little when people raise their daughters to be everything stereotypically female. It's my problem that that bothers me, not yours, It's my own personal experience that makes me hate ideals like that.It hurts me to think that these little girls are going to grow up thinking that something is wrong with them. My opinion on the matter is that if you can do it, stay at home that is, you are a strong person, and I respect you, but it ain't for me...
Allie: So... imagine a little girl in a little pink sundress, big giant pink bow in her hair, covered in dirt and playing monster trucks on the playground. Some will see a cute little tomboy, while others see it as wrong because little girls shouldn't be dirty, and they certainly shouldn't play with 'boy' toys. That was me. I grew up being as girlie as possible on the outside, but in actions and mannerisms I really should have just been born a boy. I'm the girl climbing trees, burping the alphabet at the diner table, and dutch ovening any poor person who happens to share a blanket with me. Growing up my mother always seemed to worry about me because "this is not the way a lady should act."
What dictates what is feminine and what is not (besides the obvious)? Who decided that playing with a Barbie would make a boy gay, or that playing with trucks and farting would keep a girl from finding a husband? I have never quite understood this particular concept. Growing up I enjoyed playing with Barbies as well as matchbox cars. I also enjoyed playing baseball, and wearing make-up. Why can't girls have it both ways?
When I grew up people continued to try and put me in a box, either I was going to be totally feminine, or a butch lesbian. I have never been able to just be me, which often entails me giggling like a 12 year old boy every time I fart. I remember when I was 18 I was at my Dad's house, I had just come in from being out in the yard, I was wearing full make-up, but I was covered in dirt from head to toe. My Dad's girlfriend asked me why I couldn't act like a proper girl, stay inside, cook, clean; because acting the way I did would never attract a suitable husband. That kind of stuff really grinds my gears. I don't get why, this being the 21st century and all, it is still necessary for a woman to ready herself just to become a wife. (I'm not belittling people who choose this for their life.)
I don't think it is a woman's sole lot in life to just become a wife, and if I marry, I want my husband to accept me for who I am, boyish behavior and all. I can understand that's how it worked centuries ago when women had no career prospects out of the home, and almost no independence whatsoever. It's just not for me. I've always wanted to stand on my own feet before I can share my life with someone else, then and only then will I be ready to happily settle down. Unfortunately being 25, unmarried, and having no children, still makes you some sort of old maid. Sometimes I feel pressured by certain people to hurry up, find a man, and get knocked up as quickly as possible. It is as if my eggs are going to dry up tomorrow, and I will never get to fulfill my 'role' as a woman. Why is it so devastating that I may not ever want to have kids or get married, maybe I don't want that life at all. I've always shown respect for women who have children, and have gotten married, why can't people just respect that it's not for me right now, and I don't know if it will ever be right for me... Does this make me less of a woman?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
This kid brought to you by Trojan... 97 percent effective my a**
A guy’s in his house when horrendous rains come up. Pretty soon, a boat comes along. Guy in the boat yells, ‘Come on – we’re here to save you. Get in the boat.’ Guy in the house says, ‘No…I’ve got faith that God will save me.’ The boat leaves. The water keeps rising. The guy is forced up the second floor of his house by the flood waters. Another boat comes along. The guy in the boat yells, ‘Come on! It’s getting worse. If you don’t get in the boat, you’re going to drown.’ From the second floor window the guy says, ‘No…I’ll be ok. I’ve got faith in God that he’ll save me.’ The boat leaves. Water’s rising. The guy’s on the roof. A helicopter hovers overhead and the pilot shouts out, ‘This is your last chance. Climb up the ladder. If you don’t come now you’re going to drown.’ The guy says from the roof, ‘No, thanks. God will save me.’ The pilot shrugs his shoulders and splits. The water rises. The guy drowns. Ascends to the pearly gates. He asks St. Peter, ‘What happened? I’ve been devoted to God and had absolute faith that he would save me. Why did he let me down?’ And St. Peter tells him, ‘What the heck do you want? God sent ya two boats and a helicopter!?
I figure birth control is sort of like that, you could solely rely on God, but what if he gave birth control to help people who didn't want to have children at specific times in their life. I have 64 dollars in my bank account, and things show no sign of getting better, should I really be having more kids right this moment?
I understand that this is a controversial subject, and I'm really just weighing the options here... no hate toward anyone who does or doesn't practice birth control.
There are verses in the Bible that show that God wanted people to have many children, i.e. Be fruitful and multiply. Others like Psalms 127:3-5 are lesser known, and they suggest that many children are a blessing, but you don't get punished for not having crap tons of them. "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." The Duggars seem to be the hot topic on this today, it is their right to have 20 kids. The only thing I will say is that pre-eclampsia can return in another pregnancy, and the fact that her troubles were so severe, and early in the pregnancy show me that she is predisposing herself to having another severely premature infant. My question is, is that okay? If it happens again will she decide to stop? I have prayed for the next kid every time it is mentioned. I hope that they have no future trouble, and have all the kids they want.
In reality God seems to have left it partially up to us. Before the pill and condoms, there was the rhythm method. Although the old joke about that is... What do you call someone who uses the rhythm method of birth control? Answer...A parent :) Also if you think about it, God is just as much in control of whether you have children when you use birth control as when you don't.
This also brings us around to the subject of sex. Can you tell your husband no? Is all sex outside of marriage adultery? What's with all the shame? Is it just for babies, or also for fun? Masturbation? Can I talk about that? Walk away know if you don't wanna hear it. (and shew away all those literate kiddos).
First off can you tell your husband no... In the Quran it says that a husband is to not go to bed with his wife when she is being obstinate. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." In my opinion, this means that if you do deny your husband you are setting yourself up for both of you being tempted, so the best bet to prevent this is honesty in the marriage, even about sex. This may irk you a little, but it may also be true, the only way to know is frank discussion.
Is all sex outside of marriage adultery, the short answer is yes. Stupid question :) No, but even thinking about sex with another person (besides your spouse) is condemned in the Bible, if you are married or if you aren't, lust is a pretty big sin. The Bible says that what is done in our hearts might as well be acted out. The secular answer to this would be to just go out and do it if you are in trouble either way... The Torah says in Deuteronomy 23:18 There shall be no harlot of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Pretty strong imagery there. If you aren't religious though the only harm is that which comes with a broken heart.
Why is sex so embarrassing? My first answer would be environment, our country tries to act like this subject doesn't exist. Also in Genesis 3:10-11And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" So it really started in the garden. So the Christian answer would be Satan, but that is often the answer.
Is it for babies or fun? Well the Song of Solomon seems to point to it being at least a little for fun. Sex in the Jewish community isn't considered sinful or an act for just makin' the babies, they think the desire for sex comes from an evil impulse, it's no worse than your desire for a Big Mac. They believe there is a time and place for it, and always between a husband and wife. Muhammad said that it wasn't sinful to enjoy sex within the confines of marriage, but since he had so many wives I figure he eventually got burned out.
Speaking of shame, how about that masturbation (if you are one of my parents you may want to walk away :) ). The Bible never actually specifically calls out touching yourself, but we can assume it's frowned upon. The bible condemns the sexually amoral, and the marriage bed is to be kept pure, guess on this topic it's a good day to be an Atheist. The fact of the matter is that at one point you will catch one of your children doing this, the worst thing you can do is shame them, then you end up a kid who is all messed up. My best guess it that if I walked in on this I would try to explain that its a private thing, then ignore that it ever happened :)
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." This verse isn't specifically about masturbation, but it still gives the idea that it's not the best thing to do.
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Sex_and_Sexuality/Jewish_Approaches/Masturbation.shtml here is a link on the Jewish perspective. It is a little amusing in parts. I guess when it comes to sex it really is a good day to be anything but a member of any of the big 3 religions. It's a really good day to be a Pagan, they consider sex sacred, for making babies or otherwise. The holiest ritual is called The Great Rite. It symbolises the mating of the Goddess and the God in joyful union. Sometimes it is actually acted out, but in private. They consider sex as a gift, and it can be used as an offering, or as part of worship, they also dig touching themselves.
Facts are that people are going to continue to do it (masturbation). It is the safest form of sex, and you are unlikely to suffer a broken heart, unless you have multiple personalities. Safe sex, not just abstinence should be taught in all schools, to believe that just preaching abstinence will prevent pregnancies is about as effective as using the rhythm method of birth control...
Allie & Sara
I figure birth control is sort of like that, you could solely rely on God, but what if he gave birth control to help people who didn't want to have children at specific times in their life. I have 64 dollars in my bank account, and things show no sign of getting better, should I really be having more kids right this moment?
I understand that this is a controversial subject, and I'm really just weighing the options here... no hate toward anyone who does or doesn't practice birth control.
There are verses in the Bible that show that God wanted people to have many children, i.e. Be fruitful and multiply. Others like Psalms 127:3-5 are lesser known, and they suggest that many children are a blessing, but you don't get punished for not having crap tons of them. "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." The Duggars seem to be the hot topic on this today, it is their right to have 20 kids. The only thing I will say is that pre-eclampsia can return in another pregnancy, and the fact that her troubles were so severe, and early in the pregnancy show me that she is predisposing herself to having another severely premature infant. My question is, is that okay? If it happens again will she decide to stop? I have prayed for the next kid every time it is mentioned. I hope that they have no future trouble, and have all the kids they want.
In reality God seems to have left it partially up to us. Before the pill and condoms, there was the rhythm method. Although the old joke about that is... What do you call someone who uses the rhythm method of birth control? Answer...A parent :) Also if you think about it, God is just as much in control of whether you have children when you use birth control as when you don't.
This also brings us around to the subject of sex. Can you tell your husband no? Is all sex outside of marriage adultery? What's with all the shame? Is it just for babies, or also for fun? Masturbation? Can I talk about that? Walk away know if you don't wanna hear it. (and shew away all those literate kiddos).
First off can you tell your husband no... In the Quran it says that a husband is to not go to bed with his wife when she is being obstinate. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." In my opinion, this means that if you do deny your husband you are setting yourself up for both of you being tempted, so the best bet to prevent this is honesty in the marriage, even about sex. This may irk you a little, but it may also be true, the only way to know is frank discussion.
Is all sex outside of marriage adultery, the short answer is yes. Stupid question :) No, but even thinking about sex with another person (besides your spouse) is condemned in the Bible, if you are married or if you aren't, lust is a pretty big sin. The Bible says that what is done in our hearts might as well be acted out. The secular answer to this would be to just go out and do it if you are in trouble either way... The Torah says in Deuteronomy 23:18 There shall be no harlot of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Pretty strong imagery there. If you aren't religious though the only harm is that which comes with a broken heart.
Why is sex so embarrassing? My first answer would be environment, our country tries to act like this subject doesn't exist. Also in Genesis 3:10-11And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" So it really started in the garden. So the Christian answer would be Satan, but that is often the answer.
Is it for babies or fun? Well the Song of Solomon seems to point to it being at least a little for fun. Sex in the Jewish community isn't considered sinful or an act for just makin' the babies, they think the desire for sex comes from an evil impulse, it's no worse than your desire for a Big Mac. They believe there is a time and place for it, and always between a husband and wife. Muhammad said that it wasn't sinful to enjoy sex within the confines of marriage, but since he had so many wives I figure he eventually got burned out.
Speaking of shame, how about that masturbation (if you are one of my parents you may want to walk away :) ). The Bible never actually specifically calls out touching yourself, but we can assume it's frowned upon. The bible condemns the sexually amoral, and the marriage bed is to be kept pure, guess on this topic it's a good day to be an Atheist. The fact of the matter is that at one point you will catch one of your children doing this, the worst thing you can do is shame them, then you end up a kid who is all messed up. My best guess it that if I walked in on this I would try to explain that its a private thing, then ignore that it ever happened :)
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." This verse isn't specifically about masturbation, but it still gives the idea that it's not the best thing to do.
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Sex_and_Sexuality/Jewish_Approaches/Masturbation.shtml here is a link on the Jewish perspective. It is a little amusing in parts. I guess when it comes to sex it really is a good day to be anything but a member of any of the big 3 religions. It's a really good day to be a Pagan, they consider sex sacred, for making babies or otherwise. The holiest ritual is called The Great Rite. It symbolises the mating of the Goddess and the God in joyful union. Sometimes it is actually acted out, but in private. They consider sex as a gift, and it can be used as an offering, or as part of worship, they also dig touching themselves.
Facts are that people are going to continue to do it (masturbation). It is the safest form of sex, and you are unlikely to suffer a broken heart, unless you have multiple personalities. Safe sex, not just abstinence should be taught in all schools, to believe that just preaching abstinence will prevent pregnancies is about as effective as using the rhythm method of birth control...
Allie & Sara
Monday, November 21, 2011
It's not that scary, I promise, unless your Muslim :)
I didn't think that this would be a big deal, a few people read it, maybe we would get to the double digits, but what I didn't count on was Mom, or other family. I'm not very nice, and in response to my Moms not so subtle questioning of my faith, I want to wear a Hijab and tell her I'm converting. I know her concern is truly out of love, but why is she so worried.
Why do people see Islam, or other religions as such a threat? As in "Hey family member, I'm going to talk to a Wiccan" response "Oh no, don't do that, God wouldn't like that". I will not be sacrificing any goats or babies with em, I just want to talk. Yet they seem to not at all fear the Atheist influence... maybe I should trade the Hijab for a book on science, maybe something by Darwin, or is that not as scary?
Here is a link to show how crazy people are, and no I'm dead serious. http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/11/pamela-geller-beware-stealth-halal-thanksgiving-turkeys
Darn Muslims taking over my turkeys, they think they can sneak in with the birdie version of a Trojan Horse... Are these people serious???
Yet here is another blog I found, that scares me way more than Jihad turkeys. http://www.christianblog.com/blog/agodlywidow/i-have-joyous-news/
No, really, go read that one. Upon reading some of her other posts I found that she plans to marry off her daughter in the next few years, her daughter is only 15. Really, what are we missing while we are freaking out about Sharia Law. This lady also says that Obama is the Antichrist, and a homosexual. It's her right to live how she wants, but she is pushing it on other people, I have been reading her comments on other blogs, she is critical of women who choose not to live like her. I greatly respect housewives and homeschooling, but I'm not going to do it, at least not forever(the housewife thing), don't treat me like crap cause it ain't my thang.
One more link http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/11/11/129512/oklahoma-sharia-native-americans/
They got some mad Native Americans up in Oklahoma, guess they should rethink it before they enact it.
Me and Allie are working on some research on religious persecution as we have had to put off visiting churches and talking to different people because of her new job, and the holidays.
Sara
Why do people see Islam, or other religions as such a threat? As in "Hey family member, I'm going to talk to a Wiccan" response "Oh no, don't do that, God wouldn't like that". I will not be sacrificing any goats or babies with em, I just want to talk. Yet they seem to not at all fear the Atheist influence... maybe I should trade the Hijab for a book on science, maybe something by Darwin, or is that not as scary?
Here is a link to show how crazy people are, and no I'm dead serious. http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/11/pamela-geller-beware-stealth-halal-thanksgiving-turkeys
Darn Muslims taking over my turkeys, they think they can sneak in with the birdie version of a Trojan Horse... Are these people serious???
Yet here is another blog I found, that scares me way more than Jihad turkeys. http://www.christianblog.com/blog/agodlywidow/i-have-joyous-news/
No, really, go read that one. Upon reading some of her other posts I found that she plans to marry off her daughter in the next few years, her daughter is only 15. Really, what are we missing while we are freaking out about Sharia Law. This lady also says that Obama is the Antichrist, and a homosexual. It's her right to live how she wants, but she is pushing it on other people, I have been reading her comments on other blogs, she is critical of women who choose not to live like her. I greatly respect housewives and homeschooling, but I'm not going to do it, at least not forever(the housewife thing), don't treat me like crap cause it ain't my thang.
One more link http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/11/11/129512/oklahoma-sharia-native-americans/
They got some mad Native Americans up in Oklahoma, guess they should rethink it before they enact it.
Me and Allie are working on some research on religious persecution as we have had to put off visiting churches and talking to different people because of her new job, and the holidays.
Sara
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The (actual) reason for the season -warning, it's long-
One of my friends asked us to address this, and then I found myself extremely curious. A few questions...
Why x-mas? Are you really just that lazy?
Why does Jesus' Resurrection have anything to do with bunnies, or eggs?
Where did Santa come from?
Why do Pagans and Christians alike claim these holidays?
What do Jews do on Christmas? I don't know but the word sounds gross...
What the heck is Kwanzaa?
Who doesn't celebrate these days?
Okay first x-mas, I assumed it was just a shorthand, but many claim it's people trying to take God out of a holiday they hold dear. Actually it turns out that it is a Greek translation issue. The term x-mas is actually as old as the holiday, and it has nothing to do with Atheists. Apparently the first letter in the Greek word for Christ is 'Chi' and it's symbol looked something like an X. Spell it out, and if you see the abbreviation, inform people, they may love to tell others that Jesus is even in that spelling for the day :)
Next Easter, and that bunny with the eggs. Apparently the egg comes from the Druids, yes like the class is WoW, but not exactly the same thing.
"The origin of the Pasch [Easter] eggs is just as clear [as the origin of Easter]. The ancient druids bore an egg, as the sacred emblem of their order. In the Dionysiaca, or mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. The Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. The people of Japan make their sacred egg to have been brazen. In China, at this hour, dyed or painted eggs are used on sacred festivals, even as in this country [England]. In ancient times eggs were used in the religious rites of the Egyptians and the Greeks, and were hung up for mystic purposes in their temples. From Egypt these sacred eggs can be distinctly traced to the banks of the Euphrates. The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians."
Find the link here http://godkind.org/pagan-holidays.html I don't agree with everything on this page, but the information when cross referenced appears to be accurate.
This time happened to jive with Jewish passover and the Christian Resurrection. To be honest many other religions use this time for a holiday, not just Pagans and Christians. Jews, and specifically Catholics have a holiday around this time, all with ancient influences. It is really interesting, there is more information on it's origin than I don't have time to read at the moment, as we like to say... Just Google it. I will have to add that the bunnies and eggs also come from the Pagan holiday of fertility. As in, they do it like bunnies, and of course eggs are always associated with the fertility of every animal.
Okay, on to Mr. Santa Clause. Shew all literate children from the computer...
It comes from Germanic legends that Santa Claus punishes naughty children with the knout, hmmm, scary. I always thought the Santa thing was a little scary anyway, and I'd like to add that I never actually believed in him, didn't scar me any, I promise. Santa can also be linked back to the legend of St. Nick, he gave widows money so that they could marry off their daughters. German art started shaping his look in the eighteen hundreds, Coca Cola finished him off with his festive red and white.
It appears that so many religions practice these days because they are linked to endings and beginnings, the solstice, or other important times. Pagans where much disliked by the Christians, and the Christians wanted to convert them, so they just superimposed their holiday over it, (no one will notice, right?). Interestingly the Christmas tree comes from the belief that tree branches in the corners of homes will scare away ghosts. The wreath came from Pagans decorating for feasts.
Chanukah (Hanukkah) First off a link http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/Chanukah-in-a-Nutshell.htm
When they sought to light the Temple's menorah(the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
Hanukkah is meant to teach kids about charity, and it also celebrates the freedom of the Jewish people.
I will go more in depth when I specifically study Judaism.
Kwanzaa? Well turns out its a cultural holiday, not a religious one. It is a time of gathering for African people, it was also a time to thank their creator. The celebration of this holiday is growing as some African Americans try to reconnect with their roots. The holiday celebrates family, charity, and purpose among other things. It lasts 7 days, it is not an alternative to Christmas as it is not religious, many African Americans celebrate both.
Who doesn't like gifts? Well some Christians don't apparently, due to certain verses in the Bible, and the Pagan roots. Jehovah's Witness' don't because of the pagan roots. Muslims and Jews have their own holidays, as do most other faiths. Atheists do sometimes celebrate, but just as a get together, yes even Atheists like presents.
The Christian Perspective- or at least my perspective
Why I celebrate- I think it's my right to celebrate the birth of my Savior. As with gifts on Christmas its the thought that counts. I know he wasn't born on December 25th, but this is when we choose to celebrate, Pagan holiday or not. It is a time when I can tell my family the wonderful news in a different way than we do it all year. It brings families together, and it makes us happy. I love to think about Jesus as a baby, before all the strife and the huge burden he had. Also now that I have a son it makes an even bigger impact on me, I don't think if I was asked to give him up I could, him or my daughter, what a hard thing to do.
If you don't believe the way I do, it doesn't mean that you should rain on our parade, you could always just humor us, spell out the word, and don't tell me that none of us remember the reason for the season. Christian is not synonymous with uneducated. In my desire to educate myself I have found all these interesting facts, can't argue with em, don't have to like em, but I will continue to celebrate, because that's what faith is about.
Sara
Why x-mas? Are you really just that lazy?
Why does Jesus' Resurrection have anything to do with bunnies, or eggs?
Where did Santa come from?
Why do Pagans and Christians alike claim these holidays?
What do Jews do on Christmas? I don't know but the word sounds gross...
What the heck is Kwanzaa?
Who doesn't celebrate these days?
Okay first x-mas, I assumed it was just a shorthand, but many claim it's people trying to take God out of a holiday they hold dear. Actually it turns out that it is a Greek translation issue. The term x-mas is actually as old as the holiday, and it has nothing to do with Atheists. Apparently the first letter in the Greek word for Christ is 'Chi' and it's symbol looked something like an X. Spell it out, and if you see the abbreviation, inform people, they may love to tell others that Jesus is even in that spelling for the day :)
Next Easter, and that bunny with the eggs. Apparently the egg comes from the Druids, yes like the class is WoW, but not exactly the same thing.
"The origin of the Pasch [Easter] eggs is just as clear [as the origin of Easter]. The ancient druids bore an egg, as the sacred emblem of their order. In the Dionysiaca, or mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. The Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. The people of Japan make their sacred egg to have been brazen. In China, at this hour, dyed or painted eggs are used on sacred festivals, even as in this country [England]. In ancient times eggs were used in the religious rites of the Egyptians and the Greeks, and were hung up for mystic purposes in their temples. From Egypt these sacred eggs can be distinctly traced to the banks of the Euphrates. The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians."
Find the link here http://godkind.org/pagan-holidays.html I don't agree with everything on this page, but the information when cross referenced appears to be accurate.
This time happened to jive with Jewish passover and the Christian Resurrection. To be honest many other religions use this time for a holiday, not just Pagans and Christians. Jews, and specifically Catholics have a holiday around this time, all with ancient influences. It is really interesting, there is more information on it's origin than I don't have time to read at the moment, as we like to say... Just Google it. I will have to add that the bunnies and eggs also come from the Pagan holiday of fertility. As in, they do it like bunnies, and of course eggs are always associated with the fertility of every animal.
Okay, on to Mr. Santa Clause. Shew all literate children from the computer...
It comes from Germanic legends that Santa Claus punishes naughty children with the knout, hmmm, scary. I always thought the Santa thing was a little scary anyway, and I'd like to add that I never actually believed in him, didn't scar me any, I promise. Santa can also be linked back to the legend of St. Nick, he gave widows money so that they could marry off their daughters. German art started shaping his look in the eighteen hundreds, Coca Cola finished him off with his festive red and white.
It appears that so many religions practice these days because they are linked to endings and beginnings, the solstice, or other important times. Pagans where much disliked by the Christians, and the Christians wanted to convert them, so they just superimposed their holiday over it, (no one will notice, right?). Interestingly the Christmas tree comes from the belief that tree branches in the corners of homes will scare away ghosts. The wreath came from Pagans decorating for feasts.
Chanukah (Hanukkah) First off a link http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/Chanukah-in-a-Nutshell.htm
When they sought to light the Temple's menorah(the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
Hanukkah is meant to teach kids about charity, and it also celebrates the freedom of the Jewish people.
I will go more in depth when I specifically study Judaism.
Kwanzaa? Well turns out its a cultural holiday, not a religious one. It is a time of gathering for African people, it was also a time to thank their creator. The celebration of this holiday is growing as some African Americans try to reconnect with their roots. The holiday celebrates family, charity, and purpose among other things. It lasts 7 days, it is not an alternative to Christmas as it is not religious, many African Americans celebrate both.
Who doesn't like gifts? Well some Christians don't apparently, due to certain verses in the Bible, and the Pagan roots. Jehovah's Witness' don't because of the pagan roots. Muslims and Jews have their own holidays, as do most other faiths. Atheists do sometimes celebrate, but just as a get together, yes even Atheists like presents.
The Christian Perspective- or at least my perspective
Why I celebrate- I think it's my right to celebrate the birth of my Savior. As with gifts on Christmas its the thought that counts. I know he wasn't born on December 25th, but this is when we choose to celebrate, Pagan holiday or not. It is a time when I can tell my family the wonderful news in a different way than we do it all year. It brings families together, and it makes us happy. I love to think about Jesus as a baby, before all the strife and the huge burden he had. Also now that I have a son it makes an even bigger impact on me, I don't think if I was asked to give him up I could, him or my daughter, what a hard thing to do.
If you don't believe the way I do, it doesn't mean that you should rain on our parade, you could always just humor us, spell out the word, and don't tell me that none of us remember the reason for the season. Christian is not synonymous with uneducated. In my desire to educate myself I have found all these interesting facts, can't argue with em, don't have to like em, but I will continue to celebrate, because that's what faith is about.
Sara
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