Today we watched the news as a terrible story unfolded. The pictures and video showed us the faces of terrified children. One little boy no older than 8 sat with his Mom, his hands were clasped tightly over his mouth, his eyes wide with shock. A mother was shown weeping and falling to the ground as she talked on the phone, the look of confusion and pain on her face broke my heart. The pictures brought it all home. Today I pray for everyone involved in this incident, I pray for comfort, and for us to remember this, and fight for a better future. I have never been one for prayer without action, you can't wait around for the world to be fixed.
One day during the first week of school, I was picking up Kaitlyn and she said something that shocked me a little. She said 'Mommy, I'm scared of getting shot at school'. I thought ok, you can't always protect your kids from life, so I asked why she was scared. She said 'we have drills, the teacher says a word and turns off the lights, then we hide and we are very quiet, that way a person with a gun couldn't find us'. My first instinct was to take her home and never let her out of my sight again, but what would that help?
When I was in High School Wedgwood Baptist here in our area was attacked by a gunman, he shot kids at a see-you-at-the-pole rally. Recently a movie theater in Aurora Colorado had a similar incident, kids were killed there too. Last week a man bought a gun and didn't realize a round was chambered, as he got into his car the gun went off, killing his young child. The man tried to preform CPR to no avail, what must he have felt as his child died in his arms? Those are just a few cases of what is going on in our country. We have double the number of school shootings than the rest of the world... COMBINED.
Awful, hateful people are cashing in on this today, 2 of them happen to be professing Christians.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/fischer-god-didnt-stop-ct-school-shooting-because-hes-gentleman-who-doesnt-go-where-he-not-w
and this post from Victoria Jackson's Facebook page
My friend Jim Riley posted this today:
"Wasn't the Connecticut killer just doing what abortionists do every day? It's a wonder we don't have more 20 year old "dads" doing what women and doctors have been an accomplice to for years in America. When you forget the TEN COMMANDMENTS, people, THIS is what you get."
This behavior is atrocious, and I'm pretty sure the God I believe in wouldn't endorse this. I am saddened by these attitudes, I wonder if these people know they are turning many away from the Lord.
I am personally a gun owner, we own multiple handguns and rifles. We practice caution first, safety of our kids is of dire importance. So I say this as a gun owner. I would give up my guns if it would cut down on this violence, however I don't think outlawing weapons would help. I agree with restricting weapon types, disagree if you want, but I don't think we need assault rifles. That alone won't help though, we need to educate EVERYONE who purchases a weapon in the US. They need to have safety classes and classes on gun care. This wouldn't stop the massacres, but it would stop some of the singular accidental shootings caused by ignorance of the weapon. Some people feel like the anti-gun agenda is being built on the bodies of innocent victims, but we have to ask why there are enough innocent victims in our country to build an agenda out of it. I don't seek to belittle today's deaths by backing a political goal, don't get that idea.
Besides that there isn't much to say on it. No laws or legislation will give back the lives we have lost. It won't cure the scarred hearts of the kids who survived today. The best thing we can do is make a positive change in the world around us. The good people need to stand up and be heard, because in these incidents we see amazing people who show what is truly right with this world.
-A 13 year old risks life and limb to try and rescue a 6 year old, the younger girl sadly didn't make it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2177698/Colorado-cinema-shooting-Kaylan-13-tried-save-life-youngest-victim-Veronica-Moser-Sullivan.html
-A security guard goes back into a Portland mall with an active shooter on scene to save the mallgoers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/portland-mall-shooting-hero_n_2286050.html
-many heroes emerged during the Columbine shooting. A boy jumped on top of people to protect them. A 15 year old held an exit door open so that people could escape, he was killed in the process. Here is a list.
http://www.angelfire.com/tx2/coroner/colhero.html
Do not lose heart, do not lose faith, if you don't believe in a higher power don't lose faith in humans. In the darkest of times we see who is great, because there is usually 1 or 2 shooters, however there are multiple heroes in every case.
(some of the links are bad, copy and paste)
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Friday, December 14, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Why I stopped going to church
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)