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
Showing posts with label Judaism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judaism. Show all posts
Saturday, December 24, 2011
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/
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 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
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