December 6, 2008
· Filed under Holidays, Politics, Religion, venting
I always try to stay relatively silent on my beliefs during this time of year but various happenings in my state and online have lead me to ask the question: Is your faith so fragile?
Is your faith so fragile that my differing faith is threatening? Is your faith so fragile that me verbalizing my differing faith could shake yours?
I ask these questions because of the uproar in Olympia Washington. A Holiday tree is on display in the capitol. Last year when a menorah was added a local man decided he wanted a nativity scene added and so a lawsuit was filed and the nativity scene was added. Then another local man contacted the Freedom from Religion Foundation and they submitted a sign.
The sign reads, “At this season of the Winter Solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”
Do I agree with the sign? Nope. At least not 100%. Do I believe it should be taken down? Nope.
So if I don’t really care that this sign exists why am I devoting a blog post to discussing it? Because this controversy is just plain STUPID.
See I probably would have never even noticed the sign except someone got offended and it somehow made its way onto FauxNews. Then someone stole the sign. And dropped it off at a local country radio station. (really not surprising to me at all that this particular morning show got involved with this). What doesn’t make sense in all of this is why bring MORE attention to something you disagree with?
So the sign was returned and reposted with an addition “Thou shalt not steal”. I believe a minister or someone put up an opposing religious sign. That should have been the result all along. We have free speech in this country. Don’t like what one sign says? Sponsor one you do like. Don’t steal the sign. Don’t whine that people you don’t agree with also have free speech.
Again I ask, Is your faith so fragile?
November 16, 2008
· Filed under Adoption, Friends, Religion, Roommates
Twice I fought my funk this weekend and forced myself to interact with others.
Last night I went to a baby shower. I have always hated baby showers but they’ve taken on an even deeper dislike since my son was born. I think its all the cutesy games. I’m not a cutsey game person. Anyway, a dear friend and former co-worker is due in January and I was invited to two of her baby showers. One coincided with BabySister’s wedding so I only attended last nights shower.
I have not been in any mood to be around people recently. I’m cranky, emotional, and just plain blah. My entertainment of choice has been spending hours on end flipping channels while laying in bed. But roommates 1 and 2 were also invited which really meant I couldn’t conviently “forget” and stay nestled under my blankets.
Something strange happened at the shower. Well a few strange things actually. 1- Everyone there knows I am a birth mom. 2- No one there negated my experience due to my non-parenting status 3- I was the go to pregnancy expert at the party since I was the only one in attendance who’d ever given birth. Very abnormal for me.
My second instance of forced socialization was this morning when I actually went to church. My plan was to sneak in sit in the back take in the service and leave before anyone noticed me. Ok I’ll admit not a good plan if developing community is truly what I’m after. But I have some serious anxiety around social situations, new people/places, and large groups of people. All of which were going to be part of my day so I thought I’d start small. Today I was just going to see if the church was a place I could see myself going back to. If it was then next week maybe i’d speak to some people.
Well my plan was thwarted from the beginning. Why did I not take into account that there would be greeters at the door. And of course since I was taken by surprise I couldn’t do much besides stutter our some one word answers to their questions. They either think I’m the dumbest person alive or completely rude…or both.
I enjoyed the service during which I was taken under the wing of Miss E and I was later introduced to Miss C. Both these women and the other members they introduced me to were very nice. And as I got more comfortable I was more able to converse with them. Not only do I think I’m going back next week but I might drop in on their Wednesday group as well.
November 14, 2008
· Filed under Religion
Last night I ran to my car to grab some homework and was immediately stopped by the sight of the moon and stars peaking out between clouds. As always happens when I see the night sky an immediate sense of calm washed over me. The moon and I go way back.
I spent most of my late teens I was on a search for a religion I could fit with. Friends would tell me I didn’t have to 100% believe every aspect of dogma to be a part of their faith just the main parts. Maybe it works that way when you’re raised with something and then start to have doubts. Or maybe it just works that way when you’re not me and don’t have to make everything so difficult. But for whatever reason I couldn’t look at it that way. I was on a search for something that matched with my personal beliefs. Something where I didn’t have to “overlook” certain pieces of dogma. I could not change who I was to belong to a religion. Because no mainstream religion fit me I began exploring the earthbased religions.
I became very comfortable in those religions but not so much with the other followers. Every so often I’d meet someone I could relate to but more often than not I met a lot of people I would not like to associate myself with. (For the record I tried to make that last statement less judgemental but apparently I’m a judgemental person). I felt very lonely in my spiritual quest.
I heard about UU churches and how inclusive they are just when I located one in my area I began working sunday mornings. I haven’t worked sundays in awhile but hadn’t remembered my desire for spiritual community until last night. So this sunday I’ll be going to church. And I’ll also be remembering to take some time to sit in the moonlight.
November 3, 2008
· Filed under Movies, Religion, Think on it
I will preface this post by stating clearly I am not religious. I searched for a long time in vain for a religion I could connect with but have become content with being spiritual and not religious. After all religion…well that’s another thought for another post.
I recently went with SisterFriend to see Religulous. In it Bill Mahr goes to various religious locations and asks people simple questions in a very non-mocking manning.
(aside: I was disappointed by the non-mocking its the second movie I’ve gone to recently where I expected to be entertained by mocking and found none)
As part of his travels Mahr stopped at two places that depict dinosaurs and humans living together. One of the men explains (AND i’M PARAPHRASING) that this is because in the bible tells us that god created man and animal on the same day. If we don’t believe that the dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time we don’t believe the bible and will burn in hell. (ok I added the burn in hell part but it was SO implied) A guy at the second location while explaining something else (and to be honest I dont remember exactly what but I think it had to do with why god hasn’t taken out satan yet) explained that one of god’s days is like 10 thousand human days so we can’t expect god to act in accordance with our timeline (again PARAPHRASING).
So it took me very little time to piece together the following: God created man and animal on the same day, however since his days are like many many MANY human days dinosaurs and humans never shared the earth. Dinosaurs were created they died off and humans came to be. Oh and btw how do you know evolution isn’t one of the tools god used to bring humans into being?
See simple you can believe in god and the bible and still not deny science.
But what do I know? I’m not religious and am probably going to burn in hell because after all being a good person means nothing if you arn’t a good Christian, Muslim, Morman, Catholic, __fill in the blank__.
Oh and btw the ice analogy is fantabulous. Not fantabulous enough to convert me but still fantabulous!
