Reset Password
Reset Link Sent
| Blogs > spiritwoman45 > Life in the Canyon |
|
Merry Christmas The following is a post that will be on my personal site as soon as some of it's problems are fixed. In the meantime I thought I would share it here as well . Unfortunately I find it difficult to share much here these days since if I say the grass is green someone will accuse me of being a liberal, another of being a conservative and someone else of offending Kentucky blue grass for not acknowledging it's difference or the like but I do owe a great deal to this site for introducing me to blogging and being part of the inspiration to create my own website. Regardless of reactions I am wishing everyone the best of Christmas / holiday celebrations. Mine will be very busy. Already celebrated Solstice with some thoughtful purging / letting go and preparation for a new cycle and wonderful greetings from many I don't hear from often including some good friends I made via this site. Thank you SFF for their presence in my life. Tonight it's Christmas Eve / first day of Hanukkah with unofficial step family in LA, tomorrow a huge Christmas get together at my 's then a Christmas on New Years with my sister and her extended in law family on New Years Day. I only wish there would be this much celebration of the other people in our lives all year long. War on Christians and Christmas? I read a post from a good friend who is a Christian regarding this issue this morning. He is a friend and he is very sincere in how he feels. However my immediate feeling was my usual “Christians have no idea what a real war on their faith would be like.” I refrain from such comments. I, like all who have other than Christian beliefs here in western culture have been on the receiving end of restriction, ridicule and discrimination and physical threat since the beginning of Christianity. We non-Christians are not blameless either. Why be insulted when someone wishes us a Merry Christmas? Why do symbols of Christian beliefs offend? Two things come to mind here. First of all they acknowledged me and offered my good wishes rather than Ill. Second, they are being welcoming by extending inclusion in their holiday to me. There is no proselyting, insult or condemnation in any of this. We should be honored rather than offended. We, on both sides, can get way too carried away. Unfortunately this is but a symptom of our current overly divisive social climate. We allow fear to reign and become hate. I admit I am look at things from a harsher perspective. My belief system is very ancient, predating Christianity and going back to the origins of spiritual belief systems. When Christianity took over our part of the world my ancestors were murdered and our written history destroyed. We survived by practicing in hidden places keeping their beliefs secret. If it became know that someone was practicing “the old religion” they were killed. One of the founding principles of the US is religious freedom (although the actual statements read “freedom from religion, ie separation of church and state.), yet non-Christians were called witches and burned, drowned etc. Although largely non practicing and a self-described agnostic, my closest associate is Jewish. In my lifetime alone 6 million of his faith lost their lives for no other reason than their spiritual beliefs. There are major areas in our country today where the white supremacy freely promotes antisemitism, along with anti-anything except for white Christian social conservatism. Only recently have any sort of public display of our beliefs been accepted. As recently as within the past 10 years I have been cursed, had the phone slammed down on me, had Holy Water thrown at me and definitely been condemned to Hell. Now this is a real war with regard to spiritual beliefs. I have a difficult time understanding how any sincere Christian could treat their fellow humans this way. The Old Testament is full of stories of such behavior but certainly Jesus didn’t promote it. While I am just a fellow human and in no position to judge anyone I have difficulty justifying how a true Christian can wish anyone ill and harm let alone perpetuate it then turn around and say they are the victims of “War”. However, I do understand that social changes that threaten their dominance may make them feel threatened in some way. Inclusion and acceptance come hard when they are new and certainly can be seen as threats. I am truly fortunate to have many wonderful Christian friends who accept and honor me in spite of our differences. They are among those I consider to be true Christians, living what they profess rather than spewing hate and ill will in the name of their faith. In the end the fundamental of every belief, agape love, is the same - love and respect for all humanity. I am ever so grateful for these people in my life. I love you, hold you dear and express gratitude via my spiritual practices for you. With all my heart and soul I wish you a Merry Christmas. I am honored when you wish me the same. . Spiritwoman ^i^ |
|||
12/24/2016 3:26 pm |
Ho Ho Ho Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
|
Merry Christmas!
| ||
|
I enjoyed the read, Spirit, and you well know that I agree with many of the points you make. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Alfie....
| ||
|
Your blogs are always interesting. Merry Christmas and enjoy all your family get togethers. Ann and Alfie
| ||
|
Merry Christmas to you and Chuck and your extended family. Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.
| ||
|
Well said Spirit!!! Big Warm Hugssss to all who you hold dear. Much health, happiness, and peace!! 
| ||
|
Merry Christmas, Spirit.. wishing you the peace of the season, great health & much happiness!
| ||
|
Amen. Merry Christmas spirit :- )
| ||
12/25/2016 10:33 pm |
Way off topic but I can't help but point put the fact that your response is a prime example of the reasons I give for not being here and a perfect example of what I meant by "If I say the grass is green.....". Your experience may well be as correct for you as mine is for me. They are just that, our own personal experiences and no doubt as different as our lives are but you have taken it upon yourself to declare yours right and mine wrong and of course you, seeing yourself as far superior to me must be correct and me in error. Of course my statements are true, for my experience. I could defend them with a long recitation of personal experiences but refuse to drop to your level and engage. There are plenty of people on here who love to take the bait and argue. Go play with them. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
12/25/2016 10:37 pm |
Thank you. I feel being as decent of a human as one can be is something that transcends religious preferences. Sometimes actions match our professed beliefs, sometimes not. We are all works in progress and should do our best to be a better person today then we were yesterday. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
12/25/2016 10:39 pm |
Thank you. Wishing you continued and growing peace in life. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
12/26/2016 1:21 pm |
Apology accepted. I know it is unusual for me to speak out like I did which is why I mostly stay away from here. It's not so much what is said but the confrontational way things are presented that irritates me. The recent election nonsense seems to have made everyone, me included, realize that we can just not sit back and take things anymore. Seems that what I refuse to continue taking is the fact that comes to light here, that everyone has their personal experiences as well as their individual interpenetration of them. Understanding this is paramount to respecting others. While I won't speak up in terms of debating issues , most of which do not have a right or wrong to begin with, I will speak up about lack of respect for others and invalidation of them just becasue our experiences are different. I am appalled at the lack of respect for others thrives in recent months so find myself speaking up when it presents itself. Spiritwoman ^i^
|
×
×