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

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

What Women Want?

Sara:    We are probably going to have to do this one in two parts, as it is one of our favorite subjects, and one close to our hearts. I was born a girl, but if you had looked in on me when I was younger, you would have heard me say that all I wanted to be was a boy. And why not? Boys get to go out and work, they don't have to be pregnant, or cook, or clean. They get to jump ramps on their bikes and fish while I'm expected to play with dolls. Well I have always thought that dolls sucked, and I like to fish.
    This is one of the most impeded upon rights I have, as my faith has pretty clear ideas on gender roles. To be honest I have always thought that those rules in the Bible where for a different time, when you were pretty much either a housewife or a whore. Some people seem to dislike that the women's rights movement even happened, and mostly they fall under the religious category as Christian. It upsets me because I am offended. I don't think God made all women to work at home, and trust me I know it's work. I have been a stay at home Mom with both my kids, save about 2 years of employment, and some scattered school. I love my kids, but it is not what I want to do with my whole life. It is a respectable career, but it's not for me.
    You may say I'm willful, and ignoring what God has planned for me, but I say that isn't so. I think this is Gods way of helping me, this ability to go to school is. He made me, he knows that being at home isn't what I want to do. Obviously he thought it would be good to have me do this job for a few years, give me some perspective. Now I really know that my end goal is still the same as it always has been. I want to be a nurse, nothing crazy, not a rock star, but it's always been on my heart that that's what I need to do. Otherwise why would I love working in the ER so much, nothing says fun like a torn off limb, or a chest tube. I get super excited to be the first person on the scene of a wreck, and nothing rocked my world like the first time I preformed CPR. I hope to someday get to say that I saved some lives, and I would love to one day deliver a baby on my own.
    Why would God give me these strong desires if he wanted me to squash them. I've never had any thoughts that I should Home school, guess he knows that would be a disaster. We will address this in another post, home schooling is a pretty intense topic. God has a different plan for everyone, and if I can be happy for you staying at home, why can't you just be happy for me too. Don't worry that my kids will be messed up because I had a job, it isn't your business, and it's none of mine how you raise your kids.
     It does bug me a little when people raise their daughters to be everything stereotypically female. It's my problem that that bothers me, not yours, It's my own personal experience that makes me hate ideals like that.It hurts me to think that these little girls are going to grow up thinking that something is wrong with them. My opinion on the matter is that if you can do it, stay at home that is, you are a strong person, and I respect you, but it ain't for me...


Allie:  So... imagine a little girl in a little pink sundress, big giant pink bow in her hair, covered in dirt and playing monster trucks on the playground. Some will see a cute little tomboy, while others see it as wrong because little girls shouldn't be dirty, and they certainly shouldn't play with 'boy' toys. That was me. I grew up being as girlie as possible on the outside, but in actions and mannerisms I really should have just been born a boy. I'm the girl climbing trees, burping the alphabet at the diner table, and dutch ovening any poor person who happens to share a blanket with me. Growing up my mother always seemed to worry about me because "this is not the way a lady should act."
     What dictates what is feminine and what is not (besides the obvious)? Who decided that playing with a Barbie would make a boy gay, or that playing with trucks and farting would keep a girl from finding a husband? I have never quite understood this particular concept. Growing up I enjoyed playing with Barbies as well as matchbox cars. I also enjoyed playing baseball, and wearing make-up. Why can't girls have it both ways?
     When I grew up people continued to try and put me in a box, either I was going to be totally feminine, or a butch lesbian. I have never been able to just be me, which often entails me giggling like a 12 year old boy every time I fart. I remember when I was 18 I was at my Dad's house, I had just come in from being out in the yard, I was wearing full make-up, but I was covered in dirt from head to toe. My Dad's girlfriend asked me why I couldn't act like a proper girl, stay inside, cook, clean; because acting the way I did would never attract a suitable husband. That kind of stuff really grinds my gears. I don't get why, this being the 21st century and all, it is still necessary for a woman to ready herself just to become a wife. (I'm not belittling people who choose this for their life.)
     I don't think it is a woman's sole lot in life to just become a wife, and if I marry, I want my husband to accept me for who I am, boyish behavior and all. I can understand that's how it worked centuries ago when women had no career prospects out of the home, and almost no independence whatsoever. It's just not for me. I've always wanted to stand on my own feet before I can share my life with someone else, then and only then will I be ready to happily settle down. Unfortunately being 25, unmarried, and having no children, still makes you some sort of old maid. Sometimes I feel pressured by certain people to hurry up, find a man, and get knocked up as quickly as possible. It is as if my eggs are going to dry up tomorrow, and I will never get to fulfill my 'role' as a woman. Why is it so devastating that I may not ever want to have kids or get married, maybe I don't want that life at all. I've always shown respect for women who have children, and have gotten married, why can't people just respect that it's not for me right now, and I don't know if it will ever be right for me... Does this make me less of a woman?

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

Monday, November 21, 2011

It's not that scary, I promise, unless your Muslim :)

    I didn't think that this would be a big deal, a few people read it, maybe we would get to the double digits, but what I didn't count on was Mom, or other family. I'm not very nice, and in response to my Moms not so subtle questioning of my faith, I want to wear a Hijab and tell her I'm converting. I know her concern is truly out of love, but why is she so worried.
    Why do people see Islam, or other religions as such a threat? As in "Hey family member, I'm going to talk to a Wiccan" response "Oh no, don't do that, God wouldn't like that". I will not be sacrificing any goats or babies with em, I just want to talk. Yet they seem to not at all fear the Atheist influence... maybe I should trade the Hijab for a book on science, maybe something by Darwin, or is that not as scary?
     Here is a link to show how crazy people are, and no I'm dead serious. http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/11/pamela-geller-beware-stealth-halal-thanksgiving-turkeys
Darn Muslims taking over my turkeys, they think they can sneak in with the birdie version of a Trojan Horse... Are these people serious???
     Yet here is another blog I found, that scares me way more than Jihad turkeys.   http://www.christianblog.com/blog/agodlywidow/i-have-joyous-news/
No, really, go read that one. Upon reading some of her other posts I found that she plans to marry off her daughter in the next few years, her daughter is only 15. Really, what are we missing while we are freaking out about Sharia Law. This lady also says that Obama is the Antichrist, and a homosexual. It's her right to live how she wants, but she is pushing it on other people, I have been reading her comments on other blogs, she is critical of women who choose not to live like her. I greatly respect housewives and homeschooling, but I'm not going to do it, at least not forever(the housewife thing), don't treat me like crap cause it ain't my thang.
     One more link http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/11/11/129512/oklahoma-sharia-native-americans/
They got some mad Native Americans up in Oklahoma, guess they should rethink it before they enact it.
     Me and Allie are working on some research on religious persecution as we have had to put off visiting churches and talking to different people because of her new job, and the holidays.

                                                                                                                      Sara

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The (actual) reason for the season -warning, it's long-

     One of my friends asked us to address this, and then I found myself extremely curious. A few questions...

Why x-mas? Are you really just that lazy?
Why does Jesus' Resurrection have anything to do with bunnies, or eggs?
Where did Santa come from?
Why do Pagans and Christians alike claim these holidays?
What do Jews do on Christmas? I don't know but the word sounds gross...
What the heck is Kwanzaa?
Who doesn't celebrate these days?

     Okay first x-mas, I assumed it was just a shorthand, but many claim it's people trying to take God out of a holiday they hold dear. Actually it turns out that it is a Greek translation issue. The term x-mas is actually as old as the holiday, and it has nothing to do with Atheists. Apparently the first letter in the Greek word for Christ is 'Chi' and it's symbol looked something like an X. Spell it out, and if you see the abbreviation, inform people, they may love to tell others that Jesus is even in that spelling for the day :)
     Next Easter, and that bunny with the eggs. Apparently the egg comes from the Druids, yes like the class is WoW, but not exactly the same thing.
          "The origin of the Pasch [Easter] eggs is just as clear [as the origin of Easter]. The ancient druids bore an egg, as the sacred emblem of their order. In the Dionysiaca, or mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. The Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. The people of Japan make their sacred egg to have been brazen. In China, at this hour, dyed or painted eggs are used on sacred festivals, even as in this country [England]. In ancient times eggs were used in the religious rites of the Egyptians and the Greeks, and were hung up for mystic purposes in their temples. From Egypt these sacred eggs can be distinctly traced to the banks of the Euphrates. The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians."
     Find the link here http://godkind.org/pagan-holidays.html I don't agree with everything on this page, but the information when cross referenced appears to be accurate.
     This time happened to jive with Jewish passover and the Christian Resurrection. To be honest many other religions use this time for a holiday, not just Pagans and Christians. Jews, and specifically Catholics have a holiday around this time, all with ancient influences. It is really interesting, there is more information on it's origin than I don't have time to read at the moment, as we like to say... Just Google it. I will have to add that the bunnies and eggs also come from the Pagan holiday of fertility. As in, they do it like bunnies, and of course eggs are always associated with the fertility of every animal.
     Okay, on to Mr. Santa Clause. Shew all literate children from the computer...

  It comes from Germanic legends that Santa Claus punishes naughty children with the knout, hmmm, scary. I always thought the Santa thing was a little scary anyway, and I'd like to add that I never actually believed in him, didn't scar me any, I promise. Santa can also be linked back to the legend of St. Nick, he gave widows money so that they could marry off their daughters. German art started shaping his look in the eighteen hundreds, Coca Cola finished him off with his festive red and white.
     It appears that so many religions practice these days because they are linked to endings and beginnings, the solstice, or other important times. Pagans where much disliked by the Christians, and the Christians wanted to convert them, so they just superimposed their holiday over it, (no one will notice, right?). Interestingly the Christmas tree comes from the belief that tree branches in the corners of homes will scare away ghosts. The wreath came from Pagans decorating for feasts.
     Chanukah (Hanukkah) First off a link http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/Chanukah-in-a-Nutshell.htm
    When they sought to light the Temple's menorah(the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
Hanukkah is meant to teach kids about charity, and it also celebrates the freedom of the Jewish people.
I will go more in depth when I specifically study Judaism.
      Kwanzaa? Well turns out its a cultural holiday, not a religious one. It is a time of gathering for African people, it was also a time to thank their creator. The celebration of this holiday is growing as some African Americans try to reconnect with their roots. The holiday celebrates family, charity, and purpose among other things. It lasts 7 days, it is not an alternative to Christmas as it is not religious, many African Americans celebrate both.
     Who doesn't like gifts? Well some Christians don't apparently, due to certain verses in the Bible, and the Pagan roots. Jehovah's Witness' don't because of the pagan roots. Muslims and Jews have their own holidays, as do most other faiths. Atheists do sometimes celebrate, but just as a get together, yes even Atheists like presents.

The Christian Perspective- or at least my perspective
     Why I celebrate- I think it's my right to celebrate the birth of my Savior. As with gifts on Christmas its the thought that counts. I know he wasn't born on December 25th, but this is when we choose to celebrate, Pagan holiday or not. It is a time when I can tell my family the wonderful news in a different way than we do it all year. It brings families together, and it makes us happy. I love to think about Jesus as a baby, before all the strife and the huge burden he had. Also now that I have a son it makes an even bigger impact on me, I don't think if I was asked to give him up I could, him or my daughter, what a hard thing to do.
     If you don't believe the way I do, it doesn't mean that you should rain on our parade, you could always just humor us, spell out the word, and don't tell me that none of us remember the reason for the season. Christian is not synonymous with uneducated. In my desire to educate myself I have found all these interesting facts, can't argue with em, don't have to like em, but I will continue to celebrate, because that's what faith is about.
                                                  
                                                                                                           Sara

Friday, November 18, 2011

What my husband brought to my attention

Now in the rantings of the Pope substiute God and Christ for Allah... You get my point. Insanity is in all religions.

Pope Urban II before the first crusade.

     "God himself will lead them, for they will be doing His work. There will be absolution and remission of sins for all who die in the service of Christ. Here they are poor and miserable sinners; there they will be rich and happy. Let none hesitate; they must march next summer. God wills it!"

    I'm already finding so much out, all of the religions have such a rich (and sometimes scary) history. Maybe through education things like this will end...


I will leave with this

'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'
Mohandas Gandhi

Here is the link where Stephen got this info
 
Stephen says he doesn't understand why everyone is so up in arms about how they are different, or how they are right. They all believe the same basic thing, yet they can't even get along. It's like they pride themselves on saying they are right. Instead they should focus on the simularities, they don't have to believe the same to show respect. Don't down on any religions when you have the same stuff in your history, give them some time and maybe they will calm down, remember some religions aren't as old as yours.

Incase you misunderstood

     As I just pointed out to my Mom over the phone, I am not trying to lead anyone astray here. I agree with most Baptist beliefs, don't get me wrong, but I am also still learning from the Bible, and praying to understand the truth. I don't want people to get on here, read about another religion, and convert. Not based on what I say. If you ask directly I will tell you that I think the right way is through Jesus. I just wanted some questions answered, and hey, why not put it online. Why does it matter, apparently the world is ending any day now :)
     I don't want to come at it from a biased perspective, no one likes that, and I don't really think it saves souls, it scares people off. I know this from experience. Don't be scared for me either, I am not weak willed, or stupid, I can do this without being lead to Hell, if you are scared for me, pray for me. I can always use a prayer. Also, I just feel right doing this, in my recent nights of praying and asking what to do next, this is what it came to. Since I started writing this I've had the most peace I have had in awhile. I slept last night without dreams of people I love burning in Hell, or frightening scenes from the end of the world.

Matthew 7:15-20
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (16) You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? (17) Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

    This is the scripture I have been studying from the Bible lately, it makes me curious though. Jesus was a prophet, yet people do awful things in his name. Would that be considered his fruit? I don't think it is, his direct fruit was good... i.e. the apostles. So don't judge our writing unless you notice bad fruit, I will be open to what you say.
     I have also been reading the Quran (just reading it, don't freak out). I am currently trying to get a Torah on my phone in English, having a hard time with that... I don't want to scare my Mom, I am in no way converting, but there are sooo many religious stereotypes, and almost none of them are true. Jews have joy in their faith, so do Catholics, they aren't all gloomy and sad. Muslims are for the most part peace loving and intelligent. People of all religions just want a little understanding, not a bucket full of your faith on their head every day. If you have an Atheist friend, tell them how you believe when it's appropriate, in a calm conversation. Don't hold them down and put oil on their head, don't throw holy water on them. I promise these things won't work. Stop talking out of your hiney about things you know nothing about, research and go from there. An informed opinion is always better received than an ignorant one.

                                                                                                          Sara

Christians-Baptists

My view, or Rant in this Case
I right this out of love for my church and family, who I love dearly, but surely they will understand where I am coming from.

I have heard a certain scripture many times in my church life
     Revelation 3:15-16
       "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth"


     This scripture is brutally honest, and seems unopened to interpretation. I know that it was a guy writing to a church, but why would it hold true for that church and not ours. To those out there who don't know what I'm talking about John wrote letters in revelation to 7 churches in Asia, and he had some pretty strong opinions for them. I recommend reading it as I have taken this scripture out of text, and you may interpret it differently. I find it ironic that I hear this so often in the Baptist church. Ask other people what they think of us, and I promise the word you will most often hear is 'hypocrites'.
      I know many in the church who love God, they eat, breath, and live his word. They are the best of us. I'm sure if you run across one of them they will have a kind word, and any questions will be answered as honestly as possible. Unfortunately there are the other Baptist, the ones with Signs like "Fags go to hell" or "Jesus hates homos". These are not even the worst of us. There is one church that is the epitome of everything hateful and wrong, and we should all be embarrassed that they do it in the name of Jesus. I will post a link here for informational purposed, but it makes me want to vomit just to do that. http://www.godhatesfags.com/index.html They even have a bunch of scripture taken out of context to spread their insane brand of religion. However it would be wrong to hate them, we can only pray that God shows them that he spoke love, kindness, and peace.
      I love the church I go to, it is so opposite of the hateful Westboro Baptist, don't let those people be what others think of us. I think that many of this path have become lukewarm though, I can attest that I did, and I am regretful. Even the Bible says better one way or the other though, what should this say to us. Don't listen to it, do good for a day, months, a year, then go back. Love God with everything you have, show others the light that he gave you. When you have compassion and peace, tell others where it came from...

Allie's corner
     Baptists have always seemed blind to me, strictly believing that that's the only way, no room for errors. As sad as it sounds if seems like most the Baptists Ive met seem willfully ignorant of other views on the world, that is not something I can do. I have always asked questions, and sought knowledge outside that faith. Don't get me wrong, there are some great Baptists out there who are nothing but kind, informative, and very well educated, but unfortunately there are Baptists out there who give Christians a horrible name.

The Baptist Church
     The sermon is usually pretty basic. We go into church, yes the men and women sit together. Modest dress is appropriate, although I have noticed this is not strictly followed. People socialize, then they sing. Some old-school churches still sing out of a hymnal, others project choruses onto the walls. The organ and other instruments are played, most of the time someone sings off key loudly :) It's probably me... Sometimes the announcements are read and there is a children's sermon given on the steps to the stage. Often a table sits in front of the podium, inscribed on it is This do in Remembrance of Me, referring to the lords supper. After that there is special music and the offering is taken.
     The preacher preaches next, usually he makes jokes about how long the sermon will take (really not a joke), and he probably mentions football... we do live in Texas. He then gives a message explaining his take on some scripture. In my church we are learning about Jesus' parables, interesting stuff. As anything in the Bible can be interpreted many ways, I have never heard 2 sermons that are the same. After that the preacher lets anyone come up who needs anything, to join the church, profess their faith in Jesus, their want to get Baptized, or their desire to know more. People also go up to pray on the stairs, yes Kleenex is provided. After that Sunday School, for more Bible learning, and probably food. Baptists love food, and I love that they love food. They usually have afternoon church on Sunday, or some sort of church get together. They also have church or choir practice on Wednesday night.

Baptist Beliefs
You can't be unsaved... or Once saved always saved
Baptism after you reach an age where you can decide for yourself, or the age of accountability, but you don't have to get baptized, its a symbolic thing.
The Bible is book they call on for all their beliefs
They have the Lords Supper... A truly southern spin on communion, and they don't do it every Sunday
The Trinity is God, His Son Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. They are 3 in one, Baptists don't believe themselves to be polytheists
Know Jesus- Go to Heaven... don't- Go to hell, no grey area...
Homosexuality is not what God wants, but you shouldn't condemn then, judgement is for God (I've heard it like this, all sins are equal, so they are no worse than anyone else)
Generally no female pastors
Divorce and birth control are allowed, it is a common belief that Baptists don't dance, however at this time that is not true, Ive seen some that drink too, not sure what the main belief is on this though, probably everything in moderation.
Generally considered Right Wing officiated, although this is not a strict rule.

-On a side note I have to say that what I miss most about church back in the day is something called a 5th Sunday Sing. If you don't know what that is, and are Baptist, you are missing out. If the month had a 5th Sunday the afternoon service would be spent just singing. Maybe it's because my Dad is a music minister, but it's my fondest memory.-

Summation
Most Baptist are pretty nice, but you will run into a few crazies.

The thoughts of an Apathist (thanks hubby)... "Meh, all Christians run together to me, except Catholics, and snake handlers. They laser beam in on certain scripture, and that's what they subscribe to, forgoing everything else. They think they are right, and everyone else is wrong"

Meet the Writers- Allie

I have almost no religious discipline whatsoever. Although I grew up in the church, sang in the church choir and I was even saved and baptized before participating in communion, I have always been confused about God.
The man who I've always known as my father was a "praise Jesus, ask no questions, just have faith", strict, Southern Baptist. That meant church every Sunday, prayers before bedtime, etc. There was a God in Heaven who was your creator, and Jesus was your salvation. End of story. There wasn't much room for questioning faith, and why we worshiped how we did. We just, did. 


My mother, on the other hand, had grown up Episcopalian.  Episcopalian is like, "Diet Catholic", or "Catholic Light", just to sum it up. While she was married to my dad she went along with the whole Baptist idea of God, but when they divorced she wanted to go right back to the Episcopal church. Naturally, being a seven year old, I had a ton of questions of what this meant. I wanted to know why, if there was only one God and one Jesus, was it necessary for there to be so many different types of churches in which to worship Him. I remember my mother finally telling me that there are different types of Christianity, and that although they worship differently, they still worship God, and they worship Jesus and that as long as you had faith in God and Jesus and accepted them into your heart, you will get into Heaven. Meaning, as long as you're Christian, it did not matter how you worshiped.
 For a long time, I just blindly accepted that Christianity was the only faith. Any questions I had were usually met with, "It's just God's will," or "God works in mysterious ways." After some time, though, those particular answers didn't cut it any more.
When I was twelve, for reasons I wish to remain private, I decided that I hated God, and God hated me, and I made the conscious  decision to turn my back on Him, and turned elsewhere for the peace, answers and belonging my desperate, pubescent mind felt it needed.
I found solace in the whole "Wicca thing" during my angry, rage-y teen years. Wicca brought me peace of mind at the time, and secretly doing it behind my mother's back brought me some sort of sick satisfaction. It also felt like I was hurting God as much as I felt He had hurt me, and that was what really mattered.

Now that I am an adult, I realize how silly the whole thing was. I also realized that my faith, although shaken, had never fully left. My dear friend, Sara, pointed out that I obviously still had faith, or I wouldn't hate Him so much. She had a great point, and ever since I had been wanting and searching for ways to rebuild my relationship with God. Thing is, there are a zillion ways to go about that. Which one is the right way? There is Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. They are almost all the same religion, give or take a few things. It reminds me of being in an ice cream shop. There are so many different flavors of what is basically the same thing, so how do you choose which is right for you, or as Sara says, keeps you from burning in Hell for eternity?

Thursday, November 17, 2011

What is an apathist?

     Well I call my husband an apathist... here is why. "When I think about heaven or hell, what happens when you die, or what happened before you existed, I just can't bring myself to care"-Stephen. No amount of him going to church has changed his mind, nor has the birth of our children. He stopped believing in anything when he was 8, because he found out santa didn't exist. He says if santa was a lie, then his parents were probably lying about that too. This is why I didn't want to tell my children that santa was real.
     He is NOT an Atheist, he doesn't care if God doesn't exist, you have to have faith to be an Atheist, faith that God isn't real. I will be asking for his opinion from time to time, seeing as he will have a different perspective. He comes up with some real winners sometimes.  I love him, and since I am Christian I hope that eventually he will believe like I do, but I respect that he feels the way he does.

Meet the Writers- Sara

     The history of my own personal faith is a long one. I was raised Southern Baptist. I accepted Christ in my heart when I was 5, I was Baptized when I was 8. The minister of my church was an intelligent, kind man. He once said to read the Bible, pray, study, and to form my own opinions. I took this to heart.
     When I was 9 my parents divorced and I started having some anger towards God, I continued to attend church, but the anger grew. When I turned 16 the anger blossomed into full on rebellion. At 18 I became friends with my husband Stephen. At 20 we decided to get married. A few months later my best friend was in a car crash, she lost the daughter she was pregnant with, and she lost her ability to have children. I found out I was pregnant in May of '05. Me and Stephen were married on July 30th of '05, by my childhood minister, nothing could have made me happier. My daughter was born in January of '06.
     Unfortunately I was still in rebellion mode, and by the time my son was born in December of 2010 I had become someone I didn't much care for. Even worse I had set a bad example for my daughter. The one thing I didn't lose during my rebellion was my love of prayer. I love to talk to God, and no I don't always ask for things, I don't always close my eyes, and I don't do it on bended knee, but after my son was born I asked for guidance, and help in becoming a better person. I kept my eyes and heart open to signs from up above.
     I started going back to church a few months ago. The first sermon really kicked my butt, it was about being a good example for your child and teaching them about God and Jesus. Wow had I failed, but I saw clearly that God wanted me and my kids in church. Every sermon after that seemed to be for just me. Being happy with what you have, being kind to your enemies, doubting that anything is possible with God. It was amazing how the sermons came just as I needed them. I also found out that the friend of mine who lost her child, and her ability to have more... she had a daughter. I was so full of joy that day, I hadn't talked to her in years, but still that information found me. I had thought of her often, and it would always leave me so sad. I saw in that a sign from God, that he had heard all my prayers, and he cared.
     In October of this year I found out a friend of mine was converting to a religion I knew nothing about. Sadly my first though was how sad it was that now she was going to go to Hell. Then I realized that I should think about it before I came to that conclusion, and some people may not like that, but I had questions, so many questions.
     I set out to read all I could about my friends new faith. I let another friend of mine (Allie) know what was going on. I told her I had questions, and that it was a really scary time for me. I have always been better able to think about things when I put them on paper (or computer), and she came up with a grand idea. We would research, visit churches, and talk to the people of other religions. We decided to go about it as if we were completely unbiased, at least we would try. I don't want to anger anyone, or make anyone I know scared for me. I am not doubting God, I just need answers to these questions.

Why are we doing this?

     We wanted to start a blog about religions mainly to learn, but also to inform others. We wanted to answer some questions, but also try and get rid of some of the bigotry, ignorance, and all out right hate we had experienced. It is hard to ask questions of any religion, some see it as intrusive, others only try to push their beliefs on you. Some also seem to think that by asking questions you are saying you doubt their religion.
     It is impossible to answer these questions without experiencing it ourselves. So we will go to different churches, talk to different people, read holy books, and what we can't find in real life, we will research. This is all our own point of view, we will try to be as unbiased as possible.
     We don't ever mean to offend, but I'm sure that we sometimes will, especially Allie. We want to be honest and show kindness and consideration to all beliefs. Any slurs, bad words, or hateful language we use will just be to make a point, we don't mean it or believe it. We both share a pretty askew since of humor, so be warned.