So I trust that you don't celebrate Christian holidays?
Sure, I do. Although, I don't think Christ was advocating for "holidays" necessarily. But, Jesus of Nazareth lived 2000 years ago. I even attended a Catholic Mass twice last year. I even lead the "Stations Of The Cross" last February at the local parish. Some of my closest friends are Catholic and I've come to know them and their religion a bit more, and I just sorta went to experience it. But, I don't wanna "buy into it." I don't even wanna do that figuratively, as you said it, or meant it. I wanna FEEL IT and know it. I want soul recognition.
I was raised in The Church of the Brethren- which is a pacifist sect church. Members were actually granted Conscientious Objector status during the draft in the World Wars and through Vietnam. That was my maternal family's church in south eastern VA and in NC (near what is now Eden). When my Dad died, it wasn't long before my family sort of disjointed from the church we'd all grown up in. Grandparents died, the nucleus shifts, etc. But, I never felt like the ancient teachings were giving me all I needed. I felt like there was more to be understood. Again, I wanted
soul recognition. It also seemed that organized religion was just as divisive to humans of every society as it was uniting. I can't find two people of the same Sunday school class who can agree on the Bible, so how can I expect different denominations to agree, let alone totally different religions. I remember my folks always being up-in-arms about the pastor, or the treasurer of the church, or who was saying what the right way, or how they weren't earning enough for the parsonage, or 100 other things that seemed so unimportant to me... more evidence of institutionalized distraction, not Faith! Not to mention, I rarely found people who called themselves Christians actually acting-out as Christ did, from my understanding. I mean, even the basic stuff... the stuff in italics or red print in the Bible! The real meat and potatoes stuff. The labels seem hollow and indistinct to me anyway. But, still, God I know is always there for everyone of
all beliefs.
I'm not averse to the teachings of Christ, or the Bible for that matter. Quite the opposite, actually. I happen to find them to be quite comforting and enlightening. But, I don't take the sub-plots in the Bible literally all the time, nor do I try to transpose them to modern-day situations in a literal sense. I basically think that the teachings of that day were much more valid for that particular generation and I believe that the "prophecies" have all come to pass. I also believe God speaks to us now just as much, or more, than the people who wrote the Bible. I can't tell you how many people I have met who actually think Matthew, Mark, Luke and John actually
wrote down their gospels. I thought that myself as a child! Then I find out they were stories handed down for centuries in some cases.
I am reading the Gospels that were left OUT of the Bible, too- Thomas, Philip and Mary Magdalene and a few others. The people who decided those books weren't allowed in the modern-day Bible are no better judge of what should go in it than you or me. Organized religions have become so institutionalized that they need for there to be conflict in order to preserve themselves. It's identical to politics, nationalism and the like. "
Our way is the
ONLY way. And,
Their way is the
WRONG way!" are messages they love to push, both subtly and blatantly. Stuff like that just makes me have no interest in following them. I can believe and apply the basic messages. But, endorse the religion? No, thanks. I find wisdom in ALL religions. In fact, so far, they all say basically the exact same thing, only they have a different cast of characters and events. And, even the descriptions of both of those are quite similar!
Amazing how this started out a Hurricane thread.
