WARNING: Please remember this is my blog and these are my views. If you think that you will be offended by something you read, you are free to skip this portion. Please also remember I DO NOT sensor my comments. I believe you have a right to say what you want, however, I also ask that you are respectful in your responses so that I may continue to not sensor my comments. We are all adults, we all have our own views, please feel free to agree or disagree...RESPECTFULLY. Thank you.
Whoever wrote these questions obviously never heard the old adage never discuss religion, politics and baseball! :-)
Religion-I have varying views on religion. I consider myself a christian, a Lutheran if you want to be specific. I believe in God and Jesus, I go to church sporadically, I am somewhat confused by the bible and yet I find parts of it inspiring and enthralling.
I spent most of my childhood in many different churches with different friends. When I was very young and still in New Jersey, I went to church with my Nana to a Presbyterian church. At the time I loved all the pomp and circumstance. I sang in the choir and I carried one of the crosses down the aisle in my robe that was always a tad too big. When we moved to Arizona I started to explore. I went to different non-denomination churches with different friends. I went to a synagogue more than once. In the beginning of high school I started going to an LDS (Mormon) church with a friend. I went for a few months, but I found that the commitment required and the beliefs did not fit with my life style and the way I was raised. I moved on to a Baptist church I enjoyed a lot for a while, then to another non-denomination. I lived with a girl who considered herself a wicken. I read some of that and knew it wasn't for me, but still found it fascinating at the time. I ended up back at a baptist church in my early 20's when Curt and I first got together.
In the end we seemed to find our niche when looking for a preschool for Gunnar. I was looking high and low to no eval, and my mom had said that I would know right away when I found the right one. Well aren't mothers always right? (it's kinda annoying) I walked into this preschool run by a Lutheran church that was also a private christian school. I knew IMMEDIATELY it was the right choice. I enrolled him that day after talking to Curt, and when he started, it was clear we had made the right decision. We liked the school so much we decided to try the church. For me it was a bit similar to the Presbyterian that I went to when I was little without the pomp and circumstance. Curt seemed to like it to, and we agreed to become members. For all the church hopping I have done, this was a big decision. I had never actually been a member of any of the churches I attended.
We went through the membership classes on Monday nights and it was a nice bonding time for me and Curt as well as learning a lot. We were going every Sunday, but it seemed that every other Sunday Curt was getting a call in the middle of the service. We would have to leave so he could go to work, and then we'd be lost on the next Sunday's service. After a few months of the same routine we both got tired of it and decided we had 2 choices. Gunnar and I could go without him, or none of us could go. To Curt's credit, he opted for Gunnar and I to continue going without him. I, however, was in no frame of mind to sit alone in church while G was in Sunday school, so I opted for the later, and we haven't been back since.
That's just to give you a little background. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions that don't fit into the traditional christian views. It may come from all the different religions I have been exposed to, it may come from being raised by very liberal parents with different world views than most of the world around us, I don't really think it matters where it came from, it works for me and my family.
Just some examples of where my views don't fit the mold. You don't need to agree or disagree, this isn't a debate, these are my feelings, views I have had for the majority of my life. The God I believe in does not have a hell. Yes, you read that right. If He loves us all as much as the bible claims, and He gave us free will to do with as we choose, then the all knowing God I believe in knew what would happen with at free will. He knew all the good and the bad that would come along with it, and He will forgive us ALL for our sins whether we repent or not. We are ALL God's children. I do NOT believe He would sentence anyone of us, no matter how haynes the crime to an eternity in the pits of darkness. Now maybe there are different parts of heaven, for the people that were not do gooders on earth, I don't know, I haven't put that much thought into it. I just know that I believe God, the God I believe in loves us ALL, the good and the bad, too much to watch us burn in an eternal fire for eternity.
I believe that EVERYONE goes to heaven. Or that you get reincarnated first and go later. I know that may not make much sense to a lot of you, but let me explain. I believe that eventually we ALL go to heaven, but I believe that we live many more lives than just the one we are living now. That feeling of deja vu you get, or the feeling of knowing a near stranger like you have known them for your entire life. I believe that is because you have lived that before or known that person in another life. People who seem to glide through life like they've done this a million times, people wise beyond their years (Gunnar). I believe those people are what I call "old souls", people that are on their last of many lives and headed to heaven. I believe that people like myself, people who make many mistakes, don't seem to heed advice well, live anxiously and unknowingly are "young souls". We haven't lived many lives and have a lot yet to learn still. I think that in each persons life there is a combination of young and old souls to keep the balance. For example, I believe that both Curtis and I are young souls and that is why we were given a child that was an old soul to teach us and guide us. I know that sounds backwards, but sometimes life is a bit backwards, and it works. God has a plan and a way, and no matter how hard you fight it or stray from the path, He will find a way to bring you back.
As you can see by these few examples, what I think and feel doesn't fit the mold. My views work for me. Everyone one has a right to their own beliefs, I don't believe there is any right or wrong way to believe in God, or a Great Spirit, or a Higher Power, or whatever it is that you believe in. If your beliefs are not doing harm to yourself and/or others, than believe what makes you feel good. We have freedom of religion for a reason and God gave free will so that we can choose to believe as we choose and do as we choose.
I may be right, I may be wrong, but I am doing no harm, and I think God should be the one to let me know if my beliefs are on or off track, because He is the only one who truly knows. We can only try to decipher what His will is.
Politics-I have a similar issue. My views don't fit the mold. I have varying views, I don't fit with one party but I am listed as a democrat. There is a story behind that but you will have to ask my mom because not that I am old enough to know better I refuse to tell it. ;-)
To be honest I don't consider myself very political at all. The reason being is because I don't feel like there is a ballot that would fit my views. I am pro choice for the simple fact that I feel I DO NOT have the right to make that choice for another woman. I do not know her background, her future, or her body. I am pro life for myself. I believe that every child should have the chance at life and I would opt for adoption if I could not care for a child I became pregnant with. AGAIN...that is NOT a choice I could make for someone else. Call me a hypocrite, call me whatever you want. My blog, my views, my choice to make.
I know I am going to incite a riot here so please refer to the warning above. I believe that EVERY child has a right to go to school. I don't care if that child is in the country legally or not. The child is not responsible for their parents actions. I believe every child has a right to the essentials needed to live, food, clothing, shelter and an education. How are these children going to make anything of themselves, to better themselves if we deny them these basic rights of humanity?
I believe that the politicians do not focus on what they are going to do, but what they want you to think they are going to do. I don't watch the political campaigns because I cannot stand to watch one opponent smear another day after day. It makes me sick. In the end one of them is going to be running our country whether we like it or not, I don't want or need to know all of that persons dirty laundry, real or produced by overactive imaginations with nothing better to do. I can't stand the bumper stickers..for OR against either party. I don't care who you vote for!
No comments:
Post a Comment