The Farce of a Christian Nation

I am probably going to get my butt handed to me again, but I just have to say that I think the idea of this being a Christian Nation is a farce. I think it is just a political game to gain the vote of the religious right. So why do I say this?

Okay, first off, why is Stop and Shop open today? Today is supposed to be one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar along with Christmas. Yet when I went to the market Friday to get all I needed, I saw the sign saying they would be open. I think this is ridiculous. I spoke out back in January when I saw Kohls was to be open on New Years. I spoke out saying that they needed to shut their doors and let families be together. I was immediately set upon. I was told I was a socialist and trying to drive the country into the ground. They continued by saying that we had to have stores open to save the economy. Really? Another woman jumped all over me and told me that she wanted the stores open because she didn't have anything else to do and didn't want to sit around watching the guys watch football. So I responded back to her that she was making that cashier and stockers come into work because she was bored! Oh, how Christian an attitude.

I grew up in the days of the blue laws. All stores except gas stations, convenience stores and restaurants were closed. Every holiday saw families getting together for cookouts and beach days. Every Sunday saw a big Sunday dinner that brought the whole family together. Bit by bit, this was chipped away until now, the only holidays that stores were closed were Christmas and Easter. Well, now Easter has fallen, and that leaves Christmas. I suspect that this year will be the year that Christmas falls too. So much for a Christian nation.

Then there is the whole political atmosphere. The side that seems to call for a return to a Christian nation, though in truth we never were, but that is another point, is the side that seems to act less like Christians. They are the ones that fought against universal health care. They shouted about the demise of America as it fell into socialism. Not hardly, because if it did, then we would have universal health care, unemployment would be low as the economy would not be based on money. The thing is, if Jesus were here today, he would be derided for being a socialist. I mean, here is a man who saw a multitude come to hear him speak and rather than turn them away, took the few fish and loaves of bread and multiplied them so that all were satiated. And he didn't charge them a thing. He healed the sick and didn't charge a dime. Heck, he even made house calls to raise the dead. Maybe if we were a true socialist nation, not the image we have of dark Russia, but real socialism where everyone takes care of everyone else, maybe then we would be a Christian nation.

The truth is, we are not. Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli signed by then President Adams explicitly states that we were not. Of course, our actions also say we are not. One of the arguments I heard from a Tea Party supporter against Universal Healthcare was, "I am not going to pay for some trailer trash or monkey who can't keep their legs closed from having a kid." His words, not mine, but it only shows how people talk about being a Christian nation, but their words and actions belie that truth. The real truth is that we are not a Christian Nation, our God is not Yahweh, Elohim, or Jehovah. We do not walk and act as Jesus did. Our God is green, and I don't mean the Green Man, but rather the one with Grant, Franklin, Hamilton, and Washington. We are more concerned with the costs of things rather than what is right. This is why many people go without proper medical care. This is why people are being put out of their homes by banks that the taxpayers bailed out. This is why we try to amass as many things as we can. This is why we are depleting resources at an alarming rate because we are stuck in the paradigm of consumption. This is why we are more concerned with getting more resources no matter what the cost to the environment or the people who live in the area.

I may anger some people with my thoughts but I think people need to be challenged at times. I think we all need to take a step back and think about the way we treat others. What is more important to us? Do we really get ahead by opening stores on holidays and keeping families from coming together? Why was our economy so much better back in the days of the blue laws, which flies in the face of those who support opening stores on holidays? We have grown apart from each other and from the environment around us. We are so caught up with getting ahead that we have fallen behind. If we truly want to be a Christian nation, then we need to start changing our attitudes. We need to start treating each other with respect. We need to reconnect with our God whether we call him Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim, or even if it is a Goddess like Ceredwyn or Bridget. We need to relearn how Jesus walked and taught the people. How he reached out and fed the people, both physically as in the story of the fish and loaves, or spiritually as his life was devoted. We need to look at our own lives and attitudes towards others. If we truly want a Christian nation, then we need to be more accepting of all people. We need to be more giving of our hearts and time. We also need to rethink our political stances in light of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do)? I think you might be surprised that if it was a choice between helping the least of us or making a profit, Jesus would choose helping every time.

This was not meant to offend, but to maybe stir a discussion. I just get upset when I see people being forced to work on a holiday so that bored people have something to do. I feel like we are creating a caste system. While most white collar workers and executives are still getting their holidays, the poorer people are being forced to work so that the others "have something to do because they are bored". There is a better way to live. As long as we pray to the Green God, we will never see it.

My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.

Wisdom From a Fortune Cookie - Mystery and Reality

"Yet mystery and reality emerge from the same source."

Now this is an interesting one. The first thing that struck me was how often we see things as miracles or mysteries, but they are every bit a part of our reality. Maybe it is merely a matter of perspective. I have been checking on my seedlings every day. It is amazing seeing them grow. It is a miracle how from a small teeny tiny seed, a big plant can grow. In one sense, it is a reality, it is life. Whether I planted it or someone else, the reality is, that as long as it good soil, water, and sun, it would grow. The real mystery is in how that teeny, tiny seed, could grow a plant so large. The reality became a mystery when I stopped taking for granted that planting the seed, it will grow, and produce, and started watching the mystery of life with amazement.

Of course, these mysteries go far beyond a tiny seed emerging into a large plant producing fruits thousands of times large than the size of the original seed. Look at our children, from the moment of birth, and how they grow into adulthood. They too started as a small seed and grow to thousands of times the size. Once again, it can be a simple reality. Two people come together at just the right moment and conceive. The woman bears the child for nine months and then delivers. They spend the next year or so changing diapers, lacking sleep, feeding, and trying to teach. They continue on as the child grows, becomes an adult, moves out, and starts the cycle. Yuk, reality is so banal. I prefer the mystery and magic of two people coming together in a magical, mystical, entwining of bodies. The woman exalts in the knowing of another life growing within her. She takes on that glow that many speak of. She finally brings this new life into being and the family grows. The parents are enthralled at watching this life grow. They exalt at their first words, their first steps, their being able to feed themselves, and best of all, their being able to go potty. They continue to amaze as this life grows and becomes an adult. They nurture and help this life to become all the best it can be. They enable this life by telling them that they can do or be anything they set their minds to.
All it took was a change in perspective. Rather than taking life for granted, by changing our perspective, reality can become magical. Sometimes, I like to leave my readers with a challenge. This is my challenge for you: Take a few moments to quiet yourself. Let the world just fade away. Look around you. Look outside. Look at your kids or even your parents. Then rather than taking this life that is around you as simple reality, think of the miracle. Think of the mystery of life. Look at the colors of the birds, the flowers, or the shapes of the leaves on the trees. Note how very different they look. Life is a mystery to be cherished. We just need to stop taking it for granted and change a simple reality so that we can see and appreciate the mystery of life itself.
My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.

Wisdom From a Fortune Cookie - Everything You Are

"Everything you are against weakens you. Everything you are for empowers you."

Finally got a worthwhile fortune cookie with a timely message.
This message actually has meaning to me. I have been caught up in the political discourse of late. It has really drawn me down and at times brought depression. I have been having a feeling of helplessness with regards to what goes on in Washington. This is further exacerbated when you hear Senators say basically that they don't care what the polls say or what people want, or they just make up their own polls or in the case of Fox actually flip the results of the poll. It is truly frustrating to be an American and know that your voice is drowned out by corporations and biased media that controls what goes on in this country. I have become so embroiled in all of this and trying to raise awareness about our environment, our food supply, attacks on our elderly, attacks on the poor, attacks on women, and on and on. I get depressed when I hear that the reason I am paying more for gas is not because of supply and demand but because some speculators have driven the price, while our government sits on their collective asses because, hey, it's Wall Street and they are Teflon. I got upset as I watched our country meltdown because of illegal dealings of Wall Street and yet not one person has been prosecuted. In one report, a SEC agent was even told to back off his investigation. I watch as my 401k dwindles. Yeah, I don't have a pension because hey, we did away with those. We decided that putting the money in the stock market was better. So we compelled everyone to move to 401ks. I see people struggling. Meantime, I change the channel because I want to regurgitate because they think it entertaining to show me some millionaire's new plane that looks more like a motorhome and by the way, trimmed in gold. Meantime, more and more see their jobs going overseas, and as they are laid off they get to listen to some Senator tell them too bad as their unemployment runs out. Sometimes, I just want to shut off the TV, turn off the radio, turn off the computer and just tune out. But that's not me. Unlike our government and some of the politicians and corporations, I care about my fellow human beings. I care about the land, the trees, the rivers, the animals. I want to see a world of harmony and balance. And being barraged with all of the news and stories about pollution, global warming, poverty, and the demise of the empire, and yes, we are an empire, I just get weak. So yes, I am against anything that is not for the average Joe. I am against anything that is not for the environment. I am against anything that is not for bringing this world into balance. And because of this, I have been made weak. I have fought depression. I have struggled to want to continue walking this earth walk.

Then you get a simple message like this. Just two sentences of simple wisdom. And instead of collapsing into a heap of despair, you begin to refocus and have a spark of your old self. The words of the serenity prayer come back to you.

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

I can continue to sign ineffective petitions. I will do that because the hope is one day someone will listen. I will continue to speak out against the injustices I believe are being perpretated on the American people. I will continue to bring light on the so-called Christians who want God back in the world, but then move to cut every social program and leave the poor and elderly destitute while lining their own pockets.

I will do all that, but, I will go back to writing of a new world. A world of peace and harmony. A world where all life is respected. A world where a wolf is not murdered because it might one day get hungry and kill a cow that a rancher has on National Forest land. A world where it doesn't matter what your skin color is, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation, as long as you love each other, you can marry and the government will treat it like any other marriage. A world much like John Lennon spoke about in his song Imagine. I find it ironic how many people love that song and the message it brings but do nothing to bring it about. Personally, I would love to see a world without money. Where the measure of a man is by the size of his heart, not his wallet. That is the world I want to live in. Imagine not ever having to worry about whether you have the money to heat your home or drive to work, or pay for medicine? I think it is time to get back to writing about the things I am for. Who knows, maybe it will inspire just the right people that they will bring about the change to make this a better world for all people.

Here's to a brighter future.
My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.
White Wolf of the Turtle Clan