Damned if you do or don't
While having dinner with a friend and friends of that friend one of those dreaded subjects came up...
Taxes? Nah...
Politics? Nope...
Religion? Yikes... that's the one.
My friend and her friends are of the Mormon church. They were talking about what they're involved with, their "calling's", how many children, etc etc.
Being very curious, I started asking questions. How many children do you have? What is a "calling"? And questions of that sort. I'm naturally curious... and no, I don't care how many cats it killed.
Of course, if you ask questions, you should be prepared to answer some yourself. It's sort a double-edged sword I guess. Maybe that's what killed the cat.... hmm... something to ponder... but that's a different blog I think.
They asked me how many children I have. Two. Oh, and are you finished having children? Yes. Oh.
What the heck does that mean?!? Ok, never mind, be nice.
What do you do for a living? Oh, I run a dayhome. Wow. What did you do before that? I worked for a survey company. Oh. You did? You didn't stay home with your children? No, we couldn't afford it. Oh. Well, if you really want something, you should find a way.
Grr... okay, now here it comes... wait for it...
What faith do you follow?
THERE IT IS! RIGHT THERE! THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT!!!
I'm sorry... do you mean what religion? Yes, that's what I mean. Hmm... I'm don't, I guess. Oh, you mean you don't go to church? No. What about your husband. Well, he was baptised Catholic. He doesn't go to church? No. You children are baptised too? Yes. Huh. So doesn't that make you Catholic? No. Oh.
Okay, here it is. I don't know really what I believe in.
GASP
Seriously, there was an audible gasp that came from three of them. My friend and her friend weren't shocked. I mean, my friend lives across the cul-de-sac from me, and after having a longer conversation with the one that organized the party, she sorta figured it out too.
What do you mean you don't know? How can you not know? You mean, you don't believe in god? What about what happens to you when you die? and it went on and on...
I tried to change the subject with no luck. Okay, so here it is, time to explain.
I'm not exactly a "seeing is believing" type person, but I tend to question some things that some people don't. I have faith. I do. I have an unwavering belief that the soul lives on and on, in many different ways. I believe in re-incarnation. That we can choose to come back, or we can choose to go on and be immortals in our own way. Living in bliss with all our loved ones that passed before us. Heaven? I guess you could call it that. Hell? I'm not sure that I believe in that. I do in a way. I think you are punished by not getting a choice. It's made for you. You go back until you can right any wrongs that you committed in previous lives. It's very hard to explain what I believe.
All you really hear is "I don't know". They don't hear that I have faith. They don't hear my explanation. They don't want to.
Most think that you do or don't. You follow or you don't. It doesn't seem to matter WHAT religion, as long as it's in black or white. Apparently, to most but not all, religion has no room for gray. No room for doubt, no room for questions. It's those that make me shake my head. I don't pretend to know the bible, to know the differences in each religion, to know anything about that life really.
But I like to be told about them. I love asking questions. I enjoy hearing about lives with church and God in them. It's something I am open to hearing. I am always curious about and probably will be. But when you can't accept me for my faith the way I can accept you... I start to wonder about your beliefs.
Not in God. But in people.
Is it so difficult to think that their are people out there that have faith in something not so defined?
Sometimes I pray. I do. Not necessarily to God, but to loved ones that have passed before me. To whomever it is that guides me through life. I don't know if a name can be put to such a higher power, that or maybe I just can't bring myself to...
... it's so hard to explain. I believe. I have faith.
Love. Karma. Afterlife. Re-incarnation. Belief. Right. Wrong. Faith. Good. Bad. Choice.
I can't put a name to the higher power, because I think there is more than one. I can't put a name to my faith, because it encompasses so many aspects of so many different religions.
The other day at the Tupperware party I had, the consultant was here late. I had a wonderful conversation with her. It was after I told her she had an "old soul". She smiled and she asked me to explain what I meant. I told her that she's lived a lot for her years. You can tell when somebody has gone through a lot in their lives. Not just this one, but past ones too.
She is probably more than half way through her times. She'll come back a few more times, but this life has done a number on her.
People always jokingly say, I was a "something" in a past life. A waiter, if you have good balance with dishes. A dog, if you're loyal or like to sniff butts.
I don't just randomly tell people what sort of soul they have. There are a lot of repercussions for that sort of thing. Offending friends and family. It's something you share one on one with friends, close friends and possibly a kindred soul. I can usually tell the ones that have open minds about others beliefs and such.
Those people are far and few between.
The Tupperware consultant? She didn't pretend to fully understand what I was saying, but she was interested and took it as it was. A comment and a compliment to her strength and wisdom.
I will continue to share my doubts with people, and my beliefs... but only if they ask... religion is one of those subjects that is touchy, very 'black and white' in most people's eyes. No room for grey.
You're damned if you know and if you don't.
Please, if I offend you with what I write, remember this is my opinion. You are not meant to take this as anything but that. It's personal and I simply write to share myself with the world. It's only a glimpse into my personal insanity.
Taxes? Nah...
Politics? Nope...
Religion? Yikes... that's the one.
My friend and her friends are of the Mormon church. They were talking about what they're involved with, their "calling's", how many children, etc etc.
Being very curious, I started asking questions. How many children do you have? What is a "calling"? And questions of that sort. I'm naturally curious... and no, I don't care how many cats it killed.
Of course, if you ask questions, you should be prepared to answer some yourself. It's sort a double-edged sword I guess. Maybe that's what killed the cat.... hmm... something to ponder... but that's a different blog I think.
They asked me how many children I have. Two. Oh, and are you finished having children? Yes. Oh.
What the heck does that mean?!? Ok, never mind, be nice.
What do you do for a living? Oh, I run a dayhome. Wow. What did you do before that? I worked for a survey company. Oh. You did? You didn't stay home with your children? No, we couldn't afford it. Oh. Well, if you really want something, you should find a way.
Grr... okay, now here it comes... wait for it...
What faith do you follow?
THERE IT IS! RIGHT THERE! THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT!!!
I'm sorry... do you mean what religion? Yes, that's what I mean. Hmm... I'm don't, I guess. Oh, you mean you don't go to church? No. What about your husband. Well, he was baptised Catholic. He doesn't go to church? No. You children are baptised too? Yes. Huh. So doesn't that make you Catholic? No. Oh.
Okay, here it is. I don't know really what I believe in.
GASP
Seriously, there was an audible gasp that came from three of them. My friend and her friend weren't shocked. I mean, my friend lives across the cul-de-sac from me, and after having a longer conversation with the one that organized the party, she sorta figured it out too.
What do you mean you don't know? How can you not know? You mean, you don't believe in god? What about what happens to you when you die? and it went on and on...
I tried to change the subject with no luck. Okay, so here it is, time to explain.
I'm not exactly a "seeing is believing" type person, but I tend to question some things that some people don't. I have faith. I do. I have an unwavering belief that the soul lives on and on, in many different ways. I believe in re-incarnation. That we can choose to come back, or we can choose to go on and be immortals in our own way. Living in bliss with all our loved ones that passed before us. Heaven? I guess you could call it that. Hell? I'm not sure that I believe in that. I do in a way. I think you are punished by not getting a choice. It's made for you. You go back until you can right any wrongs that you committed in previous lives. It's very hard to explain what I believe.
All you really hear is "I don't know". They don't hear that I have faith. They don't hear my explanation. They don't want to.
Most think that you do or don't. You follow or you don't. It doesn't seem to matter WHAT religion, as long as it's in black or white. Apparently, to most but not all, religion has no room for gray. No room for doubt, no room for questions. It's those that make me shake my head. I don't pretend to know the bible, to know the differences in each religion, to know anything about that life really.
But I like to be told about them. I love asking questions. I enjoy hearing about lives with church and God in them. It's something I am open to hearing. I am always curious about and probably will be. But when you can't accept me for my faith the way I can accept you... I start to wonder about your beliefs.
Not in God. But in people.
Is it so difficult to think that their are people out there that have faith in something not so defined?
Sometimes I pray. I do. Not necessarily to God, but to loved ones that have passed before me. To whomever it is that guides me through life. I don't know if a name can be put to such a higher power, that or maybe I just can't bring myself to...
... it's so hard to explain. I believe. I have faith.
Love. Karma. Afterlife. Re-incarnation. Belief. Right. Wrong. Faith. Good. Bad. Choice.
I can't put a name to the higher power, because I think there is more than one. I can't put a name to my faith, because it encompasses so many aspects of so many different religions.
The other day at the Tupperware party I had, the consultant was here late. I had a wonderful conversation with her. It was after I told her she had an "old soul". She smiled and she asked me to explain what I meant. I told her that she's lived a lot for her years. You can tell when somebody has gone through a lot in their lives. Not just this one, but past ones too.
She is probably more than half way through her times. She'll come back a few more times, but this life has done a number on her.
People always jokingly say, I was a "something" in a past life. A waiter, if you have good balance with dishes. A dog, if you're loyal or like to sniff butts.
I don't just randomly tell people what sort of soul they have. There are a lot of repercussions for that sort of thing. Offending friends and family. It's something you share one on one with friends, close friends and possibly a kindred soul. I can usually tell the ones that have open minds about others beliefs and such.
Those people are far and few between.
The Tupperware consultant? She didn't pretend to fully understand what I was saying, but she was interested and took it as it was. A comment and a compliment to her strength and wisdom.
I will continue to share my doubts with people, and my beliefs... but only if they ask... religion is one of those subjects that is touchy, very 'black and white' in most people's eyes. No room for grey.
You're damned if you know and if you don't.
Please, if I offend you with what I write, remember this is my opinion. You are not meant to take this as anything but that. It's personal and I simply write to share myself with the world. It's only a glimpse into my personal insanity.
You're in good company, Tanya. I don't know either. :)
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