Long time no blog
September 27th. Wow. That's a long time since I posted! Too long. New resolution, though not New Years yet - walk everyday - yoga everyday. I'm getting pretty darned good about a regular yoga practice, but I want to work on the walking angle. I read an interesting (pass on message) today, one of those "you've got to pass this on." I almost did because I liked what the author of this message had to say. But I have a rule of never passing on material to innocent e-mail addresses! So, delete. Still, it is worth a comment. Why are people who believe in God so afraid of speaking up about it? The author was a Jew who spoke recently on CBS and asked a lot of important questions on the topic of a nation that now is overtly atheistic. I auote a small bit of it as food for thought.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians.
Author: Ben Stein.
posted by Carol Anne @ 1:39 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I think there's an essential difference here between the assumption that the nation (austensibly the US I assume) is primarly atheistic, and that Jews and Christians are being pushed around because of their beliefs.
Judging especially from how the US elections are being fought between the reasonable left and the hard core religious right, I have a hard time believing that the US is mostly atheistic.
Unfortunately, the particular point that the author seems to be making has more to do with the political correctness brought on, not mainly by agnostic or atheistic people, but by other religions being unhappy with having to conform to whatever the majority religion is in their area.
Hence schools, businesses and public radio not addressing Christmas as Christmas but as a generic-fill-in-your-religion(or lack thereof)-here.
I think all of this "hype" is media driven and not a true reflection of the reality we live in (well, mine anyhow).
Sure, there are those who would jump off cliffs if told to, but most do have some gray matter upstairs to work with and on occasion - use it.
Remember only you can judge how to react to any outside influence - yes you (as in sentient being).
My own two cents worth - life is far, far too short to waste on this sort of nonsense. We are essentially no different than the person next to us no matter what the media says.
That said have a happy holiday and believe whatever you like because, unless you physically beat me over the head with it, I won't condemn or pass judgement on you.
Now - you can choose to react any way you like to what I have said - it is your choice.
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