i believe in acceptance. i try to be accepting. i try to not be judgmental.
it is none of my business. not if you are gay. or vegan. or if you hunt bunnies. it is none of my business if you are catholic, christian, jewish, muslim, buddhist. it is none of my business if you weigh 100 lbs more than me or 100 lbs less. or if you smoke crack or meth or huff gasoline. it is none of my business if you drive or walk. if you choose paper or plastic.
we could stand back to back and see who's taller. we could stand on a scale and peek at the numbers. we could make lists of all are beliefs. but, really....it doesn't matter....as long as we are accepting.
accepting....funny how this idea seems so elementary....yet is so profound. i can't judge. i am imperfect. i am flawed. i am human and i am trying. being judgmental and accepting doesn't work. but do i think that i am better than some people? no. of course not. mostly no. do i think i am better than a murderer or rapist? FUCK YES i do. here is the problem with not judging....it is an imperfect system.
it is unfortunate that "religious" people have screwed up religion. it has sent an entire generation against something that might actually be wonderful and fulfilling.
i think most "religious" people are judgmental and small minded. i think they are hypocrites and bigots. see what i did there? i judged. and suddenly i am as bad as "them". but at least i am outwardly aware of all this. and i don't want to allow it in myself. if i take anything from my spirituality (funny that i have a hard time even naming it) it is to improve and care. to have compassion. to be a better me.....and that doesn't mean you have to be a better you.
but...as i walked along the beach this morning i had this thought:
i'll take the god that feels like this. right
now. calm and loved. forgiven and cherished. it feels like this air
i breathe....air that has come from the ocean...air that is soft and
salty and warm on my face...like a kiss. yes. I'll take this god, a
god of grace. of calming strength. of love. yes please.
and you can keep your god. the god capable of vengeance. the one that judges
and can punish. you can keep the god that is able to hate and hurt. because i don't think that is god at all, but it is the opposite.
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6 comments:
ok, so i'm challenged to help you differentiate between "religious" people and people of faith. It's funny that the exact God that you articulated you would like to know sounds like the very one I do know. In fact, to use your verbage, the God of the bible is Grace personified. Interesting you put it that way, because that's exactly what he is. In fact this week, a scripture that I've been meditating on is in 2 Corinthians 13:8... "My grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness". Also, the only people in the New Testament that Jesus actually hated were the Pharisees... religious people who followed the letter of the law, but had hardened hearts and could not believe in unconditional love and forgiveness. Matthew 23:25 says: "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Parisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy- full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean too".
xoxo s
it is sad and unfortunate that for every positive spiritual connection, for every loving, kind, accepting person of faith...there is a religious asshole.
and for every closed minded religious person, there is a closed minded atheist.
and the more i start to think and discuss all this....the more i am ok with all of it.....i hope that is the point (if nothing else) to find peace in all of it...with each view. to hear all sides. to keep a loving, open mind. and to keep this thing, this faith of mine, whatever it is called, whatever it is...keep it in my heart.
please, my dear friend, get a blog...you are not anonymous :)
Damn, anonymous. Way to get it all wrong and do it with such panache. Your clumsy beliefs are riddled with guilt. The fact that you can't even write the word "god" without a capital "G" is just plain sad.
Hmm. I'll defer to what Dana said about acceptance. But thanks for the compliment... I'll take panache!
Shoot- I really thought you were anyonymous. Dang, I'm sorry if I sounded rude! Funny how when someone you know believes in something, we're more accepting of it than if it were a stranger. I think that's why relationships are so much more important than religion. Don't know why people who try and convert others don't think of this!
I totally agree. I'll take relationships over religion any day!
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