Freedom of Religion is Not Free

Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a country where one of our founding amendments was “Freedom of Religion”? Where anyone that lived here would be free to practice whatever religion they truly believed in, without prejudice. Where Muslims could be Muslims, Jews could be Jews, Buddhists could be Buddhists, and Christians could be Christians. No religion was considered, “Better then the other”, and all were equally recognized.

This morning I was driving to work and I passed a Christian school. I thought how wonderful it must be to have a place where you can freely demonstrate your religion. Where you know you are not going to be judged because you pray in school. To have a place where you truly fit in. But, shouldn’t that be free for everyone? Shouldn’t you be able to pray in peace?

Why are we not allowed to pray in schools? If we have freedom of religion, couldn’t we pray wherever we are free? And, couldn’t we bow to “Allah” instead of pray to “God” or “Jesus”?

Supposedly, we are not allowed to pray in schools because not everyone prays, and the people that don’t pray will be left out. In search for equality, we are segregating. Instead of being able to pray in a public school people are forced to build these “....Christian.. ..Schools....” that are in turn segregating the people that are not “Christian”. Is this the direction ....America.... is moving? In order to celebrate our own faith we have to build ourselves a temple to worship.

Freedom of religion is not free. When you start having to build yourself a place to pray, freedom becomes a little less easy

Feminist Revolution Revealed

Woman have been fighting for their "rights" since the beginning of time. Ever since the first female neanderthal was ordered to roast the wild boar for supper, woman have been fighting for equality. Honestly, "equality" is what everyone is fighting for, but I would rather fight for happiness.

Since the 70's, when the feminist movement really took off, stay-at-home mothers have been viewed completely differently. No longer was it the typical, accepted, view of the female role. It now was a woman giving up her life for a man. Surrendering her own self for others. Blah Blah Blah. And many people stopped accepting a "house-wife" as an acceptable job.

If a 17 year girl went to the career counselor and told him/her that all they wanted to be was a housewife, what would the career counselor say?

If I said that all I really wanted to do was be a wife and a mother, what would you say? If I said that all I want is to have dinner ready on the table when my husband gets home, what would you say? If I said that all I really want to do is stay at home and raise the children, clean the house, and cook the food, what would you say?

Am I giving up, or selling my self short, or what?

Honestly, this is ALL I know I want to do. This is it. I want to be a good wife, and an excellent mother. That's absolutely it. That is all I want to do. And with our current "feminist movement", it has been so hard to accept it.

I keep thinking I have to go to school, get a degree and become something. But, I know that no matter what I get a degree in and how happy I am with my job, I will give it up as soon as I have kids. And it's not that I would "give it up", it's that I would want too! I wouldn't view it as "giving it up" I would view it as doing something different. Doing something that I have to do, and want to do.

And I am not saying that, that is what I want to do NOW. I'm not saying that I want to grow up RIGHT NOW, get married and have kids. Because that is silly. I'm still a kid myself. I'm just saying that, that is all I want to do someday.

And, I don't view it as giving up. And, I don't view it as selling myself short. I just know that is who I am, and all that I want. I just don't know what I want to do until then.

The most important thing to me has always been my family, and I have always been great at taking care of them. That is all I want to do.

I'm not fighting for equality exactly, I'm just fighting for the right to do what I want to do without discrimination. I'm looking for people to accept the fact that I want to be a housewife, and not look down on it. Not think that I am selling myself short. I'm not looking for feminist equality, I'm looking for you to accept my happiness.

Procrastinating

The idea of procrastination has been crossing my mind lately. What exactly consists of being a procrastinator, and when does it cross the line into something else?

Through out school, I have definatly been a giant procrastinator. Putting of a ten page paper to the night before. I finished my ENTIRE senior project the week it was due. I am definatly a procrastinator. But, I think it crosses the line when your act of procrastination actually affects other people's outcomes. Finishing the paper the night before, or finishing a project the day of is one thing, because they only affect your own outcome. If things go wrong, only you will be the one with the bad grade. But, when your procrastination ends up involving another person, that is not procrastinating, that is just selfish laziness. Your own laziness ends up affecting someone elses outcome.

I think the term "procrastinator" has become a very relax term, and a term that people seem to not use correctly. It has the conotation to be almost comical as well, "hahaha, yea...i didn't even start my paper yet, I'm such a procrastinator". And in fact procrastination is almost comical, when someone else is screwing themselves over. BUT, it is not comical, nor is it procrastination when your own selfish act is actually screwing someone else over as well. Just something I have been thinking about lately. So before you start to put something off, please consider: does this involve someone else? If it does, the please, consider again. If you keep putting it off for your own selfish laziness, then please consider never getting married or having kids, because you are obviously not a team player.

Thanks very much for listening, I will get back to work now.

Religious clarification

I am a Unitarian Universialist. Case and Point. I am tired of people saying that I do not have a religion, or am not religious. And, I am tired of people saying that I am not christian. Both of these statements are not true.

But my beliefe is when people don't understand something fully, they just assume. So rather then just bitch and moan about people not understanding me, I might as well explain.

I am a Unitarian Universialist. A definition, "Unitarianism is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God). It is the philosophy upon which the modern Unitarian movement was based, and, according to its proponents, is the original form of Christianity. Unitarian Christians believe in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, as found in the New Testament and other early Christian writings, and hold him up as an exemplar. Adhering to strict monotheism, they maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. Unitarians believe in the moral authority, but not necessarily the divinity, of Jesus. They do not pray to Jesus. Their theology is thus distinguishable from the theology of Catholic, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, and other Christian denominations, who hold the Trinity doctrine as a core belief."To make things a little more simple: I believe in God, and I believe in Jesus. But, rather then praying to Jesus--who may have simply been a prophet--I pray to God. Jesus was a great man, but not necisarily the religious divinity--that right goes to God. Other then that, there are very subtle simmilarities and differences. Rather then explaining them myself, here are the main points that are true: They do not have a creed or formal statements of faith that must be believed in its entirety or used as a test of character in order to be accepted into fellowship with other Unitarian Christians. However, they have set out some basic principles that distinguish their faith from other Christian groups.Although there is no specific authority on these principles, the following represent the most generally accepted:
1.the belief in One God and the oneness or unity of God.
2.the life and teachings of Jesus Christ is the exemplar model for living ones' own life.
3.that reason, rational thought, science, and philosophy together with religion and faith are not mutually exclusive.
4.that man has the ability to exercise free will in a responsible, constructive and ethical manner with the assistance of religion.
5.the belief that human nature in its present condition is neither inherently corrupt nor depraved, but capable of both good and evil, as God intended.
6.the conviction that no religion can claim an absolute monopoly on the Holy Spirit or theological truth.
7.the belief that the works of the Bible are inspired by God, but were written and edited by humans and therefore subject to human error.
8. the rejection of traditional doctrines that they believe malign God's character or veil the true nature and mission of Jesus Christ, such as the doctrine of predestination, eternal damnation, the Trinity, and the vicarious sacrifice or satisfaction theory of the Atonement.

Most Unitarian Christians would say that Jesus of Nazareth and his followers and disciples would today be defined as Unitarian Christians, and that Unitarian Christianity is the form of Christianity most closely following the direct teachings of Jesus. However, Unitarian Christians respect the beliefs of others and do not believe that the Unitarian Christian way is the only way to follow God's will.

So, thats basically it as far as the Unitarian aspect of my religion. But the reason Universialist is added is because of a seprate beliefe that I hold to be very dear. The Universialist is added to show that I believe in the "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". This is free from my own personal beliefs in Jesus and God. I believe that everyone is able to search for their own spiritual beliefe that works best for them, in complete harmony and unity. Universialists have their own beliefe system:
1.The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2.Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3.Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4.A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5.The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6.The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
7.Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

So, in a nutshell: I am a unitarian universialist. I believe in god, and jesus, and the bible. But I also believe that the bible was written by humans and has room for error. Furthermore, the bible should not be held higher then anyother branch of religion. As long as a religion is being seeked out for the good of humanity, and the betterment of people as a whole, it should be honored and cherished. So, there I am. Religion in a Nutshell.

If you would like to do further reading please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian

Dissapointment

For some reasone today my mind has began to wonder. Subject not paticularly tied to one person or the other. And, most, not tied to anyone. Just random thoughts about no one impaticular. Its inevetable that everyone is going to disapoint you at one time or the other. Your parents, close friends, even perfect strangers. But the closer you are to them the bigger the disapointment is.

No anger resides in most disapointment-- anger is an entirly different subject. Yet, anger is a feeling that is easier to get rid of, and easier to opplogize for. I don't know if most disapointment goes away, because disapointment is tied with trust and trust is a bond that once is broken it can never be fully put back together.I realized earlier that I have lived part of my life surcumming to peer presure. I have done things I wouldn't have done otherwise. No, I do not regret any actions. But I never relized before today, that they were not intirely my own. But yes, I do take full resposiblity. Something you do because of peer presure is still your fault after all.

Being a whore has nothing to do with the kissing and such, but rather the situation you do it in.

If I am forced to choose one friend over the other--the answer is no. I will not choose. I am allowed to be friends with whomever I would like, and there will be no one that will tell me who I will or will not be friends with. No matter what they have done in the past. That is another thing that goes along with trust. You have to trust your friends no matter what--or else what are they good for?

High-School drama does not end in high school. It only ends when you leave the people that make the drama.

The Curse of Traveling

Looking out the window in the passengers seat--watching the scenery change time and time again--my mind turns in circles. Thinking about everthing there is in my mind, over and over again. Music blaring and my mind racing: The curse of traveling. So many odd thoughts going through my mind, that its hard to explain them all in one relevant and coherent writing. From love to religion, from growing-up to "I wonder what song comes next?" A road trip is probably the best way to clear your mind--I have never been so clear in my life I feel then I am after a road trip.

I started with thinking about a story my great-grandmother told me about a year ago. She had never told anyone else about this--not her daughter and not her grandaugter (my grandmother and mother). I wasn't sure why at the time, I just listened closely as she told me about her youth. She told me about when she was a child, she loved theater, and she loved art (my family never knew she was in drama!). Her and her best friend loved to perform, and they both wanted to be actress's when they grew up. Then my grandmother fell in love. At 17 she was married and a year later she had a child. Her friend went off to school and started her acting career, as my grandma fell behind. Several years later her friend was nominated for 2 golden globes--Mitzy Gaynor (look her up if you don't know who she is!) My grandma then began to tell me to go for your dreams first. She told me that I am a lot like her, and if I want to be an actress....go for it. Don't get married and settled so young. I will regret it. I just smiled and nodded at the time. But now I completly understand what she meant., and I understand why she told me of all people her story--she doesn't want me to make the same mistake.

She was young and in love, but not sensible. Instead of going for her dreams, she got married. Shes been married for over 60 years now, but only 10 happy years. As her friend went off and lived "her" life. Yes, I am young, and yes I am in love. But there is no way I will ever get married as young as my great-grandmother. I hold her advice higher then almost anyones. I belive it is possible to be young and in love, and follow your dreams. Love is the best feeling in the world, but knowing you made the right desicions in your life is just as gratifing. With my grandmothers story still in my head, we traveled on. I couldn't help but smile the whole trip: knowing I had figured out what my grandmother wanted me to know. Road trips are good for clearing your mind, and setting your soul free to dream.

I hate to start out blogs with some vague fact that isn't relevant to everyone. Some statement like, "There are times in your life..." blah blah blah. But I can't figure out a better way to start writing sometimes rather then using an irrelevant fact.

Some facts are true, but only to yourself. My fact of the day: There are times in your life when the clouds part, and the sun shines, and everything just seems to be going wonderful. Everything in my life right now seems to be going just absolutely perfect: life is groovy. The weird thing though is that “perfect” in reality isn’t so perfect, but it feels perfect. Is that confusing?

The truth. I am majoring in a degree I don’t know I want, I don’t have a job, and I have no idea where my future is going. But, suddenly I am excited to find out where it is all going to go. I think my real future isn’t finding the end result, but venturing on the path it takes me. Yes, most of the time I am still completely terrified to grow up--still afraid that I am going to make the wrong choices--but I am also completely excited to find out.

How can you not be excited to live when your life is so great?And how can life not seem so perfect, when such a perfect person is in it? A person who every time he sees me says things like, “Its so great to see you” (when its only been a few hours) “Your so beautiful” (when I have my P.J’s on) and “Why am I so lucky?” (when really I am the lucky one). How can life not seem so perfect when I know that somewhere I am wanted and needed by someone?

There are days when I still feel low--like the clouds are never going to part--but I think those days are normal. And luckily, those days are becoming less and less, and slowly but surely, the weather seems to be all blue sunny skies.