Happy Ether

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Being oblivious n unaware may be preferable for some, no matter what the excuse. One of the new guys at work's been saying, "I'm Irish!" on a regular basis. I guess that's his best excuse for everything... (Loaded, or what?)

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Well, I grew up raised as a Catholic. Then in my teen years, I learned a great deal about real humanity from my Jewish friends. I'd been more sheltered than I'd realized. My family life was so different from theirs.

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We watched TV, played cards, n board games at our house. They danced, played instruments, and did constructive projects together. I was welcomed into their home-world, n became a regular there on afternoons n week-ends. I became best friends with them. Their influence is why I live where I do, n why I think the way I do.

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As a Catholic, I'd been taught to be Christ-like in treating all others as I would like to be. So I treated these friends with that in mind, they were fellow humans, after all. I learned a great deal about religious tolerance, a lesson even my parents (Catholic married to a Prodestant) had to keep working on through-out their lives. My Mother had whispered to me after meeting my friend, "He's not Christian!" as though it were a horrendous sin... insinuating the fact should bother me-

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I learned no matter your family's beliefs, all folks have the potential to be good to one another. All are allowed to believe what they will. You don't have to believe exactly the same things to get along, or to be ethical. There are good n bad things involved in all belief models.

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At a basic level, however, a person can never change what another truelly believes in their heart.

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Some people don't believe in the role of religion in their lives. Some don't believe there is a ultimate God figure at all. That our lives are a scientific happen-stance, n there are no consequences after death of the lives we lead here.

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At another extreme, there are Christians who profess that those who do not acknowledge Jesus, damn their souls from resurrection. In their opinion, people such as my friends, no matter the wonderfully kind n good people they were, aren't to be tolerated due to their predecessors beliefs, which were taught to them, as were mine. Nor would any other religions not including the Son of God figure-head..

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In our country of the USA, religious tolerance founded our beginnings, n the direction of subsequent law. This is the point of leaving Europe for broader horizons. It is the "why" we are all here.

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I have a great deal of tolerance in differences of opinion, compared to most people around me. I'm not quick to judge or condemn anyone. I believe it's not up to me to decide, that is my (believed) Creator's duty alone. (Were I the Creator, I'd include all the good people in the rewards earned by them, not according to religion, but by their actions).

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It's a shame those not believing in a deity figure, tend to allow more evil into their actions against others for selfish purpose.

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You may've heard, on Good Friday, the Christians most sacred Holy Day, some one in my state went around vandalizing about ten churches with black spray paint, writing "Jesus is dead." n "Jesus never rose again."

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The vandalizing action is an unethical n cruel thing to do. There was no chance of them changing the peoples opinions of faith as they entered into churches. They didn't make a lawn sign n declare the statements on their private property, They ruined others property, caused many folks to be upset, n had a huge audience.

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Everyone's allowed to decide what they believe about Jesus. We all question the possibilites at some point. But no one has the right to tell some one else what they believe, or don't believe.

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If you wish to so preach, you have a right to start on your own soapbox. But what joy is there in upsetting others in performing the expression of their religion? What would compell some one to do such a blatantly disrespectful thing to other people?

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It certainly wouldn't be to save them...

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I hope everyone has a good Passover -Seder, or Hoppy holiday- Easter Sunday, or a non-day, if prefered. You guessed it, I have to work! Someday, I hope to get my holidays back to celebrate again.

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... Now hop along n find the good eggs!