allyn,
I agree and very well said. I believe in the rapture, but I always smile to myself, because when it happens there are going to be a lot of very surprised evangelicals when they see who the righteous really are.
They use religion as a weapon. Not new, that's been a tactic to justify evil and wrongdoing for almost as long as the Bible itself. Take the Old Testament. I rarely read it, because to me what's important is what Jesus taught when he was on earth. As you know, he caused quite a bit of uproar by verbally overturning a lot of it. Don't judge, love your neighbor as yourself, treat others as you want to be treated. A tall and difficult order at times, especially these days!
I've heard people say that not going to church causes you to drift away from God. I've found the opposite. I am more mindful of my prayer and asking his guidance than ever. I haven't turned my back on Him and never will. I have turned my back on what a large segment of the religious population has decided Christianity is.
Watching protesters of all colors and faiths come together in solidarity for peace and justice has been a thing of beauty. Better times ahead, I hope.
@lenor In discussing political differences with Trumpites, I observed a long time ago that they express passion for the unborn, but once they are born, doesn't matter what happens to them. They approve of ripping babies from the arms of their mothers and putting them in cages. They approve of defunding programs that help children. They were no where to be found after Sandy Hook. ...and on and on. So, as Roman Catholic Sister Joan Chittister says, "They are not pro life, they are merely pro birth." I'm going to have to read the book you suggest because I have felt that this "nobility" they express is only to make them feel like they are righteous people who don't need another issue.
Maybe call it something like "Spiritual Journeys (Church, etc.)"? - something that would be a place for people to talk about what worked for them, what didn't, how they got to where we all are at this point.
I would be happy to chat offline, too (I can get your info from Jeanne), but I think it would be great to include in a separate thread here as it might be of interest to others as well? I am always curious about people's spiritual journeys.
@polarberry Hi, to lighten things a bit, something akin to the Rapture - some time ago, a date was announced when all the good people would ascend. A friend called me the next day and said, "I figured you'd still be here."
Please just pick ANY other date, I'm sure you don't want to draw attention away from
Juneteenth
Even though it's not the same exact date, generally June 13-19 are off limits.
Would June 20 suffice?
You are a beautiful person. Thank you for sharing your journey with our community.
@vestrulux
Thank you also for sharing your story with us today. It is so appreciated.
These are painful stories which need to be shared so light can continue to flow to enlighten us all.
It seems as though a cascade of abuse, sexual and and non-sexual, has been coming to light from so many different types of perpetrators. Clergy, professors, teachers, employers, family members, police officers, judges, camp counselors and politicians. Basically, we are now fully aware that anyone who has authority or a leadership roll over someone else can be a danger and threat.
For institutions like the church who have continued to bury their heads in the sand or cover up the abuse, their days of reckoning have come and stories of abuse will continue to flow as victims are believed and step forward. People are leaving the church, there is a lack of credibility and trust.
Universities have been dealing with this abuse of power (sex for good grades, no sex for bad grades) for a long time and still the students have little recourse. I don't know how long it takes to "figure it out".
Society needs to "figure it all out" now before the cycle continues.
@cc21, regarding the clergy abuse, @jeanne-mayell just created a new topic entitled "Our Stories of Sexual and Physical Abuse by Clergy," and will be moving all of those earlier posts to that thread. But I agree having a thread addressing our personal spiritual journeys would be very helpful. Jeanne and everyone, what do you think?
@suspira44 Sometime back, several years ago, someone came up with a business idea: Come the rapture, he would take care of your pets. He charged a monthly retainer fee and quite a few people signed up. I haven't heard anything about this in recent years. I thought it was a brilliant idea!
There's a sign I like. It says something to the effect of, if only the good die young, I'm going to live forever.
The other one I like is, I want to be the kind of woman where I wake up every morning and the devil says, "Oh crap, she's awake." LOL
Edited to add that I try to avoid the topic of religion, just in general. I find it to be the liver and onions of the conversational world. No matter how it's served up, it usually doesn't sit well. I don't want to offend anyone with my personal beliefs, and I respect others beliefs, although I admit to being highly disgusted with evangelical hypocrisy.
I'd rather tell stupid jokes and wonder what dogs are thinking when they see humans on the toilet.
Edited one last time to say I'm not talking about people sharing their experiences and getting support, like in the forum that's just been created. I'm speaking more about the I believe this, I believe that conversations that seem to always get heated. It's just a very personal and sensitive topic.
So glad you are writing about all of this. It can only be therapeutic for you and instructive for others. The sexual violation of children, in particular, is an especially egregious crime. May each and every pedophile find a special place in hell waiting for them...but ESPECIALLY for those hiding behind the facade of being clergy, teacher, doctor, parent...the innocence/sensitivity of children is one of the most precious and beautiful aspects of life and should be guarded and protected zealously and with great love.
Although I am so angry at what happened to you, perhaps it may have facilitated your inner spiritual/emotional growth in some way? I say this because my highly sensitive daughter was bullied for a few years in elementary school...it was a top NYC public school that we got into via connections so I hesitated to pull her out. In the end, after much therapy and finding a very nurturing Middle School/High School where she bloomed, she is now a well-adjusted, unusually mature and happy Dean's List college student in her chosen field. She has often told me that she feels, in retrospect, that those years of miserable bullying sped up her maturity and inner growth...that she learned certain lessons early on which set her on the right path. She never turned bitter, only more compassionate toward others.
@polarberry My parents taught us the following: you don't ask anyone about their religion, you don't ask anyone who they voted for, you don't ask anyone what they paid for something, and you don't ask anyone about their politics. I guess all that's over with social media!
My parents too, all those things. I still cringe when I get a gift with the price tag on it lol. Is it a big deal in the grand scheme of things? Of course not, but little things stick with you.
The down side of that era is that things that should not have been swept under the rug often were.
My mother would not say who she voted for or show anyone the slip from her fortune cookie. If you tried to read it, she'd get mad!
Amy McGrath has a narrow lead over Turtle!
The polling, which was conducted by RMG Group, shows McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot, with the support of 41 percent of voters, while McConnell is backed by 40 percent. However, the polling also showed that when voters are informed that McGrath supports congressional term limits while McConnell does not, her lead over the Republican jumps significantly.
I am catching up on posts today and saw these from you about your experiences with the Catholic Church. What an awful ordeal you have been through and I am so deeply sorry for your suffering. As I write this, I am reminded how these ordeals of life shape us into the purposeful, compassionate people we become and give us strength both to endure and to speak out against injustice. Thank you for sharing more about yourself. I am always, always drawn to your posts because they resonate with me. I am glad you are here on this site and glad we are friends.
Same. I miss those days. Growing up, we discussed politics at the dinner table at home, but we never discussed politics outside the home. We never knew our friends' political affiliations and didn't care. I miss the civility and friendliness of a united community. It's a challenge for me to ignore the propaganda of the Faux News aficionados and that propaganda is often accompanied by general assholery. Deep breaths, smile and change the subject.