Only day 4 and man are these questions intense. I have to think a lot about them before I read them.
Here are my views. To each their own. I am accepting of all types of religion and non religion. I was raised a Southern Baptist. I was in church at least 3 times a week. I was very active in my youth group. When I got to be an adult, I took a break from church. I had met my husband, started working, we moved, etc... and it was hard to go back. When I did go back to church, I saw it differently. It was no different than middle school with all the cliques. So many of them were hypocrites. I got very disillusioned. I mainly kept going so that my daughter could continue learning about God. She is very much a believer. We quit going to our particular church when my daughter went forth to be baptized on 3 different occasions (baptism in Baptist only happens after you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior). All three times, she fell through the cracks, got overlooked, or basically forgotten. I had already accepted the church as it was, but when it failed the one person God gave to me, I couldn't handle it. We haven't been back. Jesus wouldn't have been in church on Sunday morning. He would have been where the people that need him most are.
I don't like how religion separates people. If you believe in a higher being then what does it matter how we are baptized. My husband also brought up a good point when I didn't believe in God for a while, he said "what is it going to hurt by believing in a high power? When we die, if there is nothing there, then that is the way it is, but if Heaven is there we will be there because we believed." I have non believing friends and I have very religious friends. I am kind of in the middle. I do pray and read my Bible on occasion and thats about it.
Okay, this is starting to go all over the place. I don't like heavy topics. What I don't want to talk about either is how busy I am right now. We are in our first week of production for Music Man. I am costuming about 60 kids this week, and 50 kids next week. Ahh!! I have been pulling some 17 hour days. I do love the excitement of theatre week. I get to spend a lot of time with kids I (for the most part) adore. By the end of the two weeks, the directors and I will all be sharing a brain we become that close. It's almost like summer camp. My house suffers though. I look around and there are about 10 things that need to get done in my immediate vicinity. Can't wait to share pictures.
Photo Challenge Day 4: After Dark
Here are some of my path lights my neighbor bought for me.
Come over to Paula's Place and see what others are saying.
Fell through the cracks?! That's... appalling. I was baptized before we left Germany the first time because my grandma put her foot down. "I don't care if you want your friend to do it you get my grandbaby baptized before putting her on a plane, you hear me?!" I was 6 weeks old. The second time was kind of on accident. My mom's church here was doing them at the lake and the chaplain asked if anybody else wanted it. I had promised my (very devout Baptist) friend I would give Christianity another fair shake before finalizing my decision so I went for it. Given my experiences it's kind of hard to wrap my head around anybody 'falling through the cracks' three whole times! Goodness. That's worse than when my aunt was explaining the hoops she had to jump through to be considered a 'member' of her church! *falls over* The things people get caught up in....
ReplyDeleteI asked a few people about it before we left the church. I started feeling like the church was more about the numbers than the members.
Deletehmm, heavy topic indeed :/
ReplyDeleteYou are so crazy involved in the musical production that's awesome, it sounds hectic but it's probably the good kind that will leave you feeling content and accomplished at the end
It really does leave me feeling accomplished. I love it!
DeleteThis was a heavy topic.
ReplyDeleteI am glad there is lighter topics on the horizon.
DeleteA heavy topic for sure! I cannot even fathom how a child who wants to be baptized would fall through the cracks. I am glad you are enjoying your time with theater week!
ReplyDeleteTheatre week is awesome.
DeleteIts funny how it often happens that with maturity, church -religion loses its grip on people. That is so sad about your daughter being refused baptism, sad but it makes me angry too.Who is to judge whether she is worthy or not? Hypocrites. Yes, I hear you.
ReplyDeleteYes! I felt our church was more about putting booties in the seats instead of Christ in the heart.
DeleteI like what you said very much, "He would have been where the people that need him most are." It's so true.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteYou and I are very kindred spirits... I'm very tempted to SKIP this entry in my blog... for the simple reason that my boys go to a private Christian school... but I am very much a skeptic... scientific-minded thinker. I want facts. I want proof. I want concrete evidence. I don't want hocus pocus and arks and bullshit. Ya know? However, MANY of my sons' friends and their parents do read my blog and I would hate for that to have any ramifications upon their education... because -- at the present time, that is more important than a blog entry.
ReplyDeleteMy eldest has asked me straight up at one point when we were having a discussion... "... Gosh mom, you sound like you don't even believe in God."
I simply replied, "I want you to question everything... and never believe something just because someone tells you to. Get the proof for yourself. That's all."
It's up to every individual on what and how you believe.
Delete