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Dark Knight
November 2009 
Religious Emails~Aaaaaaaaaaaaaak!
michele
I'm sad about this. Is my sadness due to my own spiritual bias? I don't know the answer. I read the email, and I felt misunderstood. I felt like the core purposes of the creators of America were misunderstood. I felt like Jesus himself, God itself, is soooo misunderstood.
Ya, the girlfriend escaped without a reply; no, my dad didn't. The end of the email said to pass it on if you were not ashamed. My reply said I WAS ASHAMED! I am ashamed of emails that harbor religious persecution, masking it as Christianity. Met Jesus lately?
I wish people would take responsibility for what they create, what they are involved in, the lessons they exponentially teach by the emails they forward. The laws of this nation attempt to balance religious persecution. I wish they were unnecessary, because balancing persecution sucks... It's like the Holy Wars gone awry, like we need to take a little wind out of the Christian sails so that the Baha'is, Muslims, Buddhists, Pagans, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Toaists, and Shintos die less often and the Christians more often. Doesn't that suck?
If the nation could legislate tolerance, if the nation could legislate mutual spiritual appreciation, would they? Can they? Why don't they?
We all have a responsibility to create this. We have a responsibility to notice the moments of persecution, to listen and understand. The perpetrators are hurt somehow... they need to be heard and understood. They might heal if they feel like someone is listening.
And we, the ones who can, have a responsibility to act in unity rather than separation. We must acknowledge and value the many paths to that which is Eternal. We must see them as one, and yet appreciate them as many. We must acknowledge their shimmer, and value their light. That's an enormous challenge, the only one worth living!
Access: Public
Sorry, but I'm not understanding. Who is persecuting who? When the principal listed what he could do, was he complaining or actually doing it? It sounds to me like it is the principal who is intollerant, although I am known to get things backwards. All the list of approved activities sound like great acts for tennagers to hear (imho). Oh to be as shallow as I can be, rather than as deep as I aspire to.
He was complaining. He was intolerant, and wanting to have the right to lead the stadium in a Christian ritual without mutual respect for others who might not be Christian, yet who sat there as football fans none the less. And ya, he was complaining about how he could do those other things, yet NOT lead the stadium in prayer (which, my guess is, that he could have… if he inspired people to address their own Source.) I'll go back up and make that clearer!
ok, I too am confused. It isn't often we get to witmess you on a rant :) so when you are, I want to understand it. I want to say he has a right to be upset that he can't lead the stadium in a prayer. Isn't part of oneness that we all be able to express our beliefs? What is wrong with prayer? Would it be different if he said I want to lead the stadium in a short meditation? It's the same thing. You might want to call me on this one. Maybe forward me the email first so I can read it for myself.
I suppose the origin of the rant isn't really as important as my thinking process (since it's my blog… it's all about me). There is no issue with prayer or with meditation or even if he wanted to lead everyone in a chant about lingerie… I obviously don't oppose diversity. I actually have a leaning toward diversity. (The part of me that is Buddhist will have to look at why I lean at all.)
What I don't appreciate is the right wing perspective that their rights are being taken away. The new legislations are trying to protect non-Christian people from being forced to participate in Christian ritual. Obviously, we all have a right to decline… so, not say the Pledge of Allegiance or not pray along with the rest or not make that Santa Clause art project. But we aren't talking about the standard adult world… and the standard adult world doesn't respect diversity by asking people to call on their own entities and beliefs and pray for safety (which is what would be respectful). It's really hard to empathize with minority religion from a Christian background, because we think “why not just ignore it and move on”. Can you imagine ignoring Christianity at Christmas time in the mall?
But we were talking about the school system, the kids. A principal stood at a football game, so we can assume this is high school… The new world, the world of children and young adults that we are raising, they are being held and taught with a new standard. They will hopefully come through with the perspective of mutual religious respect. This principal was totally focussed on that “we Christians do not appreciate the legislation and will therefore override it”… where he could have embraced the diversity of the American culture and merged all of the religions and non-religious through a “minute of silent respect and intention”, or something along those lines. But he didn't. And that's ok, it's his perspective.
My real issue is with people forwarding the message, and not seeing the problem with doing that… It grows. The disrespect, the lack of empathy, is watered and fertilized by the behavior of forwarding the email.
The principal chose to use his position of power to take a stand against the government, against the new laws that are attempting to legislate the freedoms this country was founded on. He did it “legally”. It was his stand against the laws. It's just sad that respect for diversity is forced to be “legislated”, 'cause it's better if it comes from the acts of the human individuals. We (Americans) tend to oppose anything that is forced, even if it is for the evolvement of the world.
Wow. Where to begin here. My first thought is that if you don't like something, just delete it. If I don't like a song on the radio, I turn the station, if I don't like a tv show, I change the channel. If I don't like an email, I read it, understand the source it came from (meaning if it had been from my very religious since birth father, I would have known that it was coming from a place of love for God and country as opposed to a hit at everyone who didn't believe the same thing he believed) and delete it. Although that said, he is one of the most prejudiced, intolerant people I have ever met. Church taught him this. I love him anyway and because I have the blessing of being more aware than him, I have patience that some day he will understand more fully God's love. Of course, it will be when he passes away and I will head straight to a medium to speak to him and tell him I told him so…………….. :)
At some point you are going to have to understand that you are a teacher. Because you are in this position, you are here to have patience and understanding to teach others. That means, if they need a teacher, they are not quite where you are. If everyone was already at a place of awareness, your services might not be needed. My services might not be needed. The planet as a learning planet might not be needed. Perhaps a petition to your God that he should close down the planet would work? I am for that. LOL.
My personal opinion is that schools in general have a lot more problems than prayer or meditation (for you Dee Dee). :) Maybe people should be offended that people with disabilities are leaving the school system with absolutely no skills. Or millions of students are being forced to learn in a style that is incompatible to their learning style which really doesn't let them reach their full potential. Or the fact that reading, writing and math are so focused on at the expense of recognizing the importance of our children who don't excel in those areas but are destined to be our future great artists, musicians, danceers etc…. My sister could pick up an instrument and teach herself to play but that was not recongized as a gift. What was recognized was that she was not as good at math as I was. That is wrong. So is our WASL's forcing perfection in these areas but not in the art areas where other children excel. How about having to worry about gang violence in schools or guns? I wasn't blessed with children, but I knew if I ever had them, I would home school. I would have never sent them to the public schools I attended. There are many many issues with schools. That conversation could take days to get through.
That all said, it sounds like the part of sending the email is what pissed you off. Now that I know that, I will be careful what I send you. More than that, I am actually afraid to send you something now that might offend you.
My advice for the future though is to use the delete button and have compassion for those who are not yet at your level. :)
I respectfully disagree Debby. I think what M said needs to be said and thought about. It's like my responsibility for the thoughts I put out into the world. I am connected to the oncess, therefore my mental energy can uplift it or pull it down. As I've been getting that concept in the past couple weeks, I've realized what a huge repsonsiblity it is and at the same time what a blessing. This morning I was able to finally realize that I have my father to thank for Chelsea and what a miracle that is and that I never thanked his spirit for that (mostly because I have held him in so much anger for so long). He is dead, so that makes it even more complicated, but the bottom line is that he was good and bad and I got the benefit of both. I feel like I can still acknowledge the blessing of my daughter because I am still connected with his energy. Expanding that thought, I realize my responsibility for everything I think and perpetuate into the world in whatever form of energy it takes. Therefore, I also need to be careful what I forward to people for them to read and/or pass along to others because I am giving that particular energy movement. My 2 cents.
I am not disagreeing with either of you. I am simply saying you are asking kindergardners to do the work of seniors. Aint gonna happen and to expect it would be the equivalent of banging your head against a brick wall. The fact you have found awareness is fabulous and that is one more light in the world to brighten this place up. I have spent many years hating this planet and being disappointed in people and expecting them to raise themselves quicker than they are. It is a path of terminal frustration. That is what I was saying.
However, if you two would like me to be mad at the forwarded email, I will do that for you both. :)
Man oh man, this discussion is getting long. Never worry about what you send me offending me, because I was not offended : ) I was noticing. I noticed that my Dad and his girlfriend didn't stop to think about what they were perpetuating. They didn't turn it on it's flip side, ha ha ha. And so, I put it out there to the world that we do have a responsibility. Hey, bring on more Bubba action… I'm not against forwarded emails. : )
Thanks, Debby, for sharing about your father, and for opening our eyes to the needs of those with disabilities!!!
Yep, the schools could be sooo much better for the individual. Yep, they don't acknowledge the gifts of the one in sacrifice to the many. Why? Money. People won't pay for the staffing, for the creative resources it takes to change the world. Higher taxes… not popular. Individualized learning requires a student/teacher ratio of about 1 to 12 kids. With a learning differenced person, they require one on one often. Money.
As I am both teacher and parent, the WASL rocks as a standardized test. The ones we took as kids were ridiculous and impertinent. The problem is when the whole system teaches toward a test result. That's craziness. But the WASL is a wonderful, creative, insightful way of finding out if kids can appear educated in the world (CAT's and Iowa's tell ya how well they can fill out a random bubble).
We all want schools to teach multicultural, multiethnic, and interfaith awareness and respect… because that is what will make a world of harmony. So if it has to be legislated, so it is. That's not the way I'd do it, but so it is : )
I think this is four blogs worth of material… and both Debby and Judy could do four of their own to add to the list, wow!
Judy… what can I say? Thank you for sharing such a personal journey! It IS really hard to shift to being the positive force in the world, and realizing that our every word and intention shifts the happenings of the planet. Sometimes, I'd rather hide under the covers than face that… it's so overwhelming. Being “positive in word and action” is soooo blooming complex too. We start to sort the things that come into our worlds carefully, so that we can be that mentally.
I remember the first time it really, really, really came across to me… “Be still and know that I AM GOD”. And then it was hard to move, 'cause everything was under analysis, everything I said, did, ate, saw, everything. I am the eyes and words and actions of God. Big stuff, scary stuff. But then again, I always have been. But I haven't always been responsible for it!
Debby, I don 't think it's an ager Michele was trying to show, but a noticing. I don't want you to be angry at anything. I personally want you to live ina world of purple flowers, or whatever is specialf or you - it's purple flowers for me.
This is too funny. Michele, I think we are getting so used to you being so even and level headed and in control that when we see a little crack in you composure we get all crazy. Everyone of these responses is like a mama bear protecting her cub. I find it very refreshing if it bothered you enough to blog about that you just say “it pisses me off when these idiots send me these” :)
Anyway, heres what really bothers me about those kind of email. I just got a beautiful email from a friend about a yellow shirt that was the moms, then the daughters, then became a game for them to give it back and forth without ever saying anything to the other over like 16 years. It was stained, patched, embroidered (wish Gaia had spell check) along the way and had a few bible quoted slipped into the pockets as a message now and again. Anyway, it was a beautiful story with a great moral…..Then you got to the end of the email and it said “now send this to 6 people in 6 minutes or you will have bad luck, if you forward it, you will have good luck, trust me it works and you dont want to break the chain and find out all the bad horrible devistating things that will happen to you today if you dont” That is what PISSES me off!!!! I spend all that time going awwww and feeling all warm and fuzzy then get mad and frustrated all in the space of a minute! I NEVER pass those ones along so every bad thing that happens to me is because I dont forward those emails heehee. Most of my friends know not to send them to me. I love a good joke or touching story but hate the “forward or else” ones. Anyway, I think I understand your original blog now.? I personally just enjoy seeing you “human”. Is it exhausting being
Godly ALL the time? heehee
I hope people understand the original blog by now, 'cause I forgot what it was, ha ha ha. Hey, on the forwards… just chop that ending off and send those great stories along : )
And I hear you on the Godly thing… but I don't do it to myself. I don't put a lot of effort into being what everyone expects of me… but being me seems to be a little bit exhausting all on it's own.
How is that “month off” list going? What will I be doing? I was thinking maybe I could just take two days off of being me per month??? Is there a lot of SEX in that, 'cause Eric could use a twist in our lives too?
Sorry, M, but the s will have to be with someone other than Eric if you are taking time off being you - we don't want to encourage him in adultry now, do we? :)
Wait… so the sex can't involve Eric??? I haven't seen the list, but it must be ultimately pretty dang interesting. So, since God is pretty creative… he/she/it is behind all variations. But I'm not really sure I've even started to check that out thoroughly. And I'm not entirely sure that I want to (no offense Judy, you were great in bed on Friday : )… just kidding Gaia patrol, just kidding!
Where's the list DeeDee?
D2 is on her way to work. She called from the library for book titles to look for. As for the sex with Eric, you did say that you are going to take some time off “being me.” This means that E would be having sex with someone who “wasn't” you, which would be adultry, and we don't want to encourage that. Ergo, my sage advice is that the time off will be abstinate AND if you and Eric need advice on that, I hear you have a friend with experience in that area. I'm just trying to be helpful here. I was just meditating in the bank - actually I was seeing everyone's imperfections and trying to turn away from it. What a hard thing this is to do - trying to put positive stuff into the collective conscious and minimize the negativity that I unleash on the world. Argh!
all faiths have polarity - all wrongs must have a right. but neither of these are seperate just as a top can't be seperate from the bottom. you just accept it for what it is.
The duality –
all paths lead to enlightenment — 'what you see in them is sometimes related to what we lack in ourselves – I find all to often the change takes place within not without. But the world tells you that you have an enemy – I tell you the only enemy is within because we are not seperate – not even the people you dislike are seperate.
peace love & joy
Hey Nightphoenix, you married? I have some great friends!!! And you sound like someone who actually has a sense for Reality!!!
In seriousness, I ditto your thoughts. So if it's “bothering” me (which it really isn't, 'cause I come from a level space… but to talk, ya have to pick a topic and a “side” to make it interesting), if it's bothering me that the emails are based in non-diversity, I have an issue with that to face on my own. Tetra lemma… there both is spirtual diversity and isn't spiritual diversity. There is no wrong, there is no right. The world is an illusion, that we create with our own thinking and manifesting. All there is is noticing folks.
So I notice the email in question. I notice the position of some people, that they have specific beliefs. I notice that I have broad acceptance. But that's all there is. It isn't a problem. It's ALL God in action, all my own godself in action. That's it! Nothing more, nothing less : )
We're having so much fun, I hate to write another blog and stop the conversation!
I am not sure the original context of the blog anymore but I sure am damn glad I said the stuff about not expecting so much from people who are not at your level cause it sure helped me get through the day. LOL
Life is confusing hard to swallow.only the innocent deserve a halo!
M - this is certainly inciting interest from the community, which is part of the purpose of the blog, is it not? I'm not even sure where to take the discussion, since it really has gone afield from the original email from your dad and Jan. Sorry - the kids are just getting home and I need focus on that.
In my profile photos you'll see a picture of my wonderful wife. We amplify each others love within each other. I would tell anyone searching for love to stop looking outside themselves. The truth is love is 'within' along with all your other emotions.
You are the source of your own happiness. You can find someone to share that happiness with but you can not find someone to make you happy.
peace love & joy
god damnit!!!
ok…..now…..to those that THIS offended, MY apologies.
this is a GREAT blog, ALL of it.
each of you have your opinions, your beliefs, your viewpoints, your own selves.
and the OTHERS have THEIR own perceptions of life.
sometimes on these blogs i get the vibe that someone got pissed off at someone else because the other disagrees with,or sees something in an entirely different light. when it goes from a simple sharing of each our own different beliefs to where one feels it necessary to set someone else “straight”….
but, hey, this is just MY 2 cents.
Great blog, Michele! And i have thoroughly enjoyed the comments of Judy, DeeDee, Debby, Monk, & Nightphoenix!