Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Creation and Chromosomes

One of my greatest fears is that, one day, there will be no men. The science is progressing to the point that we are almost able to clone mammals. All that will be necessary for procreation will be a few cells and a womb, with a bit of scientific hocus-pocus added. I'm not sure many of us have stopped to consider that there will be no need of men, once mammalian cloning is possible.

Men have been in awe of our ability to procreate since the dawn of homo sapiens' sentience. We have been taught by much of religion to believe that awe is the same as fear. I am in awe of my husband's abilities, but I certainly don't fear him. I celebrate that he can do so many of the things I only dream of doing.

My mission is to take all human "faces" off of The Divine Energy that makes our universe exist. If Einstein was correct, all matter is energy manifested in physical forms. I like to believe that Einstein was, and is, correct. This would possibly mean that what we call "The Big Bang" is the beginning of manifestations of matter from The Divine Energy in the Universe. This is what I choose to believe.

Chromosomes are what we call those bits of matter that form us. "X" chromosomes contain some of our "female" traits; "Y" chromosomes contain some of our "male" traits. I believe we need both types of traits, and I love the ways of my males who seem to have quite a great deal of "Y," both literally and figuratively.

I don't want an "X" rated world. I want my "Y", also.

Love,
Y
OneFamilyManyFaiths.blogspot.com


Victorious Visits

Last week-end, I went to see a friend,
Whom I hadn't seen for forty-five years.
She had found a perfect soul mate,
Which has soothed all my foolish fears.

He husband shared with me how they
Are each complete within themselves,
Each following the values of The Spirit
That, in each of their souls, dwells.

He has built a guarded perimeter
To protect her and their serene home,
And he doesn't impose his fears on her
Wherever she may choose to roam.

In his life, he has experienced
Great loss and war, a difficult reality.
He denies many of his memories,
And wants her to remain fear free.

Another spoke to me this week-end when
I spoke of how The Divine isn't spelled G-o-d;
Before I could could finish my sentence,
"It's spelled G-o-o-d," he said to me.

Both their wives are women of faith;
Both go forth and joyfully minister to others;
Both have been examples to me,
In my journeys through friend, wife, and mother.

Of the manifestation and names for Divine Energy,
We all seem to have different visions,
But we didn't allow our different names or "faces"
To be cause for fear, anger, or derision.

I am so glad to know something of science,
So I don't look for the human in all things.
While humanity may be the most Divine creature,
I see Divinity in all that the universe brings.

I've always enjoyed similes and metaphors,
As I have history-based stories.
I have no trouble understanding the Bible
As a cautionary, instructive Allegory.

For the many manifestations of Divinity,
I will not believe that the only names
Are the ones our ancestors used
And only Jews and Christians claim.



Thursday, July 26, 2012

Prudent and Protective Parents


Let me now say in conclusion that this commandment demands also that every one love and esteem the spouse given him by God. For where conjugal chastity is to be maintained, man and wife must by all means live together in love and harmony, that one may cherish the other from the heart and with entire fidelity. For that is one of the principal points which enkindle love and desire of chastity, so that, where this is found, chastity will follow as a matter of course without any command. Therefore also St. Paul so diligently exhorts husband and wife to love and honor one another.
— Martin Luther, The Large Catechism
When a man waits for a wife before sharing his body, he and she will learn together what pleases the other in the marriage bed. Most young people are pushed into sex by people promoting weakness for their own gains. There is little money to be made in temperance, but much to be made from those who have no self-control. It takes a mighty community to hold children back from their animal instincts until they gain authority over their desires. Many communities tire of the struggle and release their children to their animal natures almost as they learn to talk and walk. 
It is a sad truth that those who are weak in their own resolve seek to draw others into their sin in order to "normalize" it. How often we see parents "teaching" their children how to be a "man" or a "real woman" by joining the children in breaking down the boundaries of responsible society. How terrible it is to see parents becoming like children instead of standing as a united force in continuing to protect their children from their animal instincts and those of others. 
Animals are programmed for certain behaviors, which they practice while watching their elders exhibit the behaviors accepted by their society. We are a society of greedy babies crying to be coddled, entertained, and excited at all times. We, in this country, have no real unmet need, so we confuse want with need and demand everything we see as soon as we see it. 
We say we are following the laws of Heaven, but in truth we worship mammon in the form of what money can buy to give us power over others. We've convinced ourselves that we are better people because we've been "blessed" with more than our neighbors. We flaunt our superiority and take pride in creating lust in others.
Some of the most wonderful people I know are those who live the most simple lives, working the land, writing their letters, rocking fussy babies, and cooking. They are grateful for every whit and tittle with which they are blessed, as if they are not working for it. Good work is a gift; it is a partnership with Divine Energy in which we are privileged to give back some of the blessings bestowed on us.
When we treat honest work and temperance with less than honor, we are destroying the sacredness of life. When we exalt those who are cleverly stealing from others and hoarding earthly goods, we are creating a kingdom of Hell here on earth. This is the earth we are handing down to our children and their children. Who is protecting them from the gates of this Hell? Where, Oh "God", are the prudent and protective parents?


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Religion and Root Stock

I became like a man, many years ago;
It was the only way to survive.
Any woman who served was seen as a whore,
And her importance was denied.

I was carefully groomed to be a partner
To a protective, righteous man;
I chose someone of the Christian faith,
Knowing this was in God's plan.

His mother, the rock of his religion, died
Before we formed a solid graft.
We became parents of a babe and our siblings
Before my twentieth birthday passed.

The weight of the family was too heavy;
It broke my branch from the roots.
We were only able to produce
Two perfect and powerful fruits.

I fell to rocky ground and developed
A root system of my own,
And from this new tree of life,
Strong, hybrid root stock has grown.

But the feeding of the new fruit,
Without strong extended support,
Has left me an empty husk
Who cares not if this life is short.





Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Sacred Sexuality

Even dogs do a mating dances before they consummate their affection;
Is it any wonder that those without courting skills face sexual rejection?
Sacred sex should be more than relief of bodily functions;
There are many reasons for the applying of emotional unctions.

Even in long-time marriages, there are certainly ways to date,
Unless we set up our lives where nothing we want can wait.
When sex is not the primary reason for our bond,
There are missions in relationships that go far beyond.

If we want to actually have a meeting of the minds,
We must make our own rituals, away from the daily grind.
When I was young, our parents dropped us at the movies
Perhaps this was then they performed their "marital duties."

Religions don't seem to get the function of physical intimacy;
This is part of our animal natures from which we'll never be free.
We must take the time to taste and touch and smell
This is how all animals can, their own tribe, tell.

Not all of marriage is to create new generations;
Celebration of earthly life is what bonds families and nations.
We seem to finally be realizing that men and women both,
In sharing of the physical, find unity about which to boast.

It is accepted as a way to bond, the sharing of bread,
So should the sharing of our sacred marriage beds.
To welcome another with loving arms and warm embrace
Is one of the great glories of the human race.

Let us celebrate each others bodies in committed security,
That there is always a beloved who knows the real me.
This is a relationship in which we can feel The Divine
And transcends the mundane through all space and time.

The sound of the beloved's voice, the twinkle in one's eyes
Should always be a great miracle and a welcome surprise.
The scent of the beloved's skin, the tenderness of touch
Should give us the sense of safety for which we yearn so much.

We have been taught that yearning for our beloved is weak;
Yet this is the bond, which on a primal level, we seek.
If we weren't meant to celebrate physical love's sacred
Why is it the most physically powerful force with which we are created?











Monday, July 23, 2012

What's a Woman to Do?

One of the craziest things I've ever done, I did when I was about seven years old. I decided that if anybody I loved was going to hell (and I was pretty sure that my big brother was on that path, considering how "bad" he was) that I couldn't be happy in heaven looking down on them suffering. I made the decision that if all my loved ones weren't in heaven with me, I didn't want to go. I was also pretty sure that all the people in heaven were going to be as boring as my big sister who was a "saint."

This started me on my path to perdition, and I'm still stuck in a hell of my own making. I've spent years, frantically trying to "fix" my family so that I could be with them for all eternity. Now I'm not sure how to stay out of the pit that I dug. The friends who have fortified me with their faiths are tired of hauling on the ropes that have kept me from fully failing. It is time that I allow them a rest. After all, my family is not their garden to tend, and neither is it any longer mine.


I have struggled mightily to come to a peaceful path on which we can all take our time getting wherever it is that we are going. I believe that the Bible is full of the same sorts of stories. This is why I write my adventures and want to hear those of others. I only wish that my faithful, faith-filled friends would stop being convinced that those who don't swallow every word spoken or written by the prophets of the past dooms people like me.


I'm comfortable with not "knowing" what "God" looks like or "sounds" like on a universal level. (I used to believe that "He" spoke Latin.) It matters not to me whether the mother of Jesus ever had marital relations with her loving husband. It also matters not to me whether Jesus was simply a very well-behaved man while he walked this earth. I don't care whether it was actually "god" who told Abraham to sacrifice his son. I do believe that it was definitely a "Holy Spirit" (perhaps Abraham's own wife) who turned the course of religion by stopping the flesh sacrifices to the gods.

I believe that we "Chosen" people are to seek justice in this world, and that anyone who has truly loved another with unselfish actions is contributing to "Peace on Earth," and that this is the fulfillment of " No greater love has a (hu)man than that we offer our lives for each other." Communion, for me, has nothing to do with wine and wafers. It has everything to do with celebrating our lives together.

And, I believe that while many of those I love seem like they are living (or lived) hell on earth, they will never be fully in hell as long as there is even one bit of their love left in those who were (are) loved by them.

Go in peace, you are all blessings to me. I only hope I'm strong enough to contain all the celebration I feel when I see those I love. When I let it all out at one time, people are scared, rather than comforted. What's a woman to do?

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Tell Us Tales of Your Path

It is not that we destroy one ideation of The Divine and replace it with another as we move through history. It is that we grow away from fear and begin to be more comfortable with what we can't ever comprehend. In the beginning there was Divine Energy, the same Divine Energy that continues to pulse in all of creation.

Somehow, most humans seem to have a bigger capacity to manifest this Divine Energy that other aspects of creation do. We continue to hoard this special light rather than expand it to the ends of the earth with our service and example.

Great prophets have been sent to show us the way, but we turn away from their examples, repeating like parrots words that we don't intend to apply to our own lives. The Bible is a cautionary tale, but we seem not to want to get the message, endlessly repeating the mistakes that are leading us to perish as a people.

It is time for us to write our own stories of the sacred, rather than repeating the platitudes of others. How have you used your understanding of The Divine to lead your life? Who have you affected with your example? Have you been rewarded or punished for singing your own songs of The Sacred? How can we create safe places where we may sing our own songs and dance our own dances without fear of being figuratively burned at the stake? Can we create new rituals that speak to the ways we actually live our lives with family and friends?

Can we give up the belief that we don't shine with the bright light of Divinity, even as we go through the daily drudge of dirty diapers, terrible teens, and surly spouses? Can we stop acting as if there are people put on the earth to serve us, and that we are not meant to equally serve and support their efforts to raise responsible families? Are we ready to spread our actions of justice and compassion without using our words, unless we are asked for what reason we are sharing ourselves and our assets?

There are no saints and sinners; there are only those who choose to work for justice and those who choose arrogance. Even philosophers require food. Let all who want to eat, work side by side, and spread their beliefs by exhibiting justice in action.

The true injustice is in those who continue to take with no sense of responsibility for their actions. These are simply animals, many of whom choose to deny their own humanity, which includes a sense of responsibility to the community. None of us should be forced to continue supporting those who will not work for the betterment of a responsible and just society. The blessing of being human is that we can choose the path we take.

When we hurt any part of creation, we diminish The Divinity in that part of creation.There should be no priests and penitents, preachers and parishioners. We all have sacred stories to tell, gifts of our talents to be given, and forgiveness can only come with compassion for the humans we have hurt. The greatest gift we can give one another is shared labor in which we all honor each other.

 Please, tell us tales of your path.


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Fire and Family


I thought I'd float forever on a sea of endless love;
I had long felt the comfort of a Divine rudder.
It was only when my children had no need for me
That I realized my mission had been that of mother.

Now that my motherhood ship has sailed,
The wind is stilled beneath my wings.
Even the grandchildren are outgrowing
Their capacity to freely, joyously sing.

How I miss the magic moments of solidarity
With the pure wonder of the light in their eyes,
And how I long for observing them,
And, by their brilliance, being ever surprised.

How wonderful were the days and years
When I was treated as a rock star
And for celebrations of family life
I never had to go very far.

I am now expected to act like a lady,
Have grandmotherly dignity,
Instead of enjoying with wild abandon,
Having no parental responsibility.

All I want to do is observe their growth,
While I watch their lives' celebrations.
I'd like to be allowed to share with them
The wisdom of my own generation.

Some act as if I'll harm their children,
As though I'm a godless, heathen whore.
Is this because my face of The Divine
Is one of which they aren't sure?

How can they not understand
Where my Divine Energy comes from?
They would know if, from the sound 
Of my words, they didn't continue to run.

It is true that I hold in my heart
Many memories which nobody should see.
My history is what makes me who I am;
I cannot from myself be set free.

This history reads like a Biblical account
Of the perversions of humanity.
It has been my life's lonely work
To keep my children, from these, free.

I am desperate, at times, to protect
The children from potential dangers,
Especially harm coming from family and friends,
More lethal than that from strangers.

I watch other families through my window,
Those that I cannot reach out and touch,
Knowing if I begin to love them,
I will surely love them too much.

I will care too much what happens to them,
Though, their lives, I have no hope of affecting,
And if my prophesies of danger come true,
It's me that they'll be rejecting.

I am so grateful that my husband
Still has wonder like that of a child.
The miracles of creation still excite him;
With him, I'm allowed to be wild.

He is not afraid of the Great Spirit
That abides within my deepest soul.
He says that my fire is the catalyst
That makes his existence whole.



Take My Typing

Holy Spirit, take my heart
Holy Spirit, take my head.
Holy Spirit, take my typing
And make my words yours instead.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Lost Light

As I sing the praise, they scorn me;
"She's quite mad," they say.
They seem to have souls that are
Eating them with jealousy.


I held my song until I burst;
My soul was completely broken.
They hated me in my brokenness,
As if my sadness was also a sin.


I cried out, "I love you."
They answered, "We don't want your love."
You have none of the saving grace
From our god above.


You may be our servant girl;
You will never rise in your station.
You were born to this fate;
It is your earthly obligation.


They used to let me listen
As they discussed their important work,
But they turned me away
When my questions began to perk.

You are not meant to think;
You were made to serve and entertain.
I am still eternally grateful
For the insights I have gained.

But no one wants to hear
The words of a sinful slave.
I continue to write them for myself,
So I'll not take them to my grave.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Intelligence and Information

Sails upon the water cannot compete on this earth
With the ultimate serenity for which we're given birth,
That must be mastered by those who are willing to learn 
The triumphs and tragedies by which we should discern.

There are few who are secure enough to teach the young,
Especially those whose wisdom has remained unsung.
If only we could get past the doctrine of false pride,
There are many whose ability to teach should not be denied.

The humility to say, "This is my experience, or what I understand,"
Is that which the ability to teach really demands.
Those who value respectful interchange of points of view
Are in a teaching arena in which there are too few.

Humility is not a sign of weakness; it's a fertile field.
Asking respectful questions will, new knowledge, reveal.
We teach by helping the seeds our students already have to grow,
When we start with honoring what our they already know.

Once people reach a point in life, past the age of eight,
They're informed enough to know that adults aren't so great.
I believe that it's better to tell them the truth about authority;
We're not so thrilled either with accompanying responsibility.

In today's world, information is at our fingertips;
As long as there's respect, we can together dip
Into the vast knowledge available to all, globally.
But, in order to learn, we must be prejudice free.

I have always embraced the exchange of ideas,
Even though, on this, my religion was so clear.
We should not entertain or dine with those
Who, by birth or choice, a different faith chose.

I am happy to report that my children grew up to be
Seemingly color-blind, and full of parental responsibility.
I only wish, when they were growing up, and questioning
I had all the information that the internet now brings.




Wednesday, July 18, 2012

People and Praise

So many people don't want to hear
About that which we hold most dear.
They will listen forever to our distress,
And our stories, they try to best.

They give advice that they've not tried;
Their prayers for us can't be denied.
They do not want to absorb any pain
When there's nothing for them to gain.

As far as our triumphs, they set out to see
If they can do everything better than we.
Can't we ever simply appreciate
That we each, some honor, should rate.

Praise doesn't have to make us vain;
It can simply help us to sustain
Our souls in times of tribulation,
Which befall all of creation.


Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Tear Down the Temple

When will the temple be torn down
Where they are sacrificing Jesus to Baal?
When will the pedophile priests
Answer to justice's call?

These wizards who deny the bread of life
To those who most need the grace,
How can they continue
And not perish in disgrace?

When a parent brings filth to the family table,
The home is, by the parent, destroyed.
These people should forfeit the right
To share in the family joys.

And what of the people who are so afraid
Of losing the family rituals?
They pretend not to see the filth
Of which the home is now full.

They continue to rejoice together
As the wounded look on longingly.
They cannot join the celebration
Until their own souls are set free.

But no one wants to look at the wounded,
And admit that the temple is defiled.
They protect the predators
At the expense of a dying child.

"We must uphold tradition.
Sins have always been around.
By crying out in pain,
You are defiling holy ground."



Monday, July 16, 2012

What We Didn't Know

When I was a kid, what happened in your own family was the way and the truth
We knew not it was wrong when, at the age of two, our mothers turned us loose.
We also didn't know that it was wrong to beat a disobedient wife or her children;
The fathers were expected to deliver the rod to save their families from sin.

When I had children, I had no model, of how to structure my day;
It didn't help that liberated women were prioritizing girlfriend play.
I looked to the women who seemed loving and righteous to me,
But they crumbled under the lack of societal empathy.

These were the days when society began to admit
That the old rules for our families simply didn't fit.
Women were scorned for prioritizing family and home;
Husbands and wives had begun to openly roam.

I had nobody to talk to, with whom to emotionally engage,
As in my teen years, I turned to putting feelings on a page.
There are few who read what I write; some say it's too dense.
Others simply declare that it doesn't make any sense.

There were doctors and therapists I went to see,
Who thought their bodies were the way to comfort me.
The moral boundaries, I became aware then,
With the innocent and vulnerable, often get broken.

Does this happen to all to whom we confess?
Are they eventually poisoned by the pain they ingest?
Do all those that we term societies' "people helpers"
Soon need to draw, around themselves, shelters.

Some turn away in disgust and terror when I tell them the truth
About the many ways my family has suffered authorities' abuse.
They say that I'm crazy; that I should get over my past.
But our pasts make us and stay with us until the last.

Just when I feel that I have begun a new chapter,
A loved family member's life turns to disaster.
For whatever reason, they come to me to explain
Why they continue to fall, again and again.

I am happy to share with them the lessons I've learned,
Hoping to keep them from continuing to be burned.
Is it hopeless to continue unlocking the memories?
Am I part of the solution or part of the disease?

Is this the reason I lose so many after they come to me?
Are they afraid of what I know about their histories?
I am not a priest; I didn't ask them to confess.
But as a friend, parent, and aunt I tried to do my best.

I listened with what I felt was compassion,
As has always been my sisterly fashion.
I have shared what I think, as my elders would,
Except for the parts that say people aren't good.

I have finally come to the end of my caring;
I've been scorned enough for continuing my sharing.
Let them go it alone; I'll no longer be a scapegoat,
While those that burden me continue to gloat.






Sunday, July 15, 2012

Leap Frog of Life

You can't be born any older than your parent's souls;
Joining of your parents' genes is what makes you whole.
Some people are put on earth to take a step back,
The Almighty knowing they have strength to stay on track.

It can be hard for those who've worked to raise them
To accept that this is how humanity has always been.
Those who bear children anointed to be the holy ones,
Choose the less perfected to create daughters and sons.

It is very difficult to watch them take necessary steps back,
While it seems that they, parental values, seem to attack.
Parents may be long-dead before experiencing the reward
Of what The Divine Spirit has been working toward.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Freedom and Fathering





The days of knights in shining armor are long since gone;
The men who join us in partnership protect us from harm.
If we can all become grateful for the parts we all play,
Perhaps the bonds of marriage will, one day, manage to stay.
 
How wonderful it will be when our men outlive us women;
Maybe then, all of us, can be be seen as friends.
The women will stop acting as those who protect
The men, whom our society, continues to reject.

We will decide what we lack to bring up our babes;
And, by all of our society, we should be praised.
There will be no more measuring each generation
By the respective positions in parents' life's stations.

It does take baby boys longer to gain their strength;
When fathers are absent to teach them for what they're meant
While becoming men, once they are removed from mama's arms,
Where are the real men, to protect the boys from harm?

Why do we continue to have men following like dumb sheep,
Instead of making societal rules that  they are willing to keep?
We women of strength are tired of correcting bad boys,
Who see women and children as part of their own play toys.

So many men pretend that they have no responsibility,
And for babies that aren't proven as blood, they are responsibility free.
Where are the many sons and brothers of Abraham, Jacob and Jesus
Who, from the mistakes of our ancestors, were sent to free us?

I am oftentimes angry because it's courage that we lack;
Even generations who steps forward  are dragged back.
Our religions continue to crucify any woman who is strong
Contending that, from the beginning of time, we invented wrong.

If Adam had the will and the courage to say no to Eve,
Perhaps we would not be in, such cowardice, conceived.
If both partners stop acting as if they have no functioning brains 
Some fun may be lost, but mutual respect will remain.

It seems that human society swings the pendulum;
From mutual responsibility, we continue to run.
There are not "women's problems" and the problems of men;
Partnership is that on which families actually depend.











Hail, Holy Families

Why isn't Mary hailed as a hero, instead of a lovely lady in a veil?
If the family of Jesus had been earthly royalty, we'd be singing, "All hail!"
How many mothers have the strength to allow their children to succeed,
Knowing that they'll be rejected for not following the world of greed?

How many fathers can watch their wives hurt, and hold them in their grief,
Without becoming frightened and attempting to make the pain cease?
How many sons, knowing their own strength, submit to parental love,
Knowing that their destiny will, that of their parents, rise above?

How many parents have the wisdom to celebrate our children,
Even knowing the pain of separation when we finally lose them?
Did Jesus often visit his parents, once he became a man?
Did his parents find new joy in each other, as Jesus followed his plan?

What were Jesus' favorite foods when he came home for holidays?
Did Jesus find fault with them, or offer his parents praise?
Did Jesus come to scorn the simplicity of his family,
Or did he reassure them that, from his heart, they'd never be free?

I wish I knew the answers to The Holy Family's everyday lives;
How, with all the pain of parenting, their courage survived.
I know many mothers and fathers who go through similar things,
But I guess they can't bear to share all the pain it brings.

Would it be any easier if I knew my children's final fate?
Did Mary and Joseph know all along, or did they, too, have to wait?
I used to think that my joy in this life would be to see my children as parents;
As their own children become adults, I feel like to hell, I've been sent.

Spanish Carol, tr. Eleanor Walker

Title

Alepun

Language

English, with the Spanish refrain "alepun"

Date Written

Unknown

Listing

Mary rides the mountain pathway, alepun.
Through the dark and mist of Judah's night, alepun.
Alepun, ale-alepun,
Alepun, ale-alepun,
Alepun, alepun!
Birds sing out in expectation, alepun.
While the sparkling waters ring with laughter, alepun.
Refrain
Good Saint Joseph guides the donkey, alepun.
While the infant sleeps 'neath Mary's heart, alepun.
Refrain
We are waiting with our Lady, alepun.
For the dawning of our Savior's birth, alepun.
Refrain
(Note: each line is sung twice.)
Text Copyright © Grail Singers, Loveland, Ohio, 45140.

Source

The record, Grailville Sings, by the Grail Singers, Loveland, Ohio, 45140.


Friday, July 13, 2012

Awaiting the Apocalypse

I'm not scared of the Apocalypse;
I believe we each get to choose
Between what we gain on our paths,
And that which we will each lose.

I can't even imagine my children
Choosing a path to perdition;
I have taught them that salvation
Is each of our personal decision.

It is okay to leave my body,
To rot and burn in eternal hell.
There are parts that will be saved,
Parts that, in each of them, dwells.

Perhaps the things I did that caused hurt
Will exceed those that gave them worth.
It is not for me to know the balance,
Or control what happens after I'm dirt.





Thursday, July 12, 2012

Jesus and Jews

Mary's blood was spilled many years before that of her baby boy,
And yet she accepted the challenge of raising him with joy.
Her husband, Joseph, whether father in flesh or decision
Chose to protect her and her babe from society's derision.

They, with conjugal love or not (it is not important),
Supported the child to fulfill the mission for which he was sent.
The Jews had, for many years, been faithful to a mission,
Though they were constantly faced with fateful decisions.

They regularly were persecuted for being different from the norm,
Even those that were peaceful people, who meant no harm.
All they asked was to be left to their faith's disciplines,
Knowing that this would deny them some family, many friends.

Instead of embracing the wonderful family lives they shared,
Many "Christians" and others built a story to make others scared.
Why can't we accept that there are those who need rituals
To unite them in celebrating The Spirit in which they are full?

Your dance may mean nothing to me. I'm thrilled when it fulfills you.
This disparity in tastes doesn't meant there is nothing I can do.
I am fascinated by the many forms of respect and adulation
There are in the many peoples and faiths in all earth's creations.

I see them as a sign of hope than none of us feels sufficient.
We come into a society to fulfill the mission for which we are sent.
My gift may be scrubbing toilets; yours may be to heal wounds.
We have no control of the gifts that are given to us in the womb.






Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Pondering Panentheism


Have I finally found a religious philosophy that mirrors my own beliefs? My daughter once told me that she thought that I'm a Buddhist. Hindu, maybe? Or am I a true Catholic, in the universal sense of the word?

Panentheism (from Greek πᾶν (pân) "all"; ἐν (en) "in"; and θεός (theós) "God"; "all-in-God") is a belief system which posits that the divine exists (be it a monotheistic Godpolytheistic gods, or an eternal cosmic animating force), interpenetrates every part of nature and timelessly extends beyond it. Panentheism differentiates itself from pantheism, which holds that the divine is synonymous with the universe.[1]
In panentheism, the universe in the first formulation is practically the whole itself. In the second formulation, the universe and the divine are not ontologically equivalent. In panentheism, God is viewed as the eternal animating force behind the universe. Some versions suggest that the universe is nothing more than the manifest part of God. In some forms of panentheism, the cosmos exists within God, who in turn "pervades" or is "in" the cosmos. While pantheism asserts that 'All is God', panentheism goes further to claim that God is greater than the universe. In addition, some forms indicate that the universe is contained within God.[2] Much Hindu thought is highly characterized by panentheism and pantheism.[3][4]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



“Panentheism” is a constructed word composed of the English equivalents of the Greek terms “pan”, meaning all, “en”, meaning in, and “theism”, meaning God. Panentheism understands God and the world to be inter-related with the world being in God and God being in the world. It offers an increasingly popular alternative to traditional theism and pantheism. Panentheism seeks to avoid both isolating God from the world as traditional theism often does and identifying God with the world as pantheism does. Traditional theistic systems emphasize the difference between God and the world while panentheism stresses God's active presence in the world. Pantheism emphasizes God's presence in the world but panentheism maintains the identity and significance of the non-divine. Anticipations of panentheistic understandings of God have occurred in both philosophical and theological writings throughout history (Hartshorne and Reese 1953; Cooper, 2006). However, a rich diversity of panentheistic understandings has developed in the past two centuries primarily in Christian traditions responding to scientific thought (Clayton and Peacocke 2004).
--Copyright © 2009 by 
John Culp <jculp@apu.edu http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/panentheism/


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Christians with Questions

I'm so sorry that I make you tired with my constant questioning;
I can't accept without question, The Church and many other things.
The traditions unexamined should not continue to be followed
Without respectful questions, all human growth will be swallowed.

I did not choose to be the child who constantly exclaimed,
"The emperor has no clothes", and for his disgrace, was blamed.
The Wizard of Oz is an ever-popular morality movie,
Even though Dorothy could, the wizard's true face, see.

This is how I feel about the posturings of the popes,
Who make pronouncements in which infallibility is invoked.
Because The Church felt threatened by those who look too close,
They denied the power of  the people to perceive The Holy Ghost.

There are many children who have been taught to disbelieve
The innocence and divine grace with which they were conceived.
The Church wanted to retain the power to decide who'd be let in
To the communion of saints, those absolved from ancestors' sin.

Our early faith was sold out to the rule of expediency;
Those who wanted to conquer the world pretended to be
Christians who lived what Jesus had lived and taught.
At the threat of death, allegiances were bought.

Christianity was turned into a religion of the state;
Politics became the power, because our leaders wouldn't wait
For the Holy Spirit and the Christians who believed
To convert others, with the grace in which we were conceived.

We continue to pay the price of our religions' hypocrisy;
Those who question have been cut off of the family tree.
In order to survive in our present culture of Christendom,
Do we all have to pretend that past actions weren't done?

Can we reclaim the power of The Spirit of Holiness;
Or will we, in fear and anger, continue to regress?
Each follower of faith has the power to lead some of those
Who are looking for a sense of peace in which to repose.

We must not be shy about turning away the beasts
Who, with their own fear and anger, our anxieties increase.
Anyone who attempts to lead with threats of punishment
Is not one of the leaders that our Infinite Divinity sent.



Sunday, July 8, 2012

Sharing the Spirit

If I'm not allowed to share the lessons I've learned, I don't care if I live
What good is life without gratitude for what we have to give?
We live in a culture of disregard for anything that came before,
As if the experiences of past generations didn't open today's doors.

My understanding of the spiritual practices of Native Americans
Is that there were respected elders of every nation and clan.
These were people who spoke from their wealth of experience,
Stories from their generation and those who had passed long hence.
 
They also took the time to honor the sacred in all of life;
The animals that fed them were honored for their sacrifice.
Do we honor anything or anyone in our disposable generation?
I somehow think not, in our hurried and greedy nation.

It is considered un-American to share and to expect justice,
Unless one can prove this is the order of one's priests.
In this land of rugged independence, why can't we believe
That seeking  balance in The Spirit is why we're conceived?

We must stop acting as if we don't have to honor creation
We are the vessels of The Spirit, "God's" re-creation.
"God" doesn't need our honor, but we need that of each other.
Until we understand that, we'll be brother against brother.


Saturday, July 7, 2012

Parenting and the Past

We have been taught to hate ourselves, but how we love our children;
The heartbreak is when our children continue to fall into our sin.
Is genetics really our destiny, as some would have us believe?
Would that I had died early rather than to conceive.

I was taught that the sins of the parents are passed to sons;
This has been happening since humanity was begun.
I was also taught that we are all born with a free will;
How can I believe both and have my soul be still?

The only way I can come to peaceful reconciliation
Is to know that there is another choice in my life's station.
This is to read scripture as what has been tried before,
With the realization that the Holy Spirit has opened a new door.

If the soul is The Holy Spirit, that in all humankind dwells,
We make, on earth, an imprint of heaven and of hell.
We plant and grow the seeds of  peace and harmony
When we insist that from fear and greed, we will remain free.

The childish souls act in accordance with fear,
Not with a value system that they hold most dear.
I will no longer allow demons and devils to rule;
I am now a teacher, finished with the false school.

Do not continue to tell me that I must go home,
When abuse of power turned all my siblings out to roam,
Seeking truth and justice, and finally giving up.
I cannot continue to drink from this bitter cup.

It is true I've lost family and many of my friends;
I've seen the consternation in my dear and loving husband.
I don't blame those who still seek the church's protection,
And I do understand when my beliefs lead to rejection.

I would like to think that some will join me in solidarity,
When asked to confront religious hypocrisy.
But I know that it is difficult to live without our pasts.
I believe that the truth will triumph, and pray that it will last.










Friday, July 6, 2012

Painful Parenting



So many have told me, "I accepted only the wisdom
That we were taught in the Baltimore Catechism."
The worst part of the experience is that we were treated as fools;
Because we were so innocent, we believed in the rules.

My parents taught us that it was the spirit of the faith
That guided the actions of the whole human race.
How horrible it must have been for my parents to see
That their faith and Christianity would never agree.

Every bishop's letter read in the church of my childhood
Was thought to be God's word on evil and good.
We weren't even permitted to read the bible verse.
Was it that we may see that these rules were perverse?

I was brainwashed, even before my birth, to feel  shame.
How can a newborn baby be held, for sin, to blame?
Here I am, as an adult, who spent my life in remorse,
Believing that I needed priests to control my life's course.

How can they teach us that we are sinners before birth,
And still preach that their Christ redeemed the whole universe?
I will no longer accept that my ancestors gave to me
The sins of their ancestors; by their savior, they were freed.

It matters not if I believe Jesus was full Divinity;
He certainly had more Holy Spirit than what was given to me.
I wish I knew more about his mother's life on earth;
Perhaps it would give my mothering spirit a rebirth.

And what of her poor Joseph, who could hardly protect her
From the cross she would bear, as many would reject her?
To be the guardians of such a great spiritual force
Surely would have lead many couples to divorce.

Along the way they were given many choices;
They chose not to ignore their own spiritual voices.
Did Jesus really attend rabbinical school 
And did his earthly father teach him about tools?

Where are the stories of how to successfully parent
The souls that a special powerful Spirit were sent?
To know when to hold on and when to allow freedom
Helping mold the adults that they will become.

And where are the accounts of the tender moments
That surely Mary and Joseph had to have spent?
Did they know his mission or worry incessantly
About the special person that was their baby?

These are the parenting stories I wish I knew
How did Jesus's parents make it through?
How did they handle their own empty nest
Did knowing his mission make it hurt any less?











Thursday, July 5, 2012

Protective Parents


My son has a protection racket that he runs from his home.
It is the neighborhood spot to which all the families roam.
All his friends stand firm in commitment to family;
This is where the children can live and learn, fear free.

He and his wife have created a backyard paradise;
When people ask to bring children, they don't think twice
The pool is always open, even to those who can't swim;
There are many who will catch the children, if they fall in.

Several dads on barbecues and telling fishing stories;
Mothers in bathing suits, showing off their youthful glory;
Ice chests always full of something cold to drink;
It is sad to think this time in life passes in a blink.

I like to believe that if Jesus and Magdalene had children
This is the kind of celebration their lives would have been.
Jesus was quite a fisherman and a great story teller,
And he was also a joyfully disciplined kind of feller.

I'm quite sure my son would like to turn water into wine,
But he certainly doesn't have that much spark of The Divine.
The families bring loaves and fishes to share -- and beer.
The children cavort in the pool, while parents share good cheer.


Look in the eyes of a protective parent, there's the light of The Holy Spirit.
Their guidance of their children are the voices of angels, even if we don't hear it.
There is nothing greater on this earth than to give our lives to another,
As is the way with every committed and loving father and mother.





Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Is Tradition Trustworthy?


Almighty power is something to which humans can't relate.
Some say God is a jealous God, but this a human trait.
I do not believe The Eternal Universe rejects all of those
Who grow in the manifestations of The Almighty they chose.

If Divine Energy is a static force, what would be the point?
There are many throughout history we've chosen to anoint
Because these people had special power to lead us to better,
Not simply worldly experience as today's trend setters.

Some people call them prophets; others call them savior.
One thing is certain; we learn from their behaviors.
They do not simply preach sermons as they reject
The actions that show us how to live the lives they respect.

We sometimes misunderstand the stories that are written;
They're scribed by those who, by human power, were smitten.
What is the truth of the tale of Abraham and his son?
I believe the first voice he heard was a false god's one.

Since the time of Abraham, we have sought another way
Than blood sacrifices to gods that, in the heavens, play.
Isn't it possible that we are, finally, coming to an age
In which we help harmony by the lives in which we engage?

If we continue to project power by peaceful protest,
Will this ultimately bring out humanity's best?
We have so many leaders of simpering hypocrisy;
Are we truly ready for our truths to be set free?

If, in our churches we sat, when called to the communion rail,
When we know the policies of our church shouldn't prevail,
Would we be able to bring about truth and justice
And create a religion of honesty that all of us can trust?






Monday, July 2, 2012

A Pedophile's Prayer

Pray for me, My Mother, as I willingly walk to the gallows.
I will pull the lever that will, my body's death, allow.
I cannot say what ancestors corrupted my immortal soul,
But I will give my life to help those I harmed be whole.

Do not grieve for me because I go to a better place;
I pray that I leave something holy of myself with the human race.
It is not the children that we sire that are our legacy;
It is the balance of evil and good in our energy.

It is not for you to wonder what is the final balance;
It is yours to, willingly, give my salvation a chance.
I want the world to honor you for the sacrifice you make
When you let me, as my penance, my own life take.


Sunday, July 1, 2012

Women Without Wombs

If a man understands a woman's soul, other men reject him;
This has been the way and truth ever since life did begin.
They have an unfair advantage in the animal kingdom's wars,
And the spiritual realm is what the animal kingdom abhors.

A man who loves his mother is attacked as a mama's boy,
And a man who honors his wife becomes other men's play toy.
Will we finally resolve the battle now that men are Mr. Moms,
And we stop pretending that mothers and God are where babies come from?

It takes two to manage a family, as well as it does to mate;
This may be why it has always taken two to procreate.
We must stop the fantasy that we create humans as well as nature;
Evolution is not controllable by the products that are simply creatures.

We must stop creating designer babies in test tubes in labs;
This takes away all the power that historical natural laws had.
If  we conceive babies that we can't commit to raise,
Give back the unwanted babies; adoption be praised.

As for the women who are earth mothers to all,
They must realize that even great oaks can fall.
They must stop committing to more babes than they can handle
A teacher or babysitter can't, to a committed parent, hold a candle.

But helping committed parents when they act as a pair
Is something about which we all should greatly care.
Each couple has ways of protecting each other and their young;
This is the mating ballad I'd like to hear sung.