Labeling
Tuesday, 19May2015 Filed in: simple
I happen to be a pagan. I know, I know, big surprise. My particular path isn’t all that complicated but it is private. It’s between me and my Gods. And since I believe that mentions of the Divine should be capitalized, you’re going to have to live with me doing exactly that.
On the other hand, I’m not insisting that you capitalize the Names of my Gods, the word Gods, or the word Divine or any of it’s variants.
To me, my relationship with Divinity is between me and Them. I would no more solicit your opinion and approval about that than I would about the color of the trashcan by my clothes dryer.
It’s none of your business.
I’ve got friends who are Christians. I’ve got friends who are atheists. I’ve got friends who are Buddhists. None of that affects what kind of people they are.
The measure of a person is in the lives they touch.
That has nothing to do with religion or faith.
It has everything to do with personal, individual choice.
If you demand that someone sacrifice so you can feel good about yourself and your cause, then we have a problem.
Your beliefs shouldn’t control my behavior. Just as my beliefs shouldn’t control your behavior. This is the root of the parity test. You may know it as the Golden Rule. I think it’s the foundation of civilization. You treat people fairly because you want to be treated fairly. You don’t kill your neighbor because you don’t want your neighbor to kill you. You don’t rape the child across town because you don’t want to be raped. You don’t steal that fancy car because you don’t want your stuff stolen.
These are things we can agree on.
We can’t agree which God is supreme, or indeed if there is a god at all, and which church/temple/whatever is his/her/it’s local headquarters. Most of that has to do with which priesthood gets political power anyway.
Don’t you see? The labels don’t matter. What matters is how we treat each other. The only sure guide for that is how we want people to treat us.
What matters is how we treat each other.
Not some words on a page. Not the rantings from a religious leader. Not the demands of the environmental movement. Or in the expectations of some union. Or in the proclamations of some politico.
What matters is how we treat each other.
Should I treat you differently if you are Republican or Democrat? If you are “black” or Hispanic? If you are Hopi or “white?”
Allies, not servants.
I don’t care what your religion is. I don’t care about what groups you belong to. I don’t care about your politics…
Well, that last one isn’t exactly true. I don’t care about your politics unless you want to control someone else.
That’s where I am on everything really. Your religion isn’t an issue unless you threaten or try to force someone else. I don’t care about your groups unless you’re out to control someone else.
I’m not doing this blog to convert you. And I don’t want to be converted. I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned. You can use it or not as you choose.
What matters is how we treat each other.
On the other hand, I’m not insisting that you capitalize the Names of my Gods, the word Gods, or the word Divine or any of it’s variants.
To me, my relationship with Divinity is between me and Them. I would no more solicit your opinion and approval about that than I would about the color of the trashcan by my clothes dryer.
It’s none of your business.
I’ve got friends who are Christians. I’ve got friends who are atheists. I’ve got friends who are Buddhists. None of that affects what kind of people they are.
The measure of a person is in the lives they touch.
That has nothing to do with religion or faith.
It has everything to do with personal, individual choice.
If you demand that someone sacrifice so you can feel good about yourself and your cause, then we have a problem.
Your beliefs shouldn’t control my behavior. Just as my beliefs shouldn’t control your behavior. This is the root of the parity test. You may know it as the Golden Rule. I think it’s the foundation of civilization. You treat people fairly because you want to be treated fairly. You don’t kill your neighbor because you don’t want your neighbor to kill you. You don’t rape the child across town because you don’t want to be raped. You don’t steal that fancy car because you don’t want your stuff stolen.
These are things we can agree on.
We can’t agree which God is supreme, or indeed if there is a god at all, and which church/temple/whatever is his/her/it’s local headquarters. Most of that has to do with which priesthood gets political power anyway.
Don’t you see? The labels don’t matter. What matters is how we treat each other. The only sure guide for that is how we want people to treat us.
What matters is how we treat each other.
Not some words on a page. Not the rantings from a religious leader. Not the demands of the environmental movement. Or in the expectations of some union. Or in the proclamations of some politico.
What matters is how we treat each other.
Should I treat you differently if you are Republican or Democrat? If you are “black” or Hispanic? If you are Hopi or “white?”
Allies, not servants.
I don’t care what your religion is. I don’t care about what groups you belong to. I don’t care about your politics…
Well, that last one isn’t exactly true. I don’t care about your politics unless you want to control someone else.
That’s where I am on everything really. Your religion isn’t an issue unless you threaten or try to force someone else. I don’t care about your groups unless you’re out to control someone else.
I’m not doing this blog to convert you. And I don’t want to be converted. I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned. You can use it or not as you choose.
What matters is how we treat each other.
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