People may speak freely about their religions in a public place- only you are subjecting yourself to listening to their conversation; THAT means they are not shoving it down your throat. Making information available for the curious is also not shoving it down somebody's throat- you may avert your eyes if you choose.

However, telling people who are discussing THEIR religion that they are wrong IS shoving your religion down their throat. Judging people by your religious standards when they are not theirs, is shoving it down their throat. Attempting to convert those who are happy in their religion is shoving it down their throat.

It all boils down to one thing- if you don't want to be exposed to something, keep yourself away from it. Why do you think I haven't been here much?

Abra, this is actually something that I have been thinking about myself a lot lately. I can accept and believe it because it is HER spiritual truth and there is no reason for me not to believe her. You know I am a very "to each their own" type person."

To me, proof of the higher power, the divine energy than infuses me, is in the sunrise. It is in the wind, in the rain, and in the love my husband bathes me in. God is a part of all the things in my life, and the fact that I am alive and experiencing it makes real- the good and the bad.

I've been writing a lot lately, angsty and depressed. Basically talking to God, talking about proof, about knowing, and being lost and being found. I won't divulge further here...

Feral, if the Bible is the one, true and correct way, why are there so very many churches that follow it so many different ways? (Spider, I know you commented on this and I do understand your analogy).

Also, you have had ultimate proof from God of his existence, which I can fully accept and believe. But others from other faiths have had ultimate proof- have been embraced and humbled by the incomprehensible force that is the divine- but know that divine by a different name and face. How are they wrong?

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." - But not after? So one supreme God with others under him? Sounds a lot like Wench's idea to me

I like the way Silver Ravenwolf describes the divine best. Forgive me for not directly quoting it, but I cannot find the book it is in. She sees the divine as a diamond with countless facets, each one a different face [or aspect], but all on and of the same, singular force. That is where pantheism comes into play for me- we are all a part of that diamond, all children of god- I could never understand why the Christian God sent us is "one and only son" to save us, when we were all born of god and his divine will.

In regards to Abra talking about how he would react to Jesus, Ghandi, Or Martin Luther King, Jr and how they would subsequently react to him, I feel the desire to add-

Will there come a time when all of human kind will worship all of these men through third party accounts like Jesus is worshiped today?

Wish I could be around to find out

Hubby and I are planning on trying this for a family samhain get together and I was wondering- what kind of rice? regular white rice? long grain? Brown? What have/do you used and how does it come out?

To my immediate, sleepy-headed recollection, I have never been to a "holy site," not that I have a personal interest in going to many. Many of the most holy, sacred energies I have felt have come unasked for and in no particular place at all.

I understand exactly what you mean-

Much of the power does come from the journey of a pilgrimage, but any person can choose to create a sacred journey that will bring them to a holy place, even if it is a seven eleven. The divine is in all things and if you are of open enough heart, any step you take can be a pilgrimage.

It's all about state-of-mind though, isn't it?

Hear hear! "...why can't we all enjoy each other beliefs and realize we are all on different paths to the same place. "

If I die and go to hell and get shown a flow chart of how I could have gotten somewhere else I will know I was really wrong

And to you- enjoy the sunshine, and the housecleaning when you get to it!

I'm sitting here playing a game with my hubby relaxing, enjoying some time off work. Not much sunshine here yet, and it's foggy so it'll be dim all morning.

Going to see my dad this morning... do a little housework and maybe play with my drum a bit since my hand is all healed up. Good times!

I hope you enjoy your time at the beach! Dose kitty go too?

*smile* Good Morning my dear

Hear hear to CCP, she who inspires and enchants with her delightful turn-a-phrase!

And Abra, your words are also enchanting, as always =)

Perhaps an off question, but is there not one to be celebrated every week, on one day or another, depending on one's choice in path?

I break my body every day for 10.83 US an hour, in a small-ish area where you only make good money if you married in to it or have 6-10 years of school behind you. I wouldn't be able to afford to own a home if my husband did not work also. We work in a metal stamping factory, working with moderately hazardous chemicals and 60-400 TON presses-he has been there four years and is a supervisor(he only makes 12.80 an hour- two dollars more than me and I'm as peon as you get).

Even happier, all the things I am good at and enjoy doing are not professions you make money in.

I was thinking of trying something like this for our Samhain shin dig this year- I'm so exited you posted it.

I really do get to make yummy french bread to go with it too! yay

(and pumpkin muffins!!)

I'll only answer one so other people can play too!


1-I'm beside myself

(I love these!)

Breakfast is skewed for me since I work overnights and sleep during the day. Normally, I wake up at 8:30 and then don't eat until me 1am or 3 am work breaks. By then, I am starving.

If I feel up to eating, I try to do a quick balance for energy and have peanut butter and honey on a whole grain bagel, or on bread if I'm out of the yummy bagels.

Breakfast food is often consumed when the household and I are hungry at the same time and then massive amounts of biscuits, gravy, eggs, sausage and coffee are served up (so bad, but so good!)

Another thing to consider getting tattoos, is putting them in a place easy to show off but not uncomfortable to cover up, because some employers do not allow visible tatts.

Also, consider your skin type and if you have any odd allergies or anything- I want a couple tattoos very badly but will probably never get them because my skin is SO sensitive and I am excessively prone to infection (I have never even been able to keep my ear lobes pierced without the onset of a major infection and my ear "eating" the earring and it having to be dug out *shudder*)

Can't wait to see a pic when you decide!

What an interesting comparison- sneezing backwards! I love it!

I have always felt drawn to and wanted to pratice martial arts, but I live in a smallish area with highly Americanized classes, which don't focus on the chi aspect of martial arts at all. I'm interested in thousand cuts and Capoeira the most.