This week saw the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. I must sat that day is barely a blip for me any more. At my age I no longer feel compelled, nor am I required, to follow the rules concerning fasting; that and it's been more than a dozen years since I attended mass regularly. I never would have believed that I would turn away from the church where I was raised but I realized that the church and the men who run it turned away from me. The do not recognize that women are equal to men in the eyes of God. They refuse to realize that in this day and age a disease that can be spread via intercourse can be prevented by the use of a condom. They preach that the use of one is wrong and how many useless deaths have there been because of that? They preach 'artificial' birth control via a pill is wrong but say nothing about the fact that a man can take a pill to ensure an erection. To me that is hypocritical. I won't go into the scandals that have rocked the church. Their treatment of nuns who provided support and charity to LGBT youth is not only unkind it is ridiculous.
I know that there are people who read this that will despair or feel sorry for me. Don't. I love God and I think S/He still loves me. I pray and I treat the people around me with love and respect. The Church is different than the faith. Jesus told us to Love one another. I figure that as long as I'm doing what he said to do I'm Okay.
What else about this week....??? Valentine's Day was Thursday. I've never been a big fan of the day because I never really had a reason to be but this year was a little different. It was the first year that there was a hope that someday I might have a reason to celebrate the day. I have seen friends find love and blossom because of it. It's wonderful to know that the possibility exists.
One last thing and you can resume whatever it was you were doing before you got sucked into reading this blog...it may surprise you to know that I'm making a concentrated effort to spend less time on the computer and less time on facebook. I've missed reading. I've been missing the thrill of losing myself in the theater of imagination that a good book provides. I still love facebook and will still be there every day working on my group page and touching base with all my friends but the time will be less. I have a host of stories that I'm anxious to read and the only way to do that is to cut back on something and that something can only be the computer.
Mary Anne, I think we're in the same ship sailing. I remember giving up smoking and drinking and coveting for Lent. I was only seven at the time - so I was fairly safe. Thanks for another blog that makes me remember, think, and appreciate you. And thankfully, I believe the Creator loves us all.
ReplyDeleteYour kind words mean more than I can say. I can see the seven year old you hanging out at the local pool hall with a smoke, lounging against the wall and coveting all the hot looking ten year olds.
DeleteI too walk the same walk, and sail the same sea. The Catholic church was a building that I never felt comfortable in. I always felt unwanted and unloved. My God loves me. I believe in the teachings that Jesus preached. Those were teachings of Love not Hate. I too have decided to walk away from FB more times during the day. I love these women who bring us adventure, romance, mystery and love. I can't read fast enough.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time I was very comfortable in my church but was unhappy in life. Once I accepted my sexuality, even though I was still closeted, I became increasingly uncomfortable in the church. Funny how that worked.
DeleteNow it's time to get back to a story. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Shutting down before I can change my mind.
The first thing i can remember about the Church that made a huge impact on me was my first confession befor recieving my 1st holy communion....what a terrifying thing for a 7 yr. old,,,dark box...faceless voice..and telling him that i called a neighbor a fat ass..what possible sin could a 7 yr.old have? Never felt comfortable with confession after that..have not been in 36 yrs.I hear that you sit face to face with the priest now..would love to try one more time..when he tells me to start confessing my sins my reply would be "You go first!"
ReplyDeleteThanks for being real. And, hey, Valentine's Day is about love - and you have shown plenty of that, given plenty of that - and for all that I thank you!
ReplyDeleteLive, love, laugh and be happy ..... I sang that song to my mother (and the other residents) when I visited her last week. It was an old favorite and we were looking at a picture of a robin.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how much time I can spend on the computer doing, essentially, nothing. I have been missing reading time as well, and have cut back in order to recapture it. And then there's the writing time.....
Thanks for another good blog.